SPORTS INSIDER – Capitals name new GM, coach; Nationals fall to Marlins on Memorial Day

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Ted Leonsis and Bryce HarperMay 27, 2014
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider

In late April, about two weeks after the Washington Capitals failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007, general manager George McPhee and coach Adam Oates lost their jobs with the team. The search for their replacements concluded on Monday, when Brian MacLellan was named new GM, and Barry Trotz new head coach.

MacLellan may be an unknown name to some, but he is not new to the organization. He has been involved with the Capitals organization since 2000, most recently serving as assistant general manager under McPhee. “Of course Brian has incredible knowledge regarding all the players in our system, but what impressed us was his philosophy when it came to all personnel matters – the draft, player development, minor-league affiliations and amateur and pro scouting,” owner Ted Leonsis wrote on his blog Monday.

Trotz will be joining the Capitals organization for the first time, after 15 years as coach of the Nashville Predators. During his tenure, the team made the playoffs seven times, but never advanced past the second round. He was fired last month after his team failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Despite the fact that he has never coached a team to a championship, Leonsis felt Trotz was the right pick from the beginning. “Through a variety of conversations with people we respect, it was clear that Barry Trotz was priority No. 1. Brian shared that he always admired how Barry structured his team, and when he was scouting Barry’s teams, he was impressed that they were always well prepared and difficult to play against…Nothing any of us heard gave us pause, and everything gave us the belief that Barry is the right leader for our team.”

With the front office and leadership taken care of, the team can now focus on acquiring the talent to support their efforts on the ice, and advance them to the next level. “This is a refresh, not a reboot,” Leonsis concluded on his blog. “The name of this management team is a vital first step—more on the horizon.”

Nationals

The Nationals scored just two runs on three hits Monday, to fall to the Marlins 3-2 at home.
The loss was Washington’s fifth in six games, and dropped their record to 25-26, a game under .500.

After falling behind 3-0 early, the Nationals were held scoreless until the sixth, when Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer to score Jayson Werth. Though they were trailing by just one, their bats were silent the rest of the game.

“It’s a frustrating game today,” LaRoche said. “We didn’t give ourselves a ton of opportunities. We didn’t beat ourselves in any way. We are not on base enough. It’s a frustrating loss.”

Without power hitters Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman in the lineup, the Nats are batting just .223 in May. “We are not hitting very well right now,” catcher Wilson Ramos said. “We have a pretty good team, good hitters, but we need to work on that. We need some runs. If we want to win, we have to score some runs.”

The three game series against Miami continues Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

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