HOUSTON — Brad Mills is finally getting his chance to run a big-league team.
The 52-year-old Mills was hired by Houston on Tuesday after six seasons as Terry Francona’s bench coach in Boston. He’ll manage in the majors for the first time.
“One thing that I’m going to bring in is a freshness, being with a champion and bringing that freshness in,” said Mills. “It’s a fresh voice, it’s a new voice.”
General manager Ed Wade said Mills agreed to a two-year contract, with a team option for the third. The Astros made an offer to former Nationals manager Manny Acta over the weekend, but Acta took the Cleveland Indians’ job instead.
Houston owner Drayton McLane spoke with Francona about Mills by phone on Sunday. Francona said Mills practically ran the Red Sox at times, allaying McLane’s concerns about his lack of major-league managing experience.
The Astros fired Cecil Cooper on Sept 21. Third-base coach Dave Clark served as interim manager for the final 13 games and Houston finished 74-88. Clark was one of 10 candidates to interview for the full-time position.
Clark was guaranteed a position on next year’s staff if he was not hired as the full-time manager, and Wade said Clark will return as Houston’s third-base coach.
Mills sold the Astros with his emphasis on communicating with players, a problem in the clubhouse when Cooper was manager.
“He talked a lot about respect, that you gain the respect of the players,” said Wade. “He’s not saying, ‘These are the new rules, there’s a new sheriff in town.’ His approach is, ‘We’re going to be consistent, they’re going to know what the plan is, they’re going to know what the expectations are.’”
Mills has plenty of work to do. The Astros have endured two losing seasons in the four years since reaching the World Series in 2005, and Mills is the fourth manager hired since the middle of the 2004 season.
McLane is hoping Mills brings some stability.
“That was one of the ingredients we saw,” McLane said. “He’s a young man, as far as a manager candidate is and he can relate to players.”
Mills said his work will start at spring training, where he’ll stress preparation and cohesiveness.
“Everybody on the ballclub is important, and we’re going to communicate with all of them,” Mills said. “We’re going to start from day one working together and playing the game solidly and in a winning way.”
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