Achi news desk-
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.: Joe Espada has worked for an impressive group of managers.
Espada was an assistant for three World Series-winning managers in Joe Girardi, AJ Hinch and Dusty Baker before becoming the captain for the first time after the Houston Astros hired him following Baker’s retirement this season.
As Espada prepares for his managerial debut Thursday when the Astros open the season against the New York Yankees, one of his former bosses had some advice for the 48-year-old.
“He needs to be himself and not try to be any of the managers he worked for,” Hinch said. “He’s going to find his own way and his own path. His instinct is great. His work ethic is great. His relationship with the players is great. I encourage him to be himself and make the decisions he wants to make.”
Espada is one of eight managers who are either new or managing new teams in 2024. He joins Stephen Vogt of Cleveland and Carlos Mendoza of the Mets as first-time managers this season.
For Espada, settling into his new job was helped by the fact that he had been with the Astros as their bench coach since 2018.
“I’m glad the transition happened with a team I already knew,” he said. “The relationships are important. Walking into an organization where you don’t know a ton of people, it takes time to develop that trust and connection with people. But having that here has made the transition much easier.”
Espada is the only manager for the first time this season to move to the job with a team he was already with. Mendoza, who replaced Buck Showalter, worked as the Yankees’ bench coach from the 2020 season until he was hired by the Mets. Vogt, 39, ended a 10-year MLB playing career in 2022 and spent just one season as Seattle’s bullpen and quality control coach before being tapped to replace Terry Francona.
Pat Murphy of Milwaukee is one of three managers, along with Ron Washington of the Angels and Mike Shildt of San Diego, hired this offseason with previous managerial experience. But Murphy has the least managerial experience of the three after serving as interim manager for the Padres for just over half a season in 2015 after Bud Black was fired.
Like Espada, Murphy remained with the same team when he became manager after working under Craig Counsell as Milwaukee’s bench coach since the 2016 season.
Murphy, who was hired after Counsell left to manage the Cubs, said that the experience he had in that job prepared him for his new gig. He added that he reached out to Baker, Joe Torre and Joe Maddon for advice.
“Nothing presents itself as particularly difficult,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot standing where I was for the last eight years, in terms of ‘maybe we do it this way,’ or ‘ah, that makes sense.'”
At 65, Murphy is among the league’s oldest managers. He believes that waiting so long to get his first full-time job as a manager has helped him appreciate the job more.
“Your ego is challenged in this deal all the time,” he said. “If you let your ego out, it will let you down every time. When you’re younger and you’re trying to prove yourself, to be recognized or to let people know how great you are, it’s so stupid. But that’s what we do.”
Washington is back as a manager for the first time since resigning from the Texas Rangers near the end of 2014 after leading them to two World Series trips in eight seasons. The 71-year-old Washington, who worked as an assistant for the Athletics and Braves after leaving the Rangers, will be the oldest manager in the majors after Baker’s retirement at the age of 74.
Shildt is back in charge after leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 252-199 record from 2018-21. Shildt, the 2019 National League manager of the year, spent the past two seasons as an assistant under Bob Melvin before being promoted after Melvin left to manage the Giants.
Counsell and Melvin are in a different position to the other six managers, jumping straight from one skipper gig to another.
Counsell moved to Chicago after going 707-625 in nine seasons with the Brewers.
Melvin joins the Giants after a 20-year managerial career with the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Athletics and Padres.
He talked about a bit of confusion he has had this spring.
“You know there are times I look at my (lineup) card and I see the Giants lineup and I flip it over to the other side because I assume that’s the other team,” he said.
Melvin loves returning to the Bay Area after being born and raised there.
“It’s been great,” he said. “I’ve known a lot about this team over the last few years, I’ve followed them all my life. They’ve made it easy for me.”
Espada was disappointed to be passed over for a handful of jobs in recent years before finally becoming manager this year. But now that he has a dream job, he believes that things are just as they were meant to be. And he’s not slowing down now that he’s in charge.
“Personal growth is important,” he said. “I try to be better every day and I make sure I surround myself with people who have my back and I have players who want what’s best for our team. So, I always seek advice and try to be the best I can be in doing my job.”
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AP freelancer Jack Thompson contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)
