3 Houston Astros who won't be back after disappointing ALCS loss to Rangers
By Mark Powell
For the first time in what seems like a decade, the Houston Astros will not make a World Series appearance. That, of course, is a stretch of my imagination. A Houston-Philadelphia World Series rematch felt like a guarantee as both teams went home with 3-2 advantages in their respective championship series. Yet, Texas was able to even and eventually defeat Houston. Arizona, meanwhile, has a decisive Game 7 to upset the Phillies.
You can't predict baseball, and the Astros found this out the hard way. Houston was dominant on the road, but could not win in front of their home fans at Minute Maid Park. To turn things around next season and make another World Series run, the offseason must bring change. That all starts up top.
Houston Astros who won't be back: Dusty Baker
It's been a very, very long career for Dusty Baker. At 74 years old, he still feels as though he has something left to give, but the Astros may not agree. Baker has been linked to the San Francisco Giants of late, though it's tough to see him heading elsewhere. So, what gives?
Baker is on a one-year contract with Houston. His age, as well as the failure to reach another World Series this season, could signal the end for a man who has spent the majority of his professional life dedicated to the sport. Surely, there is always a place for Dusty in baseball. It just might not be with the Astros, who could use a different clubhouse voice come next season.
The 74-year-old Baker is still capable of managing if he'd like. But his mistakes in Houston this season were well-documented, and included sitting Chas McCormick out of the lineup all too often, and sticking up for Martin Maldonado when he had a better hitting catcher on the bench in Yainer Diaz. Questions loom around Dusty, and rightly so.