Author Topic: If We Managed the Nats  (Read 1550 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline welch

  • Posts: 16289
  • The Sweetest Right Handed Swing in 1950s Baseball
If We Managed the Nats
« Topic Start: June 03, 2021, 08:31:48 PM »
Imagine that we, all of us together, tried manage the Nats for a game. Imagine a giant WNFF meet&greet after which we matched wits with Joe Girardi or the great Tony LaRussa.

Bill Veeck, the coolest owner ever in baseball, did just that in 1951, on August 24, in a game against Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's. Jimmy Dykes managed rather than Mack, but I think Mack was there. Probably in suit, string tie, and bowler hat.

Here is the Baseballs Reference game sheet...the box score, the significant plays, the winning probability in each inning, and each play. Did the ever-losing Browns have a chance?

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLA/SLA195108240.shtml

Turns out the fans did a pretty good job. The Browns won.

https://www.mlb.com/cut4/in-1951-bill-veeck-let-the-fans-manage-the-st-louis-browns-on-grandstand-manager

Of interest to Nats fans:

- Elmer Valo, OF for the A's, was traded to the 1960 Washington Senators, the last of the AL-founding Nats teams.

- Maybe of more interest: Roy Sievers did NOT play. Sievers had been AL Rookie-of-the-Year in 1949. A rising star. In that 1951 season, however, Sievers hurt his right shoulder, his throwing shoulder. All the next season, Bill Veeck hit grounders to Sievers at 1B. In 1953, the Browns' last, Sievers came back, hitting .270 in 92 games at 1B. However, the Baltimore Hoffberger beer family bought the Browns -- the league forced Veeck to sell -- and the Baltimore team immediately traded Sievers down Rte. 1 to the Nats for Gil Coan, costing the Nationals their slogan: "Get goin' with Gil Coan!" Sievers broke the Washington home run record each season though 1957, when he won the AL home run championship. Roy's power enthralled the fans, including me, and the Griffith family -- they moved the LF fence a couple of times, from 407 feet to a mere 350 feet. The short porch.

Online Slateman

  • Posts: 63095
  • THE SUMMONER OF THE REVERSE JINX
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #1: June 03, 2021, 09:02:14 PM »
If I had managed the Nats, I would have signed Gerrit Cole instead of Strasburg

Offline welch

  • Posts: 16289
  • The Sweetest Right Handed Swing in 1950s Baseball
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #2: June 03, 2021, 09:25:45 PM »
If I had managed the Nats, I would have signed Gerrit Cole instead of Strasburg

I think I would have signed Rendon first and offered Strasburg whatever was left. Seems like the Nats did the reverse.

Online Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25666
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #3: June 03, 2021, 09:27:44 PM »
If I had managed the Nats, I would have signed Gerrit Cole instead of Strasburg
They would have just been outbid by the Yankees.  Maybe for the best as they could have used the money saved to plug some other holes. 

Offline imref

  • Posts: 42504
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #4: June 03, 2021, 09:32:13 PM »
I think I would have signed Rendon first and offered Strasburg whatever was left. Seems like the Nats did the reverse.

It seemed that Rendon didn't want to be here.

Online Slateman

  • Posts: 63095
  • THE SUMMONER OF THE REVERSE JINX
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #5: June 03, 2021, 10:08:05 PM »
They would have just been outbid by the Yankees.  Maybe for the best as they could have used the money saved to plug some other holes. 
No, I wouldnt have

Online Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25666
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #6: June 03, 2021, 10:12:09 PM »
No, I wouldnt have
Deep pockets Slate.  Hopefully without short arms.

Online Slateman

  • Posts: 63095
  • THE SUMMONER OF THE REVERSE JINX
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #7: June 03, 2021, 10:24:54 PM »
Deep pockets Slate.  Hopefully without short arms.
I dont think the bidding would have gone much more without the Lerners absurd offer to Stras. That offer effectively set up Cole

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

  • Posts: 17647
  • babble on
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #8: June 03, 2021, 10:44:37 PM »
So he went to what is essentially an MLS team, Tony why?
It seemed that Rendon didn't want to be here.

Offline Mathguy

  • Posts: 9162
  • Floyd - Truely Man's best Friend
    • Outer Banks Beach House
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #9: June 03, 2021, 10:46:45 PM »
Maybe he saw CA as a better place than DC, regardless of the Nats

So he went to what is essentially an MLS team, Tony why?

Online Slateman

  • Posts: 63095
  • THE SUMMONER OF THE REVERSE JINX
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #10: June 03, 2021, 11:04:53 PM »
So he went to what is essentially an MLS team, Tony why?
Its actually kind of perfect for him. On just about any other team, his contract would put the spotlight squarely on him. But on the Angels? Nope. He gets his massive payday and can slip into anonymity when he decides he's bored with baseball

Offline Smithian

  • Posts: 11497
  • Sunshine Squad 2022
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #11: June 04, 2021, 10:56:24 AM »
“Jim is a great handler of a game,” one Nats source said. “But you can get seven fans that can ‘handle a game.’ It’s what happens after you come down the dugout steps after a game that really matters. That’s when you find out who’s a big league manager. That’s when Jim goes in his office. He thinks his day is over.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/jim-riggleman-proves-he-wasnt-the-man-to-manage-the-nationals/2011/06/23/AG7RYAiH_story.html

I wonder if we have any of the Gang of 7 on this board

Offline imref

  • Posts: 42504
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #12: June 04, 2021, 11:09:09 AM »
So he went to what is essentially an MLS team, Tony why?

He watched too many episodes of Ted Lasso?

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 39371
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #13: June 04, 2021, 11:23:02 AM »
If Vega ran the Nats, he'd pick up Liam Hendricks

Quote
On Thursday, in a 20-minute media session beginning with Hendriks discussing his American League Reliever of the Month honor for May, Hendriks also discussed his love of LEGOS. He’s a different sort of character, but different in the best possible manner.
...
Fingers crossed but not expecting it, I’ll take whatever people send me,” Hendriks said. “But no, I need an outlet to get out of my own head.

“That’s when I listen to heavy metal music and do my LEGOS or heavy metal music and read my young adult teen fiction books. You need an outlet and those two things are what I do. On the road it’s too hard to transport the LEGOS back, so it’s always books. At home it’s always LEGOS.”
https://www.mlb.com/news/liam-hendriks-lego-building-passion?partnerId=zh-20210604-418840-MLB-1-A&qid=1&utm_id=zh-20210604-418840-MLB-1-A&bt_ee=oBBzM6seDWw5fpJ3%2Fy456vQsqf1VDllY%2BdznDQZn2DTvvca5IPGl6bsDh6Owy%2BrS&bt_ts=1622815368815

Offline Duke of Earl

  • Posts: 743
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #14: June 04, 2021, 11:55:16 AM »
It seemed that Rendon didn't want to be here.
The story I heard was that his wife didn't want to be here. Speculation was that she's very conservative and didn't want to reside any longer in  this political atmosphere.   And I also think Rendon didn't want to be here. Did he ever thank, or even acknowledge, the fans?  Did he say anything nice about the team, fans, or about DC? Most players who leave a team do.

Online Slateman

  • Posts: 63095
  • THE SUMMONER OF THE REVERSE JINX
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #15: June 04, 2021, 12:52:04 PM »
The story I heard was that his wife didn't want to be here. Speculation was that she's very conservative and didn't want to reside any longer in  this political atmosphere.   And I also think Rendon didn't want to be here. Did he ever thank, or even acknowledge, the fans?  Did he say anything nice about the team, fans, or about DC? Most players who leave a team do.
His wife didnt.

Rendon is also a Republican and Trump being boo'd at the WS miffed him.

Finally, he was not pleased with how the Nationals handled family travel during the 2019 playoffs.

Offline hotshot

  • Posts: 1438
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #16: June 04, 2021, 12:58:33 PM »
Max has to be traded. I'd be surprised if there aren't teams that will overpay and give us an elite prospect plus ...

Bring him back after the season, like the Yanks did with Chapman, if it's an ego thing for the Lerners and/or Max truly wants to re-up here. I'm sure he'd be amenable to a rental to a contender, under that scenario. Our farm system is almost barren and he's our blue chip.

Offline KnorrForYourMoney

  • Posts: 16254
  • pissy DC sports fan
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #17: June 04, 2021, 02:26:04 PM »
The story I heard was that his wife didn't want to be here. Speculation was that she's very conservative and didn't want to reside any longer in  this political atmosphere.

So they picked California? :| (Even OC is blue these days.)

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

  • Posts: 17647
  • babble on
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #18: June 04, 2021, 02:58:09 PM »
I tried to stop myself, but my inner deep-state pedophile completely took over
Trump being boo'd at the WS miffed him.

Offline hohoho

  • Posts: 1990
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #19: June 04, 2021, 06:29:20 PM »
Rendon is hitting .229 and .650 ops with 3 hrs. 7 year $245M for Robles numbers? He doesnt have that eternal crap-eating grin for no reason.

Offline Five Banners

  • Posts: 2237
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #20: June 04, 2021, 06:33:41 PM »
Rendon is hitting .229 and .650 ops with 3 hrs. 7 year $245M for Robles numbers?

Think he’s been banged up and played in about half of their games. Barring any more injuries, I would lean towards improvement coming

Online Slateman

  • Posts: 63095
  • THE SUMMONER OF THE REVERSE JINX
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #21: June 04, 2021, 06:39:10 PM »
Rendon is hitting .229 and .650 ops with 3 hrs. 7 year $245M for Robles numbers? He doesnt have that eternal crap-eating grin for no reason.
Oh so we're just going to ignore last year's .900+ OPS and 154 wRC+?

Online Count Walewski

  • Posts: 2689
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #22: June 04, 2021, 06:48:28 PM »
As the discussion in this thread has shown, the issue with the Nationals cannot be fixed with mere manager-level decisions like who starts where and who bats in what order, but only by General Manager level decisions.

Personally, if I were GM I would start the rebuild now.

Offline varoadking

  • Posts: 29487
  • King of Goodness
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #23: June 04, 2021, 07:29:53 PM »
Personally, if I were GM I would start the rebuild now.

Agreed...it's staring Rizzo right in the face...but the Lerners likely don't want to hear it...

Online Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25666
Re: If We Managed the Nats
« Reply #24: June 04, 2021, 07:33:03 PM »
Agreed...it's staring Rizzo right in the face...but the Lerners likely don't want to hear it...
Most likely scenario. They need to make some trades to restock the farm. And figure out why their drafting has been bad.