Don Kelly’s pluses as a multi-purpose handyman during the Detroit Tigers’ playoff years helped make him an invaluable, and insightful, big-league scout and coach for the team after he joined them following his playing days.
Other teams had noticed.
The Astros were preparing to announce late Wednesday that Kelly, 38, will become manager A.J. Hinch’s new first base coach.
“Detroit’s a second home to us, but this was too good,” Kelly said Wednesday, after notifying the Tigers he would be leaving for Houston.
Kelly will replace Rich Dauer, 66, who 13 months ago had emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma.