The Houston Astros' three-month era of general manager-by-committee – helmed by owner Jim Crane – has ended.
The Astros on Thursday announced they have hired former Atlanta Braves evaluator Dana Brown as their general manager, ending a period that saw the dismissal of former GM James Click and the majority of the club's off-season transactions orchestrated by Crane.
Brown, 55, brings a more seasoned and traditional scouting background to the job than his most recent predecessors, Click and Jeff Luhnow, who were hired at 42 and 44 years old, respectively.
Luhnow remade the Astros' franchise – and, in a sense, the industry – by fusing his consulting background and baseball acumen to create a player acquisition monster that the club still benefits from as it aims for a seventh consecutive trip to the World Series this year.