The Houston Astros, despite their pitiful overall record this season, are beginning to take the needed steps in the right direction.
Step one, of many, was the Astros naming Jeff Bagwell as the team’s new hitting coach.
Is Bagwell the depleted franchise’s savior? No, not by any means.
But Bagwell’s hiring does mean one thing that fans should be happy about: The Astros are about to become refocused on winning and bringing a World Series championship to the city of Houston.
Are y’all ready?
Bagwell—a key figure of those original Killer B’s that Houston fans became so addicted to in the early and mid-1990s—will be a great addition to an already improved coaching staff.
Expect trades next, with the starting pitcher and fan-favorite Roy Oswalt—the player mentioned the most in trade rumors—parting ways with the Astros.
As sad as it will be to see Houston’s ace leave the only team he’s ever played for professionally, it’s another one of those needed and necessary steps in this long and sometimes painful process of rebuilding a baseball team.
Will the Astros become immediate contenders in the 2011 season with the inevitable moves awaiting this franchise?
Most likely, no (but it could happen—just look back to 2005 as a prime example).
However, they WILL be contenders again within the next two to three years.
As I mentioned earlier, this will be a very LONG and sometimes painful process when it comes to rebuilding Houston’s baseball team into National League Central leaders.
But it’s going to happen. Just give the current coaching staff and upper management time to re-create a new and solid team built on the principles that have always been important to this organization: fantastic clubhouse chemistry and a group of players that care about each other and the game of baseball more than words can express.
Houston’s heading in the right direction.
And Bagwell is going to be a major part of this rebuilding process that will likely conclude with another trip to the coveted World Series.
This time around, however, the Astros will be taking home the title.
I’m allowed to dream, aren’t I?
Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com