On ESPN's Rumor Central, Keith Law addresses Manny Acta's hiring and non-hiring. And it ain't pretty:
"This is just another piece of evidence on why Drayton McLane is the worst owner in baseball, and the one for whom people in the game would least like to work. His front office chose an excellent managerial candidate, arguably the best of the ones they interviewed, and McLane let him get away because he refused to guarantee the third year of a deal. That sort of meddling and the implied lack of autonomy for the GM makes Houston a lousy place for executives to work - and will continue to hamstring the team going forward as they attempt to rebuild. (It's also an example of why the media and the industry still respect Mark Shapiro even after two disappointing seasons. They make solid, sensible moves, built around good people whose value is evident even to outsiders.)"
How long has it been since the Astros made the national radar for something that made them look good, smart, or pretty? I think we'd all take "slutty" as an adjective over "unrealistic," "ignorant," or "hamstrung."
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
