Jim Crane: Astros interviewed 7 potential managers; team will apologize during spring training

HOUSTON – Houston Astros owner Jim Crane said he has interviewed seven people so far as he rushes to find a new manager in the wake of a sign-stealing scandal that rocked the team and Major League Baseball.

“We’re going through everybody we think... would be a good match for the team next year. We got a good team,” Crane said in an interview with KPRC 2. “I made a joke earlier about filling up the lineup card but we’ve got a pretty good lineup."

“We need someone strong that can handle the players,” he said.

When asked if Crane still anticipated that the interviews and selection process would go on until Feb. 3, he said “I’ll be close, it might be a few days after that.”

“We should be able to wrap (the interviews) up by the weekend and then get after it and make a selection,” Crane said.

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Former general manager Jeff Lunhow and manager AJ Hinch were fired after an MLB investigation into allegations that the team was cheating led to punishments for the team.

He also noted that the players have been getting advice to take it easy.

“The players have been beaten up a little bit and I think they’ve been all spread out,” Crane said. “When we get them down to Spring Training, we’ll all get ‘em together and they’ll come out with a strong statement as a team and... apologize for what happened and we’ll move forward.”

He said the Astros players were “holding back a little bit.”

“We need to give them a little more time to get together in Spring Training. Everybody’s split up, it’s a team," he said. “We’re going to sit in a room and talk about it and everything will come out and all of them will address the press, either as a group or individually.”

Crane said he and the team are expected to make an apology.

“Quite frankly, we’ll apologize for what happened and ask for forgiveness and move forward,” he said.