Houston Astros 2010: New Skipper Brings New Attitude, Dugout Assistants

Brad Mills has a busy 2010 ahead of him; and for Houston’s new skipper, March madness begins as soon as the team lands in Florida for Spring Training.

But in all actuality, the chaos has already begun for next season’s Astros manager; and after glancing at what could be in regards to next year’s starting rotation , bullpen , infield , outfield , catchers , and bench , it’s now time to look at the 2010 manager and coaching positions.

2010 Houston Astros Manager and Coaches

Next season’s team will include a bunch of new faces, especially in terms of the guys running the managerial and coaching aspect of Houston Astros baseball.

From new skipper Brad Mills and his staff to a trio of newly acquired players, 2010 should be quite an interesting season in Houston.

Brad Mills, Manager

As mentioned in prior columns, Mills comes to Houston highly regarded in baseball circles and very well may be the right choice for turning around the Astros franchise. The 2010 skipper also is big on relationships with the players on his team and that could prove to be the difference this season.

Along with a new set of faces in the dugout, Mills’ assistants will also likely be carrying a similar philosophy in terms of their relationships with the guys donning Houston uniforms night-in and night-out.

Mills worked for six years under Boston manager Terry Francona as the team’s bench coach, and with recommendations for his hiring flying in from all angles, the Astros pounced on the opportunity to bring Mills to Houston. Hopefully, he’ll prove to the doubters out there that he’s the right man for the job; and his real job has already begun.

Sean Berry, Batting Coach

Berry returns for another season in Houston as the team’s hitting coach, now entering his fifth year as a coach with the Astros organization. Spending a few seasons with the Astros from 1996-1998 as an original member of those “Killer B’s” (along with Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, and Derek Bell), Berry will be back in the dugout in 2010.

Brad Arnsberg, Pitching Coach

Arnsberg spent six years in the majors as a pitcher before switching to coaching full-time, and he comes to Houston after spending time in Toronto as the Blue Jays’ pitching coach. As a former player, Arnsberg posted a 9-6 record with a 4.26 ERA and 100 strikeouts.

Bobby Meacham, First Base Coach

Meacham, a former MLB shortstop who spent all six of his playing years with the Yankees, will be Houston’s new first base coach next season. Through his six seasons in New York, Meacham garnered a .236 batting average with 324 hits and 202 runs.

Dave Clark, Third Base Coach

Clark returns to the Astros as their third base coach after spending the remainder of last season as the team’s interim skipper. In 2008, he was the skipper for the Round Rock Express before joining the Astros in 2009 as the third base coach and being moved to the interim manager position on Sept. 21 of last year. As a major league outfielder from 1986 to 1998, Clark batted .264 with 62 home runs and 284 RBI.

Al Pedrique, Bench Coach

Pedrique comes to Houston as the 2010 bench coach after spending many years involved in managerial positions in Major League Baseball (previously serving as the Minor League Filed Coordinator). As a former MLB shortstop, he batted .247 with 36 RBI and one homer.

Jamie Quirk, Bullpen Coach

Quirk will be the Astros 2010 bullpen coach, and he comes to Houston after being a former bench coach for the Colorado Rockies. As a MLB catcher, Quirk posted career numbers of 544 hits, 247 RBI, and a .240 batting average.

2010 Houston Astros Staff

In addition to the guys mentioned above, other 2010 Houston Astros staff members include head athletic trainer Nathan Lucero, assistant athletic trainer Rex Jones, strength and conditioning coach Dr. Gene Coleman, and bullpen assistant Strech Suba.

Houston’s Spring Training games begin on Thursday, March 4 when the Astros host Washington at 12:05 p.m. CST in Kissimmee, Florida.

This is the seventh and final preview of this seven-part series on the Houston Astros 2010 team. Feel free to check out prior archives below, and we’ll be addressing further Spring Training issues as March approaches.

Houston Astros Seven-Part Series: Archives

1. Starting Pitching (published Dec. 22, 2009 )
2. Bullpen (published Dec. 24, 2009 )
3. Infield (published Dec. 26, 2009 )
4. Outfield (published Dec. 28, 2009 )
5. Catchers (published Dec. 30, 2009 )
6. Bench (published Jan. 1, 2010 )
7. Coaching/Management (published Jan. 4, 2010)