Jeff Bagwell News

So much so, in fact, that it irritated Bobby Valentine. "What exactly did Fergie tell him," the Rangers ' manager asked, "that we didn't?" Maybe it wasn't what Jenkins told Witt, I remember thinking, as much as who he was and how he said it.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, when he was managing the Indians, fought to keep CC Sabathia on the team in spring training of 2001.

Saying he wasn't satisfied with any of the candidates the Houston Astros interviewed, owner Drayton McLane will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. CST Wednesday to announce he's hiring himself as the team's manager.

And here's the full roster. This annotated week in baseball history: Oct. 18-Oct. 24, 1988 by Richard Barbieri October 22, 2009 On Oct.

Legendary Astros outfielder Jose Cruz was relieved of his first-base coaching duties last week after 13 seasons, but will remain with the organization in a role similar to Larry Dierker and Jimmy Wynn.

Jose Cruz is one of the most positive folks you'll ever meet in baseball. He loves the Astros, and I mean, LOVES, the Astros.

The Texas Rangers will emphasize situational hitting over slugging next season. That new approach will come from a new hitting coach, too.

You know: in the 1960s and 1970s there was The Carol Burnett Show and in an ongoing skit they'd do a spoof of the soap opera As The World Turns with As The Stomach Turns .

Some managers have nine lives, so why shouldn't Phil Garner have two with the Astros? Billy Martin had five with the Yankees.

Former Houston Astros manager Phil Garner confirmed Monday afternoon via a phone interview that he's one of 10 candidates for the Astros' managerial job, and will interview for the position on Saturday.

If I had a guess, I'd guess that Dave Clark isn't going to be the manager when the Astros go to Kississimmee in February.

Miguel Tejada is no saint. He never has proclaimed to be one. He just happens to have had his problems exposed more than others in an era when some stars have been lucky to have had their true personalities or demons hidden from public view.

When Cecil Cooper was fired Monday, Astros general manager Ed Wade explained what the team would be looking for in its next manager.

Ed Wade , general manager of the Houston Astros, is expected to take his time hiring a full-time replacement for fired manager Cecil Cooper .

Ed Wade made two managerial hires in Philly, with one turning out better than the other.

Is that you, baby, or just a brilliant disguise? I wish it was time to leave for Kissimmee.

The first time Ed Wade fired a manager and hired another, the city of Brotherly Love practically greeted his choice with a collective embrace for Larry Bowa, who couldn't lead the club to the playoffs and eventually was fired.

Baseball Prospectus' Pre-season Projection : 70-92, fifth place Current record: 70-80, fourth place Is it too soon to start clamoring for Jeff Bagwell to come in as the manager here? Buster Olney of ESPN.com's Take What went wrong: Most of Houston's aging and expensive stars struggled, for one reason or another.

It's officially over, the Cecil Cooper Project in Houston. Cooper, who had a decent Major League Baseball career, never could get things going as the Houston Astros manager.

For Dave Clark and the rest of the candidates, ability to keep players enjoying baseball is part of the job description, Richard Justice writes.