Fire Matt Williams! (2015) - Standard Decision.

[Kevrock]

How many at bats did the Mets have against Papelbon and Storen?

[Wheat]

Williams had a really bad weekend. I want to keep thinking that he's still green in a few areas here. But I'm also wondering about his support staff. You coaches all over. There isn't one who has his ear and says "Matt, this isn't a good idea." Maybe there are guys who are saying "Stick with this guy here, he's ready..." and being totally wrong. We don't know. Nobody is going to be fired during the season. That much is sure. Hard road trip. Awful weekend. Tied for 1st place. Not 5 games out of 1st. Tied for 1st.

Doesn't mean there aren't young and hungry coaches out there who are up-and-comers who should get a shot if some of the older guys aren't getting their job done.

[PebbleBall]

Williams had a really bad weekend. I want to keep thinking that he's still green in a few areas here. But I'm also wondering about his support staff. You coaches all over. There isn't one who has his ear and says "Matt, this isn't a good idea." Maybe there are guys who are saying "Stick with this guy here, he's ready..." and being totally wrong. We don't know. Nobody is going to be fired during the season. That much is sure. Hard road trip. Awful weekend. Tied for 1st place. Not 5 games out of 1st. Tied for 1st.

Did anybody catch the moment when it looked like Williams and McCatty were arguing?  In Friday's game, maybe?

[DCFan]

If the Nats don't even make it past the first round Matt will be fired.

If the Nats don't make the playoffs he'll get crap-canned at season's end.  If they make the playoffs he'll be retained even if they get bounced in the first round.

[Optics]

I'm getting an Adam Oates like feel from Matt Williams. Oates in his first year made the playoffs, losing to the Rangers in 7 games. In year 2 the Caps fell apart and missed the playoffs, with Oates terrible coaching the primary reason. The parallels are similar, former star player turned coach/manager who simply doesn't have a feel for the game from a strategic sense.

[Natsinpwc]

I'm getting an Adam Oates like feel from Matt Williams. Oates in his first year made the playoffs, losing to the Rangers in 7 games. In year 2 the Caps fell apart and missed the playoffs, with Oates terrible coaching the primary reason. The parallels are similar, former star player turned coach/manager who simply doesn't have a feel for the game from a strategic sense.

Sounds like a good analogy. Hope you are wrong. Best thing might end up being miss the playoffs this year and get a better manager for next. And beyond.

[Kevrock]

Williams had a really bad weekend. I want to keep thinking that he's still green in a few areas here. But I'm also wondering about his support staff. You coaches all over. There isn't one who has his ear and says "Matt, this isn't a good idea." Maybe there are guys who are saying "Stick with this guy here, he's ready..." and being totally wrong. We don't know. Nobody is going to be fired during the season. That much is sure. Hard road trip. Awful weekend. Tied for 1st place. Not 5 games out of 1st. Tied for 1st.

Doesn't mean there aren't young and hungry coaches out there who are up-and-comers who should get a shot if some of the older guys aren't getting their job done.

Actually I hope they don't try and throw McCatty or some other assistants under this bus this offseason.

[DCFan]

Actually I hope they don't try and throw McCatty or some other assistants under this bus this offseason.

He'd be the first to go, all that historic pitching staff and other rot that was anything but.

[Ray D]

Danny Espinosa had one at-bat in the Mets series

Sweet managing!

It's inexcusable that Desmond plays ahead of Espinosa, but do we really know who is calling that shot?

[varoadking]

I honestly think this is Williams' last season.  The Lerners won't pick up his option when they can hire another disposable manager

They already picked up his 2016 option...before this season started...

[PebbleBall]

They already picked up his 2016 option...before this season started...

Well crap, you were right then.

[Slateman]

He'd be the first to go, all that historic pitching staff and other rot that was anything but.

Yep. At some point, you have to question McCatty. Strasburg was supposed to be elite by now. Jordan Zimmermann has somehow regressed this season. Gio Gonzalez is all over the place. And the pen is worse than it was in 2012.

[mmzznnxx]

No one could fix Gio. He's just an overrated scrub, that's not McCatty's fault.

[Slateman]

No one could fix Gio. He's just an overrated scrub, that's not McCatty's fault.

Seemed great in 2012. He's not overrated. He's just inconsistent.

[Kevrock]

I have a long memory, I remember what our pitching strategy and pitch selection was like before McCatty.

However, that wasn't a pro-McCatty post really, I just don't want them scapegoating assistants in lieu of making tougher decisions.

[Slateman]

I have a long memory, I remember what our pitching strategy and pitch selection was like before McCatty.

However, that wasn't a pro-McCatty post really, I just don't want them scapegoating assistants in lieu of making tougher decisions.

I agree, however, I don't think Rizzo is going to fire his boy. Not unless the Lerners make him.

[stoneghost28]

how many managers does he get to blame before people look at his roster construction?

The roster and organization are regarded universally as amongst the very best in baseball the past five years. Why in heck would anyone point at him? Heck even the playoff failures, and current failure have zilch to do with Rizzo.

'12-Colossal choke job against Cards.
'14-Williams Clown Car Manager while Bochy owns him in a series where Williams had repeated opportunities to get things right and always made wrong choice.
'15-injuries and Williams stupidity have hurt us big time.

Rizzo owns everybody in trades, has one of the best collections of scouts/drafts in MLB, and has a team that blends veteran depth, with in prime guys, and youth, even has great pitchers in minors to fill holes at Zim, Fister and possibly Strass leave.

Rizzo is the last guy to blame.

Would think we wouldn't get spoiled so soon by his work as GM, but apparently so. Seriously, we've seen some horrific management decisions by prior Expos/Nationals GM's over the years and in general. Looking around the league the GM's who've done a better job drafting/developing/and making trades around the league can be counted with 1 or 2 fingers, if that.

What's gone wrong has to do with mental make up of certain players, and incompetent management, mixed with some injuries. The team is built so well they could continue to seriously contend, if they did absolutely nothing with FA's, for the next 3-4 years no problem. That's a well built team.

Don't mistake Williams being a block head, "Mongo" idiot, with Rizzo being a seriously flawed architect of organizations. Until Mcloughan arrived (and I detested his first, horrific draft), Rizzo was the only GM in town of actual quality, and luckily, he's not just quality, he's superb, I just wish he was a bit more trusting of the numbers, and a little less instinctive, and didn't have a soft spot for work hard/tough/blockhead morons like Williams).

[stoneghost28]

Williams had a really bad weekend. I want to keep thinking that he's still green in a few areas here. But I'm also wondering about his support staff. You coaches all over. There isn't one who has his ear and says "Matt, this isn't a good idea." Maybe there are guys who are saying "Stick with this guy here, he's ready..." and being totally wrong. We don't know. Nobody is going to be fired during the season. That much is sure. Hard road trip. Awful weekend. Tied for 1st place. Not 5 games out of 1st. Tied for 1st.

Doesn't mean there aren't young and hungry coaches out there who are up-and-comers who should get a shot if some of the older guys aren't getting their job done.

The thing I find so personally frustrating is that MLB managers have a miniscule impact on what happens on the field next to coaches in sports like the NFL/NHL/Soccer etc, but there are a few areas where they can help or hurt you, and it's patently obvious that Williams is one where the only boxes he can actually tick for impact, he ALWAYS gets wrong, whereas a guy like Bochy, or Davey Johnson are guys that nearly always would get them right. His only job is to get things right like flexible and innovative thinking, spotting trends, nuance, match ups, etc, and instead, he's a dunderhead staring at his scratch and sniff pitch count card. As another poster once said of Ernie Grunfeld, he plays checkers, and loses, while his opposing manager is consistently playing chess, and winning.

[HalfSmokes]

Seemed great in 2012. He's not overrated. He's just inconsistent.

pitchers age, especially when their dad has to find a new doctor. The bullpen sucks because it's full of terrible pitchers Williams likes to use and good pitchers he doesn't

[stoneghost28]

Seemed great in 2012. He's not overrated. He's just inconsistent.

good stuff, poor command. It's a recipe for an inconsistent pitcher. Shouldn't be resigned after this deal ends, we have cheaper options coming up who could be better. Lopez, and Giolito, possibly more could be ready to step in for him by '17. I don't want to pay what he'll want then, much wiser to use money saved from getting younger and losing Zim/Fister/Desi and possibly Stras to resign Harper for his prime, but right now he's on a solid deal for what he offers. Just not a guy you want to trust in a big spot due to that awful command/not knowing what you'll get game to game. Definitely not a playoff starter.

[HalfSmokes]

What's gone wrong has to do with mental make up of certain players, and incompetent management, mixed with some injuries. The team is built so well they could continue to seriously contend, if they did absolutely nothing with FA's, for the next 3-4 years no problem. That's a well built team.

Don't mistake Williams being a block head, "Mongo" idiot, with Rizzo being a seriously flawed architect of organizations. Until Mcloughan arrived (and I detested his first, horrific draft), Rizzo was the only GM in town of actual quality, and luckily, he's not just quality, he's superb, I just wish he was a bit more trusting of the numbers, and a little less instinctive, and didn't have a soft spot for work hard/tough/blockhead morons like Williams).

who assembled the team and who hired then extended Williams?

[Five Banners]

Sounds like a good analogy. Hope you are wrong. Best thing might end up being miss the playoffs this year and get a better manager for next. And beyond.

I think the best thing would be change now to hope to salvage the season rather than let him drive it into the ground

[DCFan]

I think the best thing would be change now to hope to salvage the season rather than let him drive it into the ground

Let Knorr finish out the season, I like it!

 

[stoneghost28]

who assembled the team and who hired then extended Williams?

I can live with Rizzo in charge for the rest of my life if he keeps assembling rosters of this quality, and depth all the way down to 18 year olds as he has done without a second thought. As a team builder he's virtually peerless in the league. Topping top down through the organization. You do realize he just traded an unproven 4th outfielder for a top 15 prospect, and a legit Major League Starter in Ross, and that's just one of an oil tanker full of quality trades, and draft picks he's made since taking over.

We can overcome Williams, and the stupidity of his signing, hell I can even live with it, if Rizzo is running the show because I know he can fill an org with quality youth via trades and the draft even when we're picking dead last in june, and supposedly lack prospects/players for deals. Consider the paltry haul the Phils got for Hamels considering what they wanted, compared to what we got for Souza. That's all you need to know.

Williams-agreed, he's mongo.

Rizzo-he's built a team much like the cardinals that's great in the majors, and great to the very bottom of the minors as well, reloading as needed. Not the results of the Cards yet obviously, but that wasn't Rizzo's fault, he put the team in position, the manager and the players were needed to do the rest.

[mmzznnxx]

I can live with Rizzo in charge for the rest of my life if he keeps assembling rosters of this quality, and depth all the way down to 18 year olds as he has done without a second thought. As a team builder he's virtually peerless in the league. Topping top down through the organization. You do realize he just traded an unproven 4th outfielder for a top 15 prospect, and a legit Major League Starter in Ross, and that's just one of an oil tanker full of quality trades, and draft picks he's made since taking over.

We can overcome Williams, and the stupidity of his signing, hell I can even live with it, if Rizzo is running the show because I know he can fill an org with quality youth via trades and the draft even when we're picking dead last in june, and supposedly lack prospects/players for deals. Consider the paltry haul the Phils got for Hamels considering what they wanted, compared to what we got for Souza. That's all you need to know.

Williams-agreed, he's mongo.

Rizzo-he's built a team much like the cardinals that's great in the majors, and great to the very bottom of the minors as well, reloading as needed. Not the results of the Cards yet obviously, but that wasn't Rizzo's fault, he put the team in position, the manager and the players were needed to do the rest.

Elle oh freaking elle. There's a difference between the Nats and the Cardinals, can you see it? I don't want to spoil it.

Rizzo is freaking crap. If this is the payoff for all those years of building then I freaking pass.