By Cheval John

Labor Day has become permanent for Bo Porter.

Today, he was let go of his duties as the manager of the Houston Astros.

The Astros are currently fourth in the American League’s Western Division with a 59-79 record.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Porter’s dismissal was not based on the record of the team, but of a disagreement between him and general manager Jeff Luhnow.

Luhnow said in a statement, ““Earlier today, I informed Bo Porter that he would no longer be our manager and told Dave Trembley that he would not complete the season as our bench coach.

“Bo’s passion and energy are unparalleled, and his desire to win unquestioned. This decision was not made because of our current level of competitiveness in the Major Leagues. I recognize that our win-loss record is largely a product of an organizational strategy for which I am responsible. Rather, I made this decision because I believe we need a new direction in our clubhouse.

“What we will seek going forward is a consistent and united message throughout the entire organization. It is essential that as an organization we create an atmosphere at the Major League level where our young players can come up and continue to develop and succeed. Ultimately, I am responsible for creating that culture, and I will do everything in my power to do so—even when it means making difficult moves like the one we made today.

“Moving forward, I am optimistic about the direction of our team. Our young core continues to progress, and I believe wholeheartedly that our plan—while at times challenging—is working and will bring a consistent winner to Houston in the very near future.”

Houston finished the last three seasons with 100+ loss and have been in rebuilding mold since Jim Crane took ownership of the team almost three years ago.

Maybe it’s a good thing that the majority of the fan base in the Houston area does not have to watch the horrendous display of their team on television on a daily basis.

With the botch deal of their regional network, Comcast SportsNet Houston,
only 40 percent have access to the Astros games and the Rockets games.

I suspect that Mr. Crane have huge regrets in buying the Astros from Drayton McClane because it seems that it will be a long time before his team generates a viable product for the fan base.

Until then, the Astros can focus on finishing their 2014 campaign on a high note and hope that they can get back to their winning ways next year.