Fire Matt Williams! (2015) - Standard Decision.

[Gil1957]

I don't understand bringing in Storen in the first place.   Strasberg had thrown 103 pitches, but he struck out Cespedes both at bats.   What would have been the harm in leaving Strasburg in for one more batter?  Cespedes was all over Storen the previous night.  Storen has no confidence right now and you bring him in against the hottest hitter on the Mets?   Don't see it.

[wpa2629]

I don't understand bringing in Storen in the first place.   Strasberg had thrown 103 pitches, but he struck out Cespedes both at bats.   What would have been the harm in leaving Strasburg in for one more batter?  Cespedes was all over Storen the previous night.  Storen has no confidence right now and you bring him in against the hottest hitter on the Mets?   Don't see it.

Damned if you do ...

Stras had just given up a home run and a single and was coming off the DL

I don't mind pulling  him there, but I would have put someone else in too

[Gil1957]

I still would have let him face Cespedes.  He appeared to have his number, plus he looked more frustrated in the dugout than tired.   After the bullpen blowups, let Strasburg decide his fate for one more batter.

[wpa2629]

I still would have let him face Cespedes.  He appeared to have his number, plus he looked more frustrated in the dugout than tired.   After the bullpen blowups, let Strasburg decide his fate for one more batter.

I don't disagree with that either

[Gil1957]

As the Met announcers said, that Terry Collins is pushing all the right buttons and Matt Williams can't do anything right.   

[Gil1957]

I don't disagree with that either

It didn't even appear if Williams even talked to Strasburg.  He already had his mind made up before he went out to the mound.  You would think he would talk to Strasburg first, then decide.

[wpa2629]

It didn't even appear if Williams even talked to Strasburg.  He already had his mind made up before he went out to the mound.  You would think he would talk to Strasburg first, then decide.

Eh - what's a pitcher going to say? He's going to want to stay in no matter what. It is the manager's decision after all

It's just everything MW does these days back fires. So I don't think it would have mattered if he left him in or not at that point. Because if Stras or Storen doesn't give up the lead then, Pap probably does in the 9th -

[deeznatz]

Loverro and Sheehan were just RIPPING MW about last and putting a clearly shaken, ineffetcive Storen in there in that situation.

[mitlen]

To paraphrase Rizzo, "Baseball is results driven."    There ya go.   Easy decision.

[ExposFan87]

To paraphrase Rizzo, "Baseball is results driven."    There ya go.   Easy decision.

I agree. A strong vote of confidence for the 2014 NL Manager of the Year!

[rileyn]

Loverro and Sheehan were just RIPPING MW about last and putting a clearly shaken, ineffetcive Storen in there in that situation.

He was in to face the righty.  Standard Decision.  Chew gum chew gum chew gum chew gum chew gum

[whytev]

He was in to face the righty.  Standard Decision.  Chew gum chew gum chew gum chew gum chew gum

I would love to have had press credentials at that point.

"Did you know Cespedes has a career reverse platoon split, and that it is even more pronounced than ever this year?"

THAT is follow up question that would make him choke on his gum.

[DCFan]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/national-manager-matt-williams-is-under-scrutiny-as-season-unravels/2015/09/10/bc2dcb72-57e9-11e5-b8c9-944725fcd3b9_story.html

MW is under scrutiny. 

[HattoriHanzo]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/national-manager-matt-williams-is-under-scrutiny-as-season-unravels/2015/09/10/bc2dcb72-57e9-11e5-b8c9-944725fcd3b9_story.html

MW is under scrutiny. 

I'm thoroughly disgusted that it says Rizzo's job is safe.  He hired this turd, never got rid of Storen after the 1st and 2nd playoff chokes, and arrogantly thought players off the DL was going to cut it.  Alderson saw an opening and went for it and paid off.    Rizzo plays it too safe.   He has to make more moves even if it's risky ones. 

[ExposFan87]

I'm thoroughly disgusted that it says Rizzo's job is safe.  He hired this turd, never got rid of Storen after the 1st and 2nd playoff chokes, and arrogantly thought players off the DL was going to cut it.  Alderson saw an opening and went for it and paid off.    Rizzo plays it too safe.   He has to make more moves even if it's risky ones.

Rizzo gave 278 CAD to a single pitcher who, let's call a spade a spade, is disabled. It's a feel good story, for sure, but get me a pitcher who can see out of both eyes.

I think Rizzo's too much of a cowboy.

I would like to see us bring in someone who would play it safe.

Ruben Amaro is available. I don't know that we should get in on that bidding war but we should at least see if he'll interview.

[Kevrock]

Rizzo's job should be safe. He trades well, drafts well, builds good if not great rosters. They are flawed rosters in my opinion, really Davey inspired "starting pitcher and the three run home run" rosters but I'm hoping he will learn in the areas that he needs to learn.

You know people were calling for Sabean's head in San Fran back in the day, right? Even great GMs were once GMs that made mistakes and got better.

[NJ Ave]

Rizzo's job should be safe. He trades well, drafts well, builds good if not great rosters. They are flawed rosters in my opinion, really Davey inspired "starting pitcher and the three run home run" rosters but I'm hoping he will learn in the areas that he needs to learn.

You know people were calling for Sabean's head in San Fran back in the day, right? Even great GMs were once GMs that made mistakes and got better.

Exactly. What are the chances of getting a better GM, vs. getting a similar GM, vs. getting a worse GM - honestly, if you look around the league?

Maybe a 10% chance of getting a better one, 30% chance of getting a similar one, and 60% chance of getting a worse one?

Remember that Mike Rizzo was a STAN KASTEN hire - we have no guarantee that just because the owners got lucky with Mike Rizzo that they'd be lucky with their next GM hire. There are better franchises than us that strike gold and make the mistake of thinking they can do it again (cough-Boston-cough).

[PC]

Rizzo has made the same or similar mistakes multiple times and Rizzo has bizarre...pathologies that are disturbing.

He, and by extension the organization, stresses run prevention so offense has always been neglected.  It's even more a problem now since pitching around baseball is so dominant, EVERYBODY prevents runs.  You've got to be able to score runs and Rizzo has shown no ability to lead an organization that stresses offense.

And his pathologies...his obsession with people/players he worked with in Arizona.  His inability to cut bait on players who have spectacularly failed, sometimes to the detriment of the team.  His "reluctance" to admit he's made mistakes.  That's the big one.  He's going to have to admit he made A LOT of mistakes when he builds the 2016 roster and I don't think he's capable.

[DCFan]

Rizzo's job should be safe. He trades well, drafts well, builds good if not great rosters.

When you assemble a starting pitching staff that was touted as "historic" by many of the so called experts, that is something to celebrate (which we all did and were ecstatic about last winter). But when most of the team plays below expectations that smacks of players turning on their manager and is why we now see that he's under scrutiny (finally). 

[ExposFan87]

When you assemble a starting pitching staff that was touted as "historic" by many of the so called experts, that is something to celebrate (which we all did and were ecstatic about last winter). But when most of the team plays below expectations that smacks of players turning on their manager and is why we now see that he's under scrutiny (finally). 

In Canada we have a saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't teach it how to swim.

[Kevrock]

And his pathologies...his obsession with people/players he worked with in Arizona.  His inability to cut bait on players who have spectacularly failed, sometimes to the detriment of the team.  His "reluctance" to admit he's made mistakes.  That's the big one.  He's going to have to admit he made A LOT of mistakes when he builds the 2016 roster and I don't think he's capable.

I would hope the failures of the 2015 Nats are so spectacular it's impossible to not see.

[HattoriHanzo]

The blue jays gm might be available and would be my #1 choice to replace Rizzo.  He identified needs and filled them.  Rizzo really didn't do crap at the deadline and the nats are now out of the playoff hunt.   Rizzo should have known that Span was hurting badly and gone after an OF bat.   Span even hinted that him playing was a longshot but wanted to try.   Either the nats medical staff failed to identify the severity of Span's injury or Rizzo did what he did all season and thought everyone on the DL would be find and could contribute after they recovered and he failed miserably by gambling with the guys coming off the DL.  Span, Werth, and Ryan Zimmerman have contributed so little this season.   If only the nats could be rid of their brutal contracts and replaced with younger and better options.

[whytev]

The blue jays gm might be available and would be my #1 choice to replace Rizzo.  He identified needs and filled them.  Rizzo really didn't do crap at the deadline and the nats are now out of the playoff hunt.   Rizzo should have known that Span was hurting badly and gone after an OF bat.   Span even hinted that him playing was a longshot but wanted to try.   Either the nats medical staff failed to identify the severity of Span's injury or Rizzo did what he did all season and thought everyone on the DL would be find and could contribute after they recovered and he failed miserably by gambling with the guys coming off the DL.  Span, Werth, and Ryan Zimmerman have contributed so little this season.   If only the nats could be rid of their brutal contracts and replaced with younger and better options.

He was also given a blank cheque by the biggest cell phone/cable company in Canada.  Rogers makes the Lerners look poor.

[HalfSmokes]

And the least attractive market in baseball for any American player

[NJ Ave]

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.