Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon is unhappy about his demotion to the bullpen and wants to be traded. But his marketability took a big hit when he threw GM Ed Wade to the floor of the players dining room.

Chacon says he was provoked because Wade was yelling at him. Well, Wade should have yelled at him. He was being insubordinate, refusing to follow Wade into the Manager's office for a private discussion about his recent unprofessional behaviour. In fact, Chacon should never, ever hold a baseball in a professional game ever again.

Richard Justice of the Sporting News writes:

Maybe this moment is a reflection of how far a once successful franchise has fallen.

Once upon a time, the Astros were Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. They played the game a certain way. They represented professionalism and winning. Now with a farm system in disarray and a major league roster that's a patchwork of pieces from other organizations, the Astros are an absolute mess.

The Houston Astros are both distracted and hurting. And their record against the American League this season is an expected 4-10. And who's coming to town to sweep them?

That's right.

It's nothing personal. The Sox have to sweep Houston to stay ahead of the Rays in the AL East. Matt Garza, Scott Kazmir, and the Rays are for real.

If this were the English Premier League, Houston would be heading for relegation. Boston has to put its foot down and sweep this sorry lot. Stay tuned.