Rizzo Renewed by Marky Mark & the In-Laws

[Mattionals]

Saw this on Reddit: Baseball Prospectus notes:

No real reason to fire Davey. Given that Rizzo watched his player development staff get gutted but still stayed on is interesting. It's lack of player development and lack of spending from the FO that is holding things back. Can't blame that on the manager.

[HalfSmokes]

No real reason to fire Davey. Given that Rizzo watched his player development staff get gutted but still stayed on is interesting. It's lack of player development and lack of spending from the FO that is holding things back. Can't blame that on the manager.

Firing the manager throws the fans a bone. Right now, there is no reason to assume that ownership even cares. If ownership doesn't care, why should fans bother buying tickets?

[OfftheBat]

Firing the manager throws the fans a bone. Right now, there is no reason to assume that ownership even cares. If ownership doesn't care, why should fans bother buying tickets?

Uh oh, this is beginning to sound dangerously similar to what A's fans are saying about Fisher in Oakland :/

[Mattionals]

Firing the manager throws the fans a bone. Right now, there is no reason to assume that ownership even cares. If ownership doesn't care, why should fans bother buying tickets?

Spending money throws the fans a bone.

[HalfSmokes]

Spending money throws the fans a bone.

Spending money is crazy talk

[PowerBoater69]

Fangraphs looked at the wOBA for ball three pitches cross referenced to the velocity and shockingly the faster the throw the better for the pitcher.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mike-rizzo-absolutely-cares-how-fast-you-throw-ball-four/

[Smithian]

Saw this on Reddit: Baseball Prospectus notes:

Even if I understand and somewhat agree with Martinez and Rizzo still being around, this is soul crushing.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Fangraphs looked at the wOBA for ball three pitches cross referenced to the velocity and shockingly the faster the throw the better for the pitcher.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mike-rizzo-absolutely-cares-how-fast-you-throw-ball-four/

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

Rizzo's quite the contrarian

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Fangraphs looked at the wOBA for ball three pitches cross referenced to the velocity and shockingly the faster the throw the better for the pitcher.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mike-rizzo-absolutely-cares-how-fast-you-throw-ball-four/

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

never in my life have I seen a more brutal take down of a team's approach to acquiring and coaching pitching talent as well as that talent's performance as in this article. It is such a must read that I will not quote it at all because you must read the whole thing.

[Five Banners]

Even if I understand and somewhat agree with Martinez and Rizzo still being around, this is soul crushing.

There still has to be factored in the largely unprecedented occurrences where, in the spring training after winning a title, things got shut down for over 100 games worth of season. The stretch in question was unquestionably impacted by all of that.

[PowerBoater69]

There still has to be factored in the largely unprecedented occurrences where, in the spring training after winning a title, things got shut down for over 100 games worth of season. The stretch in question was unquestionably impacted by all of that.

The 2020 Covid year could be seen as the worst season for Martinez and Rizzo, the Nats had the biggest drop in winning percentage in MLB, they treated 2020 like it didn't count and the team hasn't recovered since then.

[Natsinpwc]

Walks and falling behind in the count are issues certainly.  Maybe a different slogan. Like walks are death. 

[Slateman]

There still has to be factored in the largely unprecedented occurrences where, in the spring training after winning a title, things got shut down for over 100 games worth of season. The stretch in question was unquestionably impacted by all of that.

It literally changes nothing. None of the prospects get better. Strasburg's shoulder still dies. No one performs.

[Five Banners]

It literally changes nothing. None of the prospects get better. Strasburg's shoulder still dies. No one performs.

I’m talking about the timeframe in which a changeover would’ve occurred. There was the lag they weren’t likely to fire anybody in 2020 no matter what because it was such an aberration and they were fresh off of winning a title. Then it was 2021 where they contended until right before the Schwarber injury. The bottom fell out following the selloff, which put them in a place for rebuild mode. Then Lerner the elder passes in February 2023, and the ownership committee re-ups with what’s still available.

None of that in and of itself seems beyond the pale as far as a logical progression, especially with the team already in sale mode. What people can take away from the current ownership status, what may seem to be a pathetic off-season, the Strasburg fiasco, and general player development seem to be their own matters for concern.

[Slateman]

Lol, they werent contending in 2021. It took Schwarber hitting like Barry Bonds to get to .500.

[imref]

From today's AMA: Andrew Golden on what the Nats have done to improve scouting and player development:

Last offseason, we reported that the Nationals added 18 new positions to modernize their staff. That’s in the first story below.

There was a lot of change this offseason. Johnny DiPuglia, Washington’s international scouting director, ~resigned from his role~ in early September and was replaced by Fausto Severino. Kris Kline, who had been the team’s longtime scouting director, was replaced by Danny Haas. De Jon Watson isn’t returning as director of player development and Eddie Longosz has been promoted. So with change comes some shuffling in terms of staffing.

When I asked Mike Rizzo about his scouting staff at the beginning of spring training, he said it would be smaller than a year ago and that scouts would have to fill multiple roles — doing a mix of pro scouting and amateur scouting. I asked Rizzo about Washington’s player development staff during GM meetings, he said that he expected it to stay at the same size as 2023. I can’t speak to where they stand comparatively to the rest of MLB, but this is just what Rizzo has told us publicly this offseason. But the organization has struggled with player development and the Lerners’ investment in this area is absolutely something to watch going forward. — AG

[varoadking]

No real reason to fire Davey. Given that Rizzo watched his player development staff get gutted but still stayed on is interesting. It's lack of player development and lack of spending from the FO that is holding things back. Can't blame that on the manager.

dave is a useful idiot.  He isn't gonna cause any waves...he enjoys his title and salary too much.  He's pretty much the same as Rizzo in that regard.

He had as much to do with with winning the World Series in 2019 as I did.  He'll be around as long as the team has a scrap-heap lineup, and is hopefully disposed of if/when the then current Owner decides to compete again.

[Five Banners]

Lol, they werent contending in 2021. It took Schwarber hitting like Barry Bonds to get to .500.

OK, let’s say contending for a wildcard spot. Regardless, the greater point is neither one of them are likely to be asked at that point at the first start up of a normal sort of season since winning the title. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

dave is a useful idiot

WE can give you a half a  point for that answer.

[English Natsie]

Maybe a different slogan. Like walks are death.

Or 'We're just no good - get over it...'

[PowerBoater69]

One frustrated person inside the Nats' organization simply called the signs "backward thinking."

https://sports.yahoo.com/the-washington-nationals-put-up-a-silly-sign-at-spring-training-heres-why-it-matters-224418213.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

[varoadking]

https://sports.yahoo.com/the-washington-nationals-put-up-a-silly-sign-at-spring-training-heres-why-it-matters-224418213.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Seems like a challenge of some sort was laid down and Rizzo simply said "Hold my beer."

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://sports.yahoo.com/the-washington-nationals-put-up-a-silly-sign-at-spring-training-heres-why-it-matters-224418213.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

But Jack Berry — founder of JB Performance, a progressive-minded pitching development company — laid it out plainly: “It’s not that their pitches are out of the zone. It’s that their stuff sucks, and it’s getting hit hard.”

Even though both Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore made meaningful strides last season, Nationals pitching had the third-highest hard-hit rate in baseball and the worst barrel rate — and they allowed the most home runs.

I don't think the article adds much to Dave Andrews's more detailed and better take-down, but the quotes around the league are fun.  It's also interesting that other teams try to get at the same "throw strikes" message, but phrase it positively (e.g., "Dominate the Zone" tee shirts) rather than "avoid walks." Also, as one pitcher points out, there's times when a walk isn't a bad outcome.

[PowerBoater69]

I don't think the article adds much to Dave Andrews's more detailed and better take-down, but the quotes around the league are fun.  It's also interesting that other teams try to get at the same "throw strikes" message, but phrase it positively (e.g., "Dominate the Zone" tee shirts) rather than "avoid walks." Also, as one pitcher points out, there's times when a walk isn't a bad outcome.

The only part of the article I found interesting was the quote from the source from within the Nationals. A reporter can walk into 2-3 camps and ask players and staff to take anonymous shots at the competition and come out with a nice little hit piece.

The last time Rizzo made a fuss about putting up a sign was in 2018 when he blew up the bullpen after there were several Nats players quoted anonymously in the media criticizing Martinez. This time the anonymous quote followed the sign placement.

[rileyn]

Although the signs are goofy, I don't see them as a big deal at all.  It's a trumped up story by people looking for anything of interest to cover.