CORRECTED-Baseball-Baker out as Nationals manager after two seasons

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Oct 20 (The Sports Xchange) - Dusty Baker will not return to manage the Washington Nationals in 2018, the team announced Friday.

Baker spent two seasons in Washington and led the Nationals to back-to-back National League East titles but could not get his team past the National League Division Series.

The Nationals were eliminated last week by the Chicago Cubs in five games

"This was an incredibly difficult decision for us," the team's ownership wrote in an open letter.

"Dusty Baker led the team to the first back-to-back division titles in our history and represented our club with class on and off the field.

"He is one of the true gentleman in our sport, and we thank him for the successes that we enjoyed together over the last two years."

The Nationals were 192-132 (.593) under the 68-year-old Baker, whose contract expired at the end of the 2017 season. The Nationals won 95 games in 2016 and 97 this season.

In 22 managerial seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Nationals, Baker compiled a .532 winning percentage. (Editing by Andrew Both)