Manny Acta

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Manny Acta is a Dominican baseball manager and coach who has spent decades in the sport as a player, coach, manager, and executive. Born on January 11, 1969, he is currently part of the Seattle Mariners’ coaching staff, serving as bench coach after previously working as their third-base coach since 2016. Acta has also worked as a broadcaster for ESPN and ESPN Deportes. In MLB he has managed the Washington Nationals (2007–2009) and the Cleveland Indians (2010–2012), compiling a managerial record of 372–518 (.418).

Acta’s baseball career began in the Houston Astros organization after he signed as an undrafted free agent at 17. He played six seasons in the minors but never reached the majors, and he quickly moved into coaching. He was a player-coach at the A level in 1991, then managed in the minors, including leading the Kissimmee Cobras to a Florida State League title in 1999 and guiding the Auburn Astros in 1993.

In MLB, Acta was the third-base coach for the Montreal Expos (2002–2004) and the New York Mets (2005–2006) before being named the Nationals’ manager in 2006. His first season with Washington was 73–89; injuries plagued the team in 2007, but he remained with the Nationals for two more seasons before being fired in July 2009.

Acta then became the Cleveland Indians’ manager, taking the job in 2010 on a three-year contract. The Indians showed some improvement, but he was fired in September 2012. He later served as interim manager for two games for the Mariners in May 2018 when regular manager Scott Servais was away.

Beyond MLB, Acta has had notable success in Dominican Winter League baseball, managing Tigres del Licey (2003–2005) and winning the 2004 Caribbean Series. He later won league titles as a general manager with Tigres del Licey (2013–14) and with Águilas Cibaeñas (2018). He also has experience internationally, managing the Dominican Republic team at the 2006 World Baseball Classic, where the team finished fourth.

Acta comes from a Lebanese-descent family in San Pedro de Macorís. A notable personal moment in his life was the 2006 plane crash that killed Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and crashed into his New York apartment building; Acta was not home at the time. He operates the ImpACTA Kids Foundation, which supports scholarships and youth programs. By 2010, the foundation had provided scholarships and was developing a youth complex in Consuelo, Dominican Republic.