Former Senator Little Named Manager
--Raines Named new Hitting Instructor
The Washington Nationals today named former Senator Scott Little as the Senators Manager for the 2007 season. Little becomes the first former player to return to City Island as the team?s leader on the field. Little played in Harrisburg during the 1988 season and was named the team?s MVP.
Also named to the 2007 Nationals? double-A staff were hitting Coach Tim Raines, Pitching Coach Rick Tomlin and Athletic Trainer Beth Jarrett.
Little will take the spot of John Stearns who was promoted by the Nationals to guide their triple-A team in Columbus, OH.
Little was one of the top players in the Eastern League in 1988 as he finished 8th in the league in batting with a .290 average. In 118 games with the Senators that year, Little had 14 doubles, 6 triples and 6 homers while driving in 52 runs. Little also stole 27 bases.
?That?s one of the neat things, coming back to manage at a place I played,? said Little this week. ?The situation there was great when I played there in 1988 and not much has changed, still a fantastic location with great fans. I am really looking forward to getting back on the field in Harrisburg full time.?
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The 43 year-old Little returns to City Island with an extensive resume in baseball management. He has 10 years experience as a minor league manager with both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers organizations. Last season, Little served as the Washington Nationals Minor League Field Coordinator. Little managed the single-A Vero Beach club to a 77-56 record in 2005. He also served as a manager in the Arizona Fall League that year.
Scott was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 1984 amateur draft and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1987 season. Little went on to appear in the majors with the Pirates as he played in four games in 1989.
Little currently resides in Jackson, MO with his wife Lori and their two children, Jacob and Jenna.
Joining the Senators staff this season will be newcomer Tim Raines as the team?s hitting coach. Raines comes to Harrisburg from Chicago where he was the White Sox first base coach for the last two years.
Raines played in parts of 23 major league seasons beginning in 1979 and ending in 2002. Raines was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 5th round of the 1977 draft and made his major league debut in 1979. His 808 stolen bases rank him among the all-time major league leaders.
In 2001 with Baltimore, Tim and his son Tim Raines, Jr, became the second father-son combination to play together in a major league game. (The Griffeys were the other) Raines, Jr. played for the Senators last season in Harrisburg.
Pitching Coach Rick Tomlin begins his third season with the Nationals and third straight with the Senators. Tomlin, a Washington Senators draft selection in 1971, will be working in his 19th minor league season.
The 2007 season will mark the 16th year of professional baseball for Athletic Trainer Beth Jarrett. Beth returns to the Senators for her third season this year and her 6th with the Washington Nationals organization.
In Other Organization News:
The Nationals have named Lancaster native and former major leaguer, Tommy Herr as manager of their single-A franchise in Hagerstown, MD.
Former Senators pitching coach Spin Williams will serve as the Minor League Pitching Coordinator. Spin was a coach here in Harrisburg in 1987, 1988 and 1990.
Mark Grater has been named as the Nationals new Rehab Pitching Coordinator.
Former Harrisburg players Troy Gingrich (Single-A, Potomac) and Jason Camilli (Rookie) will serve as coaches this season.
DCNATS
