Astros' López ready to lead way as Venezuela manager

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The preparations for the World Baseball Classic began six years ago for Omar López, who as a quality control coach for Venezuela in 2017 began taking notes just in case he got a chance to manage his country’s team in the future. When he got the call last fall that he was going to be in charge of the Venezuela team in this year’s WBC, López was ready to hit the ground running.

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After the Astros won the World Series last year, with López manning the first-base coaching box, he spent much of his time on roster construction and putting together a plan to lead Venezuela in 2023. López’s first game as Venezuelan manager will come against his other team -- the Astros -- in Wednesday’s exhibition game at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

“I was driving my wife crazy because I was on the phone almost every day,” López said. “It’s been a little bit stressful when the games started in Spring Training because you’re hoping none of your players get hurt. Some other countries, the players are kind of leaving the World Baseball Classic because of injuries. So far, so good.”

López, 46, has a star-studded roster for Team Venezuela, which will have its hands full in Pool D with Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Israel and Nicaragua. Before the Venezuelans leave for Miami, they’ll work out on the back fields at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. López’s roster features Jose Altuve of the Astros, Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, Salvador Perez of the Royals, Luis Arraez of the Marlins, Ronald Acu?a Jr. of the Braves and Gleyber Torres of the Yankees, among other stars.

“I think the expectation from now on is making sure the players understand they’re not 100 percent ready [for the regular season] and they have to give 100 percent of whatever amount of percentage they are [ready],” López said. “It’s an extension of Spring Training ... we need to keep working in order not to regress on the steps forward they already made. And have fun and enjoy it.”

Astros bench coach Joe Espada, who coached third base for Puerto Rico in 2013 and ’17, said he’s rooting hard for López, except when he plays Puerto Rico. Espada plans to be in attendance Saturday night in Miami when Venezuela faces a powerful Dominican Republic team in its first game at 7 p.m. ET/6 CT on FS1.

“He’s worked really hard,” Espada said of López. “Not only putting the team together, but also the logistics of it, all the way from uniforms to travel. He’s been more than just a manager. He’s been trying to keep the team united, a traveling secretary the last couple of months. He helps me with camp, too. I just hope his team performs well and I wish him good luck because he’s paid his dues.”

López, who has been in the Astros' organization for 25 seasons, managed 12 years in the Houston system before joining the big league coaching staff in 2020. Most recently, he managed Double-A Corpus Christi in 2018-19. He also managed Caribes de Anzoátegui to the Venezuelan Winter League championship for the 2014-15 season.

Prior to becoming a manager, López was a scout and hitting and infield instructor in Venezuela from 1999-2007. He was one of the scouts who recommended that the Astros sign Altuve, who was a 16-year-old free agent. Altuve will bat leadoff for Venezuela on Wednesday against the Astros.

“Obviously, it’s not going to be the first time I played for him,” Altuve said. “He was [one of] my first managers as a professional, so we know each other pretty good. I know how hard he works and how hard he wants to win and how hard he wants to keep going. … He’s a professional and knows a lot about baseball, and also brings a lot of good things like chemistry and relationship between players.”