Report: Nats finalize minor league managerial appointments

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

December 17, 2020, 2:05am

Comments

The Nationals have set their minor league managers for 2021, according to published reports. At Triple-A Rochester, Matt LeCroy returns to the dugout, moving up from Double-A Harrisburg. Moving to the Senators to manage is Tripp Keister. At high Single-A Wilmington is Tommy Shields. Mario Lisson takes over as manager for low Single-A Fredericksburg.

Since 2008, LeCroy, 45, has managed in the Nats system at low Single-A, high Single-A and Double-A and was the bullpen coach on Matt Williams' major league staff. Recently, he was the quality-control coordinator for the Nationals after managing in Harrisburg in 2019. LeCroy was a catcher in the big leagues from 2000 to 2007, and played 39 games with the Nats in 2006.

Keister, 50, joined the Nats as manager of their Rookie-level Gulf Coast League team in 2012, and has managed at low Single-A Hagerstown and most recently for high Single-A Potomac since 2014.

Shields, 56, was an infielder in the major leagues for the Orioles and the Cubs in 1992-93, appearing in 22 games. Most recently he was the co-field coordinator for the Nats, and has experience coaching with the Rookie-level Burlington Royals.

Lisson, 36, is a former professional baseball player from Venezuela who played 324 games at the Triple-A level. He was set to become the manager for low Single-A Hagerstown in 2020 before the season was canceled due to the coronavirus shutdown. Now he moves to low Single-A to manage Fredericksburg for 2021.

The appointments were first reported by The Washington Post.