Game 4 of the 2001 World Series started on Halloween but didn’t end until after midnight ET, which is why Derek Jeter received the nickname “Mr. November” after his home run in the bottom of the tenth. Jeter’s heroics came one inning after Tino Martinez hit a game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, erasing a 3-1 Diamondbacks lead and forcing extras. The Yankees’ 4-3 victory knotted the series at two games apiece, and even more drama was yet to come in the final three games of what was one of the greatest World Series in baseball history.
1. Randy Flores is Houston’s new general manager
The Astros concluded their general manager search yesterday with the hiring of Randy Flores. The longtime Cardinals assistant general manager and director of scouting began his playing career in Texas with the Rangers, and his first chance to lead a big league front office will now also come in the Lone Star State. Flores will be tasked with breathing new life into an Astros team that won the AL West with just a .500 record and, in general, appears to be nearing the end of a decade-long window of competition.
2. Angels listening when hiring a general manager
Given the shared ties in St. Louis between Flores and John Mozeliak, Flores had been rumored to be a candidate to take over the Angels’ front office since Mozeliak was named interim general manager in June. Instead, Flores will now lead a division rival, and Los Angeles is the last team still looking for a new front office leader, with Mozeliak himself not a candidate for the full-time job. There hasn’t been much public news about the Angels’ search, which is also taking place as part of the team’s broader ownership shift, although Stan Kroenke won’t be officially approved as the Angels’ new owner for at least a few months. With the lockout looming on December 1, the new general manager won’t have much time to start making substantial moves before the transaction freeze, and the Halos also need a new manager to replace Kurt Suzuki.
3. Busy weekend for roster changes
We may be a month away from a transaction freeze, but plenty of roster maneuvering will take place before free agency officially opens at 4 p.m. CT on Monday. Teams must make their 40-man roster before then, so expect plenty of DFAs, outright waiver requests and trades as clubs look to both shed and add players to get to exactly 40 names. Some club and player options on contracts must also be decided, and teams have until Monday to decide whether to issue qualifying offers to eligible free agents.
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