In the midst of a major re-building effort in Houston, interim GM NutRush announced today that he is stepping down as General Manager of the Houston Astros naming Hall of Famer and former player Nolan Ryan as the new GM. NutRush will remain with the team as a special consultant.

The 'Stros Front Office couldn't be more delighted. "When I got here, we knew it was only temporary. They weren't finished hammering out the deal with Nolan yet." Rush's lone move during his brief tenure in charge was the trading of Lance Berkman for two high end prospects and cash. "We did it with Nolan's blessing."

The move is as much for publicity as it is a good baseball decision. The Astros are hoping Ryan's name will renew interest in a franchise that has fallen by the wayside the last few seasons. "We wanted to get this done [with Ryan] before the draft," Rush was quoted as saying. "The [Berkman] move was a good start, but we're still probably a year or two away from contending. Hopefully now we're headed in the right direction."

Ryan spoke for only a few minutes at the press conference, but left a memorable impression with Houston fans saying, "I'm just so happy to be back in baseball and back in Houston with a franchise as committed to building a winning team as this one...You have no idea," he said, while holding back tears with stern sincerity.

AIM still BY4718

Welcome Mr. Ryan