Daubach to manage Class A Hagerstown
By Dave Sheinin
The Nationals have hired Brian Daubach to manage the Hagerstown Suns, their low Class A affiliate, in 2011, a team source confirmed Monday. An announcement on the hiring is expected shortly.

This potentially puts Daubach in line to serve as Bryce Harper's first minor league manager. Although the Nationals have not revealed publicly where Harper, the top overall pick of the 2010 draft, will begin his 2011 season, it almost certainly would be one of the Class A affiliates, Hagerstown or high-A Potomac.

Daubach served as manager of the Pittsfield (Mass.) Colonials of the independent Canadian-American league in 2010, and also serves as a commentator for Boston's WEEI radio station, where he apparently first revealed the news of his hiring on Monday.

He played parts of eight seasons in the major leagues, half of them spent with the Boston Red Sox, for whom he hit at least 20 homers each season between 1999-2002.

In Hagerstown, Daubach will be succeeding Matt LeCroy, who was promoted one level and will manage Potomac in 2011. There was no immediate word about the fate of Gary Cathcart, Potomac's 2010 manager.