ST. LOUIS -- New general manager Ed Wade and president of baseball operations Tal Smith flew to St. Louis on Sunday and arrived to the visitors clubhouse at Busch Stadium around 3 p.m., just in time to hold a brief team meeting.

The session lasted less than 10 minutes and served as a basic introduction between the new GM and the team. Wade kept his comments brief, choosing to simply remind the team to continue giving a good effort throughout the upcoming final week of games.

"The only two points I made were that I had seen over the last couple of days in talking to [manager] Cecil [Cooper], he talked about the importance of these guys playing hard down the stretch and giving it everything they had," Wade said. "And I said, 'I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly.' That's the approach we have to take going into Spring Training next year and all the way to the World Series."

Wade also mentioned a comment that Craig Biggio made during a between-inning television feature that stuck out in his mind. Biggio was asked about his main pet peeve, and Biggio answered, "People who don't respect the game." That's the exact message Wade wants to sent to the players.

"Play hard, play hard to the end, respect the game," Wade said. "If we get 25 guys to take the Biggio type of attitude out there, we're in pretty good shape. It's easier said than done, but it's the right attitude to have."

Wade will meet with the coaches and Cooper while the team is in Cincinnati, and he'll also sit down with assistant GMs David Gottfried and Ricky Bennett to go over the organziation and to find out more about their individual roles.

Wade made it clear that both Gottfried and Bennett are safe in terms of job security.

"Absolutely," Wade said. "I've got great reports on both guys. I did have some knowledge of them before I got this opportunity and I think they're both solid baseball people. They're going to be a big help to me.

"In the interview process, I said, 'I don't come with a 'my guy' list.' I think there are a lot of good baseball people here right now. We'll have to find out what they're all about, what their roles are. I don't have a preconceived plan of a lot of changes. When you do that, you end up losing a lot of really good people in the process."

On Coop: Cooper hasn't officially had the interim tag lifted from his title, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that process will be a mere formality. The Astros intend to make an annoucement regarding their manager prior to the end of the season, so look for Cooper to get the job, officially, this weekend at Minute Maid Park.

Wade's comments revealed a bit more as to what the Astros are thinking on that front.

"I think we're going to have an opportunity before the season ends and try to move the process forward," he said. "Everybody I've talked to within the organziation is very happy with what Cecil has done and I have no reason to feel otherwise."

Memento: To honor Biggio's final season with the Astros, and to offer fans a chance to own a very limited commemorative of his career, plus aid a charitable cause that has been close to his family's heart, Nikco Sports announced that it is distributing a limited edition, framed and matted photo taken during Biggio's final ballgame to raise money for the Sunshine Kids Foundation.

Only 1,000 of the framed photos, each measuring 12-by-15 inches and including a piece of a baseball used in an Astros game, will be produced. No. 7 will be given to given to Biggio, with the others being sold for $99.

Fans can order this historic piece of sports memorabilia by calling 1-800-345-2868 or visiting www.nikcosports.com. Each item is individually numbered.

The framed photo will also contain a special engraved plaque that is inset into the double matting, along with an Astros pin and a piece of a game-used baseball from a recent Astros game that Biggio played in.

Scheduling: Cooper will use the upcoming series in Cincinnati to rest a few veterans who have played most of the games this year. Carlos Lee will probably not play on Thursday, and it's likely Mark Loretta will be off the whole series.

Cody Ransom will get the majority of the playing time at short, and Cooper might give Chris Burke a look there as well. Adam Everett traveled to Houston on Sunday to be with his wife, Jennifer, who is expecting the couple's second child. Everett will fly to Cincinnati on Wednesday and could play a few innings that night. He also may play on Thursday.

Coming up: The Astros will enjoy a scheduled day off on Monday before beginning a three-game set in Cincinnati on Tuesday at Great American Ball Park at 6:10 p.m. CT. Right-hander Juan Gutierrez (1-1, 4.96 ERA) will face Reds righty Homer Bailey (3-2, 6.09).