Ed Wade

Forgive Ed Wade? Why?

As the regular season start of Season One of the Jim Crane Era approaches, one can't help but finally get some sense of optimism when it comes to the Astros. A sense arising primarily from the feeling that the adults are back in control of the franchise, something that couldn't be said since the day ... More >>

The Year In Astros Baseball: Thank God That's Over

​So let's continue our look back at the sporting year that was 2011 by taking a look at the Top 25 events to happen to the Houston Astros. 1. They finished with the worst record in team history, which was quite the accomplishment seeing as how the Astros were pretty damn bad for most of the ... More >>

Astros Fire Ed Wade & Tal Smith: The New Era Begins

Where have you gone, Ed Wade? A nation's no-hit, aging, injury-prone free agent infielders turn their lonely eyes to you. Where have you gone, Ed Wade? A nation's worth of middle relievers looking for multimillion contracts turn their lonely eyes to you. Ed Wade is gone. So is Tal Smith. Jim C ... More >>

20 Ways the Astros Are Still Losing Even Though They're Not Playing

Yep, Ed Wade's even a fool in the movies.​This past season was a painful one to watch and endure for Houston Astros fans. But even in the off-season the painful hits just keep on coming. 20. The owner of the Texas Rangers, Nolan Ryan, is getting plenty of airtime from Fox and TBS every nigh ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Astro Ineptitude

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Ed Wade: Burning Down The House

Ed Wade's theme song​I was okay with the Astros trading Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn. This is the worst team in baseball, and changes needed to be made. Many changes needed to be made. I've been advocating the blowing up of this team for many years now. Many, many years. Yet coming in t ... More >>

Houston Astros: Click Here to See the Worst Lineup in Major League History

Read it and weep.​Around the trade deadline, there are typically three types of teams making moves: There are teams trading moderately to low-priced young players for solid veteran players. We call these teams "contenders." There are teams that are trading veteran players for moderately to l ... More >>

15 Reasons To Keep Watching The Astros

Watch Ed Wade try to line up another job with the Phillies​I know most of you have probably tuned out on the Astros by the now. Hell, most of you probably tuned out on the Astros back in March. But it's still over a month until the Texans start disappointing everybody again. The NBA may not ... More >>

Astros Pitching Coach Brad Arnsberg Fired: Four Things to Watch

You're outta here.​"It was philosophical differences between a manager and a general manager and a pitching coach. I don't want to get into the details. It's just been kind of rearing its ugly head the last two, three weeks, and I guess they felt like they had to make a move for the betterment ... More >>

20 Things the Astros Can Do Now to Save the Season

And today's scapegoat is...​When you're the worst team in the major leagues, and when attendance is falling off, and when the only thing people want to talk about is you switching leagues so they can see the Yankees and Red Sox more often, then you're a team that has problems. Serious problem ... More >>

Wikipedia Doesn't Think Much of Astros GM Ed Wade

​Wikipedia, the absolutely, impeccably never-wrong source of all information, apparently isn't impressed with Astros General Manager Ed Wade. The opening, in case you can't read it up there:

11 Modest Suggestions For Jim Crane

​After the Astros lose to the Chicago Cubs this afternoon, the 2011 MLB season will be one-thirds complete. And while it was expected the Astros would be bad, being the worst team in the National League was not expected -- an injury-depleted Minnesota Twins are the only thing keeping the Astr ... More >>

The Drayton McLane Era -- Asking That One Question

Plus: this. Minus: Tim Purpura​The end of the Drayton McLane Era as owner of the Astros is imminent. With today's announcement that local businessman Jim Crane's purchase of our hometown ball club, we can begin to evaluate the "Houston Astros, version McLane" in full. There are a handful o ... More >>

The Year In Astros Baseball: 25 Things, Including Thank God For Jennie Finch

Mrs. Casey Daigle actually made some Astros games watchable​Let's face it. The Houston Astros suck. They sucked last season. They're going to suck this season. As long as Drayton McLane and Ed Wade are involved with this team, they're going to suck. But it's the end of the year, so let's tak ... More >>

Cardinals Mercifully Take Feliz Off Astro's Hands

Photo by Aaron M. SprecherA GM worse than Ed Wade?​I didn't think it was possible, but apparently, there's another baseball general manager out there who is actually able to make Ed Wade look smart. But meet John Mozeliak, the GM of the St. Louis Cardinals who, yesterday, actually traded for Pedr ... More >>

The Catastrophe That Is Your Houston Astros

Optimism -- not in the cards​The Houston Astros made some much-needed moves last week, dealing Roy Oswalt for a bottom of the rotation starter and some prospects and sending Lance Berkman to the Yankees for some middling prospects.There are problems with the deals -- with all of the money Drayton ... More >>

Game Time: Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman -- Five Thoughts

Photo by groovehouseActually enjoying a game at Minute Maid?​I know it's only three games. I know they were playing the Brewers. I know my judgment may be clouded by the fact that they actually won all three games, getting great pitching in the process. But I actually enjoyed going to an Ast ... More >>

Roy Oswalt: Don't Blame Him For Astros' Front-Office Incompetence

Drayton McLane and Ed Wade are effing this up​In a way, it's probably all kismet. The stars were perfectly aligned (thanks to a little magic fairy dust from Drayton McLane applied to the pitching order), the scouts were in attendance, and the event had been hyped for awhile.Roy Oswalt was pitchin ... More >>

Game Time: Astros' GM Ed Wade Is Making His Booty Call To The Phillies

I'm Ed Wade and I miss you, baby​booty call n. (BOO-tee kahl) A late night summons -- often made via telephone -- to arrange relations on an ad hoc basis. -- Urban DictionaryActually, if you look up "booty call" on urbandictionary.com, there are about a dozen different definitions, all meaning ab ... More >>

Houston Astros: 17 Reasons To -- Believe It Or Not -- Watch The Rest Of The Season

Reasons to be cheerful, part three: Deadline trades​The Astros return to action tonight, and with a record of 36-53, you're probably wondering why it is that you should give a damn about the rest of the season. Especially since Houston Texans training camp is not far off, college football is ... More >>

Ed Wade: This Team Is Yours (Unfortunately)

He's no Gerry Hunsicker​I know that Houston Astros general manager Ed Wade has some defenders in the city. They say we can't judge Wade, supposedly, because he's hamstrung by contracts that were given out before he arrived. We can't judge Wade because, supposedly, he's still putting his blueprint ... More >>

Astro Roster Changes Finally Come, As Reality Sets In

The youth movement begins....​Maybe it was getting swept by the Texas Rangers, or maybe it was losing two of three games to the Kansas City Royals.Maybe it's that the Houston Astros are 2-8 for their last 10 games, or that through 70 games they are one of the worst teams in baseball with a r ... More >>

Minute Maid Park: The Old Folks' Home

Turn down that music!!!!​So reading around on the internets yesterday, I discovered that the Houston Astros do, indeed, have an organization philosophy when it comes to developing talent.According to an article on one of the team's draft choices this year, Ed Wade said that "If anybody is wonderin ... More >>

Chris Johnson: Time To Move Him Up From Round Rock

A mistke...admit it. ADMIT IT​Before I go further, I first want to congratulate Houston Astros GM Ed Wade for ignoring Pat Burrell.Burrell was recently released by the Tampa Bay Rays, and over the weekend he signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. I want to congratulate Wade ... More >>

Game Time: Pouring Out A 40 Of Sake For Kaz Matsui

Rocking the hat, Kaz-style​When you're replacing a legend, the fear is always that the bar has been set too high, that whomever you decide to trot out to second base, after nearly two decades of Craig Biggio, will die under the immense weight of the stats, the hustle, the memories. Biggio finishe ... More >>

Game Time: Watch Me Compare Astros GM Ed Wade To Jennifer Love Hewitt

​The mood in the Astros clubhouse yesterday after the 2-1 loss to the Phillies was about what you'd expect. Michael Bourn tried to stay upbeat, citing that the team is fighting hard and they know they have good players. (Fortunately, unlike many around Minute Maid Park, Bourn sounded like he act ... More >>

Game Time: Texans Sign DeMeco Ryans, Their Dwight Shrute

​When a big sports news story breaks, my tendency is to spend about eight seconds internalizing it and wondering what it means to the subject of said news and what it means to me as a fan. From second number nine forward it's time to figure out other angles the news puts into play, what other pe ... More >>

There's An Opening In Quality Control At The Astros, We Have To Assume

​I've read that there are companies out there that employ people who do nothing but Quality Control. These people are supposed to make sure that the best product comes out while catching the errors. I'm not sure if Drayton McLane has such a person working for the Astros, but if he does, that pe ... More >>

The Astros: Where Pitching Careers Go To Die

Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher​I don't know what Cecil Cooper has against pitchers, but it's really beginning to harm the team. The Astros put Wesley Wright on the disabled list yesterday. Chris Sampson, who recently came off of the DL, is pitching as if he's still injured, and he and Cooper had a clo ... More >>

Who's Leaving First: Ed Wade, Cecil Cooper or Roy Oswalt?

The Astros were able to actually win a series this weekend, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in two of three games. And the good news is that they should be able to win a couple of games this week as their next four games are against the Colorado Rockies, another losing team, like the Astros, but on ... More >>

Top Ten WTF Sports Moments of 2008

It's end of year time, which means it's time for stupid lists. And if there's anything you guys have learned about me, it's that I like stupid lists. So I present this year's Top Ten WTF Moments in Sports for 2008. 10. The Cleveland Browns suspended tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. for conduct det ... More >>

God Bless the Houston Astros

Astros-Cubs: Brandon Backe Back in the Lead (for Homers Surrendered)

Wandy's Mediocrity Revealed in 9-5 Loss to Reds

Jose de Jesus Ortiz Gives Up on the Astros Season

A Houston Astros Mid-Season Progress Report

Is Ed Wade a Saint in the Shawn Chacon Debacle? Signs Point to No.

Houston Astros Dump Shawn Chacon

Astros-Orioles: Birds Win, Luke Scott Talks Smack

Trade Talk: Miguel Tejada, Jose Valverde, Chris Burke, Mark Prior and Lance Berkman

Stop the Insanity!!!

Does Baseball Need the Instant Replay?

Gee, Drayton, Couldn't You Have Waited A Couple of Weeks?

Cecil Cooper Made Permanent Manager

Dreaming with the Astros

Ed Wade. Ed Wade. Ed Wade. There, We Said It.

Re: Hey Drayton, What's the Rush in the Search for a General Manager?

This Just In: Astros Hire Ed Wade

You. Can't. Be. Serious.