Cecil Cooper To Remain Houston Astros Manager

By David
Kaye

Despite going 13-15 in his first 28 games, Cecil Cooper will be named the permanent manager of the Houston Astros. Gone is the interim tag and in is the insurmountable task of rebuilding a ball club that has posted a .447 winning percentage in a below average division.

Cooper replaced Phil Garner, who was fired late last month after guiding the Astros to their only World Series appearance in 2005. Cooper's tenure with the organization began that very year as a bench coach and he held that post until being promoted to interim manager.

His hiring is significant for a plethora of reasons, but most notably because he becomes the first African-American manager in the team's 46-year history. Cooper is now the second full-time black manager in Major League Baseball.