Houston, TX – The Houston Astros rounded out their 2013 coaching staff with a pair of former major leaguers, chief among them Dennis Martinez.
"Dennis has an impressive track record as a Major League pitcher and now has six years of coaching experience under his belt," Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "He has a unique ability to inspire pitchers and give them the confidence they need to succeed at the highest level."
Martinez comes to Houston after spending six seasons as a pitching coach within the St. Louis Cardinals system. He will also serve as manager for his native Nicaragua in the qualifying round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
The 57-year-old pitched for 23 seasons (1976-98), going 245-193 with a 3.70 earned run average in 692 games (562) starts. A four-time All-Star selection who was a World Series winner with Baltimore in 1983, Martinez also pitched a perfect game for the Montreal Expos at Los Angeles on July 28, 1991.
In addition, Eduardo Perez has been named bench coach. The 43-year-old former utilityman for six clubs over a 13-year career will be manager for his native Colombia in the upcoming WBC qualifying round. Perez comes over from the Marlins, where he served as hitting coach since June of 2011.
"With the addition of Eduardo and Dennis, we have assembled a group of teachers and coaches that will give our players the best chance to contribute to their maximum potential," Astros manager Bo Porter said.
Luhnow also announced that Tony DeFrancesco will return as manager for Houston's Triple-A farm club at Oklahoma City. In 2012, DeFrancesco led the RedHawks to a 78-65 record in the Southern Division of the Pacific Coast League.
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