GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) -Under a baby blue Arizona sky on a back field at Cleveland's heavenly training complex, the team's top offseason acquisition is taking practice swings - outside the batting cage.
Grabbing a fungo bat, the Indians' new No. 11 shouts instructions across the diamond to infielders busy smoothing divots in the dirt with their cleats.
``Let's go to work!'' shouts manager Manny Acta. ``A lot of life.''
With that, Acta, fired last July after 2 1/2 years with the lowly Washington Nationals, tosses a ball in the air and rips a hard grounder through the grass at second baseman Luis Valbuena, who scoops it cleanly and tosses a one-hopper back to Acta, the modest man the Indians believe can maneuver them through yet another rebuilding project and hopefully back to legitimacy.
Acta is up for the challenge.
``This is what I love,'' he said a few hours later, sitting behind an office desk where an open laptop is surrounded by charts, analytical printouts and detailed calendars. ``This is my passion. I don't have a fall back. I quit school to sign a professional contract, and I'm not going back to school.
``This is all I know to do.''
The fact that Acta, who went 158-252 in Washington, is again managing in the majors is a testament to his abilities and reputation, and to the baseball community's understanding of what he faced with the talent-starved Nationals.
Despite the losses, he emerged a winner.
After leading Washington to a 73-39 record in 2007, a respectable mark considering the club had 14 rookies and used 13 starting pitchers, Acta's second season in the nation's capital was a disaster. D.C.'s ballclub was ravaged by injuries and finished a major-league worst 59-102. In the aftermath, Acta was retained but his entire coaching staff was fired.
Acta didn't make it through four months last season, dismissed following a 26-61 start that only seemed destined to get worse.
In some circles, Acta was branded a loser, ill equipped to handle baseball's highest level. But to those inside the foul lines, Acta never lost his young-manager-on-the-rise status. And when the Indians fired Eric Wedge last October, they interviewed several candidates, including former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine, before naming Acta as their 40th manager.
But only after they won a fight for him.
Acta was also offered a job by the Houston Astros, the team that signed him as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Republic and the club that gave him his start as a minor league manager. He wound up choosing the Indians, who offered him a three-year deal with a club option for 2013.
Acta was humbled by the experience of being coveted by two teams.
``I never imagined it was going to come down to what it came down to,'' he said. ``But what it gave me was faith in the game and in the system and in the industry that people don't just see wins and losses, but they are aware of what you are going through. Rebuilding is not an easy thing to do.
``The time in Washington gave me an opportunity to showcase myself to the world. I was getting into a tough situation, but I needed to get my foot in the door, that's the way that I looked at it. My character was tested for a couple years, but we survived and showcased ourselves and obviously the industry saw us in a different way.''
The Indians viewed Acta as ideal for their future. He fit their profile: young, energetic and it helped he was bilingual, a huge plus on a team loaded with Latin players. Acta impressed Indians general manager Mark Shapiro with his thorough knowledge of the team, which has undergone a monumental makeover in the past two seasons with the trades of Cy Young winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, along with All-Star catcher Victor Martinez.
Spotting Cleveland as a possible destination last summer, Acta immersed himself in Cleveland's roster so he would be prepared for interviews. He learned all he could about the Indians. In turn, they're learning about him.
Acta has opened eyes with his enthusiasm, upbeat attitude and work ethic. A six-year minor league who never got past Class A - ``I wasn't very good,'' he said - Acta works with infielders, throws batting practice and rides the team bus, something rarely seen during spring training.
``I'm not doing anything here that I didn't do in D.C.,'' he said. ``I don't want to be looked at as an anti-Eric type of guy. That's my personality. I like to be involved in that kind of stuff.''
Shapiro, beginning his final season as GM before becoming a team president, has been impressed by Acta.
``Manny has brought a consistent, positive energy to our spring and team,'' Shapiro said. ``His belief in our team, talent, and city have been felt on and off the field throughout our camp.''
Acta sold himself on the Indians. Next, he has to win over Cleveland fans.
They feel betrayed by owner Larry Dolan and his family, whose inability to spend has dropped a team that was three outs from making the World Series in 2007 to the bottom of the AL Central. The club's payroll has plummeted. So has interest. The Indians averaged just 21,805 fans per game last season - only four teams drew fewer - and the club has not yet sold out opening day.
During a winter press tour, Acta interacted with Indians fans. He felt their frustration and understands their skepticism he can make a difference.
``I knew I wasn't going to be received with open arms or get a bouquet of flowers,'' he said. ``But I trust what is being done here. Yeah, I know we haven't won it since 1948, but there are franchises that haven't even had a .500 record for 17 or 18 years. Hey, everyone loves a winner and it's not like the Dolans and our front office and myself want to lose. Everyone wants to win.''
Acta has a second chance to prove he can.
