Porter will manage Astros in '13

The Houston Astros will enter the American League next season with a new manager.
The team announced Thursday morning that Washington Nationals third base coach Bo Porter has been hired as the team's skipper.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson said "He's ready. He's a great coach. I Iike the way he thinks. I like him a lot because he thinks the way I do. He's going to do a good job. They got the right man. And I think they know that."
The timing is highly unusual: Porter, 40, will not begin work for the Astros until the Nationals complete their postseason run.
Thus, he will remain privy to internal information with the Nationals after accepting a job with another club.
The Astros also interviewed Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, Boston Red Sox bench coach Tim Bogar and their own interim manager, Tony DeFrancesco.
Jeff Luhnow, the Astros’ first-year GM, hired DeFranceso to replace Brad Mills on Aug. 19. The Astros, at 51-105, will finish with the worst record in the majors.
Porter twice interviewed for managerial openings with the Marlins and also was a finalist for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ job after the 2010 season.
He was the Marlins’ third-base coach from 2007 to ’09 and a coach with the Arizona Diamondbacks in ‘10 before joining the Nationals in ’11.
A former outfielder, Porter appeared in 89 games with the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers from 1999 to 2001.
