Overview

• On Tuesday in Washington, Nationals interim manager Miguel Cairo and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza managed opposite dugouts in the first such matchup for Venezuelan-born skippers.
• Before the game they posed for photos and embraced at home plate, and after the first pitch the ball was removed for a Hall of Fame display.
• Cairo took over in July after Washington fired Dave Martinez, while Mendoza was hired by the Mets after the 2023 season as the third Venezuelan to manage in the majors.
• Both managers voiced pride in representing Venezuela and Latino communities in the United States, describing the occasion as an honor and a dream realized.
• They are two of only four Venezuelan-born MLB managers, alongside Ozzie Guillén and Al Pedrique, whose teams never met during their overlap.