The Houston Astros have officially shared paths with manager Cecil Cooper. Cooper took over as captain of the baseball club in 2007, following the firing of Phil Garner mid-season. The team elected to use Cooper as interim manager and his stint lasted a bit longer than expected.

During his time with the Astros, Cooper led the team to a 171-170 win-loss record. I guess it at least ends things on a winning note, right?

Still, Cooper’s stay in Houston was criticized by many and defended by others. There was no question that he gave his all to his job, but a team packed with talent that includes Lance Berkman, Miguel Tejada, Roy Oswalt and others has to be seen as a failure when the team has a losing record.

The team had recently experienced a seven game losing streak, and this may have been the final straw.

This must have been a tough week for Cecil Cooper. First, Prince Fielder drove in a run that made him the Brewers’ all-time RBI leader. This RBI took place while the Brewers were visiting the Astros in Houston. Whose record did Fielder break? It was from Cecil Cooper.

Cooper chose to celebrate on the field with Prince Fielder, which may or may not have been appropriate. Rumor has it that Astros management wasn’t happy to see a manager celebrating on the field in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. This could have sealed Cooper’s fate.

The team will look to hire a new coach during the offseason. It should be interesting to see who they select.