In one of those clever slideshows, Fox Sports puts Coop squarely on the hot seat:
Never mind that the Astros staged an improbable wild-card run in Cooper's first full season; they were outscored by 31 runs, indicating that their 86-75 record was a myth. The Astros' veterans do not hold Cooper in high regard, the starting rotation beyond Roy Oswalt is suspect and owner Drayton McLane is notoriously impatient -- the team has employed three managers and three general managers since the start of the 2004 season. Hint: McLane did not extend Cooper's contract.
Hot seat temperature: Extremely hot.
I would be very upset if Coop lost his job, and this is something we have covered before. The state of the Astros has nothing to do with Coop. Unless of course he starts batting Berkman 8th. Not starting Roy when he faces the Reds. Things like that should be fire-able offenses. But no, I will not be happy with Coop getting fired if the Astros start 7-20.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
