Houston, TX (Sports Network) - The Houston Astros have named Bo Porter their
next manager.
Porter is currently the third base coach for the Washington Nationals and will
remain in that role through the team's run through the playoffs.
The Astros fired Brad Mills in August and replaced him on an interim basis
with Tony DeFrancesco, who will remain on the job through the end of Houston's
second straight disastrous season.
After a franchise-worst 56-106 record in 2011, the Astros are on their way to
eclipsing that mark at 51-105 with just six games remaining. The Astros had
never lost 100 games before last season.
"Bo's experience and management style will help lead our young players in
creating a sense of urgency to restart the Astros' winning tradition," said
owner Jim Crane.
The 40-year-old Porter played three seasons in the majors with the Cubs,
Athletics and Rangers from 1999-2001 and has made his way through the coaching
ranks. He was the Marlins' third base coach from 2007-09 and started 2010 as
Arizona's third base coach before taking the reins as the Diamondbacks' bench
coach when Kirk Gibson was promoted to manager that July.
"Bo Porter has been successful as a player and as a coach and is ready to lead
the Houston Astros as our next manager," said Astros general manager Jeff
Luhnow. "He is a natural leader and a winner and he inspires people around him
to be their best. He is driven to succeed and we look forward to seeing the
positive results as he channels his energy and expertise toward creating
winning teams in Houston."
Porter, a Houston resident, was the manager of the Marlins' New York-Penn
League affiliate in 2006.
The Astros started with nine candidates for the position, then trimmed the
list to four finalists, including Porter and DeFrancesco.
"The finalists were all uniquely qualified to lead this team going forward,"
Luhnow added. "In the end, we selected the candidate that best fit the
criteria we were seeking and is best suited to lead the Astros through this
transition phase and help us achieve our common objective of consistent
competitiveness and ultimately, multiple championships."
In addition to the managerial change, the Astros will also switch leagues next
year. The club played in the National League from its inception as an
expansion franchise in 1962 and will move to the American League next year as
part of the realignment that will give each league 15 teams.
The Sports Network