Mark Berman is reporting (as well as Brian McTaggart) the four finalists for the managerial gig are as follows:
Phil Garner
Dave Clark
Brad Mills
Manny Acta
Acta and Mills were in Houston Wednesday for their second interviews with club officials and that group now includes Astros owner Drayton McLane who had been out of the country.
General Manager Ed Wade confirmed Acta's second interview. He did not confirm Mills was brought back again.
Surprised? I am. I thought Melvin would be in there for sure.
Now this is interesting. Jose de Jesus Ortiz has the following (from before the McTaggart, Berman stories):
Clark, who served as the interim manager for the final 13 games of the season, said he had not heard anything about a possible second interview as of late Wednesday afternoon. Neither had Pedrique, the club’s director of minor league operations.
As of Wednesday night, Acta, former Astros manager Phil Garner and Mills appeared like the front-runners.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
