Astros New Manager and GM

Buck Turgidson · Jan 29, 2020

zeeshan2 said: ↑

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Wait...the Stros are hiring an MLB Manafort Muppet to be their GM?

This is no bueno. Say it ain't so, Crane.

Hank McDowell · Jan 29, 2020

Buck Turgidson said: ↑

Wait...the Stros are hiring an MLB Manafort Muppet to be their GM?

This is no bueno. Say it ain't so, Crane.
Click to expand...

Does this surprise anyone at all? Crane is his b****. Period.

Htown Legend · Jan 29, 2020

Here’s hoping Crane can figure out how to make this team Click

Mr.Scarface · Jan 29, 2020

Bigdaddy210121 said: ↑

Baker..I want a 3yr deal
Crane..1yr
Baker..ok, a 2yr deal
Crane 1yr, Hinch will be back after this year
Baker..ok, 1yr and i get all the toothpicks i want, I win the title and retire
Crane..welcome aboard coach
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Hinch won't be coming back.

raining threes · Jan 30, 2020

Mr.Scarface said: ↑

Hinch won't be coming back.
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MLB is doing everything they can to destroy what Luhnow built. Crane has basically let Manfred run his team. This isn't going to turn out well. MLB will be happy to get the Dodgers, Yankees,Red Sox etc,... back to the top again.

Very simply, the Stoss being the best team in baseball was bad for MLB business.

If you think Crane wanted to hire a 70 year old Baker and a guy from the MLB office then I've got some great Louisiana swamp land to sell you.

steddinotayto · Jan 30, 2020

David Stern's "basketball reasons" or Manfred's behind-the-scenes control....which one is more dickish?

J.R. · Jan 30, 2020

My thoughts on the Astros hiring Dusty Baker

DUSTY: THE MAN TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS

If anyone needs to restore their credibility, it is the Astros -- or the Houston Asterisks as they are becoming widely known on social media for their tarnished 2017 World Series title. And they took a major step toward that goal Wednesday by hiring Dusty Baker for their manager job.

There is almost no one in baseball as Baker with such an impeccable reputation for candor and character. And there is surely no one as well-liked as Baker.

A high five got to Houston for tabbing as manager Johnnie B. Baker, the man who invented the high five.

Of course, Baker has a fantastic record for winning, having captured multiple Manager of the Year awards, and guided teams on both coasts and in between to playoff appearances. But more important now, he will put the best face possible on an impossible situation. The season is expected to be filled with distraction following a sign stealing scandal that cost two brilliant baseball people their jobs -- former Astros manager A.J. Hinch and former GM Jeff Luhnow -- their jobs, and stained the organization's first World Champion trophy.

No one can change that. But the universally beloved Baker will put as positive a face on a sorry situation as is humanly possible.

The Astros did a super job identifying excellent managerial candidates, not just the wonderful Baker -- from Buck Showalter to John Gibbons to Eduardo Perez -- and acted pretty decisively. But ultimately, they may not be able to get out of their own way. Behind the scenes, things seemed a little messy. Many of the losing candidates, to a man great professionals, learned from twitter that they would not be getting the job they coveted.

Maybe that shouldn't be a surprise since they currently have a barebones front office, the result of a firing of assistant GM Brandon Taubman for ugly clubhouse behavior even before the stuff really hit the fan. But they clearly have a lot of work to do. They still need a GM, and they may need even more help to work to polish up their ruined rep.

It hasn't been revealed to this point but while the Baker hiring put a nice shine on things, within the final day there was significant uncertainty. Even on the lastl day there was dialogue as well with Brad Ausmus, a longtime former Astros catcher, Dartmouth grad and well-known leader who just lost his job managing the Angels after Joe Madden became available.

Word is there was significant interest in Ausmus joining the staff in some capacity -- it appears he was the managerial backup plan in case Baker and the Astros couldn't agree (in the end he accepted a one year deal with a team option at what was said to be near the highest current managerial salary of $4 million, and a bench coach consideration, as well -- though in the end it didn't work out. It is believed the bench coach job wasn't one Ausmus wasn't prepared to take on quick notice, which shouldn't be a surprise since he's already had two managerial jobs and was likely only let go by the Angels due to the availabilty of the iconic Maddon.

Two other candidates opined that the whole process seemed rushed -- though the timing of the suspensions (and ultimately firings) would seem to have seemed to necessitate that to some degree -- and in the biggest surprise of all, behind the scenes there was a lot of talk about a change in bench coaches. Though in the end, they decided to stick with the generally well-regarded Joe Espada.

Espada was one of about 10 managerial candidates for the Astros and he had been a finalist for managing jobs with the Giants and Cubs but for some reason the Astros spent some the final 24 hours trying to decide whether to replace him altogether. Late Wednesday owner Jim Crane met with Espada and told him he was welcome back, but it would be a surprise if he told him how much thought had gone into the idea of potentially replacing him.

It isn't known why that was even a consideration considering Espada's own fine and growing rep but didn't help that endeavor other teams weren't about to let the Astros take their coaches late, and one rival exec said aloud he wouldn't lift a finger or grant permission for a lateral move to bail out this band of "cheaters."

The Astros are going to be encountering this understandable sentiment for at least this entire season And while Baker wouldn't on the surface seem to be the perfect fit for a team that staked its existence on analytics, the Astros have far bigger concerns now, prime among them is polishing up a reputation that is in the gutter. With that in mind, they made the perfect hire.
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zeeshan2 · Jan 30, 2020

New skipper Dusty Baker gives Astros stabilizing presence

To shepherd his franchise through its darkest days, Jim Crane chose one of baseball’s most beloved managers, a man bred in a bygone era but nonetheless equipped for the uncharted path ahead for the Astros. Dusty Baker was hired as the team’s 19th full-time manager on Wednesday. Baker, 70, becomes baseball’s oldest active manager, one seeking to cement a celebrated legacy and lend short-term stability to a team and franchise consumed by chaos. Across 22 seasons with four franchises, Baker has won 1,863 games and possesses a .532 winning percentage. No active major league manager has more victories. If Baker leads the Astros to the postseason, he will be the first man to guide five franchises to the playoffs. Baker’s contract with the Astros guarantees him only the 2020 season. USA Today reported a club option and a buyout exists for 2021, affording the Astros, presently without a general manager, flexibility to reassess their situation after the season ends.

The hiring of Baker ended a two-week search prompted by an electronic sign-stealing scandal that has shaken the sport. Crane fired revered manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow after Major League Baseball released its investigative findings on Jan. 13. The league found that under Hinch and Luhnow, Houston stole signs electronically during its run to the 2017 World Series and in parts of the 2018 season. As a consequence, the Astros reside in a place few other franchises have been. The team is sullied by scandal but still set to contend for a title. Its image and reputation remain in ruins. Players will endure eight months of invective from opposing crowds and players. Baker arrives as a slice of serenity amid acrimony, a man who Crane hopes can galvanize an Astros clubhouse still searching for a way forward.

"He’s a winner, and more importantly, a strong leader who has earned the respect of not only his players, but of virtually everyone that he has touched in baseball," Crane said in a statement. Baker was among nine candidates Crane interviewed for the vacancy. The hodgepodge included television analyst Eduardo Perez, former Astros catcher Brad Ausmus and incumbent bench coach Joe Espada. Recent major leaguers Will Venable and Mark Kotsay — two men with backgrounds almost identical to Hinch — also were in the mix. Baker is almost Hinch’s antithesis, possessing almost none of the characteristics in vogue for teams currently seeking skippers. Neither analytics nor technology guided Baker’s baseball upbringing. Instead, across 41 years as either a player or manager, Baker has built a reputation based on excellent player relationships, an easygoing demeanor and an ability to win wherever he goes.

Though Crane claimed prior managerial experience was not a prerequisite for the job, he chose the one candidate who possessed more than the others. Twenty-year managerial veteran Buck Showalter and 11-year Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons were passed over in favor of Baker, whose Hall of Fame résumé has two missing milestones. Only 14 managers in major league history have more victories than Baker’s 1,863. He sits 137 wins away from 2,000 — a benchmark just 11 other skippers have crossed. All who’ve reached it won World Series championships. Baker has not. This group he inherits will afford Baker one of his best opportunities to capture the World Series title that eludes him.

Eight of nine everyday starters return from a lineup that slugged a major league-record .495 in 2019. Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander will head the starting rotation. Six-time All-Star Zack Greinke will follow. Setup man Ryan Pressly and closer Roberto Osuna can finish games. "You just have to fill in the (lineup) card," Crane quipped last week. "I think it’s not going to be really difficult to manage this team. Above any in-game decision he makes, Baker’s task is to tame the torrent of negativity that surrounds the franchise. His most difficult assignment will arise in managing the sign-stealing scandal’s enormous fallout. Hinch, Luhnow, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Mets manager Carlos Beltran have all lost their jobs. Players who carried out the ploy were not disciplined. Rival executives and opposing players have spent the last two weeks excoriating them for their willingness to cheat and apparent lack of remorse for doing so. Aside from former ace Dallas Keuchel, no Astros player has apologized for the team’s actions during the 2017 season. A "strong statement" of formal apology could be forthcoming when the team gathers at spring training, Crane said, representing Baker’s first hurdle to clear. Then comes navigating the scorn the Astros will encounter in opposing ballparks this season.

"He’s the right man for the job," said Ralph Garr, the longtime Houston-area resident and 1974 National League batting champion who broke into the big leagues with Baker with the Atlanta Braves in 1968. "It’s not going to be easy for those players. They’re going to have to have somebody to lean on. He knows how to treat people, and he cares about his players. He can make adjustments, and he can help the Astros stay competitive." Baker is familiar with not allowing distractions to affect on-field progress. In 2001, he managed the Giants during Barry Bonds’ record-setting 73-home run season, one shrouded in constant speculation that Bonds was aided by performance-enhancing drugs. Media coverage and scrutiny followed the team wherever it went. Also during his San Francisco tenure, Baker deftly managed the relationship between Bonds and Jeff Kent, two players who notably did not get along. The Astros do not have such public acrimony within their clubhouse, but Baker’s experience with differing personalities and conflict is an asset.

Questions will surround Baker’s willingness to accept the analytically rooted mindset that paced Houston’s rise to relevance. Luhnow and his baseball operations team were the standard-bearers for the analytics era in which the sport now resides. One of Hinch’s most masterful qualities was marrying the inundation of analytics with human feel, reminding on occasion that this a game governed by gut feelings. Whether Hinch’s 70-year-old successor can accomplish something similar — or even be open to the flood of information — is the most uncertain layer of Crane’s decision. Although Baker managed as recently as 2017, he did so in a Washington organization nowhere near as analytically advanced as the Astros. Crane acknowledged last week that whoever he hired would inherit "most, if not all" of Hinch’s coaching staff. Bench coach Joe Espada will remain on Baker’s staff, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed, bolstering the team’s bridge to its analytical ways. Among the others Baker stands to inherit: 71-year-old pitching coach Brent Strom, whom Luhnow considered an analytics guru, and longtime organizational hitting coaches Troy Snitker and Alex Cintron. Relying on the staff to deliver a more familiar message in this analytics-heavy Houston franchise might benefit Baker, who otherwise carries an impeccable résumé.

Nine of his teams have reached postseason play. The 2002 San Francisco Giants captured the National League pennant under Baker, who carries an otherwise uninspiring 23-22 playoff record. Baker garnered three National League Manager of the Year honors in his 10-season tenure with the Giants. Stints with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals followed. He hasn’t managed since Washington fired him following the 2017 season. In five of his last six seasons as a manager, Baker’s teams won at least 90 games. He led the Nationals to consecutive NL East titles in 2016 and 2017 — the first time in franchise history they’d captured back-to-back division crowns.

Washington lost in the Division Series both years, and Nationals owner Mark Lerner fired Baker after the 2017 season. His replacement, Dave Martinez, guided the franchise to a World Series win last year, complete with a stunning Game 7 comeback against the Astros inside Minute Maid Park on Oct. 30. The three ensuing months have been mired in misery, the darkest hours for a franchise once hailed as the sport’s most sustainable. Baker offers the first steps back toward normalcy. "Everybody’s heart likes to feel like they’re needed and wanted," Baker told the Chronicle before he interviewed for the job. That applies to this Astros team. In return, it can offer the baseball lifer one thing for which he’s always yearned. "I need a championship or two," Baker said, "for my own heart."
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Also not sure if mentioned:

Crane acknowledged last week that whoever he hired would inherit "most, if not all" of Hinch’s coaching staff. Bench coach Joe Espada will remain on Baker’s staff, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed, bolstering the team’s bridge to its analytical ways. Among the others Baker stands to inherit: 71-year-old pitching coach Brent Strom, whom Luhnow considered an analytics guru, and longtime organizational hitting coaches Troy Snitker and Alex Cintron.
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Mr.Scarface · Jan 30, 2020

raining threes said: ↑

MLB is doing everything they can to destroy what Luhnow built. Crane has basically let Manfred run his team. This isn't going to turn out well. MLB will be happy to get the Dodgers, Yankees,RedSox etc,... back to the top again.

Very simply, the Steps being the best team in baseball was bad for MLB business.

If you think Crane wanted to hire a 70 year old Baker and a guy from the MLB office then I've got some great Louisiana swamp land to sell you.
Click to expand...

Astros needed more than a good manager, they needed someone to guide thru the relentless **** they will face on the road. Baker fills that need.
He will also help them with a league office.

As for the GM...they are looking for someone with the analytics background and someone to change the culture of the "boys club" that caused an assist GM to be fired.

The Beard · Jan 30, 2020

zeeshan2 said: ↑

New skipper Dusty Baker gives Astros stabilizing presence

Also not sure if mentioned:
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I didn't realize Strom was even older than Dusty

J.R. · Jan 30, 2020

Mr.Scarface · Jan 30, 2020

Basically, It is the Astros coaching staff...with Baker replacing Hinch. You still have the analytical mindset.

justtxyank · Jan 30, 2020

Mr.Scarface said: ↑

Basically, It is the Astros coaching staff...with Baker replacing Hinch. You still have the analytical mindset.
Click to expand...

Exactly. No reason to be down on this. Players will love Dusty. Media will love Dusty. He'll help all of the scandal die down. Astros will win. Great hire.

htwnbandit · Jan 30, 2020

DCkid said: ↑

I'm also a Nats fan. There were definitely some things that made you go hmm towards the end of his Nats tenure, as far as whether he was still sharp and in command of all his faculties..and that was 2-3 years ago. Even heard some insider rumors. Hopefully they are all just rumors.

In any case, it's good to bring in a guy with such a stellar reputation throughout the league.
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That kinda has me worried. He's not a young guy by any means...

Also not sure if Dusty's hire will make Dodgers fans hate us more or hate us less.

mikol13 · Jan 30, 2020

Mr.Scarface · Jan 30, 2020

Dusty is ALSO here to help groom Joe Espada to take over.

mikol13 · Jan 30, 2020

Listening to the presser. Hard not to like Dusty.

The team is definitely going to feed Dusty the analytics. Good to hear.

YOLO · Jan 30, 2020

YOLO · Jan 30, 2020

Fiah · Jan 30, 2020

“This is my last album...except I’m too tall!” This presser was great.

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