Washington Nationals fire Manny Acta, hire Jim Riggleman

Major League Baseball’s worst record will generally get a coach fired by the All-Star break, and that is exactly what has happened to Manny Acta whose 25-61 record at the Washington Nationals has seen him replaced by bench coach Jim Riggleman.

After two and a half seasons as manager, one might wonder why Acta didn’t get the hook last season as the Nationals also had the league’s worst record in 2008 of 59-102. The Nationals fired all but Acta and pitching coach Randy St. Clair of the seven-man coaching roster on the last day of the 2008 season, and also sent St. Clair on his way on June 2, but the team hasn’t improved since then.

Then again, this is the Nationals we’re talking about, hardly a bastion of winning culture. Acta’s 158-252 record at the Nationals at a .385 winning percentage is good (or bad) for 10th-worst all time.

Acta’s only half-decent season was 2007, and that was after the club let the likes of José Guillén, Ramón Ortiz, Alfonso Soriano and José Vidro, with four starting pitchers in all leaving, and signed up very few free agents to replace them.