The Houston Astros are responsible for a great amount of the MLB offseason news after their elaborate cheating scheme went public. Too bad no one warned them about Mike Fiers. Yesterday, they found themselves in the news again as they are finalizing a deal with Dusty Baker to become their new manager.
If that name sounds familiar, that’s because Dusty has been in baseball for a looooong time. He has managed 22 seasons in the majors for the Giants, Cubs, Reds, and Nationals; as well as amassing a 19 year career as a player. He was a two time all star as a player and has been awarded three NL manager of the year awards. Most recently, he is remembered for never being able to get the Nationals past the NLDS; although that may have been unfair, Washington certainly solves that problem.
As for the Astros, although they are immensely talented with an all star level player at almost every position, this is no easy job for Dusty. It seems whenever the Astros’ players get a microphone in front of them, they shrug off the scandal and down play it dramatically. That is going to be a problem for the 70 year old skipper, but it is why he’s the right type of man for this job. Bluntly put, he’s not going to put up with this shit and he most likely will not be pushed around by the Astros’ players the way a young, inexperienced manager could. The Astros brass picked someone for the immediate and, I think, to change the abrasive culture that appears to live in that locker room.
This is a move by ownership to show they are not happy with what transpired in the past, although they certainly won’t give up that trophy.
