Former Willliamsport manager joins Nationals

Tony Beasley, who in 2001 managed Willliamsport to its first championship season since 1960, has been named the new third base coach for the Washington Nationals.

Earlier in the offseason, the 39-year old Beasley left the Pirates' organization after 14 years as either a player, coach or manager to accept a position as the New York Yankees' roving minor league infield instructor.

He now joins Washington's Major League coaching staff, which is led by Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. Beasley will coach third base for the Nationals, across the diamond from first base coach Davey Lopes, who was the Milwaukee Brewers' manager for two-plus seasons from 2000-02.

Beasley led the Cutters to a Williamsport short-season record 48 wins in 2001 and brought an exciting brand of play, nicknamed "Beas-Ball" by the Williamsport faithful. Overall, Beasley spent five highly successful seasons as a manager in the Bucs' minor league system (2001-05), leading his clubs to the playoffs each season and winning league titles with the Crosscutters (2001) and the South Atlantic League's Hickory Crawdads (2002). He was tabbed by Baseball America as its 2004 Double-A Manager of the Year, and was selected as a coach for Major League Baseball's Futures Game.

A middle infielder during his playing days, Beasley hit .260 in eight Minor League seasons in the Orioles and Pirates systems. A native of Fredericksburg, VA and a current resident of Bowling Green, VA, he played college baseball at Liberty (VA) University from 1988-89.