washtimesbb: #Dodgers coach Don Mattingly said a few minutes ago the #Nats have asked for permission to speak to him about their manager job. #mlb

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091020&content_id=7505200&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Acta, 40, said he has no regrets about his time with the Nationals, who fired him after a 21-61 start last season.

“I knew what I was getting into,” he said. “I knew rebuilding is tough. It’s grueling and you are going to suffer in Ws and Ls and people earn their right to judge you on that. But I’m thankful that baseball people count more the Ws than the Ls when you are going through the rebuilding process.”

Last week, Acta interviewed for Houston’s opening. He was drafted by the Astros as a 17-year-old and played and managed in their system until 2001. When he was 22, the Astros told him he could not play in the majors, so he turned to coaching as a way to make baseball his life.

Acta, who prides himself on his communication skills, was prepared for his interview with the Indians. He spent countless hours watching them on TV last season, knowing they might be changing managers. He rattled off the names of Indians players, from stars to part-timers, and said the rebuilding project in Cleveland is far different from the one he left in Washington.

“This is far and away advanced,” he said. “The Indians have a lot of pieces in place.”

Um, Manny – you were sacked because you couldn’t improve a side (they got worse). And your lack of disclipne created more issues within the clubhouse and on the field. Managers manage people. Good ones get the best out of people – you didnt. The way that the Nats lost games is the story behind the Ls.

I hope Acta learnt more from his time here than just he was given a team with bad talent.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/10/heyman-on-holliday-mets-nationals.html

•Intermin manager Jim Riggleman is the favorite to manage the Washington Nationals in 2010.

http://natstown.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/10/the-storen-identity—-1019.html

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_sco&sid=l131&lid=131

WMP plays for Licey……No Dukes yet….

Cabrera gets in trouble in the 4th, but only surrenders a run…………1-0 Aguila….

“Scotch Goggles” Tavarez comes on in the 4th for Aguila, relieving Jose Lima, and is now in his second inning of work……… (notables for Licey are 2B Bernie Castro and 3B D’Angelo Jimenez )

SANTO DOMINGO (Licey.com), "The peppery player of the Licey Tigers, Emilio Bonifacio succeeded in establishing baseball in the 2009 season with the Florida Marlins.
    So it’s understandable they take time off before putting on the blue uniform.
   However, the Licey GM Fernando Ravelo said on Sunday that the debut of Bonifacio could occur much earlier than anticipated.

Right-hander Pedro Martínez said Monday he plans to launch with the Licey Tigers, as promised during the summer.

 “I gave my word to Don Pepe and gave details of what I wanted to shoot, which was to give me the bleachers so that children could go to see the free game,”