HOUSTON, TX -The Houston Astros search for a new manager will begin in earnest on Wednesday when internal candidates Dave Clark and Al Pedrique will be interviewed at Minute Maid Park, General Manager Ed Wade announced today.
Clark and Pedrique will be the first of 10 candidates scheduled to be interviewed with all but one currently scheduled to take place between October 14 and 19 at Minute Maid Park. All candidates will be available to the media following their respective interviews in the press conference room.?
"We're excited about the entire group of candidates," Wade said. "All 10 candidates have a great deal of experience and are held in high regard throughout Major League Baseball. Clarkie and Al are great internal candidates and are very well-respected both inside and outside the Astros family."
In addition to Clark and Pedrique, the Astros have also scheduled interviews with former Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost, San Diego Padres hitting coach Randy Ready, former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, former Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta, former Astros manager Phil Garner and current Boston Red Sox coaches Brad Mills and Tim Bogar. The Astros have also been granted permission to interview Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin; that interview has yet to be scheduled due to the Phillies involvement in postseason play.
The managerial candidates will be interviewed by a committee made up of Astros President of Baseball Operations Tal Smith, Wade, Assistant General Managers Ricky Bennett, David Gottfried and Bobby Heck and Special Assistant to the General Manager Enos Cabell.
The interview schedule will go as follows:
Wednesday, October 14: 10 a.m.-Dave Clark; 1:30 p.m.-Al Pedrique
Thursday, October 15: 10 a.m.-Ned Yost; 1:30 p.m.-Randy Ready
Friday, October 16: 10 a.m.-Bob Melvin; 1:30 p.m.-Manny Acta
Saturday, October 17: 10 a.m.-Phil Garner
Monday, October 19: 10 a.m.-Brad Mills; 1:30 p.m.-Tim Bogar
*Note-candidates will be available to the media in the press conference room at approximately noon and 3:30 p.m. following their respective interviews.
Following the first round of interviews, the Astros expect to select a short list of finalists who will then meet for a second round of interviews with Smith, Wade, Astros Chairman and CEO Drayton McLane and Astros President of Business Operations Pam Gardner.
