Hal Lanier agreed to a new contract...

Hal Lanier agreed to a new contract to manage the Houston Astros through the 1988 season, General Manager Dick Wagner said.

Lanier, 44, managed the Astros to the National League West championship this season, his first as a big league manager. The Astros, who lost to the New York Mets in the playoffs, finished with a 96-66 regular-season record, the best mark in the 25-year history of the franchise.