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FILE - Davey Johnson has joined the front office of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009. The 66-year-old Johnson will work as a senior adviser to general manager Mike Rizzo. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo Adds Davey Johnson To Front Office:

On June 7th 2006, then-Washington Nationals' GM Jim Bowden brought Davey Johnson on board in DC as a consultant to the GM, describing the former major league infielder and New York Mets' manager in MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Bowden reunited with Johnson", as a "tremendous evaluator of players" with a "tremendous understanding of building a championship organization," who would be tasked with, in Mr. Ladson's words, "...evaluat(ing) other team's prospects." 

According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's 11/18/09 article entitled, "Nats name Johnson senior advisor to GM", amongst his other contributions during his first stint in Washington, Johnson, "...told the Nationals to select catcher Jesus Flores in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft." The current DC GM, Mike Rizzo, who's announcing that he's brought Davey Johnson in as his own senior advisor, heaps similar praise upon the skipper of the 1986 World Series winning Mets, explaining that, "Davey makes me a smarter general manager,'" :

"'He is a deep thinker. He has done every aspect you can do in the game. Just to be around him, it makes me all that much better.'"

This time around with Washington, Johnson, according to Mr. Ladson, "...will attend Spring Training as a coach, and he will most likely be a scout and roving instructor during the season." 

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Riggleman Brings Back Rick "You Have No Integrity" Eckstein, Steve "McChatty" McCatty and Pat Listach.

Dukes In The DWL: Elijah Dukes In The Dominican Republic.

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Riggleman Brings Back Rick "You Have No Integrity" Eckstein, Steve "McChatty" McCatty and Pat Listach.

In a post at his blog earlier today entitled, "Nats add McLaren, retain Eckstein, Listach and McCatty", which confirmed yesterday's reports that DC Skipper Jim Riggleman had brought former Mariners' Manager John McLaren to DC as his bench coach several years after McLaren hired Riggleman for the same role in Seattle, MLB.com's Bill Ladson, who was all over the breaking news today, reported that Mr. Riggleman had also decided to bring Rick Eckstein back as the Nationals' Hitting Coach, Pat Listach back as the third-base coach and Steve "McChatty" McCatty back as Washington's Pitching Coach, with a decision on the first base and bullpen coaches still pending...

Dukes In The DWL: Elijah Dukes In The Dominican Republic.

Elijah Dukes started in center for the Tigres del Licey on Tuesday against the Leones del Escogido, going 1 for 2 with 2 walks before being replaced by Houston Astros' OF prospect Yordany Ramirez after Dukes' second walk in the sixth. The Tigres took an 8-3 lead with a run in the top of the sixth, then proceeded to surrender runs in each of the last four innings as the Leones fought back and won it with a walkoff sac fly in the ninth after a leadoff walk by former Major League reliever Yhancy Brazoban and back-to-back bunts, one a sac attempt that an error made a single and a succcesful sac bunt which set up the winning flyout...

• Final Score - Tigres 8, Leones 9. MLB.com Box Score.