Nationals 3rd base coach to take Astros job
Bo Porter, Third Base Coach for the Washington Nationals, has accepted an offer from the Houston Astros to be the team's next manager. For Porter, 40, it will be his first time managing a Major League club. He's got his work cut out for him with the Astros. With a record of 51-105, the Astros are by far the worst team in the Majors, ten games behind the next-worst-team.
Porter has held the third base coach job for the Nats for the last two seasons and he will finish the season with the team, though it isn't clear if he will be back in Philadelphia with the team tonight, as Washington finishes a 3-game road swing against the Phillies.
Porter was with the Nats last night in Philadelphia, but he will be in Houston today for an 11 a.m. announcement that he has been hired as the 21st manager in the 51-year history of the Astros. Porter is a Houston native, but has never worked in the Astros organization before.
Porter was considered a strong candidate to manage the Nationals upon the retirement of current manager Davey Johnson, who is 69 years old. The new favorite for that job, once it becomes open -- and we have no idea when that will happen -- is probably bench coach Randy Knorr. The most likely replacemet for Porter at third base is Tony Beasley, who currently manages Washington's AAA affiliate and who served as Frank Robinson's third base coach back in 2006.
