I must admit, it’s weird for any defending champion to be in the market for a new general manager, but that was precisely the position the Houston Astros were in after they could not come to terms with James Click. But you know what they say, one man’s failed negotiation is another man’s dream job come true (okay, no one really says that, but you get it). Earlier today, the Houston Astros named former Atlanta Braves executive Dana Brown as their new general manager. Brown is the only Black GM in MLB, joining White Sox’s executive VP Ken Williams as the only Black heads of baseball operations in all of MLB. Add that to the fact that Houston has a Black manager (Dusty Baker); this makes only the second time in MLB history that a team has a Black manager and GM (the White Sox were the first Williams and Jerry Manuel).
Brown, 55, has an extensive and highly successful resume. He was a scouting supervisor for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a scouting director for the Expos-turned-Nationals, and special assistant to the general manager with the Toronto Blue Jays. Recently, he oversaw the transformation of the 2021 World Series Champion Atlanta Braves. He helped lock up long-term young talent like last year’s National League Rookie of the Year, Michael Harris II, and the runner-up, Spencer Strider.
While I’m not an Astros fan, it looks like I will be breaking out my Astros gear this year as a form of solidarity. #RootingforEverybodyBlack
Congrats to Dana Brown. And Houston, we see you.
