Monday Morning Hot Links

Good morning everyone and happy Monday to you all. Let's talk sports. The Astros beat the Angels again yesterday afternoon 3-1 and continued to stay up 1.5 games on Oakland. Correa and Marwin brought in our only runs as Framber Valdez was dominant again allowing 1 run in 5 innings with Peacock, Rondon, and Osuna doing their job as well. Jack Baer has your full recap here.

Astros-A's tonight. One team will want it. One team will not. Springer will be back in the lineup tomorrow, despite some incorrect rumors swirling about the Internet. The Crawfish Boxes has your series preview here.

ESPN Senior Writer Tim Keown spent ten days inside the Astros clubhouse. It is very good and is the link you should read if you only have time to read one.

I know this was touched on yesterday's Hot Links, but this dang Verlander receipt makes me angry simply because $10.00 Cranberry Juice should be absolutely illegal.

A.J. Hinch is the Coach.

We!

Got!

More!

Stares! (just not in chronological order)

I also suggest watching everyone else's dugout stare on Twitter. And if you want EVEN more Dugout Stare content, I am working on a side project involving this viral movement that I hope (fingers crossed) I can get out by the end of the week. Stay tuned.

Somebody made a big 'ol Astros cornmaze.

Fresno clinched a playoff birth on Saturday night, which is the first time the team clinched at home.

Speaking of Fresno, Kyle Tucker did it again.

Brian McCann hit a home run in Corpus Christi yesterday.

Apparently Yankees bloggers believe they match up well against the Astros.

A lady got out of a ticket because she wrote the heck out of this poem.

Most vanilla ice cream doesn't have vanilla, cream, or milk in it but I truly do not care because it tastes good.

On This Day In Baseball History

In 1982, Rickey Henderson broke the single-season stolen base record with his 118th stolen base.

In 1999, Vladimir Guerrero's 31 game hitting streak ended, the Expos franchise record.

In 2007, Drayton McLane fired manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura.

In 2015, the White Sox wore really bad collared jerseys. Like, really bad.

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

*The Astros will receive the Cardinals' bonus pool money for the extra picks in the 2017 draft. The Astros don't get the Cardinals' 1st Round pick, because they had already forfeited that to the Cubs for signing Dexter Fowler. Still, the Astros will now get to spend a little over $8.6m on the draft, an increase of about $1.8m, which is slightly less than the $2m the Cardinals have to pay the Astros.

*I had some thoughts re: Correa's "lone wolf" status

*Bob Nightengale: The real damage was only done to the "Cardinals' pristine reputation." /gets cramp from making jerk-off motion.

*Tom Verducci says the Cardinals got off easy.

*So does Ken Rosenthal, because - as he says - the Cardinals' figured they'd at least lose their 1st Round pick, so they were able to be more aggressive in targeting free agents. The #19 overall pick (which now belongs to the Cubs for the Fowler signing) is slotted at more than the #56 and #75 picks combined.

*Cards GM John Mozeliak thinks the penalty was "stiff:"
I think the organization, even though we didn't do anything wrong, we understand that the commissioner had to make a decision and that that ruling obviously affects us. I think his message is this can't happen again. And, therefore, the penalty did have to be stiff. 

*SI's Ben Reiter notes that just about the only one who is - on the surface - okay with the Cardinals' penalty is the Astros themselves.

*Tim Brown: Nobody in this dumb affair won.

*Phil Garner will spend a week at Spring Training helping A.J. Hinch.

*Colby Rasmus will make $5m in Tampa Bay this year, with up to $2m in incentives.

*The Rangers and Rays have discussed a trade involving Jurickson Profar.

Opening Day Link Dump

So what if a bunch of other teams played some exhibition games that kinda-sorta counted yesterday? Opening Day starts this evening. Here are some links:

*Florence Nightingale Syndrome is when a nurse falls in love with her patient. Bob Nightengale Syndrome is when a writer falls in love with a player. Here is Bob Nightengale with some back story on How Teh Astors Should Of Drafted Jeets.

*Jerome Williams is showing Brad Peacock the ropes of coming out of the bullpen.

*L.J. Hoes will wear #28 in honor of his uncle.

*A story on the Astros' pursuit of Tanaka which really doesn't illuminate anything at all.

*Phil Garner testified on Brandon Backe's behalf in the police brutality suit against Galveston PD.

*We did a series preview with Yanks Beat Blog.

Biggest difference between the 2012 Astros and 2003 Tigers?

Phil Garner took the opportunity of talking to David Barron to rip the Tigers (whom he managed in 2000 and 2001), and Drayton McLane.

On the Tigers:
“Not only were we not very good, we had some guys who were not very good people. We needed to change things, but ownership resisted. When you get to this point, you have to clean house, and you have to hope that as you get younger, you improve your talent pool."

On Drayton:
"I always got a kick out of Drayton (McLane) comparing himself to Atlanta. The Astros always did things right at the major league level, but Drayton cheated the minor league system. You need an owner committed to the minor league system and an owner who understands that this isn’t an exact science.”

BOOM! That's a fired shot right there - but also a solid, solid point.

Phil Garner got himself a job

Phil Garner has been named Special Advisor to the Oakland A's, with a parenthetical "Designated Manager" attached. But don't tell Bob Melvin.

Everyone thinks the Astros should move to the AL

Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi has a big ol' article on why the Astros should move to the American League.

However, Morosi says, the Astros should join the AL West, not some commie division-less league.

Also, according to Morosi, there aren't any good rivalries with the Astros and...anyone else, in the NL Central.

If you're concerned about the late start times, playing teams like Seattle, Los Angeles, and Oakland, fear not:
Under my proposed schedule, the AL Astros would play no more than 17 games on the West Coast against the Angels, Athletics and Mariners. This season they are scheduled to play 21 games at NL West opponents. So, the move could be a wash for the Astros and their broadcast partners, who generally prefer games in the local time zone (or close to it).

Yes, because only the Astros are unreasonable enough to want a start time close to their home time zone.

He even talked to Scrap Iron, who had this to say:
“As far as switching leagues, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s tougher going to the NL. I don’t think it’s all that tough to make an NL club into an AL club: You get an old guy who’s the DH.”

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of tired hearing about the "natural rivalry" between the Rangers and Astros. I think it's overplayed. Ask the Marlins and Rays if they hate each other. There are plenty of regional rivalries, and maybe the Rangers and Astros could develop a hatred equal to that of the Yankees and Red Sox (just don't expect ESPN to cover it), but playing the Rangers doesn't quite turn my crank enough to want the Astros to play in the AL.

Phil Garner has no basis for his thoughts, but offers them anyway.

Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi needed to talk to someone close to Oswalt for an angle on his news and notes column. Naturally, he picked Phil Garner, who hasn't spoken to Roy in three years. So what gems did Random Man have to offer?

Where does he want to go?
“I never talked to him about it, but I would imagine his preference would be to stay closer to home.”

Would he want to stay in the NL?
“That’s a good question. I don’t know that. He loves to hit, so he may have a problem with (going to the American League).”

Would he go to the White Sox, Phil?
“That might be a factor. He really wanted to get Jake down in Houston. That would be important to Roy. I could see (Oswalt having interest in Chicago).”

Would he go to the Angels, Phil?
“He and Ausmus are close. I tend to believe Roy pitches best when he’s pitching to someone he’s comfortable with. I know Brad had back surgery, but he’ll probably be available later in the season. He may be a drawing card for Roy.”

So why exactly was Garner interviewed?

The Unwritten Rules

FSH's David Dalati codifies the unwritten rules of baseball, in reference to the Dallas Braden/A-Rod dustup, with A-Rod running over the mound.

Dalati:
A few Astros players that were asked about the incident believe that Braden probably overreacted. But they all agree Rodriguez should not have crossed the mound.

Phil Garner:
“Call Nolan Ryan and ask him what he would have done if somebody ran across the mound like that. If he realized they were going to cross that rubber, they may have made it to their second step before they would have been decked.”

Berkman:
“Whatever the activity is, if it’s perceived as being disrespectful to the opposition, then it’s taboo. There are consequences, or at least there used to be consequences when people violate those rules.”

On an episode in San Francisco:
“We had a standing policy that on a 3-1 or 3-2 count, we were supposed to run. It was a 3-2 count; we were up by 5 or 6 runs. I didn’t get the hold sign from the third base coach so I took off running. My next at bat I got hit in the leg.”

Garner to Baltimore makes perfect sense

Smilin' Ken Rosenthal has a new article up promoting Phil Garner to be the next manager of the Baltimore Orioles, because the Orioles are trying to complete the set:

The Orioles, however, are off to a 1-8 start. They drew a total of 33,108 fans to Camden Yards for their three-game series against the Rays -- and their crowd of 9,129 for the series opener was the smallest in the ballpark’s 19-year history.

The way the team is losing -- and drawing -- the decision on Trembley’s future might not be MacPhail’s alone. Garner, nicknamed “Scrap Iron,” is the kind of feisty leader that owner Peter Angelos might desire -- and MacPhail is familiar with him, too.

MacPhail, as president of the Cubs, interviewed Garner for a managerial opening in October 1999. Garner, though, went to the Tigers, and the Cubs hired Don Baylor. Neither proved successful; Garner later landed with the Astros, leading them to the 2005 World Series before getting fired in August 2007.

Ringolsby: Phillies are lucky Garner ain't around

Tracy Ringolsby's new column says the Phillies will be better next year, just because Brad Lidge will be better.

And there is every reason to believe that Lidge can rebound.

He has done it before. Struggling in Houston, where the inconsistency of manager Phil Garner's use of Lidge was as big a factor as Lidge's own inconsistency, Lidge was given a fresh start with the Phillies a year ago and responded with a summer of perfection. He converted all 48 save opportunities in 2008 — including seven in the postseason...

...A winter to rehab will allow Lidge to be healthy in 2010. Lidge is scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his right elbow and also have his right flexor tendon evaluated. More than the elbow ailment, however, scouts are convinced Lidge's season-long struggles dealt more with a right knee problem....

Now, he has an offseason to get his mechanics back in order.

Um-hum.

Let the massaging of the other two candidates begin...

Sam Khan, Jr has a great article on the reaction of Phil Garner and Dave Clark. Well, the reaction of Phil Garner, and Drayton's reaction to Clark.

Garner:
"I'm happy for Brad Mills. It'll be his first managerial job. It's always exciting. It's a terrific opportunity for him and it's a fabulous organization he's coming into. It's one of the things that, when you look back on managerial careers, the ability to be in a good organization is what can help develop you into a great manager. You can be a great manager in a bad organization and not get very far."

Oooohhhh. Did he really say that? If the Chronicle prints it, it must be true. Continue:

"Sure, I'm disappointed. I had put my name in the hat because I felt I fit the criteria they put out there so in the end, yeah, I'm disappointed. In my case it doesn't change my life. I'm headed to the golf course right now and I'm going to play some golf. But I would have looked forward to the challenge. That's why I made the decision to get back into it. If it's not to be then it's not to be - that's OK."

And Drayton on Clark:
"I can't say enough good things about Dave Clark. Dave Clark is going to be a winner. I talked to him on the phone after we made the decision. I told him 'You're going to be a winner, you're going to be a major league manager. The only thing you need is a little more experience at the major league level.' That's the only ingredient that's missing with him. You know, it's just like a great medical student that graduated. He's not ready to go to the operating room. He has to be an intern for three years and get experience. And that's the only ingredient that Dave (needs). We're very anxious for Dave to continue to be with the Houston Astros. He's a winner."

That's a lot of "winner"s.

Garner still in it?

Although Clark and Mills will be brought in to Minute Maid Park tomorrow, and Garner doesn't seem to be, he's telling MLB.com that he has been told he's still in the mix.

I'm guessing that this conversation will start, "Look, you're a really nice guy, but..."

McTaggart: Mills' phone keeps on ringin' on

According to McTaggart's latest blog post, Brad Mills has been contacted again by the Astros.

As of late Sunday, Garner said he had yet to hear anything from the Astros, while Mills had been contacted again by the Astros. Mills certainly falls in line with what the Astros are looking. He tons of experince managing in the Minor Leagues and has extensive experience on a Major League coaching staff. He served as the bench coach under Terry Francona for six years, and we all know how much Ed Wade respects Francona.

So, will we have a new manager by tomorrow evening?

Olney: Mills is front-runner

Within Buster Olney's blog this morning, he has some insight re: the Acta Situation (starring Matt Damon):

The knock on Acta, in his last year in Washington, was that he was too soft with players, that he didn't challenge them and call them on their mistakes enough. It may be that Acta didn't do that because, well, he saw they weren't very good. One way or another, he's going to have a better team in Cleveland, and we'll see how it goes...

...Look, if they really wanted Garner to come back, they would've already offered him the job, rather than Acta; Mills is the clear favorite now.

I think it was Sides the other day who commented that the Astros really wanted Acta or Mills, and were going through the motions out of respect/appearances for Clark and Garner. And it certainly looks like that's spot-on.

Garner out?

According to Smiley Rosenthal, maybe so.

One source suggested that Mills would be the choice, saying it would be "a surprise" if the Astros went back to Garner. A second source, however, said that Clark remains under consideration...

...The Astros would like to reach a decision before the start of the World Series on Wednesday, but their search remains a "work in progress," one source said. The team might even consider candidates other than Mills, Garner and Clark.

Que interesante.

Managerial decision to come soon?

By early next week, according to JJO.

Drayton:
“We’re just trying to think through this. This is really important. Having the right person is so important to be the leader of this team. It’s going to take time. We’ll make a decision in the first part of next week...

...I met with some candidates. Phil Garner is somebody I know intimately. I became very, very close to him. Ed and Tal and Pam (Gardner) and I, part of how we make decisions is to talk things through. Ed and Tal and I know lots and lots of people in baseball. We’re making lots of calls to find out more about these candidates.

Each of these candidates that we’re narrowing it to, we’re making calls on. The three of us are doing that since yesterday and today and tomorrow and over the weekend. We’ll get a lot more input. I have had discussions with Ed and Tal and Pam yesterday. Certainly, we’ll talk about it again today.”

So your three finalists are apparently (in alphabetical order):
Manny Acta
Phil Garner
Brad Mills

Surprising that Dave Clark wouldn't be a part of the conversation, reinforcing my opinion that whomever the players feel comfortable around isn't necessarily the right choice.

Garner still waiting for that callback

KHOU is reporting that Garner still hasn't heard back about a second interview, but that it also doesn't really bother him.

Garner went on to say that he wasn’t surprised by that, given the Astros told him during the initial interview that he wouldn’t hear back from the team for at least a week. Despite the delay in a call back, Garner says he still feel really good about his chances of getting his old job back. He added that just the thought of being back at the Astros helm has him excited about baseball again.

Say what? Four finalists leaked.

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.

McTaggart's Q&A with Garner

And from a couple of days ago, McTaggart posted a Q&A with Garner. Some nuggets:

Drayton was not in this process, so I've no conversations with Drayton other than to see him here at the ballpark a few times to chat with him. First and foremost, being fired, there's nothing wrong with that. It happens in baseball a lot. I did not have any ill feelings I do know I've made changes when the club is not going right and in '07 things weren't going right. You have to do things to shake up the ballclub. I don't think Drayton had ill feelings towards me...

...I feel re-energized, I always bring an energy to a ballclub. But I think at this point after being out a little over two years, I'm re-energized and I think that's important to bring a can-do attitude to a ballclub and I can bring that. I'm always upbeat. You guys know that I can see a lot of good things even in a storm. That I can bring to the table: baseball experience and knowledge. I think there's some things that need to be done with this ballclub and for whatever reason I don't think it's where it should be. I think there's going to need to be a tough hand applied, and I think I'm very capable of doing that...

...We weren't playing well in '07 and I think any time your club is playing poorly it's hard to determine if the club's better than you're actually playing or it's about what you have. And so, I'll have to leave it up to the people that are evaluating and some p the personnel they've watched closer than I have the last couple of years. You can always use a year like the Astros have gone through as a good bounce-off point...

...I have not talked to Cecil yet. As a matter of course, I usually wait when things like this happen to good friends, but I will give him a call. I want to check with him and see how he's doing...

...Were we lacking in a team effort? It looked like that at times. I think those things need to be addressed. I don't know if that was a fault of anybody, but that's the way it appeared to me. I think those are the things that would need to be addressed. We need to get back to the team concept. Baseball is unusual from the fact of individuals play to get it done, but you need a team effort and you need to get where you're going. It appeared to me at times we weren't really sure we were playing for a team, for a single goal."

Justice pimps Garner

In Richard Justice's blog post this morning, he pimps Phil Garner pretty hard:

Now it's Garner's time again. He's the right man for the job. He's not the only right man for the job. Bob Melvin and Manny Acta would be terrific hires. Yet none of them brings the experience and the credibility Garner brings to the job.

He knows the organization, knows the players, knows the owner. He has great, great people skills.

The Astros need someone to straighten out the clubhouse culture. To get Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman to hustle more. To get Berkman to accept a mantle of leadership. To get Roy Oswalt happier. The Astros have lost the concept of team in the post-Bagwell and Biggio era, and Garner would be perfect to help bring it back.

I like how we've all started talking about Berkman and Lee like they aren't here to answer questions like, "Why didn't you hustle more?" "What about accepting leadership scares you?" "Bagwell and Biggio set a great aura around this team. How in the world did you let that completely fade in two years?"

It's not like Berkman and Lee are hibernating, and Justice can't go wake them up or they'll be angry.