Interchangeable Parts... or Not

See, this is what pisses me off the most.

I was up trying to take a dump or something in the 5th inning when Craig Stammen was due to hit. All he had done was come in with the bases loaded and nobody out and bail Marquis out. With the bullpen already stretched thin this week and Strasburg up tomorrow, one would think that Riggleman would try to get three innings from Stammen. Especially since Stammen is one of the few pitchers in the NL who can be trusted to swing a bat.

Instead, Riggleman through the white towel for Sunday as well and gave Justin Maxwell a charity swing. It is very difficult to watch uninformed decisions being made at the highest level. Anyone who has watched batting practice knows Stammen is a good all-around athlete with more than a little pop. Given a fair complement of plate appearances, he may not duplicate Zimmerman's numbers, but it is fairly safe to say the following this season:

Craig Stammen is a better hitter than Nyjer Morgan;
Craig Stammen is a better hitter than Wil Nieves;
Craig Stammen is a better hitter than Willie Harris;
Craig Stammen is a comparable, if not better hitter than both Pudge and Alberto Gonzalez;
and finally,
Craig Stammen is a much, much better hitter than Justin Maxwell.

Instead, since Riggleman thinks that his roster is full of interchangeable parts, where Willie Harris = Mike... err, Michael Morse, and John Lannan = Craig Stammen. He sees P and and thinks that designation defines the player's skill set more than the player himself. Just like the disaster sending Guzman out to right field, Riggleman saw that middle infielders like Morse and Desmond play acceptably out there and figured a "32" (I don't trust those birth certificates anymore) year old career shortstop would be just fine. Everyone who had ever watched Guzman play knew that even second or third would be a stretch for him, and the outfield, was, at best, a wild gamble. Justin Maxwell getting on base (walk) against an average pitcher is a stretch, but with Kennedy throwing strikes as well as he was last night, it was a wild gamble to think Maxwell would get on against him. Just frustrating as hell, and fortunately, I was reenacting Marquis' second inning in the bathroom when it happened, so I didn't have the chance to raise hell down in 116.

Oh yeah, about that Jason Marquis...

Dunn-Zimm Switcheroo

If you hadn't noticed yet, Riggleman has taken the liberty of flopping Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn in the lineup based on righty-lefty matchup. What does this accomplish?

1) Out of the 3rd spot, the like-handed batter is more likely to see pitches over the plate to keep from walking the easier out with the hitter-favored matchup on deck.

2) Balls up over the plate greatly reduce the potential for ground balls and inning-killing double plays.

3) Both hitters' on-base percentage increases.

Ironically, the player who benefits the most from this are not Dunn or Zimmerman. It is Josh Willingham. He has more runners on base when he comes up, during which the pitcher is less effective from the stretch. Willingham is equally effective against both righties and lefties, and therefore gives the opposing pitcher little room for error facing the 3-4-5 stretch of the lineup.

I will give credit to Riggleman for finding a way to maximize production from a very thin lineup. With Nyjer Morgan struggling, Pudge injured, and the middle infielders still trying to find their individual ways (none are terrible, they all possess some shortcomings, though), that 3-4-5 really has to carry the load.

The Sum of All Fears

You can imagine my heart sinking when I found this turd in my inbox.

Once again, my point is this: how does this improve the on-field management situation from the previous three (or five) seasons? It doesn't. Riggleman has a history of taking contenders and riding them into the ground. His managing highlight is winning a tie-breaker to sneak into the playoffs, only to be swept within a few hours. I curse the Atlanta Braves for rolling over the last week of this season. A four win downswing and instead of courting the cute, spry junior who would probably be smokin' hot without the glasses for the prom, the Nats going after Riggleman would be settling for the knocked up skanky senior that that gave her last three boyfriends crabs. Hey guys, the crabs are still there!!

My guess is that this decision came down to money. The Nats knew they could get away saving a million dollars by staying within the organization. It is damn near impossible to put a worse product on the field (though Riggleman will dare to prove me wrong), and the Nats obviously see this next two-year period as a bridge to respectability, allowing their draft bounty to mature. The Nats will not compete under Riggleman, and after 2011 they will go after a baseball mind to push them up in the standings. There is no reason to bring in a big name or a young visionary when the goal is ninety losses. So what is they make it to eighty-seven? Is it worth an extra two million dollar commitment? Of course not.

Happy 57th birthday Jim... you got the job. The bar is set low, so please do not trip over it.

Worrisome

It has been reported that there are just two finalists for the Nationals managerial opening: Jim Riggleman and Bobby Valentine. Now I know that this has been one of the thinnest free agent markets for managers for as long as I remember. That was proven when two teams went toe-to-toe to outbid each other for the services of the tenth-worst manager in the history of Major League Baseball.

Let me state this as clearly as I can: JIM RIGGLEMAN DID NOTHING IN THE SECOND HALF TO JUSTIFY THE FULL TIME JOB.

The Nationals winning percentage increased from .299 to .440 under Riggleman (I won't give a nickname to a person I don't believe should be attached to the organization for long). A feather in the cap? Not so fast. The team spent the first half of the season toiling with no starting pitchers, save a couple good starts from John Lannan, no relief pitchers, and a historically bad defense. Those were immediately addressed by the front office, and in the second half of the season, Riggleman was the beneficiary. Had the Nats not pulled off a seven game winning streak to close the season, this discussion does not take place. The point to remember is that the Nationals won more games because they had better players, and utilized them to mask their weaknesses (ie moving Dunn to 1B). Honestly, the .299 number should be more attributed to Jim Bowden, and the .440 to Mike Rizzo.

The easiest, most telling question Mike Rizzo should ask himself when he is alone in the office is this: Is Jim Riggleman even as good as the guy I just fired?

I don't know, man. The guy you just fired just got caught in a bidding war for his services. Nobody is bidding for Jim Riggleman.

Rizzo has gone outside the organization to get guys before, so this isn't major change in philosophy... and yes, Bobby Valentine is a better manager than Manny Acta.

Ron Villone, Lefty Specialist?

Nats fans were treated to an extra special bullpen implosion last night, featuring a cameo from Nati-pos legend Livan Hernandez. Personally, I like the move for the remainder of the season. Livan is clearly a hittable, AAAA caliber pitcher at this point of his career, but he has destroyed the Nats this season. He has the unique ability to weather a shelling when his pitches aren't doing what they are supposed to and stay in a game 6+ innings. This move should save the kids' (Lannan, Stammen, Balester, Mock, and Martin) down the stretch. Plus, I have so many good fat jokes that have gone waste without Dmitri Young to kick around... Ronnie Belly-ard should not have to feel the wrath every day.

The bullpen, on the other hand... yikes. OK, they were not spotted a lead. Jay Bergmann came in and did his job, allowing 2 H, 1 R, against the Cubs top of the order. Though had he not put Koyie Hill on base, he may have been able to avoid the 3-4 guys.

To start the the next inning, Riggleman made the classic mistake of "playing to their weakness" instead of "playing to his strength." Fukudome does not hit lefty pitching AT ALL. Villone, however, cannot retire lefty hitting AT ALL. Riggleman chose his weakness and was granted with a rally starting single.

There is no use piling on Jorge Sosa. This is the type of pitcher he is, a tweener who never developed the repertoire to become a starter, but lacks the consistency to be trusted in relief. And honestly, he has been fine when entrusted with a lead, but he has really struggled in non-save/hold situations. It is little early to kick him to the curb; he is 100x better than Logan Kensing. Get him a lead and see if he gets his head in the game.

The most frustrating part of the whole ordeal is Riggleman pulling Bergmann after he had slammed the door on Lee and Ramirez the inning before. The strength in that matchup would have been to challenge Fukudome with the better pitcher, rather than making an unnecessary personnel move to attempt to play to the opponents weakness. Instead, Villone lumbers out of the pen and six runs later the lead is insurmountable.

Villone, with his inability to get lefties out is like a man without a trade. The Nats keep setting him up for failure by sending him into get nickle-and-dimed to death. Bring him into a longer relief role, and he'll eventually get pounded by righties, too. There is no easy solution, and it isn't like he is serving up bombs. Two baserunners per inning is unacceptable at any level, and while it may not be showing up in his own stats, he is putting more pressure on the rest of the bullpen. Much like Livan Hernandez, he is probably best suited to eat low leverage innings and leave the LOOGY work to Sean Burnett.

Clarification

Jim Riggleman is not a bad person. Maybe he isn't a bad manager either. He may manage his families finances with the finesse of Ozzie Smith, but when it come to baseball, he has generally been a poor manager.

Then the last month happened. One of my biggest fears was that Acta would be fired and then the team would show enough life to get him strong consideration for the long term position.

On October 1, there will be many strong candidate who will be interested in this position, and Riggleman should not be at the front of the line, based on his previous track record as manager. Given the team recent success working in-house, he may be granted this advantage.

Honestly, he has exceeded the expectations I had for him, but the Nats had set the bar brutally low. Rizzo has made it easy for him, improving the defense and taking may of the tough pitching decisions off the table. The Nationals front office has to look long and hard and determine whether or not Jim Riggleman can really "manage" a contender.

Knowing Your Role

Winning teams are not necessarily full of superstar free agents and five-tool freaks. In fact, some of the best teams, the ones that stick together for several years, thrive because there are players on their roster, spots number twenty-four and twenty-five, who know that they are not there for the limelight. They are there to do one or two things and to do them well.

Take the Yankees eight year run from 1996 to 2003. They won three World Series and lost two more. They built their dynasty from the inside, hitting on a few potential Hall of Famers in Posada, Jeter, Williams, Pettitte, and Rivera. They acquired through free agency several quality players, but nobody who would be considered a superstar outside of Clemens: Martinez, Brosius, O'Neill, Knoblauch, Wells, Cone. Later, they began to stockpile every top free agent, starting with Mussina, Giambi, Brown, etc. However, that lineup can only get a team to the playoffs. Once there, executing flawlessly and eliminating mistakes for five or seven game series wins the title. Specialized role players, like Ramiro Mendoza, Mike Stanton, Luis Sojo, Shane Spencer, Chad Curtis, Joe Girardi, these are the guys that make a difference winning a championship because they know what role they serve on the team.

The one thing that Riggleman has been able to do is establish his player's roles. Many fans feel bad that Willie Harris' is losing playing time since Morgan's acquisition. Willie has always been a team player and has adjusted well to his new role of defensive stopper. Just as a basketball needs a versatile sixth man to provide a spark off the bench, baseball teams need a versatile glove to one or two extra balls a week to take the pressure off the pitchers. Riggleman has even carved out adequate roles for AAAA guys like Anderson Hernandez, Austin Kearns, and Ronnie Belliard. While Dunn and Zimmerman get most of the headlines, most of them warranted, the difference between these 5-4 wins after the All-Star break and those ugly 8-5 losses back in May are the ability of pitchers out of the bullpen to get outs and players fielding their positions.

Guys like Willie Harris can still contribute greatly to winning baseball, even on a team as lost as the Nats. Truth be told, judging by his career numbers, if Willie Harris is a team's everyday outfielder, that team probably isn't playoff caliber. But if he can come in and run down a ball in foul territory to which Willingham may not have reached, or get from first to third on a little slap single, those little things will make the difference a couple days a week. Some players, Lastings Milledge, for example, either couldn't or wouldn't execute these.

The Nats have found a few good building blocks in Lannan, Z1 and Z2, and while they are still a few years away from contending, can make strides in 2010 if they are not greedy and bring in the right players this offseason. It is difficult to entice players to come to a franchise as maligned as Washington's, so the front office really needs to shore up their loose ends (manager, GM, etc) by October.

The Long & Winding Road

Shaky defense. A complete lack of timely hitting (what else is new?). A gutsy pitching effort spoiled by an offensive goose egg. Questionable decision-making by the coaching staff. Just another summer evening in front of 19,169 (mainly Mets) fans along the Acacostia, my friends.



On the bright side, last night was easily Tyler Clippard's best relief outing of the year. He was lights out, displaying a nice array of breaking balls and up-and-in heat (I'm guessing 90-92 mph); however, Riggleman decided to pinch hit for him with one out and nobody on base in the 7th, with 0-3 for Nyjer in the on-deck circle. This was a questionable move in my opinion, as Riggleman is struggling to gain the trust of his players. Sticking with Clippard, although probably conceding defeat, would've been a non-move that showed Riggleman's confidence in his 'pen and, more importantly, rewarding an outstanding effort that's been seen so few and far between this year.



Earlier, with runners on 2nd and 3rd and two outs in the bottom of the 2nd inning, with the Nats already down 5-0 and Martin squandering near the 50-pitch mark, Riggleman decided to leave Martin in the game to bat. Not surprisingly, Martin weakly grounded out to the pitcher, boosting Livan's confidence and squashing one of the few offensive threats the Nats showed all night.



As a fan of National League baseball and a proponent of lengthy starting pitching outings, I was torn by this decision. On the one hand, I wanted to see Riggleman maintain confidence in his debuting pitcher. The guy has struggled for many years, and through a host of injuries, to finally pitch in the big leagues; therefore, I didn't want to see him pulled after 2 innings simply because of the 'opportunistic situation'. Besides, there were two outs. On the other hand, Washington's offense has chilled significantly as of late (post mid-May) and an early, ballsy pinch-hitting call by Riggleman, if effective, would've awakened the crowd and put hope back into the ballclub.



Highlights: BardDogg's bat (2 doubles), Clippard's placement (5K's in 3 innings), the stadium's organ player (Iron Butterfly's 'In A Gada Davida' tease, among other hidden gems.....I swear he was high.)

Murder Death Kill

Well, it is safe to say that the Nats are not going to make a second half run under Jim Riggleman. As noted before, Riggleman inherited talented teams in San Diego and Chicago and produced mediocre results. He inherited a mediocre Mariners team last year and failed to improve. And actually, judging by their 2007 record followed by their record this season, the Mariners may actually be a decent team that made all the wrong moves in 2008.

Judging by the listless play the first four games of this homestand, the Nats are not going to change their ways. Six errors, four caught stealing, 34 left on base, 19 in scoring position... there has been absolutely no change. Now with Scott Olsen heading back to the disabled list, the Rizzo has decided to kick the tires on JD Martin, Garrett Mock, and Logan Kensing. Mock looked rattled with runners on base, and the defense really seemed to be going out of their way to make things as difficult as possible.

The troubling thing with this series is that the bar is set very low, and the Nats continue to limbo against flawed teams. They turned Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano back into their former Cy Young candidate selves, then let two very green and very average rookies shut their "vaunted" offense down. It is time to dispel the myth that the Nats are an offensive juggernaut, as they are not. They are average, some days above average. Offense is about more than batting average and OPS; it is about situational play, especially in the NL. The Nats do not bunt well, do not run the bases well, do not hit well with runners on base. They are actually surviving off a fairly high BABiP (.315), so their offense is likely to further slump.

It is hard to say how much worse they can play at this point. With the potential for a trade or two in the near future, expect a strong run at 115 losses.

Manny on Life Support

With the loss last night, Manny Acta moved into sole possession of 10th place all-time of lowest winning percentage of qualifiying managers. Alan Trammell is up next if Manny continues his quest, having presided over the Tigers' 2003 debacle. The writing was on the wall when they didn't extend his contract: "Win or Else". So far, the Nats have chosen "Else with Formaldehyde". Obviously somebody is going to fire Manny Acta. The million dollar question is when.

Many managers, like Trammell for instance, buy time with their organizational credibility. They played ball, coached upon retirement, and were eventually given a shot to turn around the team. Neither Manny Acta nor Jim Riggleman played major league ball, and Acta's hiring may have been the closest thing MLB has had to a true Al Davis moment. Right now, management is tired of paying for guys not on the roster. They are also tired of looking like a bunch of buffoons running a franchise. Firing Manny is not going to solve either of those problems; if anything, it guarantees they are going to pay another person to stay home without assuring improvement. Believe it or not, this situation sucks a lot move for Acta than it does the players or fans. He came back to a no-win situation and failed. Granted, his quotes and indifference are not inspiring anybody, and his lack of situational awareness should alone be grounds for termination, regardless of record.

Barring Manny embarrassing the club further, they will probably leave him on the bench through the summer. If things get worse, Riggleman will finish the season. Neither will remain with the club next season, and it is a good bet the pitching coaches will be cleared out as well. The smart move would be to do this before the season ends so they can pursue options as soon as the final out is made, if not sooner. Depite his track record, Pat Listach probably isn't ready yet to take the everyday job, but you never know. Keeping him and Grissom will be great for continuity and improving the abysmal defense. However, the best solution to turn the Nats into a winner will likely be found outside the organization.