In Ft. Worth, Mac Engel notes Baseball HOFer and Astros exec adviser Nolan Ryan has "made it known he would not mind to be more involved with the daily operations" of an MLB team again. But Ryan is "not leaving Texas." He is 70 yeas old, and if he is "going to do this again it’s either with the Astros or the Rangers." But neither is "happening anytime soon," not unless Rangers co-Chairs Ray Davis and Bob Simpson "agree to sell the team back to a group of investors involving Ryan." He is "more likely to continue in his peripheral role with the Astros, who are one of the deeper teams in the game" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 10/24).
PLAYING IT STRAIGHT: In N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes Mickey Callaway yesterday after being introduced as the Mets' new manager "didn’t win the press conference." He "refused to make any cheap declarations, opting instead for pleasant platitudes." That is "actually exactly the tone that was needed." Mets fans are "too weary from the last year, and generally too wise in the fickle ways of the baseball world, to be seduced by some huckster spewing promises" (N.Y. POST, 10/24).
CORA CAN SUCCEED: In Boston, Nick Cafardo wrote new Red Sox manager Alex Cora is a "fresh face." He is Latino and has a "chance to bond" with the team's "growing list of Latino players." He also has a "chance to connect with younger players because at 42 he’s not that old himself." Cora always has been "media-friendly, especially having worked at ESPN, so he gets that part of it." He should be a "breath of fresh air for the media" in Boston. Cora could "step into the clubhouse more and chat it up with the players." Maybe the players will "come to really like and respect him as someone who understands what they’re going through more because he’s closer to their age" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/23).
BUDGET MEETING: Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner said that the plan for '18 is to "get under" the $197M luxury-tax threshold. Steinbrenner said, "We are in a great position to do it. If the younger players contributed, that always was big (to have low-cost options). And they have. We still have some money to spend and we will be active in free agency, as we always are" (N.Y. POST, 10/24).
