The Nationals Must Fire Manny Acta

With today’s loss the Washington Nationals have lost 17 out of their last 20 games. It is a dire time for even a team with the most apathetic fan base.

Washington D.C has a history of sitting back, patiently waiting until their team rises from the ashes and becomes relevant again. There was no outcry as the Washington Wizards spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the offseason only to have the second worst record in basketball in 2008/2009.

The Capitals fans waited for their current rise to prominence after a lull a few years ago, and the Redskins have been embarrassing year-after-year.

But as Washingtonians we wait, and eventually we know we will get at least moderately rewarded. Unfortunately for the Nationals however, this is no time for waiting.

With a record of 13-36 the Nationals are far and away the worst team in the league, and are on pace to have the worst record since the inaugural Mets ball club. They can’t win at home (7-16) and they can’t win on the road (6-20). They can’t keep the other team from scoring (6.33 Runs Allowed Per Game) and they can’t find a closer.

Quite frankly the 2009 voyage has been an utter failure and at the helm of it is the only man we can blame, the Skipper, Manny Acta.

On top of the 13-36 debacle that Acta has directed his club to this season, he boasts a 59-102 record from 2008, and a whopping 73-89 record in 2007.

Aside from having a Major League winning percentage of .406 he also lead an absolutely stacked Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic team to a disappointing 5-2 record and a disappointing 4th place finish.

With such a track record it’s easy to see how many wonder how Manny Acta still has a job.

After all, two managers have already received the axe this season. Bob Melvin and Clint Hurdle both are out of a job, both of whom had better records in 2009 than Acta and the Nats. On top of this season, both Melvin and Hurdle have much more proven track records than Acta.

Melvin was named manager of the year for the Diamondbacks in 2007 as he lead the club to a NL best 90-72 record, and Clint Hurdle was the motivating factor behind the Rockies club that won an unprecedented 21 out of 22 games to make it to the World Series.

So while these two managers who earned their keep less than two years ago have received the axe, Manny Acta who has done less than nothing remains at the helm for Washington. The Rockies and Diamondbacks have begun their process of rebuilding while the Nationals continue their downward spiral into oblivion.

This of course leads to the obvious question, why does Manny Acta still have a job?

The answer is clear, and it’s an economic one. The Nationals have no hope of finishing this year within contention, or even near .500 for that matter. It appears the Nationals have just decided to let the ship sink in 2009, and wait for next year. It’s a logical business move, why waste the money of firing/hiring a new manager when you can ride the year out with someone who will have the same technical result as a replacement; a last place finish.

It’s not that simple though. Yes, the replacement or interim manager for the Nationals likely wouldn’t lead them out of the cellar in either the division or the National League, but with a team in the dire situation of the Nationals, the final statistical outcome isn’t all that matters.

The team needs to learn integrity. The team needs leadership. The team needs a direction that is different from this one.

Economically the team may think its cheaper to keep Acta until the end of the season, but the bottom line is the Nationals cant AFFORD to keep this cancerous stigma associated with the man anywhere near Nats Park. We are awful, we aren’t respected by other teams or other players, or most of our fans.

It makes you think, do the players even respect themselves under the leadership of Manny Acta? I know I would have some serious issues being a serious ball player on that ship.

It’s time, we need a change.