Joe Espada realized a number of baseball dreams over the past 25 years, coming so close to the biggest. It finally happened for him when he was officially introduced as the 20th full-time manager of the Houston Astros on Monday.

The 48-year-old Espada has paid his dues. There were the five seasons he spent as a player at Class AAA, awaiting the call that he was a major leaguer. That call never came and he eventually got into coaching. After rising the ranks from the dugout, Espada interviewed with at least six teams for their managerial vacancies. He never got the job.

FAMILY MAN: How Astros manager Joe Espada's wife, daughters kept him going in pursuit of dream

Until Monday.

Here's everything you need to know about the new Astros manager ...

What were his duties as Astros bench coach

Espada has spent the past six seasons as the team's bench coach, basically the manager's right-hand man. He started under A.J. Hinch in 2018 and was retained by Dusty Baker when he took over in 2020. As the bench coach, Espada had input on in-game decisions, but also worked heavily with the infielders. Shortstops Carlos Correa and Jeremy Peña both credited their work with Espada when they won their Gold Gloves. Mauricio Dubón and Yuli Gurriel also won a Gold Glove under Espada's tutelage. Baker also trusted Espada to run spring training, organizing all the workouts in West Palm Beach, Fla.

His big moment in Game 5 of ALCS

Espada was thrust into the spotlight when manager Dusty Baker was ejected in the eighth inning of Game 5 of this year's American League Championship Series against the Rangers. That left Espada in charge of a team trailing 4-2 heading to the ninth inning. Espada made key decisions to have Yainer Diaz and Jon Singleton come off the bench to pinch-hit, which allowed Jose Altuve to get to the plate and deliver a go-ahead home run. After the game, Baker said he and his coaches plan for those scenarios "an inning or two ahead" and Espada said the entire staff talk at length throughout the series about those possible scenarios. In the end, though, it was Espada who pulled the trigger.

Joe Espada: Before the Astros

Espada got into coaching at 30 years old when he was named the hitting coach for the Marlins' Class A Greensboro Grasshoppers in 2006. He spent two seasons as a minor league hitting coach before the Marlins named him their minor league infield coordinator. In 2010, he was promoted to Marlins' third-base coach, a job he held for four seasons. The Marlins wanted Espada to get some managerial experience so they were going to have him manage their Class A team, but Espada opted to leave for a job with the Yankees as special assistant to general manager Brian Cashman. After one season in that role, Espada was named the Yankees' infield coach and third-base coach. He held that job until the Astros hired him after the 2017 season.

Joe Espada's manager mentors

Espada doesn’t have any big league managerial experience, but he’s worked with a wide array of managers. With the Astros, he served next to both Dusty Baker and A.J. Hinch. With the Marlins, he was in the dugout with the likes of Jack McKeon, Ozzie Guillen and Fredi González. He also worked under Joe Girardi with the Yankees.

Joe Espada: Managerial experience

Espada has never managed in the big leagues or minor leagues, but he has experience in winter ball, managing a team in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League from 2012 to 2015. He also was a big part of Puerto Rico's coaching staff in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics and appeared to be set to manage that team in March before some turnover led to Yadier Molina getting the job. 

Managers in the family

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is Espada’s longtime friend and brother-in-law. When Hyde managed the Marlins’ Class A Greensboro Grasshoppers in 2006, Espada was the team’s hitting coach and he became a friend of Hyde and Hyde’s wife Lisa. The next year, Espada rented out a guest house from Hyde and ended up meeting Lisa’s sister Pamela. In 2009, Espada and Pamela married. The couple has two daughters.

Joe Espada: Previous interviews

Espada has long been considered a top candidate for jobs around the league. He interviewed with the Marlins and White Sox in 2022 and the Mets and A’s in 2021. He also previously interviewed for manager openings with the Cubs and Rangers.

Second Hispanic manager in franchise history

Espada, who was born in Puerto Rico, will be the Astros' 20th full-time manager but just second Latin manager. Preston Gómez, who managed the team in 1974 and 1975, was the first.

What was he like as a player

Espada was a speedy middle infielder. He was such a big star at the University of Mobile that his No. 6 has been retired after he was twice named the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference player of the year, including when he hit .442 with 13 home runs and 38 stolen bases in 1996. That led him to be drafted in the second round, one spot ahead of future All-Star Jimmy Rollins. As a 21-year-old at High A ball, Espada stole 46 bases in 118 games. In nine minor league seasons, Espada hit .275 with 130 stolen bases.

Joe Espada: Almost a big leaguer

Espada came about as close as you can to being a major leaguer without ever getting called up. He spent nine seasons in the minors, including parts of five years at Class AAA. The closest he came to getting the promotion was in 1998 when the Twins took him in the Rule 5 draft, but he didn’t make Minnesota’s roster out of spring training and he was returned to the A’s. In 1999, Espada hit .338 at Class AA Midland, but never got called up. After signing with the Marlins organization, Espada hit .300 at Class AAA Calgary, but still wasn’t promoted. He spent time in the minors with the Athletics, Marlins, Rockies, Royals, Cardinals, Rangers and Rays.