Manny Acta a finalist for Indians manager

Oct 19, 2009 - 6:37 PM By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND(AP) -- Former Washington manager Manny Acta will get a second interview with the Cleveland Indians.

Acta, fired by the Nationals in July, will meet with Indians owner Paul Dolan, general manager Mark Shapiro, assistant GM Chris Antonetti and other front-office personnel on Tuesday at Progressive Field. The Indians will make Acta available to the media afterward.

Acta was one of up to 10 candidates the team interviewed by phone last week during organizational meetings from their training complex in Goodyear, Ariz. Before announcing the face-to-face meeting with Acta, the team had not revealed the names of any of its managerial candidates.

The Indians are bringing as many as five finalists to Cleveland for second interviews.

Acta, 40, went 158-252 in two-plus seasons for the Nationals, who fired him after the team started 21-61 last season.

Acta interviewed for Houston's managerial job last week. He has a long connection to the Astros, who drafted him as a 17-year-old. He played six seasons in their organization and later managed Houston minor league affiliates for eight seasons.

Before managing in Washington, Acta coached in Montreal and for the New York Mets.

The Indians fired Eric Wedge in September, a few days before they finished 65-97 and tied Kansas City for last place in the AL Central.

Acta has experience dealing with young players and has been through a rebuilding project before, two attributes that could make him appealing to the Indians. Cleveland is considered to have more talent than Washington and could bounce back next season because it plays in one of baseball's weaker divisions.