3 Things to Know About Astros' New General Manager Randy Flores

The Houston Astros didn’t waste any time after the completion of the World Series to announce their new general manager. Randy Flores is coming to the Astros with considerably more than just his experience with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Houston organization announced on Friday that it had hired 51-year-old Flores to replace Dana Brown.

Given that Flores has a background in scouting and player development, along with front office experience, it is understandable why he was a strong candidate. He has spent the last eight years serving as the assistant general manager for the Cardinals.

Prior to becoming a baseball executive, Flores had an interesting journey through professional baseball, college coaching, and even the technology industry.

Here are three interesting facts about the Astros’ new general manager.

1. Flores Won a World Series Championship With the Cardinals

It’s hard to know what something takes if you have never experienced it. Flores knows about a World Series Championship. He was part of the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series team that successfully defeated the Detroit Tigers.

Flores spent parts of eight seasons as a left-handed pitcher in the Majors. He appeared in 350 games with the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Cardinals and Minnesota Twins.

Overall, he finished with a record of 11-5, a 4.61 ERA and four saves.

During Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series, the Cardinals were facing the New York Mets. Flores came into the game with the score tied in the eighth inning. He took control and retired Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Shawn Green.

His teammate Yadier Molina delivered the go-ahead home run in the ninth inning and Flores earned the victory. St. Louis was headed to the World Series.

Now, more than two decades later he is going to be trying to help Houston win another championship.

2. He Still Holds Impressive Records at USC

Looking back in history, before his time in the MLB and certainly long before his World Series experience, Flores established himself as an elite pitcher at the University of Southern California.

He had to work his way up. He wasn’t a recruited prospect. He was a walk-on who proved himself and became one of the team’s most important players.

He earned All-Pac-10 honors in four seasons and helped the Trojans reach the College World Series in 1995.

To this day, nearly 30 years after his college career ended, Flores’ name is still etched in the record books. He holds USC’s all-time records for wins (42, innings pitched (484 1/3) and complete games (22).

After he finished his time at USC, he was drafted in the ninth round of the 1997 MLB Draft. The New York Yankees selected him but he would never step on the MLB field for them.

Over the course of his career, he worked his way through four different organizations.

USC remained important to Flores as he returned to continue his education and prepare for a career off the field.

3. Flores Founded a Sports Technology Company

Rather than take the path most travel by seeking an immediate position in a baseball front office, Flores chose a different way.

He earned a master’s degree from USC in postsecondary administration. He was also the pitching coach for the Trojans in 2013 and worked as a college baseball analyst for ESPN and the Pac-12 Networks, according to MLB.com.

In 2014, Flores founded OnDeck Digital. He saw a need in the industry and provided a solution. The company provided video technology to help amateur players share performances with recruiters and professional scouts.

Teams could then evaluate players through game footage, which expanded the information available during the scouting process.

When the Cardinals signed Flores as their scouting director in 2015, he already had 11 major league organizations subscribing to his service.

His forward thinking, along with all the experience he has accumulated over the years, could prove very valuable to Houston.

Flores should be able to immediately step in and help identify young players who have the potential to be important to the team’s future. He will also have to make some major decisions reagarding the Major League roster.

Houston finished the year 81-81, which was shockingly good enough to find their way into the Wild Card Series, but their weaknesses were exposed immediately. The Chicago White Sox swept them to end the postseason campaign.

The Astros are in immediate need of a new manager following Joe Espada’s departure. That will probably be Flores first order of business.

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