Washington Nationals News

The Washington Nationals are finally set to hire a manager. Mets third-base coach Manny Acta was expected to get the job Tuesday, when the Nationals said they would hold a news conference to announce a replacement for Frank Robinson. The 37-year-old Acta would become the youngest current manager in the major leagues. It would be Acta's first managing job in the majors. He has managed in the minors, and led ...

Randy St. Claire will stay on as the Washington Nationals' pitching coach in 2007, while the rest of the coaching staff won't know its status until a new manager is hired. St. Claire's return, announced Monday, guarantees some continuity for what could be an overhauled and inexperienced pitching staff. ``They say we're trying to rebuild, build for the future, so it always makes it a little uncertain with what's going ...

Nationals special assistant to the general manager Jose Rijo denied a published report Thursday that he told a radio station that Alfonso Soriano had rejected a US$70-million, five-year contract. ``We have a meeting with Soriano this week, because we still want him to be on the team,'' Rijo told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Thursday. Rijo denied telling radio station 91.9 FM, based in San Cristobal, that the ...

Beginning the process of reshaping a last-place roster, the Washington Nationals released six pitchers Tuesday: right-handers Brian Lawrence, Pedro Astacio, Ryan Drese, Felix Rodriguez and Zach Day and left-hander Joey Eischen. All were injured at some point in 2006, and Lawrence, Drese, Day and Eischen finished the season on the disabled list. Lawrence never threw a pitch for the Nationals, who acquired him from the San Diego Padres last off-season ...

Frank Robinson emerged from the dugout more than 10 minutes after his final game as a major league manager and walked across the grass behind home plate. Thousands of spectators stood, applauded and shouted good wishes, including yells of, ``We love you!'' The Hall of Famer smiled and waved, then doffed his cap and put his large right hand over his heart. Sunday's farewell was the sort Robinson wanted when ...

Frank Robinson used the phrase ``In closing . . . '' four times, yet kept speaking. Who could blame him? The Washington Nationals' manager knew that when he relinquished the microphone Sunday, the ceremony in his honour would end, and his final game as a major league skipper would begin. ``I've never done anything harder than I have to do right now,'' Robinson said, his voice cracking, ``and that's to ...

The Washington Nationals announced Frank Robinson won't be their manager in 2007. The New York Mets said Pedro Martinez will miss the start of next season after shoulder surgery. And then the clubs went out Saturday night and played a game of far less significance than those two news items. That game does still count in the books, though, and Julio Franco made the most of it, tying a career ...

Frank Robinson will not return as the Washington Nationals' manager in 2007, the team announced Saturday. The Hall of Famer was told during the week he wouldn't be back, and made that clear to reporters, but the Nationals didn't make the news official until a few hours before Saturday's game against the New York Mets.

The Washington Nationals set up a news conference before Saturday's home game, and they were expected to announce Frank Robinson will not return as manager in 2007. Robinson has managed the Expos-Nationals franchise the past five seasons. The club entered Saturday's game against the New York Mets with a 71-89 record, assured of finishing last in the NL East for the third consecutive season. The regular season ends Sunday. The ...

Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs Tuesday night, leading the Washington Nationals to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, who are trying to reach the post-season for the first time since 1993. The Phillies entered Tuesday tied with the Dodgers for the lead in the NL wild-card standings. Los Angeles was playing a later game at Colorado. After Chase Utley's RBI-single _ his third hit _ ...