WASHINGTON — Manager Matt Williams was fired by the Washington Nationals on Monday after a season in which the team went from World Series favorite to failing to make the playoffs.
The club announced the move a day after finishing the regular season barely above .500 at 83-79, second to the New York Mets in the NL East.
Williams is gone after only two seasons in his first job as a skipper in the majors. Last year, he was voted NL Manager of the Year after the Nationals finished with the best record in the league. In February, the Nationals exercised his 2016 contract option.
But he presided over a 2015 season filled with defeats, discord and the embarrassing spectacle of a dugout dustup between NL MVP front-runner Bryce Harper and teammate Jonathan Papelbon during a game the day after the team was eliminated from playoff contention.
Williams said he had no idea of the extent of the skirmish until much later in the day. Even though he was, of course, in the dugout at the time, Williams said he hadn't been aware of exactly what happened — including that Papelbon grabbed Harper by the throat. None of his players or coaches told him about it right away, and he said he hadn't asked to know more.
Yankees: Sabathia checking into alcohol rehab
NEW YORK — CC Sabathia is checking into an alcohol rehab center and will miss the postseason, a setback to the Yankees pitching staff the day before the team's opening playoff game.
The team issued a statement from the pitcher Monday, with New York awaiting the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium in the AL wild-card game. Sabathia, the 2007 AL Young Award winner, said he took the step to receive the care he needs and become the kind of person "I can be proud of."
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"I love baseball and I love my teammates like brothers, and I am also fully aware that I am leaving at a time when we should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series," the 35-year-old left-hander said. "It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player."
Sabathia informed manager Joe Girardi on Sunday in Baltimore, where the Yankees finished the regular season.
"The first thing he said is, 'I need help,'" Girardi said. "I was shocked."
Padres: Interim manager Pat Murphy fired
SAN DIEGO — Admitting his San Diego Padres "didn't have the right formula" this season, general manager A.J. Preller says he's looking for a manager who can get the underachieving team to play at a high level.
Preller fired interim manager Pat Murphy on Sunday after the Padres finished 74-88 and fourth in the NL West, 18 games behind the division champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Padres were a disappointment. Despite the addition of stars such as Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and James Shields and a bump in payroll past the $100 million mark for the first time, the Padres had their worst finish in four years.
San Diego has had five straight losing seasons and has missed the playoffs for nine straight years.
Murphy replaced Bud Black, who was fired in mid-June.
Athletics: Billy Beane gets a promotion
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics wanted to make sure they could keep David Forst in the front office after other clubs sought to hire him, so they promoted him to general manager Monday and elevated Billy Beane to executive vice president of baseball operations.
Forst just completed his 16th years with the low-budget franchise and 12th as assistant GM, though Beane insists his right-hand man has been assuming general manager duties behind the scenes for some time. Forst has been committed to keeping his young family in the Bay Area and staying with an organization he loves despite the daunting challenges.
Beane, who had been GM since late 1997, says Forst has had multiple opportunities to interview elsewhere each year and, "It's a well-deserved recognition and promotion from David's end."
Diamondbacks: Pitching coach Mike Harkey out
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks have fired pitching coach Mike Harkey.
Harkey held the position for two seasons and had been retained on the staff after manager Kirk Gibson was fired a year ago.
Harkey has coached in the majors for 16 years and was Joe Girardi's bullpen coach for six seasons with the New York Yankees before coming to Arizona.
Diamondbacks Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa would not comment on the reason for the firing, except to say that the club wanted to go "in a different direction."
La Russa says bullpen coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. is "on the list" as a possible replacement.
La Russa says the rest of the staff has been retained.