PB69 presents "Fire Dave Martinez" (2018)

[bluestreak]

Someone who has the cognative ability to express thoughts in complete sentences that rise above the repeated spewing of clichés.

I don’t agree with you a lot, but I really find it almost unfathomable that someone actually sat in a room and talked to the guy and thought “this is the guy I want leading my team and more importantly, being the spokesperson for my franchise.”

I mean I thought Ausmus would have been better at the time and there must have been some candidates from the coaching ranks of teams like the Indians or Dodgers.

[Ray D]

At this point I wish we'd stuck with Bud Black.  Not that I prefer him over Dusty, but I suspect Black would still be here and Dusty isn't.  Black would be fine.

[rileyn]

Here is Tom Boswell weighing in on the subject this week in his weekly Q&A chat:

Q: Little Things are anything but

Boz one of the things that mystified about DMartinez’ end of the season remarks was his reference to the little things. Anyone who has seen the Nats play since 2012 knows they struggle in big moments executing and defending “the little things. BTW I hate that phrase bc the little things are often the things a team or player can control which makes them BIG things. Also it implies you have to sophisticated to understand them. For instance who doesn’t understand an extra base is valuable?

A: Thomas Boswell

Martinez is one of the least-impressive press conference manager, coach, any sport, that I can remember. You wait weeks, months for something, anything, that isn't a cliche or that is even remotely new or unique from him. His gift, if he has one, is that people really like him, consider him fair-minded. I assume that any manager I cover daily will teach me things, or teach me many things about baseball, handling a team, dealing with pressure, coping with a team crisis, etc. 

There have only been two or three that didn't and they were all very poor managers.  Martinez is in danger of being in that category. Because of that, I think next year is make-or-break for him. We have no idea what reasonable expectations will be for the Nats because we have no idea what their roster will be. I support the idea of bringing him back in '19. He has shown me ENOUGH to come back. But he didn't show me a LOT, except that he was a good guy with lots of experience and a handle on the basics. I'd expect more than that, some additional X Factor, for a team that thinks it's a contender.

— OCT 15, 2018 12:57 EDT

[aspenbubba]

Someone who has the cognative ability to express thoughts in complete sentences that rise above the repeated spewing of clichés.

OK , I got it but name names. Who was available in late October.

[GburgNatsFan]

Good thing he doesn't have to do it in writing, where spelling counts.

Someone who has the cognative ability to express thoughts in complete sentences that rise above the repeated spewing of clichés.

[PowerBoater69]

OK , I got it but name names. Who was available in late October.

Ridiculous question and you know it, if the mandate was to pay near the bottom of the league in salary there are guys in every organization around the league who would jump at the shot, for some reason the Nats were enamored with Martinez, probably because his team had just beaten us in the playoffs.

[Natsinpwc]

The Nats should jump at this guy. Seems the perfect fit. Let Martinez manage Triple A.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/10/joe-girardi-withdraws-from-reds-managerial-search.html

[aspenbubba]

Ridiculous question and you know it, if the mandate was to pay near the bottom of the league in salary there are guys in every organization around the league who would jump at the shot, for some reason the Nats were enamored with Martinez, probably because his team had just beaten us in the playoffs.

We know you wanted Dusty to return but he wasn’t coming back. Who did you want?

[bluestreak]

We know you wanted Dusty to return but he wasn’t coming back. Who did you want?

There are literally dozens of bench coaches and 3rd base coaches in MLB who hadn’t been passed over for multiple jobs and who can put together two cogent sentences without resorting to cliches. The need for a specific name seems silly.

But I can’t speak for PB. I’m just inferring from his previous comments. 

[Natsinpwc]

There are literally dozens of bench coaches and 3rd base coaches in MLB who hadn’t been passed over for multiple jobs and who can put together two cogent sentences without resorting to cliches. The need for a specific name seems silly.

But I can’t speak for PB. I’m just inferring from his previous comments.

So they should have picked a name from a hat? I think the individual is kind of important.

[PowerBoater69]

There are literally dozens of bench coaches and 3rd base coaches in MLB who hadn’t been passed over for multiple jobs and who can put together two cogent sentences without resorting to cliches. The need for a specific name seems silly.

But I can’t speak for PB. I’m just inferring from his previous comments. 

You nailed it. Baker is above a replacement level manager, Martinez is far below that level, pick any random MLB coach and chances are high that they would be an upgrade over Davey. (OK, that is overstating it, to be a good manager you have to really want the job and Martinez does have the desire.)

[bluestreak]

So they should have picked a name from a hat? I think the individual is kind of important.

Not a name out of a hat, but I don’t have my finger on the pulse of all of the potential managerial candidates in MLB. I just find it difficult to believe that smart baseball people sat down in an interview with Martinez and said “this is the absolute best that is out there.”  My feeling is that they wanted some Joe Maddon magic and didn’t do their due diligence. How many people did they actually interview?

[Natsinpwc]

Not a name out of a hat, but I don’t have my finger on the pulse of all of the potential managerial candidates in MLB. I just find it difficult to believe that smart baseball people sat down in an interview with Martinez and said “this is the absolute best that is out there.”  My feeling is that they wanted some Joe Maddon magic and didn’t do their due diligence. How many people did they actually interview?

I agree. But still don’t want them just settling for anyone. And they will probably do that. As long as the Lerner’s think they can be cheap. Maybe they will get lucky and find a diamond in the rough.

[rileyn]

Not a name out of a hat, but I don’t have my finger on the pulse of all of the potential managerial candidates in MLB. I just find it difficult to believe that smart baseball people sat down in an interview with Martinez and said “this is the absolute best that is out there.”  My feeling is that they wanted some Joe Maddon magic and didn’t do their due diligence. How many people did they actually interview?

Well said.

[PowerBoater69]

My feeling is that they wanted some Joe Maddon magic and didn’t do their due diligence. How many people did they actually interview?

John Farrell was interviewed, but that was the same day that Wade Boggs Tweeted congrats to his friend Davey Martinez for getting the Nats job, so I suspect the Farrell interview was just a show. There were reports that Kevin Long was brought in to interview for the manager spot but in hindsight that is doubtful. Randy Knorr was a rumored candidate but he was moved to AAA early in the search process.

Based on the timing, my guess was at the time and still is that the Martinez hire was completed without an interview in the week after the Nats were eliminated and while the Cubs were still playing. Baker was only let go after the deal in principle was settled. 

[PowerBoater69]

Janes just announced that Martinez and staff are officially returning next season.

Why would the Nats bring this loser back? Only reason I can think of is that when we miss the playoffs again the team will be justified in slashing payroll and rebuilding.

[UMDNats]

Janes just announced that Martinez and staff are officially returning next season.

Why would the Nats bring this loser back? Only reason I can think of is that when we miss the playoffs again the team will be justified in slashing payroll and rebuilding.

They looked around at each other and decided that they just really really wanted to personally piss you off.

[spidernat]

They looked around at each other and decided that they just really really wanted to personally piss you off.

IOW, precision trolling.

[PowerBoater69]

They looked around at each other and decided that they just really really wanted to personally piss you off.

You say this as a joke but we know that the front office monitors WNFF along with other social media sites and I know that I'm not well liked based on my criticism of ownership. We also know that the Nats brain trust is a spiteful bunch, so there could be some truth to this.

[spidernat]

[UMDNats]

You say this as a joke but we know that the front office monitors WNFF along with other social media sites and I know that I'm not well liked based on my criticism of ownership. We also know that the Nats brain trust is a spiteful bunch, so there could be some truth to this.

Get over yourself.

[aspenbubba]

You say this as a joke but we know that the front office monitors WNFF along with other social media sites and I know that I'm not well liked based on my criticism of ownership. We also know that the Nats brain trust is a spiteful bunch, so there could be some truth to this.

I agree that some of the lower management people may log on occasionally to take a pulse but upper management could give a rats' ass what we think. Now I have always believed that Zuckerman and a few beat writers get ideas for their columns from our board on hot topics that we are discussing. Many years ago in PT I asked several Nats if they read our board. I only recall Chad Codero saying yes on occasion.

[DPMOmaha]

I know media members of other teams I follow (i.e. college football and basketball) check in on message boards. I even know some of the coaches of those teams have done so, too, in the past. Not sure about currently. I'd only assume that happens here on occasion.

[PowerBoater69]

I agree that some of the lower management people may log on occasionally to take a pulse but upper management could give a rats' ass what we think. Now I have always believed that Zuckerman and a few beat writers get ideas for their columns from our board on hot topics that we are discussing. Many years ago in PT I asked several Nats if they read our board. I only recall Chad Codero saying yes on occasion.

The Nats monitor social media sites and distribute executive summaries, or at least they did based on very old information.

[spidernat]

The Nats monitor social media sites and distribute executive summaries, or at least they did based on very old information.

Easy solution then, take the stance that you now love Martinez and he should be kept for the foreseeable future. The spiteful FO and ownership will fire Martinez just to get back at you for criticizing them. Why didn't you bring this up sooner? We could've saved the season and might still be playing in the postseason.