Astros' DeFrancesco thinks he has 'edge' to be manager
Should the Astros' search for a full-time manager carry into the offseason, interim manager Tony DeFrancesco will have 41 games worth of time to prove his worth for the permanent gig. On Friday, he discussed the time he spent trying to convince the front office that he was the man.
DeFrancesco talked before Friday's 12-6 loss to the Phillies that dropped his record to 7-17 about his three-hour interview the day before. He stated his case for the job in a search that is likely to include 6-8 candidates when it's over.
"For a guy who knows the organization, I think I have a little edge," he said. "I know the players and the pulse of the team and the future that's coming.
"One thing I'm relaxed about is my ability to talk to the players and the coaching staff and to delegate. (General manager Jeff Luhnow and owner Jim Crane), they want a leader, and I'm hoping I can be the guy."
According to various reports in Houston, Nationals third base coach Bo Porter and Rays bench coach Dave Martinez are also candidates. That gives some indication, with those coaches' playoff chances, that the hiring might drag beyond Oct. 3.
DeFrancesco came to Houston on short notice when Brad Mills was fired Aug. 18 and he was promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He also interviewed on short notice, as he was told Wednesday he would be interviewing Thursday morning.
"I was ready. I was prepared," he said. "The night before, I was nervous, trying to think about what I was going to say. But when I walked into that room, I talked from heart, and it comes out easy and comes out confident.
