I knew this idiocy would be dusted off as an excuse.
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Excuse? You have the same person controlling plate approach with similar results, and that's a non-factor? I didn't bother harping during the year about the ridiculousness of keeping Baker and Schu on if you're serious about contention, just like I didn't harp on the ridiculousness of not canning Barry Trotz after his initial flameout.
Consider the hiring processes and motivations behind each -- as well as their retentions, and you'll see ownership's priorities. It's not a matter of guaranteeing a different result with someone else at the helm, as the players and their performances matter. But when you have people brought in on the cheap that never take the team to the next level and change the culture -- and with both the Nats and Caps, we have epic levels of playoff futility, it's unsurprising that results repeat themselves when you re-up with the same crew.
