Larry Dierker
We’ll miss you, Larry, but some of us won’t say goodbye. After all, our Houston SABR group isn’t named the Larry Dierker Chapter for any idle reason. When we picked your name to carry our banner of Houston MLB history a few years ago, we did so because we wanted for our own identity the one name that has characterized the full length and breadth of things over the long course of Houston big league history. And that person was you, by length of service and depth of contribution at so many essential levels as a player, communicator, and manager.
Your resignation from the Astros yesterday also flies with no impunity upon the reputations of all the other former Astro stars who remain on the club’s payroll as public relations specialists that you have now chosen to leave the club rather than stay on the payroll as a greeter or personal appearance icon. Those roles are legitimate service and the kind of work that many former players can handle just fine. It’s just not the kind of substantive work that your soul cries out to do at this point in your life. You’ve either got more books to write or new creative job dragons to slay.
Now you will just have to do what all of us non-icons do when faced with the same challenge: Find some place to work in which there appears to be a true opening to the blue sky of possibility, however modest it may first appear to be – or ultimately turn out to be. You, at least, will always have the Dierker Charisma rolling out the road-to-downtown path for what you really want to do.
And you will be OK because – you already are. And because you are loved. And revered by the fans of Houston baseball.
David Barron’s column in this morning’s March 23rd Houston Chronicle is well worth the read. We are going though a change in Houston MLB ownership that is much larger than the single departure of Larry Dierker. You may want to give it a fresh read, if you haven’t yet seen it:
Good luck, Larry! We’ll see you around.
The Pecan Park Eagle 
March 23, 2013 at 2:56 pm |
Thanks, Bill, for this great tribute. The new ownership’s collective IQ rivals that of Forrest Gump but for one factor — it lacks the common sense and understanding that he has. This is the final straw. The Astros have totally lost me now. TOTALLY!! High, unaffordable ticket prices . . . uniforms from somebody’s old 70s closet . . . the DH and American League . . . a rebuilding plan that features a sub-.200 DH . . . not one concession to this city’s great baseball tradition . . . no “thank yous” but a ton of “screw yous.” My bet is that this tremendous rebuilding process with Money Ball players will take more than 10 years to develop. “We” are no longer “we,” for we have lost our team. Good luck, Dierk, you’re classy, the Astros ain’t. –Tom Kennedy
March 23, 2013 at 5:36 pm |
I agree with Tom’s sentiments expressed in the above post. The only bright spot I see is Bo Porter, and I wish him the best as he tries to bring out the best in the (mostly) young men he is faced with leading into this challenging season.
It is amazing that the current Astros administration is so narrow-minded and so myopic. It is apparent to me that not one of them understands or appreciates the game!
March 23, 2013 at 6:34 pm |
Someone should collect all the blogs from this site since Crane bought the team and mail to them. After 50 years as an Astros fan they left me. I’m now for the Cardinals and in the AL the Royals. I won’t ever buy another Astros ticket again. If someone wants to buy me a ticket when the Cardinals or Royals are in town, I’ll consider it. However note that I won’t buy you a beer in that shrine to advertising that Crane has defiled. He can stick those Chik-fil-A Fowl poles up his keister.
March 23, 2013 at 8:07 pm |
Kudos to Larry
March 25, 2013 at 1:40 pm |
Dierker’s departure is a sign of more bad things to come, Mr. Crane, a tone death owner who is already ignoring fans opinion , has an awful public relations with our City’s fan base and past baseball history .Claiming to be a private business in its decisions the Astros ‘organization are heading for yet another lost year , Why?