Cecil Cooper Can Breathe Temporary Sigh of Relief

Drayton McLane, Jr. spent the majority of his life building an exceptional business reputation as one of the greatest and most successful entrepreneurs in the United States.

The 72-year-old chairman and CEO of the Houston Astros understands the benefits, values and rewards of demonstrating a tremendous work ethic and applying personal knowledge and experience into making the Astros a prominent organization.

Since purchasing the Astros in 1993, McLane has watched his club blossom into a consistent National League contender with a history of special players like Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell representing the purity of the city of Houston.

In 1994, Bagwell became the fourth player in NL history to win the MVP Award unanimously, despite the strike-shortened season, hitting. 368 with 39 home runs and 116 RBIs in 400 at-bats. Bagwell’s .750 slugging percentage ranks as the highest by an NL player since Rogers Hornsby in 1925.   

Overall, Houston managers have played an instrumental role in the success of the Astros during McLane’s tenure as owner. Former manager Larry Dierker won three consecutive divisional titles from 1997-99 and a fourth title in 2001. Dierker forever holds a special place in Astros’ history as a standout pitcher, broadcaster and successful manager.

He led the Astros to a record 102 wins during the 1998 season. McLane graded Dierker based on the team’s first-round playoff elimination in 1997 and 1999 by the Atlanta Bravesand All-Star right-hander Kevin Brown and the San Diego Padres in 1998.

Former manager Phil Garner led the team to the 2004 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals, but fell short of making the World Series. In 2005, the Astros defied the odds and and appeared in the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Despite being swept by the Chicago White Sox, this marked the first occasion in which the World Series was played in the state of Texas.

The Astros have built a database of cherished memories and a collection of extraordinary players who received the honor of wearing the sacred uniform. Despite so many precious moments, McLane tends to be over-involved rather than leaving the critical decision-making skills up to the general manager, manager and coaches.    

Believe it or not, the pleasant, wealthy businessman from Cameron, Texas, who walks around with a warm, fuzzy smile, can be extremely tough and demanding toward his employees.

McLane wants to win and places a substantial amount of pressure on his general manager Ed Wade and manager Cecil Cooper. He will do everything possible to put the most talented group of players on the field by refusing to go through a rebuilding season.

Realistically, a team can’t win or appear in the World Series every season. Baseball history proves it’s nearly impossible. He won't spend ridiculous sums of money like George Steinbrenner, but typically sports one of baseball's highest payrolls.

Instead of developing the young talent, McLane gives the thumbs up to trade the organization’s top prospects in exchange for established veterans.

By following this policy, Houston has a tendency to feature one of the oldest teams in the majors. For example, the Astros dealt pitching prospects Matt Albers and Troy Patton, along with Luke Scott, to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for aging All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada on Dec. 12, 2007.

Tejada later admitted in April, 2008 that he’s been lying about his age since signing his first Major League Baseball contract in 1993. He was actually born in 1974 and not 1976, creating a unfavorable shock to Houston’s organization.

In a way, the managerial job continues to be a revolving door since the arrival of McLane. Cooper became the sixth manager under McLane when offered the job of a full-time basis on Sept. 28, 2007.

Entering the 2009 season, McLane’s collection of managers featuring Art Howe (1993), Terry Collins (1994-'96), Dierker (1997-2001), Jimy Williams (2002-'04), Garner (2004-'07) and Cooper (2007-present) have combined for a respectable 1,350-1,176 (.534) record.  

McLane fired every one of his managers, leaving Cooper with virtually a hopeless fate. Howe was fired after the 1993 season in favor of Collins. In his three years, Collins didn't experienced one losing season, but at the same time, never won a divisional title, finishing second each season.

Dierker actually won four divisional titles in his five seasons as manager, but was pushed out the door based on his team’s inability to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Williams always carried a positive reputation as a remarkable teacher with the ability to develop the skills of infielders. He led the Boston Red Sox to wild card berths from 1998-'99 and took over the helm in Houston before the 2002 season. He was ultimately replaced after the 2004 All-Star Game in Houston by Garner.

Despite leading the 2005 team to the World Series, Garner was fired along with GM Tim Purpura on Aug. 27, 2007.

Cooper completed his first full year as Astros manager last season. Before the start of this season, there was speculation surrounding Cooper’s future. He led the team to the best National League record after the All-Star break, but entered the season in the last year of his contract

Based on McLane’s track record of firing managers, it’s inevitable that Cooper will eventually be ousted from his position. For now, McLane picked up the option on Cooper’s contract through the 2010 season according to a Houston Chronicle report.

The 60-year-old skipper can breathe a temporary sigh of relief, but recognizes his precarious situation under McLane.

Rumors circulating baseball grew stronger that Cooper could be on the hot seat after the Astros’ slow start in Spring Training and the regular season. McLane wants the team to remain focused and not be distracted by the rumors surrounding Cooper.

Not including this season, Cooper has a respectable 101-91 record as Houston's manager.

It’s a difficult task to ask someone to pour their complete heart and soul into a job with a bleak future. For now, McLane will give Cooper at least two years to generate a winning team. Even if Cooper wins and takes the team to the playoffs, it won’t be surprising to see a new manager sitting in the dugout leading the team in 2011.  

For additional information on the Houston Astros, visit www.examiner.com/x-2910-Houston-Astros-Examiner.