Matt Williams, a long-time power hitter in baseball, appears to have connected for his latest home run. Reports Friday indicated Williams would be hired as manager of the Washington Nationals.
It true, this would be Williams' first managerial job. He replaces Davey Johnson, who retired at season's end.
Matt Williams (AP Photo)
Williams, 47, was third base coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season.
No announcement of the team's decision has been made, and the Washington Post noted Major League Baseball prohibits news of this nature being released during the World Series.
Sources: #Nationals plan to hire Matt Williams as manager with goal of keeping Randy Knorr as bench coach. Timing of announcement not known.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 25, 2013
The move would not without controversy.
According to The Washington Post:
Williams will become the first manager to have been named in the Mitchell Report, MLB's first official documentation of performance-enhancing drug use in baseball. In 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle, citing business records, reported Williams bought $11,600 worth of steroids and human growth hormone from a Florida clinic in 2002. Then a broadcaster, Williams told the Chronicle he tried HGH to recover from an ankle injury and stopped using it because he did not like the effect.
Williams played 17 seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians and D-backs.
The Nats' connection to Williams, the Post noted, comes through general manager Mike Rizzo.
Rizzo had been close to Williams since the early 2000s, when Rizzo was the Diamondbacks' scouting director and Williams was finishing his playing career.
The hiring apparently comes at the expense Nats bench coach Randy Knorr. A member of the franchise since 2001, Knorr was seen as a leading candidate to replace Johnson. However, Knorr told the Post he would remain with the team if asked.
Johnson, a team advisor without say-so on his replacement, is said to support hiring Williams.
In his playing career Williams hit 378 home runs and went to the World Series with the Giants in 1989. He won four Gold Glove Awards, was named to the All-Star Game five times and last played in 2003.