Before becoming Astros manager, Joe Espada served under four skippers with championships to their credit in Ozzie Guillen, Joe Girardi, A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The move to the end of the hall, into a small room with a plate outside the door that reads “Manager’s Office,” is easier for Joe Espada than most.
After all, he had been the Astros' bench coach for five years before his promotion, so he knows his way around CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Espada is quite familiar with how the Astros run spring training. In fact, he was in charge of many aspects of the operation, a key figure in getting the team ready for the season.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
But in his new position, Espada had to let go of many of those hands-on duties.
“I’ve delegated a lot of my responsibilities,” Espada said Saturday as the Astros entered the second week of practice games in his first year as manager. “I still find myself trying to do a little bit of the stuff I’ve done in years past, but I have a terrific coaching staff, and they know how we’ve done things here over the last couple years. So I hand over some of those responsibilities to them.
“What I enjoy is I have more time to have conversations with the players. I’m enjoying that aspect in my new role.”
RELATED: How Joe Espada's work ethic, positivity fueled his ascension to Astros manager
Espada said those interactions are vital ingredients in a winning formula. He has seen it in play.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
At each of his three MLB stops as a coach, Espada worked for a World Series winning manager, including two with the Astros.
He started on the staff of Ozzie Guillén, who won a championship with the White Sox but was manager of the Marlins when Espada became the team’s third-base coach in 2010. He added infield coach to his résumé when he worked for Joe Girardi and the Yankees from 2015-2017.
Espada came to Houston in 2018 and was second in command under two championship managers, A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker. Those guys knew how to maneuver about a clubhouse, how to keep players relaxed yet focused.
Espada had good rapport with players already because he has been around for a long time. But he says he is digging deeper now — researching, listening, learning.
Before this year, Espada was so involved in the day-to-day operations of spring training that he didn’t have much time to mingle.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
“Now I’m able to sit down with them at breakfast and talk about their families,” Espada said.
Relationships matter.
“It’s the most important thing,” Espada said. “You've gotta get to know the person who’s wearing the uniform. If you want to get everyone to buy into what you’re trying to do, connecting with the human is the most important thing.”
That was a particular strength of Baker and Hinch.
RELATED: How wife, daughters kept Joe Espada going in pursuit of baseball dream
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Baker might not have had the best recall on how many outs there were when a pivotal play was made during a game, but he remembered his players’ kids’ names or their parents' occupations.
I once sat with Hinch in his office at spring training, and his phone continually lit up with texts and calls from players who were in another part of the facility.
“My teenage daughters are easy compared to some of these guys in the clubhouse,” Hinch said that day as Josh Reddick was ringing his phone.
The Diamondbacks gave Hinch his first managerial position despite his never having been a coach at the major league level. He failed miserably, posting a .420 winning percentage in 212 games over parts of two seasons.
But he learned what he didn’t know and put that into play when the Astros hired him. He was calm and confident when he came to Houston.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Baker, who had 22 years and almost 1,900 wins under his belt when he joined the Astros just before the 2020 season, was calmer and even more confident.
We’ll see what Espada’s personality is like now that he is under fire in the top position, but there is no doubt he is confident.
He has been ready for this for some time and expected it to happen sooner. He has long believed that the office at the end of the hall was a good fit.
Inevitably, there will be growth, but as opposed to learning on the job, which is the case for most rookie managers, Espada has the opportunity to show what he has learned.
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Rami G Khouri
Mort Laitner
Rachel Marsden
Donald Low
Bradley Blankenship
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
Michael Kwet
visit website
