Fire Matt Williams! (2015) - Standard Decision.

[mitlen]

By his quotes it was patently obvious he'd learned nothing and believed 100% that he had made the right decisions, and things just didn't pan out. The guy is mentally incapable of actually thinking metacognitively, he's got a brick up there, a stubborn, rote, 1 highway brain that fixates on a plan and never deviates regardless of result.

Until Wlliams was fired, you could have been describing Rizzo.

[Minty Fresh]

It's funny reading that last bit about Williams, "If he becomes more flexible...[ and learns from his mistakes yada yada...]. In our hand wringing thread from last year's choke job I and I imagine many others noted that Williams was anything but flexible, or open minded about the mistakes he made that cost the team so badly in last years playoffs. By his quotes it was patently obvious he'd learned nothing and believed 100% that he had made the right decisions, and things just didn't pan out. The guy is mentally incapable of actually thinking metacognitively, he's got a brick up there, a stubborn, rote, 1 highway brain that fixates on a plan and never deviates regardless of result.

That's the definition of a guy who isn't going to learn squat or ever become flexible. He was a monstrously bad hire considering how blatantly obvious these character traits are in any and every post-game interview, how in the hell someone like Rizzo could have missed this is beyond me, but regardless, he isn't learning squat, or getting flexibile, and I'd be absolutely stunned if anyone is ever stupid enough to hire him again. The fact that he won manager of the year, btw, is just a hilarious indictment of all "..of the year" awards.

All characteristics outlined when we hired him as the reason he won't make a good manager.

[HalfSmokes]

Built one of the best farm systems in baseball collectively since 2009.

It's amazing what 2 number 1 overall picks will do to a farm system

[Natsinpwc]

http://deadspin.com/bruce-bochy-was-giddily-incredulous-with-how-matt-wil-1734822678

[imref]

http://deadspin.com/bruce-bochy-was-giddily-incredulous-with-how-matt-wil-1734822678

you've got the previous page on ignore.

[Natsinpwc]

you've got the previous page on ignore.

Sorry. I looked back but just the first page. Good read.

[tomterp]

Built one of the best farm systems in baseball collectively since 2009.

Yeah, but the rules have changed.  No longer can Rizzo sign an injured player for far more than the "slot" would permit.  The slot system handcuffs the Nats from their most singular draft advantage, the willingness to draft and sign aggressively and pay plenty to do it.  It's eliminated much of the creativity involved and I'm not so sure the Nats have any advantage anymore.

[HalfSmokes]

the nat's biggest advantage was high picks, Harper 1, Stras 1, Rendon 6, and Giolito 16th, are the most touted prospects to pass through our system under Rizzo. Unless the team starts sucking again, those picks won't happen any more. It's much harder to get talent later in the draft (that's the draft doing what it's designed to do) and the nats aren't a huge player internationally. Rizzo will keep on infusing talent though trades, but, unless the team starts sucking again, I wouldn't expect a top far anytime soon

[varoadking]

the nat's biggest advantage was high picks, Harper 1, Stras 1, Rendon 6, and Giolito 16th, are the most touted prospects to pass through our system under Rizzo. Unless the team starts sucking again, those picks won't happen any more. It's much harder to get talent later in the draft (that's the draft doing what it's designed to do) and the nats aren't a huge player internationally. Rizzo will keep on infusing talent though trades, but, unless the team starts sucking again, I wouldn't expect a top far anytime soon

Don't forget Storen @ #10... 

[dracnal]

Everyone has forgotten the single most salient question regarding MW. Now that he no longer has a job, is it the right time to do the Babe Ruth impersonation?

[whytev]

the nat's biggest advantage was high picks, Harper 1, Stras 1, Rendon 6, and Giolito 16th, are the most touted prospects to pass through our system under Rizzo. Unless the team starts sucking again, those picks won't happen any more. It's much harder to get talent later in the draft (that's the draft doing what it's designed to do) and the nats aren't a huge player internationally. Rizzo will keep on infusing talent though trades, but, unless the team starts sucking again, I wouldn't expect a top far anytime soon

Aren't we picking about 16th this year, unless we sign someone?

[HalfSmokes]

 lI thought we were spending our way back into the post season

[MarquisDeSade]

lI thought we were spending our way back into the post season

If only we had that MASN money, imagine how bad of a team we could assemble.

[stoneghost28]

It's amazing what 2 number 1 overall picks will do to a farm system

Trea Turner
Joe Ross
Norris
AJ Cole
D. Espinoza
W. Ramos
Reynaldo Lopez
Felipe Rivero
S. Solis
A. Rendon
Wilmer Difo
M. Skole
B. Goodwin
M. Taylor

Former Prospects traded:
Zach Walters
Robbie Ray
Nate Karns
S. Souza
Alex Meyer
S. Lombardozzi
Norris
B. Peacock
T. Milone


and this is just a half-arsed 5 minute recall search, it's all well and good to pretend that the farm was just Stras and Harper, but the truth is quite different, we got very lucky to land those two #1's, but Rizzo wasn't sitting on his hands after that good fortune. He has landed a ton of outstanding prospects since (many think Giolito will be a better pitcher than Stras if he stays healthy for instance), and parlayed others into veteran assets, or other young assets as well, and happily we haven't appeared to have come out on the wrong end of trades when he's sent prospects out (suggesting he knows which one's to keep-though I continue to worry about Meyer's value if he can develop enough control/command to be a starter).

Let's put it this way, the big league club fields a roster loaded with young talent (Espinoza, Turner, Rendon, Taylor, Harper, maybe Ramos if he ever gets his swing back), the pitching staff features young in house developed quality in Ross, Roark, and Stras, and waiting back in the minors are AJ Cole, Reynaldo Lopez, Giolito, and possibly Fedde as well. Need to develop more positional players, but it aint too bad to have five or six positional players that are in that 22-28 area).

[HalfSmokes]

That's a nice list of players, most of whom are nothing special, but it's nice you consider Espinosa and Ramos to be young talent

[MarquisDeSade]

Who's this Norris guy?

[mitlen]

Who's this Norris guy?

Walker, Texas Ranger

[BrandonK]

Karns and Norris ended up panning out, but the rest of the list is garbage. Meyer had an awful season.

[MarquisDeSade]

Karns and Norris ended up panning out, but the rest of the list is garbage. Meyer had an awful season.

I'm still confused, is he talking about Derek Norris?  He's on the list twice.

[BrandonK]

I'm still confused, is he talking about Derek Norris?  He's on the list twice.

I'd assume so. Can't think of a current Norris in the system.

[MarquisDeSade]

Meyer had an awful season.

I can't remember which of the Twins radio guys it was (they both sound alike) but they were talking the other day on the pre-game about how bad Meyer looked this season (a rare feat for those guys) and how this might be another in the long line of pitcher busts for them. 

[Slateman]

It's amazing what 2 number 1 overall picks will do to a farm system

Give you two players who haven't been relevant to the farm system since 2011?

[Slateman]

Karns and Norris ended up panning out, but the rest of the list is garbage. Meyer had an awful season.

Karns is a number 4, maybe a 3. Norris is the short side of a first base platoon bat.

I can't remember which of the Twins radio guys it was (they both sound alike) but they were talking the other day on the pre-game about how bad Meyer looked this season (a rare feat for those guys) and how this might be another in the long line of pitcher busts for them. 

They're converting him to a reliever. Bust.

[imref]

I'm really surprised that Meyer didn't pan out. He was a beast at Potomac.

[madj55]

The Natidude ‏@TheNatidude  2h2 hours ago
Matt Williams would have sent the Gatorade jug back out. "He's our cooler."