VIERA, Fla. -- Jim Bowden resigned as general manager of the Nationals on Sunday morning. His replacement has not been named. Though he was under fire for his possible, though denied, connection to the alleged skimming of bonuses of Latin American players, he has maintained his innocence. In an emotional news conference, with team president Stan Kasten at his side and assistant general managers Bob Boone and Mike Rizzo in the background, Bowden said he is leaving the Nationals because he did not want to be a distraction to the club. "I'm today resigning my position as the senior vice president, general manager of the Washington Nationals," Bowden said. "It's an emotional decision. It saddens me, but I feel it's in the best interest of two of the things I love the most: That's the Washington Nationals and baseball. "I have become a distraction. Unless you are Manny Ramirez, there is no place for distraction in baseball. I want to be able to turn the page and I want this franchise to be able to have everybody, from the media to the fans, focus on what the game is about. It's about players. It's about what happens on the field." Bowden is the second person to leave the organization in less than a week. The team recently dismissed Jose Rijo, Bowden's special assistant. Rijo has been linked to Carlos Alvarez David Lugo, who previously called himself Esmailyn Gonzalez. The shortstop, who received a $1.4 million signing bonus from the Nationals in 2006, allegedly falsified his name and age. In Washington's 2008 media guide, Lugo is listed as 19, but is really 23. Major League Baseball's department of investigations is looking into the matter. Bowden was with the Nationals from 2004-2009. The team never finished over .500 during his tenure. Their best season was in 2005, when they went 81-81. However, he was able to improve the farm system by drafting players such as third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, outfielder Chris Marrero and right-hander Jordan Zimmermann. Kasten said it may be several days before someone is named to replace Bowden. "Today, I just want to talk about Jim and all he accomplished," Kasten said. "I can tell you that we are not missing a beat. Our staff has a meeting tomorrow morning -- first thing. I'm not going to say anything to you about the next steps for a while. There is a reason for that. It would be unwise to speculate or guess what's going on. I have some things I'm working on and things I have to think about. "I assure you, we will not be missing a beat. We have a really deep staff here." --

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