New York.– Felipe Alou, former manager of the Giants, has been chosen to manage the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Alou, currently serving as special assistant to San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean, did not join the team on its trip to Washington, D.C., this weekend.
Nationals manager Manny Acta, who managed the Dominican team in the inaugural event in 2006, said that the upcoming event is already generating buzz.
"It's the biggest thing back home," he said. "It's still a year away, and every day in the papers there's something about it."
Acta said that Alou, the the first MLB manager of Dominican origin, is well regarded in his home country.
"He's the guy everybody wants to imitate," Acta said. Alou managed the Giants from 2003-2006 and is still involved with the team's operations.
