WTOP Sports’ Dave Preston takes a look at the likely pool of candidates the Nationals might consider for the team’s next manager and what those contenders could offer the talented dugout.
Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park, Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
This week, Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo begins his fourth managerial search since 2009 after firing manager Matt Williams.
In the past, Rizzo has gone in different directions: promoting from within (bench coach Jim Riggleman, 2009), looking upstairs (senior adviser Davey Johnson, 2011) and going outside the organization (Arizona third base coach Matt Williams, 2013). Each hire brought different credentials to the table.
Riggleman brought to the dugout more than 1,000 games of Major League managerial experience. Williams had yet to skipper a big league game. And Johnson, while having managed more than 2,000 major league games, hadn’t been involved in the day to day operations of a club in more than a decade.
So who’s next?
The team has not publicly stated who might be on the short list nor whether any interviews or discussions have taken place.
WTOP Sports’ Dave Preston takes a look at the likely pool of candidates the Nationals might consider for the team’s next manager and what those contenders could offer the talented dugout.
Click through to read about the pros and cons of each prospect.
(AP/Alex Brandon)
AP/Alex Brandon
San Diego Padres’ Bud Black paces in the dugout before a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, May 8, 2015, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Candidate: Bud Black
Profile: Former major league pitcher (121 wins). Managed San Diego for parts of nine seasons (voted NL Manager of the Year in 2010). Won a World Series as a player (1985 with Kansas City) and as a coach (Anaheim, 2002).
Causes for Concern: He won only 47 percent of his games with the Padres … with two winning seasons in eight-plus years and no trips to the postseason (Sorry, but the one-game playoff for the NL Wildcard technically doesn’t count). He knows baseball … but winning baseball?
(AP/Ross D. Franklin)
AP/Ross D. Franklin
Hall of fame player and former Baltimore Orioles Cal Ripken Jr. speaks to members of the media before the start of a MLB game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on September 1, 2015. The Orioles celebrated the 20th anniversary of Ripkin’s record-breaking 2,131st consecutive games played when he surpassed New York Yankees Lou Gehrigh on September 6, 1995. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Candidate: Cal Ripken Jr.
Profile: You might have heard that he didn’t take days off as a player. The two-time MVP and Hall of Famer knows baseball. He won a World Series as a player and will have the respect of everyone in Washington — from the relievers to the position players to President Barack Obama.
Causes for Concern: He hasn’t even managed at the Minor League level. Since retiring, Ripken hasn’t been involved in the day to day operations of a team. And President Obama is still smarting from Ripken and the Orioles beating his White Sox in the 1983 ALCS.
(Getty Images/Patrick McDermott)
Getty Images/Patrick McDermott
Washington Nationals bench coach Randy Knorr (53) stands during the national anthem before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Candidate: Randy Knorr
Profile: Former Nationals bench coach. Candidate for the Nats manager job in 2013. Knows the players and the Nats organization. Has a World Series ring (played in one game of the 1993 fall classic for Toronto). Managerial experience includes guiding the Potomac Nationals to the 2008 Carolina League Championship.
Causes for Concern: No Major League managerial experience. Didn’t we just discover that might be important? He also helped oversee a toxic clubhouse in 2015.
(AP/Alex Brandon)
AP/Alex Brandon
FILE — In this Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, file photo, Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire sits in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit. The Twins fired Gardenhire on Monday, Sept. 29, 2014, after 13 seasons that included at least 92 losses in each of the last four years. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
Candidate: Ron Gardenhire
Profile: Managed the Minnesota Twins to six AL Central titles in 13 seasons … winning AL Manager of the Year honors in 2010. He was an aggressive manager who wasn’t afraid to confront umpires, as his 63 ejections during his first 11 seasons for the Twins will illustrate.
Causes for Concern: He won one series in six postseason appearances … despite having plenty of talent at his disposal (MVP’s Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, plus Cy Young-winner Johan Santana). He was also born in West Germany, so there’s that David Hasselhoff thing.
(AP/Carlos Osorio)
AP/Carlos Osorio
Tampa Bay Rays coach Dave Martinez jokes around before an exhibition baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, March 5, 2014, in Port Charlotte, Fla. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Candidate: Dave Martinez
Profile: Current bench coach with the Chicago Cubs. Has worked with Joe Maddon since their days together in Tampa Bay. Played 16 years in the Major Leagues … often as a fringe player.
Causes for Concern: Another individual with no managerial experience whatsoever. If he comes to D.C., will he follow Maddon’s suit and have the pitchers bat eighth?
(AP/Steven Senne)
AP/Steven Senne
Bench coach Ron Wotus #23 of the San Francisco Giants takes over for manager Bruce Bochy after Bochy was ejected against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 23, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. The Giants defeated the Rockies 12-10 in 11 innings. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Candidate: Ron Wotus
Profile: Current bench coach for San Francisco with three World Series rings acquired this decade. Managed for seven seasons in the minors and took the Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year honors in 1997. Played parts of two seasons at the Major League level with Pittsburgh in the early 1980s.
Causes for Concern: He’s been the Giants bench coach for 17 seasons. That’s a long time to be an executive VP. Does he have what it takes to be where the buck stops?
(Getty Images/Doug Pensinger)
Getty Images/Doug Pensinger
Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker watches from the dugout steps as the Pittsburgh Pirates bat in the fifth inning of the NL wild-card playoff baseball game Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Candidate: Dusty Baker
Profile: Two-time Major League All Star and a World Series champ as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Three-time NL Manager of the Year with San Francisco. Has managed more than 3,000 games with the Giants, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati — leading each team to the postseason. Many believe he was also the first player to give a high-five.
Causes for Concern: Does the 66-year-old have anything left in the tank? He burned his way out of Cincinnati a few years ago. Will he clash with a Nats front office that might not be willing to spend as much as he’d like? Plus, he chews a ton of toothpicks.
(AP/Gene J. Puskar)
AP/Gene J. Puskar
Racing President mascot Calvin Coolidge holds the winner’s belt after winning his first race during the fourth inning of a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park, Friday, July 3, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Candidate: Calvin Coolidge
Profile: Racing President mascot “modeled” on our nation’s 30th chief executive. He led our nation to prosperity in the 1920s after taking over for a troubled and scandal-plagued Warren G. Harding administration. Also, he stood up to labor in the Boston Police Strike of 1919: “There is no right to strike against public safety, anywhere, anytime.”
Causes for Concern: It’s been argued his laissez faire economic policies set up our nation for the Great Depression. Communication in the clubhouse will be an issue with a man that was known as “Silent Cal.” Tough to back a manager in the small-ball National League who famously said “I do not choose to run.” And just between you and me, he looks more like Warren Harding.
(AP/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON — This week, Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo begins his fourth managerial search since 2009 after firing manager Matt Williams.
In the past, Rizzo has gone in different directions: promoting from within (bench coach Jim Riggleman, 2009), looking upstairs (senior adviser Davey Johnson, 2011) and going outside the organization (Arizona third base coach Matt Williams, 2013). Each hire brought different credentials to the table.
Riggleman brought to the dugout more than 1,000 games of Major League managerial experience. Williams had yet to skipper a big league game. And Johnson, while having managed more than 2,000 major league games, hadn’t been involved in the day to day operations of a club in more than a decade.
So who’s next?
WTOP Sports’ Dave Preston takes a look at the likely pool of candidates the Nationals might consider for the team’s next manager and what those contenders could offer the talented dugout. The team has not publicly stated who might be on the short list nor whether any interviews or discussions have taken place.
Dave has been in the D.C. area for 10 years and in addition to working at WTOP since 2002 has also been on the air at Westwood One/CBS Radio as well as Red Zebra Broadcasting (Redskins Network).
