Houston Astros First Base Coach López Named Team Venezuela Manager

On Wednesday, Omar López was named manager of Team Venezuela for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The World Baseball Classic announced Wednesday that Houston Astros first base coach Omar López will manage Team Venezuela in 2023. A native of Valencia, Venezuela, López was the quality control coach for the 2017 team.

Over 24 seasons in the Astros organization, López managed Double-A Corpus Christi from 2018-2019 prior to joining Houston's staff in 2020. He was named the Texas League Manager of the Year in 2018 after making the postseason with a 82-56 record.

López managed in the system from 2008-2019, leading Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits to the Midwest League Championship and earning Astros Player Development Man of the Year in 2010 after managing the GCL team.

On the winter league front, López managed Caribes de Anzoategui to a Venezuelan championship in 2014-2015, the same season he won Manager of the Year at the youngest age (38) in the league.

According to the team, López was one of the scouts that recommended the Astros sign José Altuve.

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