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.
Manny Acta | |
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Seattle Mariners – No. 14 | |
Third base coach / bench coach / Manager | |
Born: San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic | January 11, 1969|
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 managed | 890 |
Win–loss record | 372–518 |
Winning % | .418 |
Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
As manager
As coach
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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
editHouston Astros
editActa 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
editThis section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (April 2019) |
Minor leagues
editIn 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
editActa 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
editIn 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
editOn 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
editWashington Nationals
editActa 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
editOn 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
editActa 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
edit- 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
editActa 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
editReferences
edit- ^ [1], seattle.mariners.mlb.com; accessed Feb. 24, 2016.
- ^ Bishop, Nathan (November 9, 2015). "Manny Acta hired, Mariners continue to re-define themselves". lookoutlanding.com. Vox Media, LLC. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Manny Acta Interview". Squawkingbaseball.com. October 4, 2007. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ Boswell, Thomas (June 4, 2007). "Nationals Are Managing Just Fine With Acta." The Washington Post. p. E01. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ "2007 Awards Voting". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Acta fired as Nationals manager". Espn.com. Espn.com News Services. July 13, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Acta fired by MLB-worst Nationals". Espn.com. Espn.com News Services. July 13, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Indians pick up Manny Acta's option". Espn.com. Associated Press. September 29, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- ^ Bastian, Jordan (September 27, 2012). "Indians dismiss Acta; Alomar named interim". Mlb.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Dave Martinez Managerial Record".
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Lidle dies after plane crashes into NYC high-rise". ESPN.com. October 12, 2006. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Manny Acta profile provided by mwlguide.com
- Column by Tim Brown provided by Yahoo! Sports
Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by | Auburn Astros Manager 1993–1995 |
Succeeded by last Auburn Astros Manager
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Preceded by first Auburn Doubledays Manager
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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
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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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