PB69 presents "Fire Dave Martinez" (2018)

[Greg_SRT]

I have no idea. Maybe Rizzo told him to. Maybe he was worried about the chemistry in the clubhouse (which he seemed to have a decent handle on). Maybe he decided that Werth would revert to his mean. But no one on the team that wasn't named Michael Taylor hit for crap. And Werth went 2-4 in game 5.

If the team hits even close to how they did in the regular season they win that series. They didn't and lost. Seems silly to blame it all on the manager.

Agreed. Although I think it could have went deeper.

Winning the division was the goal. The team expected to be good. So doing so was kind of no accomplishment. Wrong thinking imo. Nothing is just handed to you.

However when you take over a team expected to win, winning doesn't go in the good things you did column unfortunately.

And the mistakes you make go into the you suck column.

Dusty's age was a factor. When people question your mental strength, don't forget the names of your players... not your star players.

When they went into the NLDS, I didn't think Dusty had to win to stay. When you freaked up the Stras comments and started rumors of Stras toughness and character, I knew he would be gone it they didn't win.

[dcpatti]

If the team hits even close to how they did in the regular season they win that series. They didn't and lost. Seems silly to blame it all on the manager.

They hit exactly how they hit in the second half of the regular season: streaky, unpredictable, often underwhelming.

[HalfSmokes]

I have no idea. Maybe Rizzo told him to. Maybe he was worried about the chemistry in the clubhouse (which he seemed to have a decent handle on). Maybe he decided that Werth would revert to his mean. But no one on the team that wasn't named Michael Taylor hit for crap. And Werth went 2-4 in game 5.

If the team hits even close to how they did in the regular season they win that series. They didn't and lost. Seems silly to blame it all on the manager.

so we don't blame the dusty when they can't hit in the playoffs, but it's martinez's fault they can't hit in the regular season.

[bluestreak]

so we don't blame the dusty when they can't hit in the playoffs, but it's martinez's fault they can't hit in the regular season.

no, as i said in my previous post, i am just calling out the inconsistency, i honestly have no idea if Dave will be a good manager. his clubhouse management doesn't seem to be good though....

[HalfSmokes]

no, as i said in my previous post, i am just calling out the inconsistency, i honestly have no idea if Dave will be a good manager. his clubhouse management doesn't seem to be good though....

I just reread your original comments- I don’t see the inconsistency. I don’t think anyone is saying Martinez is doing a good job, at best some people are saying wait and see, most people seem to think he’s failing pretty spectacularly

[Ray D]

We put a lot of emphasis on running out easy plays to first.  If Harper hits like he does in 2015, he can crab walk to first base as far as I'm concerned.  I'm not sure that there is any correlation to jogging to first and playing well where it counts.  Usually the jogging is more of a symptom of pouting or frustration about things not going well at the plate vs not trying.  The pouting or frustration is what needs to be addressed as it is probably negatively affecting performance.  Benching a guy until he runs hard to first isn't really addressing the root cause.

I agree, bad example (though it  seems to be the standard example).   There are plenty of valid examples though. Runner at third, one out, close game, two strikes on the batter and he swings like Desmond, rather than shortening up and trying to score the run. That's when a good manager steps in and has a talkin'-to with the batter.  Some say the veteran players should step in and take the guy aside. Ok, but they aren't doing it, and it's the manager's job to set the tone so they do.

[UMDNats]

I agree, bad example (though it  seems to be the standard example).   There are plenty of valid examples though. Runner at third, one out, close game, two strikes on the batter and he swings like Desmond, rather than shortening up and trying to score the run. That's when a good manager steps in and has a talkin'-to with the batter.  Some say the veteran players should step in and take the guy aside. Ok, but they aren't doing it, and it's the manager's job to set the tone so they do.

Do we know he's not doing this? The players are the ones holding the bats, they could just do whatever they want. Martinez can tell the guys "shorten up and try to score the run" but then our MVP chases a ball out of the zone and the inning is over. You can say "he doesn't respect Davey if he ignores him!" but players are humans and have tendencies and traits and everything. It is all easier said than done. I have no doubt Long is hammering home to our guys every day to focus on advancing runners and getting runs in.

Honestly I think the offense is in decent shape since the ASB overall (lineup looks good & deep), the rotation is stabilizing for the time being, it's just a matter of winning the freaking games now. The Marlins series pisses me off because the last 2 games could have been easily won.

[Ray D]

You can say "he doesn't respect Davey if he ignores him!" but players are humans and have tendencies and traits and everything.

Well a big part of the manager's job is to earn the players' respect.  If they don't, it's a failure.  Dusty had no problem earning respect.

I have no doubt Long is hammering home to our guys every day to focus on advancing runners and getting runs in.

I'm not so sure.  Story is, Long is the one who pushed launch angle, which is aimed at getting more homeruns (at the cost of more strikeouts and less contact).

[dcpatti]

I'm not so sure.  Story is, Long is the one who pushed launch angle, which is aimed at getting more homeruns (at the cost of more strikeouts and less contact).

From WaPo:

“I think I’m a little misconstrued as far as hitting the ball in the air. If that were the case, we’d lead baseball in flyball percentage, and it’s not even close,” said Long, whose team entered Friday with the 25th lowest flyball ratio out of 30 teams.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2018/07/07/its-a-struggle-to-be-honest-with-you-kevin-long-on-the-quest-to-turn-around-the-nats-offense/?utm_term=.323466b90c4b

[UMDNats]

Well a big part of the manager's job is to earn the players' respect.  If they don't, it's a failure.  Dusty had no problem earning respect.

I'm not so sure.  Story is, Long is the one who pushed launch angle, which is aimed at getting more homeruns (at the cost of more strikeouts and less contact).

That doesn't mean he's telling guys to swing for the fences every single at-bat or telling them to ignore situational hitting. Our walk and strikeout rates are fine.

[Greg_SRT]

Well a big part of the manager's job is to earn the players' respect.  If they don't, it's a failure.  Dusty had no problem earning respect.

I'm not so sure.  Story is, Long is the one who pushed launch angle, which is aimed at getting more homeruns (at the cost of more strikeouts and less contact).

No that's not true.

Long preaches (as well as Murphy and others) that if you can hit line drives and it's over the infield, then you have a better chance not being out.

Yes more home runs are a by product. But hitting the ball hard at a 25 degree launch angle will result in being on base more.

The goal is to not hit grounders or fly balls really. Not in the common meaning of what a fly ball is. If you hit the ball with solid contact and around 25 degree launch angle, you ain't hitting grounders or routine fly balls.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

You don't really add much to the discussion do you.

In my opinion he did the board a service by pointing out your crappy posting style.  Of course you can't be bothered to take criticism, though.

[catocony]

My suspicion since spring training - when I heard a little chatter around the back fields - is that Long isn't wrong.  Its just that, when trying to change dozens of guys' swings at the same time, you're bound to have problems.  If you've been taught to swing flat and hard since you were in t-ball league, and now you're doing more of a softball swing, that's a big mechanical adjustment for any player.  With everyone going through the adjustment at the same time, I can see how you would have stretches of no one hitting the ball well.

[bluestreak]

My suspicion since spring training - when I heard a little chatter around the back fields - is that Long isn't wrong.  Its just that, when trying to change dozens of guys' swings at the same time, you're bound to have problems.  If you've been taught to swing flat and hard since you were in t-ball league, and now you're doing more of a softball swing, that's a big mechanical adjustment for any player.  With everyone going through the adjustment at the same time, I can see how you would have stretches of no one hitting the ball well.

I think some players have been intimating this. For example Taylor said it was hard to get all the moving pieces of his swing together based on Long's instruction, and he didn't put everything together until June.

[imref]

tonight's lineup:

NATIONALS
RF Adam Eaton
SS Trea Turner
3B Anthony Rendon
CF Bryce Harper
LF Juan Soto
2B Daniel Murphy
1B Ryan Zimmerman
C Matt Wieters
LHP Gio Gonzalez

It took Davey half a freaking season, but he's finally putting intelligent lineups together.

[mitlen]

tonight's lineup:

NATIONALS
RF Adam Eaton
SS Trea Turner
3B Anthony Rendon
CF Bryce Harper
LF Juan Soto
2B Daniel Murphy
1B Ryan Zimmerman
C Matt Wieters
LHP Gio Gonzalez

It took Davey half a freaking season, but he's finally putting intelligent lineups together.

He's got more pieces play with now  ...  not sayin' I don't agree with your comment.

[Natsinpwc]

tonight's lineup:

NATIONALS
RF Adam Eaton
SS Trea Turner
3B Anthony Rendon
CF Bryce Harper
LF Juan Soto
2B Daniel Murphy
1B Ryan Zimmerman
C Matt Wieters
LHP Gio Gonzalez

It took Davey half a freaking season, but he's finally putting intelligent lineups together.

They've trotted similar lineups out there many times this year. Everything looks better now that Harper is hitting and Murphy is hot.  They are the difference makers.

[varoadking]

Finally...Zimm in the 7 hole...

[imref]

They've trotted similar lineups out there many times this year. Everything looks better now that Harper is hitting and Murphy is hot.  They are the difference makers.

I'm impressed that he moved Zimmerman down. 

[mitlen]

Finally...Zimm in the 7 hole...

I'm impressed that he moved Zimmerman down. 

Good call

[nfotiu]

tonight's lineup:

NATIONALS
RF Adam Eaton
SS Trea Turner
3B Anthony Rendon
CF Bryce Harper
LF Juan Soto
2B Daniel Murphy
1B Ryan Zimmerman
C Matt Wieters
LHP Gio Gonzalez

It took Davey half a freaking season, but he's finally putting intelligent lineups together.

That's a decidedly not LRLR lineup!

I don't mind the lineup.  I do wish he'd stick to a somewhat stable one though instead of something completely different every day.

[GburgNatsFan]

Especially now that he's smokin' hot.

Good call

[mitlen]

Especially now that he's smokin' hot.

Compared to:

3B Anthony Rendon
CF Bryce Harper
LF Juan Soto
2B Daniel Murphy

Good luck with that.     

[Ray D]

In my opinion he did the board a service by pointing out your crappy posting style. 

You're still bitter?  Because I called you out, for being probably the biggest jerk on this forum?  That was months  ago. Get over it already.

[varoadking]