Houston Astros Hiring Surprising New Manager
The Houston Astros are hiring a surprising new manager.
Early this week, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred came out and implicated the Astros in a far-reaching cheating scandal.
The response from the organization was swift.
Skipper AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were fired immediately. Former bench coach Alex Cora, who had moved on to become the manager of the Boston Red Sox, was fired one day later.
Now there are two very prominent managerial vacancies that need to be filled between the Astros and Red Sox.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, at least one of them may be close to getting plugged up.
Buck Showalter interviewed with the #Astros yesterday for their managerial vacancy, sources tell me and @Britt_Ghiroli. John Gibbons interviewing today, per @MarkBermanFox26.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 16, 2020
In a report with Brittany Ghiroli, Rosenthal indicated that Buck Showalter is receiving serious consideration for the Astros opening.
Showalter is a particularly interesting candidate because he has a proven track record of leading organizations during periods of stress.
When George Steinbrenner was suspended from baseball operations over a messy ordeal involving Dave Winfield, it was Showalter who navigated the New York Yankees through rough waters.
Showalter most recently led the Baltimore Orioles from 2010 to 2018. Over the course of his career he has amassed a record of 1,551 victories and 1,517 losses, with many of the defeats coming over the course of his last two years.
If the 63-year-old does ultimately take over in Houston, he would be stepping into one of the most talent-filled situations available in major league baseball.
A final managerial decision should be made by Astros management at some point in the next few weeks.
Related: Yankees Facing Suspensions Over Cheating Scandal?
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
