Riggleman Tells Nats To Take Their Option And Shove It

[UNHWildCats]

Sick of having his future in doubt, Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman gave the the team a ultimatum, resolve his contract situation before today's game or he would quit, they didn't and he did.

Riggleman had a team option for next season. The Nationals enter play today at 37-37.

[ODUalum11]

Really? DIdn't see anything on ESPN.

[UNHWildCats]

Really? DIdn't see anything on ESPN.

Don't you know... ESPN is too busy with Boston and New York to care about the other 28 teams...

[ODUalum11]

Really? DIdn't see anything on ESPN.

Don't you know... ESPN is too busy with Boston and New York to care about the other 28 teams...

true, and the Draft and Lockout. Anyway just saw it along the bottom line on ESPN.

[AZGrizFan]

Don't you know... ESPN is too busy with Boston and New York to care about the other 28 teams...

true, and the Draft and Lockout. Anyway just saw it along the bottom line on ESPN.

The Washington Expos could fuck up a wet dream.

9-1 in their last 10. Young team. On the rise. Proven manager.

[AZGrizFan]

And the lead story on ESPN is about the Nationals...but not the story you'd think!

NATIONALS NO FLUKE

The Washington Nationals were down to their final out Tuesday against the Mariners, trailing 5-1 before a string of four straight hits, capped by Wilson Ramos' three-run homer, carried them to their ninth win in 10 games. Ramos' 432-foot walkoff shot didn't lift the 36-37 Nats to .500, but Wednesday night's win did, giving the team their best mark (37-37) at this point in any season since 2005. Ramos, a 23-year-old catcher acquired from Minnesota for closer Matt Capps, is among a handful of youngsters showing signs that they can be cornerstones of the franchise's next winning team. The Nationals' long nightmare might finally be over.

[SuperHornet]

true, and the Draft and Lockout. Anyway just saw it along the bottom line on ESPN.

The Washington Expos could fuck up a wet dream.

9-1 in their last 10. Young team. On the rise. Proven manager.

I wonder if ESPN will do anything with the team down South that just hired a proven manager to replace the one that unexpectedly quit.

[ODUalum11]

They'll probably just promote one of the current assistants to an interim role.

[Ivytalk]

Riggleman: ex-Cub factor. What a douchebag.

[eagleskins]

Riggleman wasn't a proven manager. He just has a shitload of young talent available to him now and he thought he could parlay that into a long contract. Rizzo never had intentions of keeping Riggles beyond this year. The Nats will be better without him.

[bandl]

Fuck him. He quit on the TEAM, plain and simple. It wasn't too long ago that I heard him go on and on in a post game conference about how there are no individuals in baseball, it's a team sport, yada, yada, yada.
Rizzo went through the same thing with one-year contracts...before he was given a multi-year contract, the owners told him to earn it, and that's what he did by signing consecutive one-year contracts before landing a 5-year contract (I believe it was 5-years). He showed that he knows what it takes to put the pieces in place to build a competitive team. Whether those pieces come together and actually produce, well that was Riggleman's job and the Nat's had alreay taken a HUGE gamble bringing him on as a .445 lifetime manager. Rizzo was not the guy to fuck with and demand a multi-year contract from before he showed that he had earned it. So his team gets to .500 and they are the hottest team in baseball right now, and then he demands an IMMEDIATE contract extension or he's going to walk? Sorry, but I don't think that would fly anywhere. Even so, it's not even July, dickwipe...let's see where things stand at the trade deadline at the absolute earliest (because the Nats have PLENTY of money to spend and if they are in serious contention for the wildcard they will be spending) or maybe the last month of the season (i.e., you showed you know what you're doing with what you have, let's get some more players in the off-season and really get this team going for next season). Or you know what...since YOU signed a one-year contract and finished DEAD last in the division last year, how about you fulfill your entire goddamn contract and THEN we'll see where things stand! If an employee walked up to me at lunch and said they want something as ludicrious as 25% raise by the end of the day or they'd be walking, then I'd just fire them on the spot and be done with them.
As Boswell said in the Post yesterday, by bailing he proved he's not the manager this team needs. He's a selfish old bitch and I hope that no other team ever takes a serious look at him as a manager.

/end rant

[Grizalltheway]

Holy run-on paragraph, Batman!

[bandl]

Holy run-on paragraph, Batman!

Sorry, I kinda blacked out. Not really sure what I said...

[grizzaholic]

Holy run-on paragraph, Batman!

Sorry, I kinda blacked out. Not really sure what I said...

Here is a quick run-down of what you said.

I really hope Washington does well this season. I wish Riggleman, awesome name by the way, the very best in his next endeavor. The future is bright for the Nats.

[Grizalltheway]

I'm sure you had a good point or two in there somewhere.

[89Hen]

I'm surprised at reactions like bandl. Fuck the Nationals and Rizzo IMO. Riggleman did a great job with this team. Jayson Werth is your star player and you manage to get the team to .500 in late June? He's not a good manager? Seriously?

[bandl]

I'm surprised at reactions like bandl. Fuck the Nationals and Rizzo IMO. Riggleman did a great job with this team. Jayson Werth is your star player and you manage to get the team to .500 in late June? He's not a good manager? Seriously?

Lifetime .445 manager. No, not a good manager so far. But was on the right track to becoming a good manager? Possibly. Would anyone have called him a good manager two weeks ago when they were 27-36? A nice two week spell doesn't mean anything if they end up right where they were last year, at the bottom of the division. Riggleman should have waited a little longer and hopefully gathered a little more ammo before demanding such an ultimatum.

[AZGrizFan]

Fuck him. He quit on the TEAM, plain and simple. It wasn't too long ago that I heard him go on and on in a post game conference about how there are no individuals in baseball, it's a team sport, yada, yada, yada.
Rizzo went through the same thing with one-year contracts...before he was given a multi-year contract, the owners told him to earn it, and that's what he did by signing consecutive one-year contracts before landing a 5-year contract (I believe it was 5-years). He showed that he knows what it takes to put the pieces in place to build a competitive team. Whether those pieces come together and actually produce, well that was Riggleman's job and the Nat's had alreay taken a HUGE gamble bringing him on as a .445 lifetime manager. Rizzo was not the guy to fuck with and demand a multi-year contract from before he showed that he had earned it. So his team gets to .500 and they are the hottest team in baseball right now, and then he demands an IMMEDIATE contract extension or he's going to walk? Sorry, but I don't think that would fly anywhere. Even so, it's not even July, dickwipe...let's see where things stand at the trade deadline at the absolute earliest (because the Nats have PLENTY of money to spend and if they are in serious contention for the wildcard they will be spending) or maybe the last month of the season (i.e., you showed you know what you're doing with what you have, let's get some more players in the off-season and really get this team going for next season). Or you know what...since YOU signed a one-year contract and finished DEAD last in the division last year, how about you fulfill your entire goddamn contract and THEN we'll see where things stand! If an employee walked up to me at lunch and said they want something as ludicrious as 25% raise by the end of the day or they'd be walking, then I'd just fire them on the spot and be done with them.
As Boswell said in the Post yesterday, by bailing he proved he's not the manager this team needs. He's a selfish old bitch and I hope that no other team ever takes a serious look at him as a manager.

/end rant

Actually, after some introspection, I agree with bandl completely. Disregard my post yesterday regarding the Nationals fucking up a wet dream. I thought Riggleman was a better manager than .445....

[ODUalum11]

There was an article on ESPN saying Riggleman will never manage a big league team again. No surprise after his career decision.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

I think in the long term, Rizzo is going to look very smart here. Riggleman has one of, if not THE lowest winning percentages of any manager with 10+ years. Winning with this young Nationals team has been nice - but many others are capable of doing it. What this team needs is a Jim Leyland type. a savvy veteran manager who can guide a young team on the make. the other option... and i know this is radical - but i think it just might work - make Pudge Rodriguez a player/manager.

But with a number of decent candidates out there, there was no need to stay with Riggleman...

[bandl]

I think in the long term, Rizzo is going to look very smart here. Riggleman has one of, if not THE lowest winning percentages of any manager with 10+ years. Winning with this young Nationals team has been nice - but many others are capable of doing it. What this team needs is a Jim Leyland type. a savvy veteran manager who can guide a young team on the make. the other option... and i know this is radical - but i think it just might work - make Pudge Rodriguez a player/manager.

But with a number of decent candidates out there, there was no need to stay with Riggleman...

It may be Davey Johnson, since he is already a senior adviser for the team.

They've also got Bob Boone and Bob Schafer in their front office.

[AZGrizFan]

I think in the long term, Rizzo is going to look very smart here. Riggleman has one of, if not THE lowest winning percentages of any manager with 10+ years. Winning with this young Nationals team has been nice - but many others are capable of doing it. What this team needs is a Jim Leyland type. a savvy veteran manager who can guide a young team on the make. the other option... and i know this is radical - but i think it just might work - make Pudge Rodriguez a player/manager.

But with a number of decent candidates out there, there was no need to stay with Riggleman...

It may be Davey Johnson, since he is already a senior adviser for the team.

Interesting. I thought he'd gone the way of Corey Haim.

[ODUalum11]

by the way, what was he even thinking when he accepted the one-year contract he was offered.

[bandl]

It may be Davey Johnson, since he is already a senior adviser for the team.

Interesting. I thought he'd gone the way of Corey Haim.

He gave up managing in MLB in 2000 I believe, but he's been managing some US baseball since.

[bandl]

by the way, what was he even thinking when he accepted the one-year contract he was offered.

He didn't have a long to stand on to demand anything more than a one-year contract. He didn't before yesterday's game either.