Why yesterday?

So the question today is why did Coop get fired yesterday, of all days?

David Barron:
Some fans thought the Astros were trying to force their way back into the headlines in the wake of the Texans' win Sunday. Others took the opposite tack — that the Astros opted for cover of darkness in the wake of the Texans' victory.

Regardless of the reason, Ernest Moreno, the night's ranking Little Puma, said he believes Cooper was made the scapegoat for failed decisions and substandard performances that were outside his control.

“It's been an accumulation of things — one bad decision after another, like thinking we can put a team together with retreads like Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz,” he said. “I'm sorry, but that's not how you build a team.”

I'll disagree with trying to do it under the radar. Or that they were trying to compete with the Texans for headlines. I'll agree with Moreno that it was one bad decision after another, some outside of Coop's control.

Here's what I'll say: The Astros were technically in contention until Sunday, when their sixth straight loss mathematically eliminated them from the NL Central title. Couple that with how terrible the Astros have been since sweeping the Phillies (still the most improbable series of wins this season), and coming home for a little homestand, and you're down a manager. But I think there is something else at play. I take Ed Wade and Run-DMc at their word when they say that Coop is a good baseball man. So when Coop comes home after a long losing streak to face a team the Astros have little chance to beat - even in baseball - I think the Astros made that move yesterday while Coop's managerial record was above .500 at 171-170. They threw a bone to a good man who did a bad job.