Oh interesting. Guess I'd forgotten that about Oswalt. Looks like it was a Sporting News award. I knew that about the MOY award but I still think it's dumb. Again, that's the discrepancy in award selection criteria. Post-season success reflects more on a manager than it does on an individual player and I think it should be considered in the MOY vote. Dusty led the AL in wins the last two years, made the WS twice and won once. Yet he only got 3rd place last year and didn't even make the podium this year. Seems like a disingenuous recap of the period. Meanwhile Scott freaking Servais is a finalist both years after 1 playoff appearance. Dusty got his WS ring and already has his 3 MOY awards, but this still seems like a slight.
Considering how many people on this board give Baker no respect and want him fired, is it really a surprise?
I'd rather have the World Series ring. But seriously, Manager of the year award is for those teams that projected to do much less than how they actually played. The Astros may have over achieved a little bit this year but were always considered strong contenders from the beginning. Seattle came out of nowhere to get to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. I'm good with how it is.
Yep, manager of the year is for overachieving teams. Ask Dusty if he rather win the award or play in the world series. We all know the answer.
“Crane, sources said, felt coming into the 2022 season that the team needed more "baseball men" involved in operations decisions and invited Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Reggie Jackson into the team's weekly senior baseball-operations meetings.” “Bagwell, who "Jim might trust more than anyone," according to one source familiar with their relationship and corroborated by another, was critical of the Astros' player-development system, even as it was graduating eventual ALCS and World Series MVP Jeremy Peña. Jackson, who joined the Astros in May 2021 as an "executive assistant" despite never playing for the organization, yelled at members of the team's front office this year and later would apologize, according to sources.” “What Crane had appreciated most about Luhnow was the conviction with which he made decisions, sources said. Crane appreciated, two sources familiar with his thinking said, the efficiency and ruthlessness of Luhnow's operation, seeing it was similar to how Crane ran his other businesses. … Though Click wasn't indecisive, he did not preen about with what one person deemed Luhnow's "institutional arrogance, which Jim actually thought was an admirable thing.” “For now, Crane has elevated new assistant general manager Bill Firkus, one of the highest-ranking officials left from the 2017 championship team sullied by sign stealing, to manage the day-to-day operations of inquiring about free agents and potential trades, according to teams speaking with the Astros. Firkus, along with Andrew Ball, one of Click's assistant GMs, and Charles Cook, whom Crane promoted to assistant GM earlier this week, remain. They are the braintrust, though multiple people in the organization fear their authority, like Click's, will be usurped by the former players to whom Crane regularly listens.” “Internally, multiple names have surfaced for who could take over as general manager, from Baltimore assistant general manager Sig Mejdal (also a vital front-office member of the Astros during the Luhnow era) to recent Oakland A's bench coach Brad Ausmus (the former Astros catcher was in Houston on Friday, according to sources, and met with Bagwell, though it was unclear whether the possibility of Ausmus joining the front office was broached). David Stearns, a well-regarded former Astros assistant GM under Luhnow, resigned in October as president of baseball operations for the Milwaukee Brewers but plans to stay for the final year of his contract in an advisory capacity. "I'm just going to reiterate what I said previously: I'm not going anywhere," Stearns told MLB.com.” “Whether or not Ausmus is ultimately a candidate, someone of his ilk -- a former player whose ability to grasp analytics makes him more suitable to the modern game -- could appeal to Crane. Ausmus, who has managed Detroit and the Los Angeles Angels, has expressed an openness toward potentially taking a front-office job in the right situation, according to sources. He previously served as a field executive with the San Diego Padres and a special assistant to the GM with the Angels.” “If Crane does fill the job -- multiple people inside the Astros believe he could decide to run the team a la Jones -- the lessons are clear: The person needs to appeal to Crane's impulses, as Luhnow did more than Click. Crane, sources said, is a demanding boss -- generally in a good way.” “He gave us resources," one longtime Astros front-office member said, "and he expected us to do the right things with them.”
Telling you now... if the Astros lose Verlander to the Yankees and we pick up Rizzo... We lost out on that deal 100 times over
I agree with this in theory. The problem is that after the season he just had and the value and rarity of quality pitching in today's MLB some team will give him the years he wants. Last year he had to settle for a short deal and an option. No player wants options when they can get years unless it's off a down season and they hope to improve. He went out and had an all time great season so he will not have to settle for options again. I'm not saying that's why he did it but it sure is the result of him doing it.
A Passan hit piece. Wants to make the Astros and Crane look bad when he's consistently draws aces. Nothing wrong with pulling Luhnow disciples considering how well the Luhnow tree has done.
(I fully understand my opinion is not how the MOY award is voted on). Dusty DGAF about the MOY award after getting the ring. I just think that interpretation of the MOY award is dumb and not necessarily the best narrative of the phrase "manager of the year". In 5 years, few people are going to care about/remember the job that Francona or Hyde did this particular season. The two enduring AL manager narratives of the 2022 season will be Servais overseeing the M's first playoff appearance in 20 years and Dusty winning his 1st WS title. (I fully understand my opinion is not how the MOY award is voted on).
Yep. Crane is mad because Click came to him with a 2 for 1 deal. Then said "Nah it is Contreras for Urquidy straight up" Crane told him he was nuts. Crane gave him the green light to spend money. Click didn't spend the money. If the owner gives you the green light to spend money, you spend the money. Of course you don't do stupid deals, but you try to spend the money. I'm sure Crane is ecstatic the Astros won the Series, but he also saw the sub-par hitting performance overall and was pissed. Pitching won the Series, clutch hitting won it, but I believe Crane thinks it shouldn't have come down to "clutch" hitting.
so for sure luhnow wont be interested in coming back? What's Crane's obsession with bagwell? No front office experience....
I am intrigued by Ausmus I don't know where the negativity comes from he wouldn't be field managing or hitting. I may be wrong but : Ivy League education with extensive baseball experience in all aspects of the game and an all time Astro. Sounds like a good combination to me.
Bagwell may have the highest "baseball IQ" I have ever noticed. Crane probably thinks he knows the business part himself and just needs smart baseball people.
Not liking any of this drama. Hopefully Crane can hire another solid GM to keep the ships coming. I have never trusted ex players as they know nothing of the salary cap, and balancing the roster. Good for advice but ultimately needs to be a business minded GM that knows when and where to make their mark and also when to walk away from deals. In Crane we trust!
Crane has earned the benefit of the doubt but if he hires Brad Ausmus as the GM he will lose me. Crane serving as a quasi-mediator between an analytics obsessed GM (like Sig) and a group of old players/scouts (Bagwell/Jackson) could work, but only if the GM has as good or better selling skills than the old players. One thing funny to me is that Crane seemingly got more involved because his former analytics obsessed GM presided over a cheating scandal, but in reality it was the “old players” contingent (Cora, Beltran) who came up with the idea of cheating.
