Williams to be fired?

Astros to fire Williams; Garner to be named manager
Announcement set for 1 p.m. today
By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES

Astros manager Jimy Williams and his coaching staff will learn their fates at 1 p.m. today with former Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers manager Phil Garner set to become the franchise's 14th manager.

The Astros have scheduled a news conference at 1 p.m. today to make it official.

Citing commissioner Bud Selig's orders to not take attention away from the 75th All-Star Game, which was held Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park, McLane would not say whether Williams will be fired.

After the American League beat the National League 9-4 before a sellout crowd of 41,886, Williams remained holed up in the home clubhouse's coaches room until he was assured all the media had cleared out. Through a team spokesman, he declined comment.

"Remember what the commissioner has said," said McLane, who didn't deny he would fire Williams. "There will be no comment to take away focus from the All-Star Game. The entire focus for us has been the All-Star Game. We'll wait until after the All-Star Game to discuss it."

Class AA Round Rock manager Jackie Moore is another potential candidate to replace Williams on an interim basis.

Garner, a former Astros infielder, also cited Selig's edict. Asked specifically if the club had contacted him, the 55-year-old Garner was a bit vague while admitting to having had conversations with team officials.

"Well, I talk to the Astros off and on on all kinds of things," he said. "I wouldn't say it's any different than anything else."

Williams, who served as a coach for the NL All-Stars, was greeted by a chorus of boos when he was introduced to his home crowd. San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds was the only other player or coach booed in the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday night, but Williams received the loudest jeers.

As reported by the Chronicle last week, McLane reiterated he will decide Williams' fate in a meeting today.

"After we get in the office, we'll all talk," McLane said. "But I have two (meetings) before that."

After McLane signed premier pitchers Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens this winter, the Astros entered the season with more excitement than anybody involved with the club could remember. The starting lineup also returned intact, but the Astros are fifth in the National League Central, 10 1/2 games behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals.

215-197 with club
The Astros headed into the All-Star break with a 44-44 record, even after acquiring All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran on June 24. In all, the Astros had four All-Stars on the NL squad.

Williams acknowledged that worrying about his future didn't make much sense anymore.

"I guess that's for you folks to write about," he said before Tuesday's game. "I can't worry about that. The only thing we can get ready for now is that practice that we've got on Thursday to get ready for Friday's game."

The Astros hired Williams on Nov. 1, 2001. He replaced former Astros pitcher and broadcaster Larry Dierker, who managed the Astros to four NL Central titles in five years before he resigned.

Under Williams' guidance, the Astros are 215-197 with no postseason appearances. Garner, known as Scrap Iron during his playing career from 1973 to 1988, has a 708-802 record as a manager.

Garner had his best season as a manager in his 1992 rookie campaign with the Brewers, who finished second in the American League East that year with a 92-70 record. The Brewers fired him after 112 games in 1999.

The Tigers hired Garner in 2000 and fired him after they lost the first six games of the 2002 season.

"I have just not wanted to be part of any speculation or anything else," Garner said. "I have a great deal of respect for Jimy. I know when times get tough, a lot of things get asked about, get questioned. I think it's easier for managers to just focus on what has to be done instead of answering all of these questions."

Avoided the game
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded Garner to the Astros on Aug. 31, 1981. He played in Houston until he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 19, 1987, but he kept his family in the Houston area. He coached for the Astros from 1989-91.

Asked if the contact with the Astros addressed a managerial opportunity, Garner was adamant he didn't want to take attention away from the All-Star Game. For that reason, he decided against attending even though he had tickets.