His bruised pride aside, he's also still two seasons shy of the seriously big bucks, via either free agency or the long-term contract the Astros would have to swallow hard and give him to retain his services. But laying the blame where it doesn't belong, no matter how sideways he may be, runs counter to his image as one of the team's stand-up guys. General manager Gerry Hunsicker finds himself trapped in the middle here. He's probably about to bite his tongue in two, realizing that striking back at Billy in print would only serve to further poison what remains a very critical relationship between the team and one of its most essential pieces. Based on the information we had been receiving from the player himself and the test results we've seen, we think the situation was handled in an appropriate manner.
Nobody wants to see an athlete undergo an operation unless it's absolutely necessary.
My feeling is that Billy's comments are a result of his frustration. I have complete confidence in our medical team, and I feel our players get the finest medical care that's available. With the season already shot, losing Wagner for its duration is of no consequence. There's nothing left to save, even had he regained his firefighter's touch. Because Billy remains just a kid at heart, we can easily forgive him his trespasses.