Acta was fired by the Washington Nationals just before this year's All-Star Game after a 26-61 start and a 158-252 record over 2 1/2 seasons in D.C. The interest shown by both the Astros and Indians seems to indicate pretty clearly that teams aren't holding his ugly record over that span against him, though, and he's quickly going to have a chance to rehabilitate his reputation now that he's got another job.
To me, the playoffs mean one thing: the wise decision-making skills of Cleveland Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro! After firing Jim Thome/snapping turtle hybrid Eric Wedge as the Tribe head coach, Shapiro has really gotten down in the dirt to find a new skipper, looking in the only place you're allowed: the big recycling bin of failed coaches who didn't do a good job somewhere else and were fired by someone else. Why they sound PERFECT!
Fun fact: That guy in the photo to the right was eating in Heritage Park and just throwing his trash on the ground. Thanks a lot for your contributions, Cy Young! Have an eighth of a hot dog!
The Indians' managerial search has apparently whittled its way down to just three names after a round of phone interviews last week. Paul Hoynes at the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Indians have called Bobby Valentine, Manny Acta, and Travis Fryman to Cleveland for a second round of interviews and that GM Mark Shapiro is likely to name a manager before the World Series ends.
Valentine's name is the big one that's obviously going to get people talking. He's got over 1,000 career wins and a National League pennant over his 15-year career with the Rangers and the Mets, plus a Japanese Series title in 2005 with the Chiba Lotte Marines. It's been rumored that he's made it clear there are teams he won't manage for in 2010, so presumably the Indians are a job he would want.
Well, this is a first. The Washington Nationals, who fired Manny Acta after an absolutely dreadful 26-61 pre-All-Star break record, were compelled to send an email to their fans Monday morning. We can't really tell at this point who had the bright idea to send out the letter or who actually wrote it, because it is simply signed, "Washington Nationals Baseball Club," thus, we have to conclude it's been approved by those in charge.
The letter seems to be an apology to the fans for one of worst first halves we've seen in baseball in recent memory, and it does state that the excessive losing is unacceptable.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... That the Nationals may have just needed the spark of their manager's impending firing to get rolling. They have now won a season-high four games in a row, including Saturday's 5-3, 12-inning victory over the Blue Jays. What's more, the Nats have taken those four from the Blue Jays and Yankees, two teams with winning records in the American League.
"We really feel like we can win every game," Nationals outfielder Willie Harris said. "When you're losing ballgames, you get a gut feeling you're going to lose a game somehow. Things are going well for us now."
Harris was first supposed to bunt with the score tied in the 12th, but he failed. Then he was going to hit-and-run, but he failed at that, too. Finally he swung away, and hit a game-winning homer. After the game, Nationals president Stan Kasten pulled Acta aside and said something to him. Acta then told a reporter:
NEW YORK – Manny Acta was to be back in Washington late Thursday night for the first time since a report that he was about to be fired as Nationals manager.
He may not have to pack up his things.
But he shouldn't buy any property either.
Acta's job status isn't day-to-day or series-to-series, as far as can be determined, but he is certainly on thin ice. Maybe that ice thickened up a bit Thursday when the Nats improbably clinched a series win at Yankee Stadium.
It's June 13, and apparently we have our third major league manager firing. The latest victim -- according to scoop-master Ken Rosenthal -- of the ax is Manny Acta of the Washington Nationals. Considering that the Nationals are the worst team in baseball -- and at 16-43, it ain't close -- this can't come as a huge surprise to many.
Acta will be replaced by Jim Riggleman, who took over after a firing last season in Seattle. He's also had stints managing the Cubs and Padres. In fact, he was the Cubs' skipper during the 1998 season that saw Sammy Sosa's 66 bombs and Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game. He shouldn't expect to see fireworks of that variety in Washington, though.
Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.
When Willy Aybar's home run Thursday in Cleveland was upheld by a video review, it marked the sixth time in six days umpires made use of baseball's instant-replay rule.
So the natural question to ask Jimmie Lee Solomon, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, is why the flurry of trips to the secret chamber to watch replays? Are the umps more willing to consult the tape than in the past?
"These things come in bunches," Solomon told FanHouse.
WASHINGTON – The Orioles seem to have everything in the Battle of the Beltways.
They have an actual fanbase, a better ballpark, a brighter future, courtesy of Matt Wieters, and a sunnier present, thanks to Adam Jones and Nick Markakis.
They even have wins in the first two of six meetings between the downtrodden franchises this year.
Baltimore is farther along in its grand rebuilding scheme than the Nationals in every way ... except one: It doesn't have anyone with the ceiling of Ross Detwiler in its major league rotation. At least not yet.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's action, with a quick nod to what's ahead. You Oughta Know ... That the American League West is still the Rangers' division, at least for a few more days. After a hot start, the Mariners have cooled off, going 2-8 in their lost 10 games. Texas has gone 8-2 over the same span to take first place in the West.
Lurking in the background are the Angels, suddenly only 1 1/2 games back of the Rangers and preparing to welcome ace John Lackey back into the fold, but Texas got a key player of its own back Tuesday night. Josh Hamilton returned from the disabled list, snapping a 1-1 tie with a home run in the Rangers' 7-1 win over Seattle.
The Cleveland Indians announced Sunday afternoon that they've hired Manny Acta as their manager. They also interviewed Bobby Valentine, Torey Lovullo, and Ron Roenicke, while Acta also interviewed for and reportedly rejected the Houston Astros managerial position. 
To me, the playoffs mean one thing: the wise decision-making skills of Cleveland Indians General Manager 
The Indians' managerial search has apparently whittled its way down to just three names after a round of phone interviews last week. 
Well, this is a first. The Washington Nationals, who fired 
NEW YORK – 
It's June 13, and apparently we have our third major league manager firing. The latest victim -- 
Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in 
WASHINGTON – The Orioles seem to have everything in the Battle of the Beltways.
