Anyone who blames Hickey for the pitching failures is dense. How often did we hear Garner point out a specific mechanics issue as the root cause every time a pitcher faultered. Do you wonder, just maybe, did Garner talk to Hickey as part of formulating that assessment? Hmmm... I duh know...
The fact that Lidge denied his problem, as demonstrated by his insistance that he was "tipping pitches" or that it was his wind up causing his failure (as he insisted early on for the period in which he briefly thru from the stretch only), should be highlighted as the main cause of his failure this season.
Does Hickey have some responsibility to communicate with Lidge, in that circumstance? Absolutely. However, it's hardly Hickey's failure alone. As a matter of opinion, I'd say the bulk of that failure falls on Lidge and the others who struggled. These guys aren't new to pitching. Odds are they've done it for most of their life. That brings us back to the old saying "You can't fire players". It's a shame. I didn't like the Gaetti firing nor do I care for this one. I hope they make the same offer to Hickey as they did to Gaetti, giving him the option of staying within the organization in another role/level.
By the way, I've checked Astros.com, the Chronicle, and even ESPN. No one has a story or news update reporting this. Does anyone know this as fact? If so, please provide a link.
