Different patch of trees in the same woods? Congrats to Cheo. At 62, he might prefer to watch the games sitting down. Seems like a good deal to me. At this point, either Mills or Garner should be fine. In the end, it's the players that are going to have to compete and win ballgames next year. Either of those guys can steer the ship. I knew there was something more famous to Brad Mills than just bench coach and minor league manager. No wonder he seemed so familiar. He was Nolan Ryan's 3,509th strikeout victim....the one that put him past Walter Johnson as the all-time leader.
Point of view IMO, the guy wanted to be a coach so even if this move seems like a promotion the guy took the "promotion" pretty hard and if this is such a step up why didn't he take it asap instead of having to think about it, should be cut and dry no?
I don't think Cruz was mulling over whether to do it--I think they were drawing up the details and dotting and crossing the legal I's and T's.
I guess you all are right but still smells like he was pushed out because the organization wanted to go into a different direction which I guess is the point anyway. One last time...JOSEEE CRUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
I dunno - he sounded fairly disappointed for a promotion: “I couldn’t say anything,” said Cruz, who played with the Astros from 1975 through 1987. “I couldn’t speak. I was a bit shocked. I don’t know how to explain it. I was a bit in shock. It’s not something you’d expect. I thanked them for 13 years. It’s been a long time. “I thanked Ed Wade and Tal Smith and we hugged each other. I have to decide soon. I’m still thinking what I will do. They changed my position. They just told me they were going to change my position. My head wasn’t thinking at that point. I didn’t know what to say. I just said everything was fine. Nothing. I don’t know how to explain it. I couldn’t speak much because the words didn’t come out.” Cruz, 62, said he was offered a role similar to the community outreach jobs held by Larry Dierker and Jimmy Wynn. “I’ll be working like Larry Dierker and Jimmy Wynn,” said Cruz, who hasn’t considered whether he’ll accept the reassignment. “It was sad because I felt real good as a coach. That’s part of the front office’s decision. They’re making changes, and it’s bad luck that I had to be part of this coaching staff. It wasn’t just me. All the coaches were let go.”
Major makes a good point just above; I had forgotten that quote. It *is* a promotion, but if someone wants to coach then that's what he wants. At any rate, when I fell in love with the Astros it was all about Cruuuuuuuuuuuuz! And Ryan, and Niekro, and Sambito, and Wallygarner, and Puhl, and Thon, and Reynolds, and Ashby... Those were the days.
And Dave Smith! It wasn't such a revolving door back then and it felt good to really "get to know" the players. I'm glad the Astros have retained players longer than most organizations do these days.
The Astros have hired Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills as their new manager. Got this from Mctaggarts Twitter.
SPLASH!!!! and boom goes the dynamite. Like the hire, solid guy plus the more and more I read about the guy he seems like a total departure from the "traditional" Astros manager. Good start to the offseason. Sucks for Scraps but honestly wasn't looking just came up and Clark will get paid being on the bench helping Mills.
Nahhh, the days were when Larry Dierker made his debut at age 18 and when the Colt .45s started an all rookie lineup and when Bob Cerv got thrown out at home trying to score from second on a triple and when Bob Aspromonte hit a walk off grand slam and when Don Wilson threw two no-hitters and when Preston Gomez pinch hit for Don Wilson in the bottom of the 8th of a meaningless game while he was throwing another no-hitter and when Fred Gladding was the closer and when Curt Blefary and Joe Morgan became the first inter-racial roomates and when Turk Farrell made the all-star team but lost 20 games (with a 3.02 ERA) and when Ken Johnson lost even though he threw a no-hitter.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6688176.html Astros name Mills new manager Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle Oct. 27, 2009, 12:48PM Brad Mills was hired Tuesday by the Astros, taking over as manager of a team that has missed the postseason four straight seasons despite having one of baseball's highest payrolls. The hiring ends a month-long search to replace Cecil Cooper, who was fired Sept. 21. The Astros chose Mills, who has no previous major league managerial experience, after a third round of interviews over former Astros manager Phil Garner and Dave Clark, who served as interim manager for the final 13 games. The Astros offered the job during the weekend to Manny Acta, who turned it down to take the manager's job in Cleveland. Mills becomes the Astros' fifth manager since 2002. Houston has not made the postseason since reaching the World Series in 2005. Mills, 52, has coached 11 seasons on the major-league level, the last six as the Boston Red Sox's bench coach. He spent 11 seasons as a manager in the minor leagues with the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Typical boring pick by the Astros. Willing to give the guy a chance though, can't get much worse than last year can it?
how is it "boring" and "typical"? Why would Acta have been any different? or if not Acta, who would have been different? Olajuwon?
Boring pick? Boring pick is some guy from the farm system management or hiring Phil Garner once again. Honestly what would you have wanted?
