It did not take long for the Nationals to find a replacement for manager Jim Riggleman, who, out of nowhere, resigned Thursday.
According to ESPN.com and other sources, Davey Johnson will soon be named the new Nationals manager. He will manage the Nationals for the rest of this season and the 2012 season as well. His first game will be Sunday against the White Sox. The Nationals have yet to make an official announcement of Johnson's hiring.
Johnson, a special assistant with the Nationals prior to being hired, has a 1986 World Series championship with the Mets under his belt, and he last managed in 2000 with the Dodgers.
He will also be replacing interim manager and bench coach John McClaren, whose first game as manager Friday included a 14-inning win against the White Sox and an eighth-inning ejection.
Riggleman announced his stunning resignation Thursday after a win against the Seattle Mariners. He was told by Nationals GM Mike Rizzo that they would not pick up his 2012 option, and decided that he did not want to continue as manager. His decision has received mixed opinions — some praising him for sticking up for himself, others chastizing him for quitting on his team in the middle of the season, after the Nationals had won 11 of 12, no less.
