It turns out you can’t even run a clean baseball team in Washington D.C.
After four years on the job, Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden abruptly announced his resignation yesterday amid a federal investigation into the alleged skimming of bonuses paid to Latino prospects.
Bowden, who presided over the worst team in baseball last year, maintained his innocence in a statement read to reporters:
“My resignation is based upon my realization that my ability to properly represent the Washington Nationals has been compromised because of false allegations contained in the press. I am disappointed by the media reports regarding investigations into any of my professional activities. There have been no charges made, and there has been no indication that parties have found any wrongdoing on my part.
“At the same time, while I have done nothing wrong, I place a greater value on the love, respect and best interests of my family, friends, the game of baseball — that I’ve served lovingly and faithfully for close to 25 years — and, the reputation and future of the Washington Nationals, which I’m proud to have been a part of since its inception in 2004.”
Three days prior to Bowden’s resignation, the Nationals fired Bowden’s assistant after it was revealed that a Domincan Republic prospect who lied about his name and age received $1.4 million from the team.
The Nationals’ director of Dominican operations was also fired last week.
It’s all part of a Major League Baseball investigation into the game’s relationship with the Dominican Republic, which has become a breeding ground for top baseball talent over the last three decades.
