McTaggart's near-Nocturnal Emission-worthy piece on Brad Mills has this quote from Ed Wade:
"It's human nature that if you're comfortable in your work environment, you're more productive. I don't mean there aren't demands placed upon you or you're not held accountable, but I do think the work environment, whether it's a baseball player or working in an office or factory, plays into your level of productivity...
It's about talent on the field, and by and large, the most talented teams win. But the margin between a championship-caliber club and also-ran is sometimes very thin. How big a difference a manager makes strategically, how big a difference he makes from the standpoint of environment, you can't quantify...
Terry Francona didn't become an appreciably better manager between his Philadelphia and Boston experience. The players got better. Terry's an outstanding communicator and leader, and the players trusted him and they knew he had their back. He's loyal to the organization...
Millsie is from the same core personality. He's the same guy who was the first-base coach in Philadelphia when I let Terry go. That core individual who was first-base coach brings everything to the table to be a successful manager in Houston. Talent or circumstances dictate whether you're viewed as a success or failure."
I'm afraid that, if the Astros live up to expectations (which isn't much), then Mills will take the fall. I hope that the Astros are loyal to Mills.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
