WASHINGTON — Cal Ripken Jr. has not spoken to the Washington Nationals regarding their managerial vacancy, but the Hall of Famer says that he would welcome the opportunity to do so.
Ripken was a guest Friday on the Rich Eisen Show, and was asked if he would answer the phone should the Nationals come calling.
“Everybody wants a phone call like that,” said Ripken, who played 21 years with the Baltimore Orioles from 1981-2001 and has expressed interest in returning to Major League Baseball in some capacity.
The Nationals fired Matt Williams after his tumultuous second season with the club. General Manager Mike Rizzo said on a conference call last week that he will be conducting a thorough managerial search in the weeks ahead, with an emphasis on experience.
Ripken, 55, has never managed before, and he addressed that lack of experience with Eisen.
“The baseball background I have, you’re a student of the game,” Ripken said. “There’s a lot said about experience or a lack of experience in managers coming through. To me, it’s all about your philosophy, how you handle things, what you’re going to do. And then, it’s being able to apply. I haven’t had a chance to apply that, so no one knows. That would be a risk, I suppose.”
