Astros hire A.J. Hinch as manager
Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – The Houston Astros have hired A.J. Hinch as their new manager, picking the 40-year-old former major-league catcher from a list of 10 candidates interviewed to replace Bo Porter.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said during a news conference Monday that Hinch’s experience at different levels of the game made him a good choice to lead a team stacked with young talent.
Hinch went 89-123 as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks during parts of two seasons before he was fired after a 31-48 start in 2010.
He most recently worked as vice president and assistant general manager of the San Diego Padres for three years, overseeing the team’s professional scouting and medical departments with input on player personnel decisions.
“A.J. separated himself from the pack for some very good reasons important for the future of the Astros,” Luhnow said. “He’s got a lot of passion for the game, has passion for winning and understands what we’re trying to do here.”
Porter was fired Sept. 1 near the end of his second season and not long after the Houston Chronicle reported that Luhnow and Porter were at odds, primarily over the manager’s in-game decisions.
Luhnow said they interviewed 10 candidates before deciding on Hinch to be the team’s 18th manager.
“To know me is to know I like winning,” said Hinch. “I like to compete. I see great things ahead for the Houston Astros. From the outside it’s evident the talent that’s come through here.”
The Astros’ future is seen as brighter with rising stars like batting champion Jose Altuve, slugger Chris Carter, outfielder George Springer and starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh.
“The goal is to win championships,” said Hinch, who played for Oakland, Kansas City, Detroit and Philadelphia between 1998 and 2004. “That’s easy to say. It’s a lot of work. It’s going to take a lot of energy, a lot of commitment.”
He added: “Do I want to see incremental progress? Sure. Do I want to shock the world? Of course I do.”
The Astros were 11-13 under interim manager Tom Lawless in September and finished fourth in the AL West ahead of in-state rival Texas, going 70-92 to avoid a fourth year in a row of triple-digit losses.
They haven’t had a winning season since 2008 and haven’t made the playoffs since 2005.
Categorized in: MLB
Tags: Astros, Houston, Houston Astros