Porter spends day with big man from his past

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Astros manager Bo Porter spent the day with Al Goldis, the former scout and team executive who helped Porter sign with the Cubs. He was the vice president of scouting and player development with the Cubs when Porter was drafted out of Iowa in 1993.

Goldis, who's now retired, is a member of the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame. He was a scout for the Orioles, Angels, Brewers, Cubs, Reds and Mets. He was also the director of scouting and player development for the White Sox from 1986-90.

"Bo was a great athlete and had the intangibles besides ability -- like makeup, intelligence and passion," Goldis said. "What you see now is what you saw then. That's what the scouts saw. That's what [scout] Eddie Ford saw."

Goldis said it's no surprise to see Porter is one of the youngest managers in baseball.

"You knew with all his qualities, he was going to get better -- because he's going to talk to everyone, the guys that are successful," Goldis said. "He used to ask questions all the time when he was a player, like 'Why do you do this?' I think he prepared himself to be a better person and manager."

Goldis also drafted third-base coach Pat Listach while he was with the Brewers, and bench coach Dave Trembley managed the Daytona Beach Cubs from 2001-02 while Goldis was with the Cubs.