Did you happen to see Channel 13 at 10 last night?  They hyped the story about an “Astros icon” being fired, and Bob Allen led his sportscast with the news about Jose Cruz.

He proceeded to scold the Astros, and the top management by name, for having the bad manners to fire someone who’s been so important to the team for so many years.  Absolutely shocking, that they would treat Cruz in this fashion.

But he never mentioned that all of the coaches were re-assigned (that would have made the idea of firing Cruz somewhat less tacky and soul-crushing)…and he never said Cruz had been offered another job; only that he had been unconscionably let go.

Here’s what I’ve heard: Bob Allen is a nitwit.

Personally…never was much of a Jose Cruz fan, probably because his contributions were overhyped at the time.  He was a good player on a bad team for most of his years here, nothing more; I didn’t/don’t think his number should have been retired.  His hiring as a coach was off my radar, and his firing is no big deal: first base coaches don’t win championships, and if his contribution was supposed to be emotional/spiritual for young players (especially Latinos), it hasn’t shown much result.

Not that I’ve given any of this much thought, you see…