PB69 presents "Fire Dave Martinez" (2018)

[PowerBoater69]

I guess we're also going to ignore Bryce struggling in September and October of 2017 too.

From May 1 to July 31 (3 months), Bryce Harper hit .220   /.370/.367. That seems like struggling to me.

When he came back from the knee injury? Rough standard to count that against him.

Harper was swinging for the upper deck in 2016 and struggled, he improved when he was convinced to swing for contact. Same thing repeated this season. Harper kept trying to hit into the shift and kept swinging for power, since the ASG he started taking easy doubles to the left and his numbers jumped.

[imref]

Dusty got fired because he insisted on batting a guy second who could barely make contact, and because of a number of other questionable calls (remember taking Scherzer out after losing his no hitter in game 3?).  His playoff game management is what cost him his job.

Ironically Baker's biggest mistakes in the playoffs came from playing the "lefty must pitch to a lefty" game instead of looking at the data showing that some of his RHP's were better against lefties than his LHP's.

to add:
6 worst post season managerial decisions:

https://www.12up.com/posts/3906391-6-worst-postseason-managerial-decisions-in-recent-history

Baker owns 5 & 6, both were before he came to D.C.

[UMDNats]

Internally, it was a mess. They'd just had the star player get choked out on live TV in a game, and then have the one who committed the assault go back out on the field. Internally, and team cohesion-wise, the team was a mess.

Talent wise, the team was damn elite. Again, some revisionist history, but Dusty isn't entirely wrong on this.

And maybe he's talking about historically? Martinez and Cora a rookie managers. Dave Roberts was hired in 2015.

It's just rich that the guy talks about how unfair it is for minorities to take over crappy teams when usually crappy teams hire new managers and the fact that the guy took over a totally loaded roster. Dusty didn't need to develop young players or build a roster like he's talking about.

[Slateman]

When he came back from the knee injury? Rough standard to count that against him.

Harper was swinging for the upper deck in 2016 and struggled, he improved when he was convinced to swing for contact. Same thing repeated this season. Harper kept trying to hit into the shift and kept swinging for power, since the ASG he started taking easy doubles to the left and his numbers jumped.

We were told he was back. His struggles continued through July 2018. Not counting the playoffs, he hit .220/.366/.464. I mean, this is okay, but not really what we would expect from Bryce Harper.

[PowerBoater69]

We were told he was back. His struggles continued through July 2018. Not counting the playoffs, he hit .220/.366/.464. I mean, this is okay, but not really what we would expect from Bryce Harper.

The end of 2017 he manned up and played with what must have been a lot of pain. 2018 he reverted back to bad habits.

[Slateman]

The end of 2017 he manned up and played with what must have been a lot of pain. 2018 he reverted back to bad habits.

"Reverted to bad habits"

If that's what you want to call trying to hit 50 homers in a contract year, at the expense of the team and despite what the coaching staff and other players were telling him what to do, okay.

Bad habits in 2014. Bad habits in 2016. Bad habits in 2018. Trying to figure out how this is Martinez fault

[DCFan]

Dusty got fired because he insisted on batting a guy second who could barely make contact, and because of a number of other questionable calls (remember taking Scherzer out after losing his no hitter in game 3?).  His playoff game management is what cost him his job.

 

[PowerBoater69]

"Reverted to bad habits"

If that's what you want to call trying to hit 50 homers in a contract year, at the expense of the team and despite what the coaching staff and other players were telling him what to do, okay.

Bad habits in 2014. Bad habits in 2016. Bad habits in 2018. Trying to figure out how this is Martinez fault

Well that was Baker's quote, not mine, and I think that recent performance has changed things, but Baker considered Harper pre injury 2017 to be significantly better than preASG 2018 and he takes credit for that. His claim has some merit.

[blue911]

Dusty got fired because he insisted on batting a guy second who could barely make contact, and because of a number of other questionable calls (remember taking Scherzer out after losing his no hitter in game 3?).  His playoff game management is what cost him his job.

Ironically Baker's biggest mistakes in the playoffs came from playing the "lefty must pitch to a lefty" game instead of looking at the data showing that some of his RHP's were better against lefties than his LHP's.

to add:
6 worst post season managerial decisions:

https://www.12up.com/posts/3906391-6-worst-postseason-managerial-decisions-in-recent-history

Baker owns 5 & 6, both were before he came to D.C.

Baker also said ownership wanted to dump Werth. If that's true and Baker stuck with him in the NLDS, then he should've known the only outcome was to find a different manager. You can't bite the hand that feeds you then expect a pat on the head from same said hand.

[Slateman]

Well that was Baker's quote, not mine, and I think that recent performance has changed things, but Baker considered Harper pre injury 2017 to be significantly better than preASG 2018 and he takes credit for that. His claim has some merit.

Oh sure, yes, MVP Harper is better than crappy Harper.

That Baker had anything to do with either is stupidity. Harper hit like crap for three months in 2016. So is Dusty responsible for that?

[varoadking]

Dusty got fired because he insisted on batting a guy second who could barely make contact, and because of a number of other questionable calls (remember taking Scherzer out after losing his no hitter in game 3?).  His playoff game management is what cost him his job.

Ironically Baker's biggest mistakes in the playoffs came from playing the "lefty must pitch to a lefty" game instead of looking at the data showing that some of his RHP's were better against lefties than his LHP's.

to add:
6 worst post season managerial decisions:

https://www.12up.com/posts/3906391-6-worst-postseason-managerial-decisions-in-recent-history

Baker owns 5 & 6, both were before he came to D.C.

The Big Intern deserves a spot in that lineup...

[Slateman]

The Big Intern deserves a spot in that lineup...

What postseason decision did he make that deserves to be on the list?

[varoadking]

What postseason decision did he make that deserves to be on the list?

Really?

http://www.espn.com/mlb/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/11645702/matt-williams-decision-pull-starter-jordan-zimmermann-turns-devastating-nationals-loss

[Natsinpwc]

Really?

http://www.espn.com/mlb/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/11645702/matt-williams-decision-pull-starter-jordan-zimmermann-turns-devastating-nationals-loss

I think most people agreed that he should have pulled him to start the inning or left him in. Not a standard decision.

[Natsinpwc]

Baker also said ownership wanted to dump Werth. If that's true and Baker stuck with him in the NLDS, then he should've known the only outcome was to find a different manager. You can't bite the hand that feeds you then expect a pat on the head from same said hand.

its also stubborn to stick with someone who can’t do it anymore.

[varoadking]

I think most people agreed that he should have pulled him to start the inning or left him in. Not a standard decision.

He thought it was..."It's what we had done all season."

[DCFan]

Baker also said ownership wanted to dump Werth. If that's true and Baker stuck with him in the NLDS, then he should've known the only outcome was to find a different manager. You can't bite the hand that feeds you then expect a pat on the head from same said hand.

You can if you win.

[Natsinpwc]

He thought it was..."It's what we had done all season."

He’s not a bright guy. Of course had Storen done his job...

[Natsinpwc]

We're talking about Stuttering Mike Rizzo?

From Chicago. Can’t help it.

[varoadking]

From Chicago. Can’t help it.

Is it a coincidence that the modern day extinction event of the American Ash tree in his native River Grove, IL coincides with Rizzo's term with the Nationals?

I think not...

[Natsinpwc]

Is it a coincidence that the modern day extinction event of the American Ash tree in his native River Grove, IL coincides with Rizzo's term with the Nationals?

I think not...

When I drove up Wrigley for the game last year the local talk station interviewed Rizzo. He was smart enough to point out that he had originally drafted Max with Arizona. And I understood every word.

[dracnal]

Is it a coincidence that the modern day extinction event of the American Ash tree in his native River Grove, IL coincides with Rizzo's term with the Nationals?

I think not...

So you think Rizzo's magic kept the trees alive and with him out of town, no one else wants to be the Lorax?

[UMDNats]

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/08/17/dusty-baker-drops-truth-bombs/

I say that because every time someone gets to Dusty Baker for an interview, he drops some major truth bombs that make you wonder why anyone wouldn’t want him in change. Sure, like any manager he has his faults and blind spots — more so in his distant past than in his recent past, I should not — but the guy is smart, has more experience than anyone going and is almost universally loved by his players.

Baseball media is so easy to manipulate and so freaking predictable. One of Calcaterra's "truth bombs" was the Harper bite that was, in the simplest terms, a complete lie. Dusty should continue his PR tour and talk to a bunch of loyal writers about forcing teams (but only really good teams) to hire him.

[varoadking]

So you think Rizzo's magic kept the trees alive and with him out of town, no one else wants to be the Lorax?

I invite you to draw your own conclusions... 

[varoadking]

When I drove up Wrigley for the game last year the local talk station interviewed Rizzo. He was smart enough to point out that he had originally drafted Max with Arizona. And I understood every word.

Arizona...drink!