PHOENIX -- Davey Johnson stood in front of a tarp in the visiting managers office, keeping his comments brief but thoughtful.
Chris Smalling Jersey . After a few minutes, he stepped away, hugged a few people and shook a few hands before taking a seat
behind the desk. He may have ended his career on a losing note, but the
70-year-old Johnson was perfectly at ease after a big-league career that spanned
six decades. A.J. Pollock beat out a run-scoring infield single in the eighth
inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks sent the Washington manager into retirement
with a loss by beating the Nationals 3-2 on Sunday. "Time to go home," Johnson
said. "Put me out to pasture." Johnson already had his career commemorated
during a ceremony in Washington and was recognized by the Diamondbacks before
Sundays game, doffing his cap as he stepped out of the dugout. After taking the
lineup card to home plate for the final time, he spent the next nine innings as
he always does, offering positive reinforcement to his players while pulling the
strings to get one last win. He ended up just short in the finale. After losing
the series first two games, the Diamondbacks scratched out a pair of runs off
Ryan Mattheus (0-2) in the eighth inning to finish the season at .500 (81-81).
Martin Prado had a run-scoring single in the inning and Pollock dove into first
safely after hitting a comebacker that bounced off Mattheus. David Hernandez
(5-6) pitched a perfect eighth and Brad Ziegler closed out the ninth for his
13th save for the Diamondbacks, who played 1,538 innings this season to break
the major league record set by the 1964 Yankees. It was a disappointing end to
Johnsons career, but the Nationals still finished 11 games above.500 at 86-76
and are set up for success long after hes gone. "A good manager builds
confidence in his players and we benefited from that because he never wavered,
no matter how good or bad you were doing," Nationals right-hander Tyler Clippard
said. "He always put you out there and expected you to succeed and, for the most
part, I think we did." Johnson leaves with quite a legacy built over 17 years as
a manager and 13 as a player. He won a World Series with the Mets in 1986 and
joined Billy Martin as the only managers to take four teams to the post-season
when he led the Nationals to the playoffs last season while earning his second
manager of the year award at 69. He also went to the post-season with Cincinnati
and Baltimore. Johnson was a four-time All-Star as a player, earned three Gold
Gloves and won a pair of World Series rings with the Orioles in 1966 and 1970.
He goes out on a losing note, capping a season of unfulfilled expectations for
Washington. The Nationals won the NL East and had the best record in baseball
last season, so the bar was set high, particularly with a loaded lineup like
theirs. Washington dropped below .500 after a rough stretch around the All-Star
break before making a September run, but couldnt catch the surging Atlanta
Braves. Johnson finishes his career 1,372-1,071. "Im not dropping off the face
of the earth," said Johnson, who will serve as an adviser for the Nationals.
"Ill still be around. I might even see you guys." The Diamondbacks won the NL
West in 2011 and were expected to make another run after boosting payroll
following a post-season-less 2012. Arizona looked like a playoff team the first
half of the season, leading the division most of the way, but faded down the
stretch, drifting well behind the Los Angeles Dodgers after the All-Star break
and never able to make up the ground. The Diamondbacks at least ended on a good
note. Arizona scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Paul Goldschmidt
after pitcher Tanner Roark had a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. Zach
Walters hit an RBI triple after Arizona third baseman Martin Prados throwing
error in the sixth inning and Steve Lombardozzi put Washington up 2-1 with a
run-scoring single. Roark allowed a run on three hits in seven innings. The
Diamondbacks, like they have all season, never gave up, though, putting together
a late rally that prevented their first losing season since 2010. "We as a team
expected to be still paying right now," Diamondbacks shortstop Willie Bloomquist
said. "I think that is where expectations need to stay. As a whole this year it
has been disappointing even though we ended on a high note." Notes: Washington
had won its previous four season finales. ... Johnson was 224-183 in three
seasons with the Nationals. ... Goldschmidt had a single in the eighth inning to
extend his hitting streak to 19 games. He also joined Mel Ott as the only NL
players 25 under to hit .300 with 35 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs in a season.
... Members of the Phoenix Coyotes watched the game from the pool deck in right
field.
Marcos Rojo Manchester Jersey . That further limits the options of Australia coach Ewen McKenzie, who on Monday suspended six
players who were involved in a night out in Dublin ahead of the Saturdays 32-15
win over the Irish. The Wallabies play Scotland on Saturday before facing Wales
on Nov.
Marcus Rashford Manchester Jersey . -- The tight games and nastiness between old rivals Montreal and Boston is coming to a
Game 7 climax.BARCELONA, Spain -- Neymar came on as a substitute to score twice
from passes by Lionel Messi and give Barcelona a 2-0 win at home over Athletic
Bilbao in the Spanish league on Saturday. Neymar again started on Barcelonas
bench and had to watch Munir El Haddadi create Barcelonas best chances until he
replaced the young forward in the 62nd minute. But Messi soon played Neymar
clear for the Brazil forward to score his first goal of the season in the 79th.
Andreas Pereira Manchester Jersey. Five minutes later Messi dribbled to the end line before passing back for Neymar to
slot in his second and seal Barcelonas third win in as many games. Real Madrid
hosted Atletico Madrid later in a rematch of last seasons Champions League
final. Barcelona opens its Champions League campaign at home against APOEL on
Wednesday, when Bilbao hosts Shakhtar Donetsk.
Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jersey ' ' '
