Fire Matt Williams! (2015) - Standard Decision.

[Baseball is Life]

It's like the game moves too fast for him and he just can't react. That's why he sticks to the book.

[welch]

Back to basics, Mat Williams: a relief pitcher exists to pitch in critical situations. Exists to "put out fires". To stop rallies. The best reliever would get a "fireman of the year" award.

If the opposition rally is in the 7th inning, or even the 6th, use Storen or Papelbon. If either pitcher complains that he is paid only to get "saves", then:

(a) let him complain to his agent

(b) declare that the Nats don't count "saves"

(c) demote him to Syracuse as brain-dead. 

[skippy1999]

Craig Calcaterra gets it 

[imref]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/62350/after-disastrous-loss-matt-williams-time-running-short-in-d-c

Another tongue lashing over his handling of the seventh.

[monkeyhit]

Williams should be fired this morning, but Rizzo won't admit his mistake until Mark Lerner says, "Fire him or I fire you."  C'mon, Marky, lay down the law.

[Kevrock]

I mean with two closers you have a great opportunity to go stopper and closer without even burning your closer.

[BrandonK]

RZO playing captain and going down with Matty. Gotta hope there's some good GM talent out there still

[shoeshineboy]

The article from ESPN is good, and with any other team, the last line would be true. Don't know if it applies with a team owned by the Lerners. We will see. They like to spend as little as possible on coaches, managers, and GM. Not sure they will be willing to eat money on Williams, prior to the end of the season, especially. Will be interesting to watch. Other organizations would likely be looking to clean house from the GM down. With the core talent left in 2016, this squad should be even better with a right thinking GM. Addition by subtraction helps with Desi being replaced. They need to solve the catcher issue. Then it comes down to proper bench and pen construction. But not sure it will happen with the current regime.

[united]

It's like the game moves too fast for him and he just can't react. That's why he sticks to the book.

There's something to be said for a manager that tries to empower and believe in his players. Guys appreciate and respect that. However it ends up backfiring on you when you let the other 24 guys on the team down because you won't take someone out. In a pennant race it's about winning the game. You cant worry about hurting a guys feelings because it's about winning games and you owe it to the rest of the roster.

[MarquisDeSade]

Other organizations would likely be looking to clean house from the GM down.

I don't think they fire Williams unless they also fire Rizzo and I don't see that happening with the Scherzer signing.  I'd love to be wrong, but I don't see the Lerners wanting to start over just now with Werth, Zimmerman, and Scherzer still getting paid to produce.  Even if this year ends in total disaster (10GB) I see them giving both Rizzo and Williams next year to give it another go and letting the "injuries" excuse be an out for both of them.  Rizzo has done a pretty solid job but Matt Williams, 2014 NL MOTY award or not, is a terrible manager and really shouldn't manage another game in a Nats jersey once this season comes to an end.

[rileyn]

Pretty strong and condemning article from ESPN.  I couldn't agree more, but I don't see Rizzo firing Standard Decision as a foregone conclusion. 

[Mr Clean]

Werth can no longer field his position well. den Dekker should have been in the game, but I guess Williams went by the standard decision rule. 

[NatsGirl]

Back to basics, Mat Williams: a relief pitcher exists to pitch in critical situations. Exists to "put out fires". To stop rallies. The best reliever would get a "fireman of the year" award.

If the opposition rally is in the 7th inning, or even the 6th, use Storen or Papelbon. If either pitcher complains that he is paid only to get "saves", then:

(a) let him complain to his agent

(b) declare that the Nats don't count "saves"

(c) demote him to Syracuse as brain-dead.

I absolutely agree with this.

It pisses me off how these pitchers care more about their "saves" and their own stats then about winning the game.  I honestly think this mentality is a huge factor in this season being a wash.  I think part of that mentality is on Williams, but I really blame the pitchers more.

Papelbon and Storen are SELFISH jerks.  This is a team game and there is no I in team.  Get the freak over yourself with trying to gain as much money for free agency (Storen) or trying to beat a record (Papelbon).  Pitch when you are needed and freak saves.  Do it for the team. 

[whytev]

I absolutely agree with this.

It pisses me off how these pitchers care more about their "saves" and their own stats then about winning the game.  I honestly think this mentality is a huge factor in this season being a wash.  I think part of that mentality is on Williams, but I really blame the pitchers more.

Papelbon and Storen are SELFISH jerks.  This is a team game and there is no I in team.  Get the freak over yourself with trying to gain as much money for free agency (Storen) or trying to beat a record (Papelbon).  Pitch when you are needed and freak saves.  Do it for the team.

Don't be mad at them. Nobody picked up the phone and warmed them up.

[Ray D]

If either pitcher complains that he is paid only to get "saves",

 

Just for the record, the "agreement" that Papelbon has (if there is one) is to be the closer, not get saves.  If a pitcher comes in with a 10 run lead in the 9th and finishes, he's the closer (but no save). So the other night when the Nats had a 3 run lead batting in the bottom of the 8th, runner on second, Papelbon warming up, there was speculation that if they scored another run he could refuse to come in.  No, he couldn't.

[Mr Clean]

Nats need a fireman--someone like Dick Radatz to enter games in critical situations.

[deeznatz]

Werth can no longer field his position well. den Dekker should have been in the game, but I guess Williams went by the standard decision rule. 

Yeah, that to me was a bigger issue than the relievers.  Tho once the a run scored in the 7th i would have brough Storen in.

[Ray D]

Nats need a fireman--someone like Dick Radatz to enter games in critical situations.

I remember an all star game in the 60s when Raditz came in and was mowing down all the NL batters until close to the end of the game.  They (prematurely) declared him the game MVP.  Then he gave up the game winning homerun and they revoked his MVP and gave it to another player (maybe the guy who hit the homerun).   Only time I can remember an MVP award being "revoked".

[varoadking]

I remember an all star game in the 60s when Raditz came in and was mowing down all the NL batters until close to the end of the game.  They (prematurely) declared him the game MVP.  Then he gave up the game winning homerun and they revoked his MVP and gave it to another player (maybe the guy who hit the homerun).   Only time I can remember an MVP award being "revoked".

They probably gave hin the "Heart and Hustle Award" instead...

[Ray D]

They probably gave hin the "Heart and Hustle Award" instead...

You know, that was back when everyone actually cared about the all star game.  I think they tarred and feathered him.

[BeltwayBaseball]

Matheny vs. Williams - Battle of the Idiots!

Tonight, Round Two: Randy Choate vs Werth, Rendon and Zim; Blake Treinen vs Matt Carpenter with a runner on third and less than two outs!

[PebbleBall]

It's like the game moves too fast for him and he just can't react. That's why he sticks to the book.

If this were the case he'd eventually change, even if he'd overcompensate with knee-jerk moves.  I personally think he's plain dumb and still believes he's doing the right things but they aren't working out. 

I have said this before, but the problem is he has one setting: keep calm and carry on.  He's fine when everything is aflame in April and he can remain steady until the May hot streak comes.  He's fine when the division is down and the team can coast to a title without feeling pressed.  But the NLDS exposed his fatal flaw - there is no other setting.   You can't win pivotal games by being patient with struggling relievers.  That might work to win pennants with superior talent, but now that they're in the crap it's burying them. 

[ZIM4MVP]

I don't know that there is one reliever in the pen that could have been trusted to not blow the game.

[slhubic]

even in jays land, there has been some talk on just how bad Williams has been.  in a 'baseball central' show the usual--and obvious--was discussed, about how disappointing the nats have been, and how it was almost literally unthinkable that they wouldn't win their division, and that it was a rare case where the manager is such an obvious reason for this disaster.  somewhat interestingly, it was opined that 'terry francona' should be a candidate to replace this utter mistake of a manager, as he would be the perfect fit for a team with such talent, and for a team that has so jokingly underachieved...

[PC]

James Wagner ‏@JamesWagnerWP  2m2 minutes ago

Reasons why MW said he didn't use Papelbon in 9th: "We want him closing games." Wanted a 1-inning reliever b/c pitcher's spot up in 10th.