HOUSTON — The Houston Astros fired manager Cecil Cooper on Monday with 13 games left in another disappointing season. Third-base coach Dave Clark was named interim manager.
General manager Ed Wade said the change couldn’t wait until the end of the season. He added that more changes could be coming for a franchise just four years removed from its only World Series appearance.
The 59-year-old Cooper was hired Aug. 27, 2007, to replace Phil Garner. Houston went 171-170 under Cooper, who was the bench coach under Garner from 2005-07.
Cooper became the fourth manager to get fired this season, all of them in the National League. Arizona dismissed Bob Melvin on May 7, Colorado replaced Clint Hurdle on May 29 and Washington fired Manny Acta on July 13.
Footnotes.
San Francisco Giants top prospect Angel Villalona was charged with murder in the death of a 25-year-old man last weekend at a bar in the Dominican Republic.
Villalona, who received a club-record $2.1 million bonus when he was signed by the Giants in 2006, wore a bulletproof vest Monday to his hearing at a court in the city of La Romana. He pleaded innocent to the murder charge.
The 19-year-old Villalona could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty in the Saturday night shooting death of Mario Felix de Jesus Velete.
• Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Marco Scutaro will likely miss the rest of the season after an MRI revealed a tear in his right heel.
The Associated Press
