As much as I hate to say it, it is about time!  First there was Garner's marriage to Lidge, then there was him leaving Ensberg as a starter when he knew it was not the best thing.  Granted you should hold on to a good lthing....but when that good thing begins to sour, you start looking for some changes to make.  You don't go and get rid of the fastest outfielder in the NL (Taveras), you don't keep a pitcher in the closers role when he is almost predictively going to blow another save.  You just don't!  Maybe it is time to bring some innovative fresh brains into the mix on how we can keep on the positive side of improvement with the Astros!  I welcome this change and anticipate the results!

Original Story: 

The Astros dismissed general manager Tim Purpura and manager Phil Garner on Monday and replaced them on an interim basis by Tal Smith and Cecil Cooper, respectively.

The team made a formal announcement at a 2 p.m. CT press conference at Minute Maid Park.

Purpura was named the 10th general manager in franchise history on Nov 1, 2004. He previously spent seven seasons overseeing the club's development areas while also serving as an assistant general manager.

Garner was named Astros manager on Nov. 2, 2004, and led the team to three consecutive second-place finishes in the National League Central before the team struggled to a 58-73 mark this season. The highlight of Garner's tenure was a trip to the 2005 World Series, where the Astros were swept in four games by the White Sox.