When spring training concluded, I said this would be an incredibly difficult managing job for Garner, and would require great patience and foresight from him. I said that because of the need for this team to scratch out runs and the way that players would have to be mixed and matched over the season. Since Garner is the only manager to take an Astro team to the World Series, I have to say that he succeeded beyond my expectations in a situation that was just plain tough. This was a very flawed baseball team which won anyway. So, yeah, if Jimy could get a contract extension before the 2004 season...certainly Garner deserves it more than any other Astro manager.
Yes, there are moves he made that I would disagree with...and that would be true of any manager. Regarding the critical Taveras at bat in the 9th in Game 3, yes I think there were two better moves that could have been made. But no matter what Garner decided, the player still has to execute...and all Taveras had to do was make contact with the ball. Garner had confidence that he could do that, and it didn't turn out.