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Manny Acta

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Manny Acta
Acta in May 2010
Seattle Mariners – No. 14
Third base coach / bench coach / Manager
Born: (1969-01-11) January 11, 1969 (age 55)
San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 2, 2007, for the Washington Nationals
Last MLB appearance
September 26, 2012, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Games managed890
Win–loss record372–518
Winning %.418
Teams
As manager

As coach

Manuel Elias Acta (born January 11, 1969) is a Dominican former professional baseball manager who is currently the third base coach for the Seattle Mariners, and formerly a broadcast analyst for ESPN and ESPN Deportes. He has served as manager for the Washington Nationals and the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.

In the Dominican Winter League, he has been successful both as a manager and a general manager: he managed the Tigres del Licey from 2003 to 2005, including leading them to victory at the 2004 Caribbean Series. As a general manager, he won with the Tigres del Licey in the 2013-14 season and then did the same with Águilas Cibaeñas in 2018. Acta managed the Dominican Republic team at the 2006 World Baseball Classic where they placed 4th.

Playing career

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Houston Astros

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Acta was signed by the Houston Astros at age 17 as an undrafted free agent infielder.[1] Acta played baseball professionally for six seasons, all in the Astros' system, but never reached the major leagues as a player. The Astros organization would eventually send him to scouting school in Florida to utilize his analytical skills rather than his athletic talent.

Coaching career

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Minor leagues

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In 1991, Acta became a player-coach at the A level, and soon after that quit his playing career and focused solely on coaching. He became the manager of the A-level Auburn Astros team at Auburn, New York in 1993, and he managed in the minors through 2000. He led the Kissimmee Cobras to a Florida State League championship in 1999.

Montreal Expos

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Acta was hired as the third base coach for the Montreal Expos under Frank Robinson in 2002, and held that position through 2005.

New York Mets

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In 2005 Acta was hired as the third base coach for the New York Mets under manager Willie Randolph. He held this position for two years, leaving to become the manager of the Washington Nationals.

Seattle Mariners

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On November 9, 2015, Acta was hired as the third base coach for the Seattle Mariners under new manager Scott Servais for the 2016 season.[2] Acta was the first person issued #14 as it had been out of circulation since Lou Piniella left the team after the 2002 season.

Managerial career

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Washington Nationals

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Acta as manager of the Washington Nationals in 2007.

Acta was hired as manager of the Washington Nationals on November 14, 2006, returning to the franchise that gave him his first major league job (the Nationals were the Expos prior to a relocation following the 2004 season). Acta received the job for his youth and enthusiasm, as well as knowing a few of the Nationals players from his third base coaching job with the Expos.[3] In his first season with Washington, projected[4] to be one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, Acta and the Nationals finished 73–89. With his team beset by many injuries—on Opening Day, he lost starting shortstop Cristian Guzman and center fielder Nook Logan for five weeks and by June, four of his five starting pitchers were on the disabled list[5]—Acta maintained a positive influence on his young Nationals. In his first year with the Nationals he earned votes for NL Manager of the Year, coming in fifth in that vote.[6] In his second season managing the Nats, the team's record worsened to 59–102. Signs of the team progressing in the win column was not being realized during the beginning of his third season with the club. At 26–61, and the Nats coming off a 100-loss season, including a seven-game road trip in which they would win just one game, Acta's time as manager was drawing to a close.

On July 12, 2009, Acta reported he had been fired as Nationals manager following a loss to the Houston Astros.[7] The Nationals announced on their website on July 13 that an announcement concerning the dismissal was forthcoming, which served as a confirmation of the firing.[8] Nationals bench coach Jim Riggleman, who had previously managed the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, and Seattle Mariners, assumed the position as interim manager.[9]

Cleveland Indians

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On October 25, 2009, the Cleveland Indians announced that they had hired Acta as their manager, signing him to a three-year contract with an option for an additional year.[10] The Astros had also offered Acta their managerial position.[11] The Indians struggled in his first year, marginally improving from their 2009 campaign at 69–93. In his second season, the Indians improved by 11 games to 80–82 after starting out the season 30–15. Cleveland would finish in second place, fifteen games behind the Detroit Tigers. On September 29, 2011, the Indians announced they had exercised Acta's option for the 2013 season.[12]

After a 20–51 record in the second half of the 2012 season, the Indians fired Acta on September 27, 2012 with only six games remaining in the regular season. Bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. was named interim manager and Terry Francona eventually was named to the position full-time.[13]

Seattle Mariners

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Acta served as interim manager for 2 games in May 2018 as regular manager Scott Servais was gone to attend his daughter's college graduation.[14]

Managerial record

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As of games played on April 10, 2019. [15]
Team Year Regular season Postseason
Games Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
WAS 2007 162 73 89 .451 4th in NL East – – – –
WAS 2008 161 59 102 .366 5th in NL East – – – –
WAS 2009 87 26 61 .299 fired – – – –
WSH Total 410 158 252 .385 0 0 .000
CLE 2010 162 69 93 .426 4th in AL Central – – – –
CLE 2011 162 80 82 .494 2nd in AL Central – – – –
CLE 2012 156 65 91 .417 fired – – – –
CLE Total 480 214 266 .446 0 0 .000
Total 890 372 518 .418 0 0 .000

Personal life

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Acta comes from a family of Lebanese descent that settled in San Pedro de Macorís a century ago.[16]

The fatal plane crash on October 11, 2006, that killed New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his pilot crashed into Acta's apartment building in New York while he was still coaching for the Mets. Acta wasn't there at the time because he had gone to Shea Stadium to prepare for that night's Game 1 of the NLCS between the Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.[17]

His ImpACTA Kids Foundation has raised a significant amount of awareness and donations in providing children with the opportunities to achieve their dreams. As of 2010, the ImpACTA Kids Foundation has awarded $5,000 in college scholarships in the United States and neared completion of an athletic/education youth complex in Consuelo, Dominican Republic.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ [1], seattle.mariners.mlb.com; accessed Feb. 24, 2016.
  2. ^ Bishop, Nathan (November 9, 2015). "Manny Acta hired, Mariners continue to re-define themselves". lookoutlanding.com. Vox Media, LLC. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  3. ^ "Nationals hire Manny Acta as manager". Mlb.com (Press release). Major League Baseball Advanced Media. November 14, 2006. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  4. ^ "Manny Acta Interview". Squawkingbaseball.com. October 4, 2007. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  5. ^ Boswell, Thomas (June 4, 2007). "Nationals Are Managing Just Fine With Acta." The Washington Post. p. E01. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  6. ^ "2007 Awards Voting". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  7. ^ "Acta fired as Nationals manager". Espn.com. Espn.com News Services. July 13, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  8. ^ Ladson, Bill; Kertzel, Steve (July 13, 2009). "Nationals dismiss Acta, name Riggleman". Mlb.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  9. ^ "Acta fired by MLB-worst Nationals". Espn.com. Espn.com News Services. July 13, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  10. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (October 25, 2009). "Tribe tabs Acta to be new manager". Mlb.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  11. ^ McTaggart, Brian (October 25, 2009). "Astros' search goes on without Acta". Mlb.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Archived from the original on October 28, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  12. ^ "Indians pick up Manny Acta's option". Espn.com. Associated Press. September 29, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  13. ^ Bastian, Jordan (September 27, 2012). "Indians dismiss Acta; Alomar named interim". Mlb.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  14. ^ "Ichiro to fill in as Mariners bench coach for weekend series". The Japan Times Online. May 11, 2018. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  15. ^ "Dave Martinez Managerial Record".
  16. ^ González Hernández, Julio Amable (September 10, 2005). "La Geografía del Apellido Árabe" (in Spanish). Santo Domingo: Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  17. ^ "Lidle dies after plane crashes into NYC high-rise". ESPN.com. October 12, 2006. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manny Acta.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Auburn Astros Manager
1993–1995 		Succeeded by
last Auburn Astros Manager
Preceded by
first Auburn Doubledays Manager
 Auburn Doubledays Manager
1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Quad City River Bandits
1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Kissimmee Cobras Manager
1998–2001 		Succeeded by
last Kissimmee Cobras Manager
Preceded by Montreal Expos Third Base Coach
2002–2004 		Succeeded by
last Montreal Expos Third Base Coach
Preceded by New York Mets Third Base Coach
2005–2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Seattle Mariners Third Base Coach
2016–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Seattle Mariners bench coach
2018– 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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