Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden resigned this morning, saying he felt he had become a distraction to the club.
The Nationals did not immediately name a successor or an interim GM.
Not surprising, of course.
Also, not surprising was that he blamed the media.
"I am disappointed by the media reports regarding investigations into any of my professional activities," Bowden said in a statement released by the team. "There have been no charges made, and there has been no indication that parties have found any wrongdoing on my part."
For the Nats, now comes the hard part.
The Bowden controversy has obscured many promising story lines of this spring and interfered with the run-up Washington needs for the 2009 regular season. Never have the Nationals seen a greater need to sell their on-field product. With their welcome-to-the-District grace period now over, and with the honeymoon benefits of the new stadium waning, the Nationals, more than ever, must attract fans with talent and with the potential to win.
I’ll see you at the ballpark.