SAD NEWS:Joe Espada Turns Down $4.2Million Deal offer Due to..... On Monday morning, November 13, at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB) formally announced former University of Mobile Ram Joe Espada as the team's new manager. The great manager Dusty Baker, who retired after the 2023 season after leading the Astros to a World Series Championship in 2022, will be replaced by Espada, who has been the team's bench coach for the past six seasons. The Astros held a press conference on Monday under the direction of general manager Dana Brown to formally announce Espada's employment, which was first reported on Sunday without team confirmation. "We at the University of Mobile are proud of Joe Espada," Dr. Lonnie Burnett, president of the university, stated. "He has fulfilled his obligations, and his unwavering work ethic has paid off. He is a model citizen. The University of Mobile's athletic director, Sally Shouppe, stated, "We are thrilled for Joe and his successes throughout his professional career, and we look forward to seeing him continue to succeed in his new role." "We will be supporting Joe for the remainder of his career, and he has a great network of supporters inside the university." Espada, 48, played middle infield for the University of Mobile's baseball program in the mid-1990s. He was selected to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference's (GCAC) First-Team All-Conference three times and won GCAC Baseball Player of the Year twice. After the 1995 and 1996 seasons, Espada was also chosen as a member of the NAIA Baseball Second-Team All-