In his Rumblings and Grumblings column, Stark says this:
Any speculation you hear about the next manager in Houston is going to be all guesswork, because the Astros don't even have a shopping list yet.
This in stark contrast to JJO's posit that there is a 2+ page list. Keep reading, please:
The vibe, from folks who have spoken to the Houston brass, is that the Astros strongly prefer a manager with experience. So here's some guesswork from this bleacher seat: Don't discount Jim Fregosi, who has interviewed in Houston before and has ties to Wade from their days together in Philly.
Meanwhile, how did Coop keep his job for so long?
It's become more and more clear that only owner Drayton McLane stood in the way of Cooper getting fired months ago. Astros players have told friends that at least one player went to McLane as long ago as spring training to tell him Cooper had lost the clubhouse. And there have been indications the baseball people wanted to change managers in May, but McLane wouldn't sign off on it. (Emphasis his).
Who has that close a relationship with McLane? Roy. Lance. Maybe someone else, but I doubt it. This doesn't look good for Run-DMc, but at least I'm confident that the next manager might outlast Wade.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
