Joe Espada spent a lot of time with the Houston Astros as a bench coach before becoming the team’s new manager after Dusty Baker retired. Espada’s first season as a major-league manager couldn’t have started off any worse. The Astros were 7-19 at one point and players like Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and even Yordan Alvarez were scuffling.
But Espada, to his credit, never got totally down on his players. He stayed upbeat and focused on a better style, an Astros style, of baseball. While the team didn’t respond immediately, the Astros eventually turned the page. Injuries to starting pitchers like Cristian Javier, J.P. France, and Justin Verlander set things back, too. Espada stayed the course and his and his players’ efforts paid off in another American League West Division title.
Joe Espada Kept Houston Astros Focused
When ace reliever Josh Hader struck out Seattle Mariners shortstop Julio Rodriguez on a low, outside pitch on Tuesday night, it set off yet another postseason-bound party for the Houston Astros. The Astros got some home run help from Bregman and Kyle Tucker, whose back to his old self after missing three months with a right shin fracture. But late-season addition Jason Heyward, a five-time Gold Glove-winning outfielder, smoked a two-run homer to right-center field.
That proved to be the difference in a 4-3 victory. The Houston Astros are headed back to the American League playoffs after securing their fourth straight AL West title. You better believe Joe Espada deserves his flowers.
“All of them are special, but this one is more special for me, obviously, personally as a first-year manager,” Espada said, MLB.com reported on Tuesday night. “This team, what we’ve been through, that we are popping champagne, that’s incredible. I never lost hope. I knew we were going to find ourselves in a position to come and compete and win the West.”
With the slow start, critics were out with sharp-edged objects aimed at Espada. His lineups, pitching rotation moves, and anything else he did came up for scrutiny. More than a few fans and critics wondered if this Astros team was running out of steam. All of its postseason appearances and two World Series titles aside, Espada was getting second-guessed all around Loop 610 and down the Southwest Freeway.
There was nothing he could do when it came to the injury bug. Bregman, who Espada took out in the fourth inning of the Astros’ 8-1 loss to Seattle at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, is a free agent after this season. Seeing him struggle at the plate with a wonky swing didn’t sit well with Astros fans. Espada, though, didn’t lose faith in Bregman one bit.
In his first season as a manager, Espada simply stayed positive when things turned sour.
Astros fans gave Manager Joe Espada a lot of grief for being OVERLY POSITIVE when things weren’t going well to start the season.
Joe Espada is the 3rd manager in Astros history to win a division title in their 1st season as manager of the club, joining Hal Lanier (1986) and… pic.twitter.com/zIOoNhS2us
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) September 25, 2024
Of course, it didn’t hurt that the Astros players—veterans all over the clubhouse—had a team meeting at one point. The Astros were 12-24 early this season. It was not looking pretty on the field. Those team meetings can cause a team to rally and come together or keep going downhill. The Houston Astros were 10 games behind Seattle in late June. Even Mariners fans were looking ahead toward the recently finished September series in Houston as a victory lap.
Espada Did Stick Up For His Players
Oh, a victory lap was taken indeed. But it was by Espada and his Astros players.
At times, too, it seemed like Espada would not stand up for his players if they argued a call at home plate. Some fans probably wanted to see more of a fiery side from Joe Espada. But that appears to not be in his makeup. Espada is no Lou Piniella or, for even older-school references, an Earl Weaver or Billy Martin. He’s been out to stick up for players at times. Most recently, when Altuve took his sock off in San Diego to argue a non-hit batter call, Espada was right in the home plate umpire’s face.
Espada is one cool cat. That’s not a bad way to be in the modern-day world of Major League Baseball. Being able to see his players respond as they have done throughout the final months of a long season must be so satisfying for him.
“Tears came out of my eyes,” Espada said after Tuesday night’s final out was recorded. “I’m emotional because I care about this team, I love this team and the fact we are in position to compete for another World Series is special.”
While Javier, France, Lance McCullers and Luis Garcia didn’t finish the season in the Astros’ pitching rotation, Verlander did. Astros fans and observers, though, haven’t seen a solid version of Verlander on the mound recently. It’s led some people to speculate whether this might be Verlander’s final rodeo with Houston. In his final regular-season start, Verlander tipped his cap as the fans gave him a standing ovation.
When the early-season shakes were taking place, Espada was cool all the time. Verlander noticed, too, while celebrating on Tuesday night.
“I think a lot of it is culture, a lot of it is the guys in the locker room keeping spirits high,” Verlander said. “The players had a big part in that. Joe not panicking had a big part of that. There were a lot of team meetings early on. And I think there was never a panic like, ‘We suck, what’s going on?’ It was always, ‘We’re better than this.’”
And they proved that they were much better than how this 2024 Houston Astros season started. Espada stayed true to his own knowledge and wisdom of baseball. In addition, he had a solid coaching staff to lean on for analytics and statistics.
Dana Brown Made Some Savvy Moves
Astros general manager Dana Brown also made some tough decisions during the season. He moved first baseman Jose Abreu and his big contract, which the Astros are still on the hook for, off the team. Brown picked up left-handed starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi from Toronto. He also got outfielder Ben Gamel after he was released by the New York Mets. And, of course, Heyward after his release by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Heyward has filled in masterfully for Yordan Alvarez, who is dealing with a right knee contusion.
Neither Alvarez nor outfielder Chas McCormick, who is dealing with a hand injury, will see action in the final regular-season series. The Astros are off on Thursday before finishing up with three games against the Cleveland Guardians. Verlander will get one more start in the regular season ahead of the AL playoffs starting next week. The Astros’ loss to Seattle on Wednesday wrapped up their regular-season calendar at home.
Now, Minute Maid Park personnel will spend the next few days getting the park ready for more postseason play. It’s become almost a right of passage for Astros players in the past few seasons.
In the end, though, Joe Espada had to make sure all these moving parts worked in sync. He did and now adds his name to the Houston Astros record books as a division title-winning manager in his first season. Espada deserves all the credit in the world. But he knows, just like his players, that the job isn’t done until a World Series banner is raised again.
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