Williams fired after two seasons as Nationals manager

USA Today Sports ImagesMatt Williams, whose steady, never-wavering demeanor helped the injury-plagued Nationals stick together through difficult times to win a division title in his first season as a big-league manager, was fired Monday because he wasn’t able to do the same in his second season in Washington.

The Nationals’ front office, headlined by general manager Mike Rizzo and managing principal owner Ted Lerner, made the decision at the end of a surprising and disappointing season that saw Williams’ ballclub fritter away the division title to the Mets during a second-half collapse capped by in-fighting, accusations and poor performances. Williams was informed of his dismissal Monday…