Fire Matt Williams! (2015) - Standard Decision.

[Dschmiel]

Pretty boy Brad Ausmus to get the boot.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13629049/detroit-tigers-fire-manager-brad-ausmus-season

[NJ Ave]

Pretty boy Brad Ausmus to get the boot.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13629049/detroit-tigers-fire-manager-brad-ausmus-season

This seems like a pretty short leash for Ausmus, if it's simply based on team performance. It's Ausmus' fault that Victor Martinez aged in dog years, Miguel Cabrera missed a quarter of the season, and Dombrowski gave him the worst pitching rotation in the AL?

[ExposFan87]

Pretty boy Brad Ausmus to get the boot.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13629049/detroit-tigers-fire-manager-brad-ausmus-season

He's got great bone structure.  Let's add him to the list.

[HalfSmokes]

Alex Anthopolous? We're talking about the guy whose teams had a previous high win total of 85 games in his 5 previous seasons, right? Whose teams have never previously finished higher than 3rd in their division? Whose teams have finished behind the lower-spending Orioles or Rays or both in every previous season?

Give me a friggin' break. I mean, I'm happy that the Blue Jays moves are working out at the Yankees expense, don't get me wrong. But if you want this season's Blue Jays, you should be lobbying for ownership to push for more trades of our young prospects for MLB veterans, not lobbying to ditch our GM for someone who has shown less talent in identifying, acquiring, and developing MLB talent over the long term.

Good GMs are rarely available (Dan duquette and andrew friedman being the huge counter examples). I wouldn't mind them giving someone else a shot. Rizzo has had a bunch of high draft picks (two number 1 overalls, a number 6 and a number 10 that he drafted plus Zimmerman) a huge budget to supplement them and enough time and the team hasn't won a playoff series and is trending in the wrong direction

[Mathguy]

Boswell writes a great article today about Matt Williams as making managerial decisions and problems during 2015.  Required reading for all the crybabies on WNFF who are calling for a new manager
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/matt-williams-hasnt-found-answers-but-is-he-really-the-one-to-question/2015/09/11/d9c6d778-58ac-11e5-8bb1-b488d231bba2_story.html

[ExposFan87]

If we can't bring back Jose Vidro, I'd like us to explore some new ideas.

Why does the manager have to be just one person? That's far too much power for one man (or woman for you PC liberals).

We've moved to Washington and it's time we embrace our new city and follow in its example. How about fans vote for a number of people who "represent" them and jointly make all team decisions on the fans' behalf?

In Canada, we have a saying, "Ne mettez pas tous vos concombres dans un pot," which means, "don't put all your cucumbers in one jar, because it might fall from the cupboard and break and then all your cucumbers will be ruined."

Let's start a revolution!

(Peacefully)

[DPMOmaha]

Boswell writes a great article today about Matt Williams as making managerial decisions and problems during 2015.  Required reading for all the crybabies on WNFF who are calling for a new manager
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/matt-williams-hasnt-found-answers-but-is-he-really-the-one-to-question/2015/09/11/d9c6d778-58ac-11e5-8bb1-b488d231bba2_story.html

You expecting that to sway peoples opinion?

[Mathguy]

No, but it adds alot of insight to what could go through the minds of Nats management.  Like who knew the Nats were 2nd in NL runs scored, only 2nd to the Rockies homer field.

You expecting that to sway peoples opinion?

[welch]

No, but it adds alot of insight to what could go through the minds of Nats management.  Like who knew the Nats were 2nd in NL runs scored, only 2nd to the Rockies homer field.

I assume that Boswell always speaks for Rizzo or the Lerners. Add Boswell's thoughts to those of Richard Justice (blog at "Justice4U") and I won't be surproised if the team brings back Williams. Boswell might also be making a case for replacing McCatty.

[welch]

If we can't bring back Jose Vidro, I'd like us to explore some new ideas.

Why does the manager have to be just one person? That's far too much power for one man (or woman for you PC liberals).

We've moved to Washington and it's time we embrace our new city and follow in its example. How about fans vote for a number of people who "represent" them and jointly make all team decisions on the fans' behalf?

In Canada, we have a saying, "Ne mettez pas tous vos concombres dans un pot," which means, "don't put all your cucumbers in one jar, because it might fall from the cupboard and break and then all your cucumbers will be ruined."

Let's start a revolution!

(Peacefully)

It's been done. Bill Veeck, St Louis Browns, "Grandstand Managers Night", August, 1951. Fans bought special tickets to sit in the Grandstand Managers section. When there was a decision to be made, someone stood (on the browns dugout?) and held up the question: "pull the pitcher?" etc. Fans held up "Yes" or "No" signs. Browns were playing the Philadelphia A's. Connie Mack, owner of the A's, sat beside Veeck. The Browns won, 5 - 3. Look at the string of losses before and after that game: the Browns' fans did well.

See "The Night Bill Veeck Let Fans Manage", http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/FansourceVeeck/bill-veeck-birth-fansourcing

And, for the 1951 Browns: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SLB/1951.shtml

[DPMOmaha]

I assume that Boswell always speaks for Rizzo or the Lerners. Add Boswell's thoughts to those of Richard Justice (blog at "Justice4U") and I won't be surproised if the team brings back Williams. Boswell might also be making a case for replacing McCatty.

Someone's going to have to take the fall for this season. It might be Cat considering the pitchers have been relatively healthy and been terrible in the second half and Williams gets one more year reprieve.

[varoadking]

Someone's going to have to take the fall for this season. It might be Cat considering the pitchers have been relatively healthy and been terrible in the second half and Williams gets one more year reprieve.

There will be no improvement with Williams still here...

[mitlen]

There will be no improvement with Williams still here...

This is what makes me nervous. 

[varoadking]

This is what makes me nervous.

Rightfully so, IMHO...

[MorseTheHorse]

No, but it adds alot of insight to what could go through the minds of Nats management.  Like who knew the Nats were 2nd in NL runs scored, only 2nd to the Rockies homer field.

Most people?

[DPMOmaha]

There will be no improvement with Williams still here...

Maybe. I bet things improve regardless of who's in that seat if the manager's given a good bullpen and a little better health.

[twillia1]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/tantrum-costly-nats-hurler-storen-230241942--mlb.html

The sad consequence of poor team leadership - Matt Williams has no clue for what makes players tick or fail, he has no feel for when they pitch or when they come out. The consequence is that Storen becomes a psyche case, breaks his hand and becomes worthless to the team and a weight among teammates.  No wonder this team is collapsing

[mitlen]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/tantrum-costly-nats-hurler-storen-230241942--mlb.html

The sad consequence of poor team leadership - Matt Williams has no clue for what makes players tick or fail, he has no feel for when they pitch or when they come out. The consequence is that Storen becomes a psyche case, breaks his hand and becomes worthless to the team and a weight among teammates.  No wonder this team is collapsing

Can't put Storen's psyche on Williams.

[Cinqo de Mayo]

Boswell's apologia mentions that Williams is an "average" manager. I agree. That's the problem.

[twillia1]

Ignoring Williams' role in the continued misuse of Storen is to ignore the obvious.  Williams CAN NOT manage pitchers !  moron

[mitlen]

Ignoring Williams' role in the continued misuse of Storen is to ignore the obvious.  Williams CAN NOT manage pitchers !  moron

He can't manage pitchers but Storen's psyhe was toast long before Williams got here.   It's the pressure.

[imref]

Boswell's apologia mentions that Williams is an "average" manager. I agree. That's the problem.

we've talked about his constantly leaving pitchers in to hit for themselves when just about everyone knew they were coming out in the last inning, but the one thing that he really seemed to do in the first half was leave pitchers in too long overall. 

Here's Scherzer's pitch counts in a stretch starting on May 1 and ending with his first real bad performance on July 7 (5 ER in 4.2 IP):
96, 114, 94, 104, 110, 108, 101, 116, 119, 106, 100, 105

I looked up Kershaw for comparison:
91, 110, 110, 99, 101, 93, 106, 117, 107, 105, 101, 102, 123

And Bumgarner:
107, 99, 104, 107, 99, 93, 98, 111, 112, 108, 100, 86, 103

So when you look at the numbers,  it doesn't seem like was running Scherzer into the ground even though it always seemed like Scherzer was left in too long.

[Mathguy]

It's hard to believe a closer with 5 or 6 years experience would have trouble with pressure.  But after not being able to throw strikes vs Mets, pressure looks to be the problem.

He can't manage pitchers but Storen's psyhe was toast long before Williams got here.   It's the pressure.

[Five Banners]

Boswell writes a great article today about Matt Williams as making managerial decisions and problems during 2015.  Required reading for all the crybabies on WNFF who are calling for a new manager
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/matt-williams-hasnt-found-answers-but-is-he-really-the-one-to-question/2015/09/11/d9c6d778-58ac-11e5-8bb1-b488d231bba2_story.html

The only thing "great" about this is the hand tip by the Lerner's water carrier that they're letting the year left on Williams' deal be a primary factor in his retention.  Boswell has to totally stick his head in the sand to run interference for him to go from what he's been forced to admit recently into rationalization mode.  Forget expectations; those are for markets where Caps-like efficiency is also rationalized season to season with a couple of SE Division banners to point to.

It's not only the strategic moves from a second year manager that we all have problems with and that have risen to the level of national laughingstock.  This team has looks flat and lifeless from the starting gate. Additionally, they've looked completely unprepared, from the rash of errors to start the year to absence of plate discipline and the rotation issues.

The canard of "it's never always just the manager's fault" misses the point of the undeniable issues of team preparation that the Big Intern has been unable to address month after month after month, culminating in a truly epic collapse.  If anyone can't see the short and long term effect of extending this toxic atmosphere past this September, I don't know what to tell you.

[rileyn]

TOM BOSWELL?  Is this the same Tom Boswell that famously tweeted that the Mets were done on the eve of our disastrous series in NY in the beginning of August?  Gimme a break.  His column on Williams is lazy because he continues to point out our total runs scored stat as if he completely ignores the games.  Our total runs get bloated by all of the 10+ run games we have, that then get followed up with several days of clunkers.  So yes, we get one win in a blowout and then lost the next night 2-1.  It all evens out.  He really needs to examine our situation hitting stats and runs scored in close ball games.