By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
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Two-time defending champion Japan beat China 5-2 on Sunday to improve to 2-0 in Group A of the World Baseball Classic.
In the corner of the press box stood a familiar face. It was the face of a man brought to the brink of tears in June 2011 as he said his farewell to the Washington Nationals. The face of a man who'd helped steward the Washington Nationals through a turbulent time — from Jim Riggleman to Davey Johnson — in one wild weekend in Chicago.
The week began with hopes of the first English winner of a British Open in England since Tony Jacklin at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 1969. Going into the final round, the best hope is the No. 1 player in the world.
If No. 1-ranked Luke Donald is finally going to break through and win his first major this weekend, chances are good he'll have to do it with a backup caddie by his side.
Luke Donald goes into the second round of the British Open on Friday without his regular caddie.
Luke Donald goes into the U.S. Open ranked No. 1 in the world, and to listen to the casual golf observer, that can only mean one thing.
Three hours before the game Sunday, Manny Acta sat in the visiting manager's office at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and talked about a subject he probably could write a master's thesis on: rebuilding a baseball team.
Jim Riggleman was the first domino on the Washington Nationals coaching staff to fall when he decided to leave the team after last Thursday's game. Bench coach John McLaren was next after winning his only series as interim manager. On Friday, first base coach Dan Radison became the final domino as he was let go from the team.
Less than an hour before the Washington Nationals took the field to play the White Sox on Sunday afternoon, general manager Mike Rizzo addressed his team.
Less than an hour before the Nationals took the field to play the White Sox Sunday afternoon, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo addressed his team. Three days of craziness and uncertainty behind them, Rizzo spoke of the team's past and its future. Davey Johnson would be their new manager, he told them, and then he thanked interim manager John McLaren for all he'd done for the organization. Applause was audible from outside the closed clubhouse doors.
General manager Mike Rizzo had to move quickly. He needed a seasoned and successful manager to run the Washington Nationals, a promising team shocked by the abrupt resignation of Jim Riggleman.
After two-plus days of upheaval and uncertainty, the Washington Nationals and their managerial situation will finally stabilize Sunday. Davey Johnson will join the team in Chicago tomorrow, travel with them to Anaheim and is expected to make his Nationals' managerial debut Monday evening.
John McLaren, red-faced and irate, pointing violently at umpire Mike Estabrook after an eighth-inning out call at first base was reversed, ensured that his first game as interim manager of the Washington Nationals would end abruptly. The way the previous 24 hours had gone for the Nationals, that seemed a fitting way for it to happen.
Washington Nationals interim manager John Mclaren, the short-term replacement for departed manager Jim Riggleman, will leave the on-field coaching staff following Sunday's game and be reassigned to a front office position, general manager Mike Rizzo said.
Davey Johnson is poised to take over as manager of the Washington Nationals, replacing Jim Riggleman, who abruptly resigned Thursday.
"Baseball is new in China and this was just another step," China manager John McLaren said. "I thought the guys played really hard. We didn't hit much until the end of the game so we're just trying to get better with every game."
"I was probably happier than he was," McLaren said.
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