Washington National fans are still shell shocked after the bomb shell that Jim Riggleman dropped yesterday afternoon. Here is
what the fans are saying about Riggleman’s resignation.
*What is the man thinking to walk away from a good young team like this? To me this shows that Riggleman is just out for himself and could care less about the team. How is he going to get his players to do what is best for the team when he sends a message of “I am out for myself”? If he does not have enough confidence in his ability to go year by year, then let the man walk, who needs him.
jjswol
Plymouth, MN – www.twinstrivia.com
*I’m not at all happy that he bailed out on his ball club. But after reading Boz’ column this morning, it might work out for the best.
I don’t know what was or wasn’t said by him or by Rizzo. And I know it would have been awkward for Riggleman to look for another job while he was still managing, as he (and whatever club he might talk with) would be at hazard of falling afoul of the tampering rules. But I’ll be stunned if he ever gets another job. Which might suit him just fine.
M. Henderson – Silver Spring, MD
*I think things must have been pretty bad for Riggleman to resign from his dream job. I think any possible replacement will have to think twice before signing with the Nats. All Riggleman wanted is to be shown a little respect and to have a conversation. I agree with Riggleman I think the team made it pretty clear he wasn’t going to be part of the team’s future plan. I really believe if he didn’t resign he would be just counting down the days before he was let go.
I think he deserves the drinks for all that he has done for the Nats.
M. Hornbaker – Poolesville, MD
*After yesterday’s walk-off win, and the familiar “Bang, zoom, put another Curly W in the books”, I felt like someone punched me in the gut.
As a die-hard Nats’ fan, living outside the DC area, I had begun to really appreciate Jim Riggleman’s steady leadership. With a young, emerging team, we obviously had our ups and downs, but the ups were truly beginning to outweigh the downs recently. The team was headed in the right direction. You could see a bright future ahead with Strasburg coming back and Harper and others on their way up. Riggs seemed to never lose it, ala Ozzie Guillen, and always had his players’ backs when it came to dealing with the media. Before yesterday, there was no drama with the Nats–the very type of enviornment you want youngsters to come up into.
I would venture to guess that Riggs caught wind of talks going on with his replacement and called BS on the process. I think the GM and owners botched this situation. Riggs is a straight shooter who obviously wasn’t in the Nats’ 2012 plans.
I sure hope this drama doesn’t derail the team. We are a good, gutsy, determined team
M. Ahrens – Milford, CT
*I am sad but I think he made a poor decision (Riggleman). The team was doing well and his departure is disruptive. I wish him well.
B. Lowry – Leesburg, VA
*I obviously don’t know the whole story, but he came across as a spoiled brat in the Post article
B. Doran
*Give Riggleman his contract. We can be a winning team without using the Steinbrenner model of management.
Arlington, Virginia, season ticket holder since 2007.
E. Nicoll
*Although a lifetime diehard baseball fan, I recognize that nowadays baseball is a business and the same rules of management apply. Good CEOs support their managers and give them the tools they need to manage, as the companies resources allow. When those resources do not allow what the manager needs, it is the manager’s boss’ responsibility to communicate with and coach the manager on how to do the job without those resources and not to do anything that undermines them with their staff.
I have worked too long not to recognize the situation Riggleman was in, and in an earlier life was a career counselor. I understand that people get in situations where they cannot see any way out and where the stress affects their health, relationships and ability to cope with a sick situation. The irony is that if a GM or owner deems a situation unbearable they can fire a manager, but whereas, apparently the unwritten rules of baseball require managers to become superhuman and stay with the team the entire season, no matter the personal cost. Why is it a betrayal for a manager to resign mid-season but not for a GM to fire a manager mid-season? I am not saying Riggleman handled this ideally. This is a man described as an organization man, thoughtful and restrained, who respects the game. It seems like he got into a position where he could see no other options, and that effectively means there were none.
Though I am not saying that his critics do not also represent people with baseball and other management experience, what really bothers me is the number of people judging Riggleman exceedingly harshly. You’d think those with management experience who readily identify and those without would at least identify with him based on having worked in systems with poor communications that did not value them. However, I suppose that if they didn’t have the wherewithal to leave a bad situation they resent anyone who does. The question going forward is going to be whether or not this reflects a problem with Rizzo or whether Rizzo is a victim of the Lerners. I am quite sure the players will be fine under a new manager – provided he has the skills to eke the best possible performance out of the players. However, I am less confident in the Washington Nationals as an organization. However, my interest in and loyalty to the team remain unwavering.
B. Eiden-Molinaro
*I think there’s much more to this story than we’ll ever know. On the surface, if I were in Riggleman’s shoes, I may have done the same thing. The fact that Rizzo wasn’t even willing to talk with him about picking up the 2012 option sends a negative message. Rizzo’s “win more games” routine seems like a bit of a cop-out to me. Its kind of like having a girlfriend who is hanging onto you until someone more attractive comes her way. Why stick around and suffer the eventual humiliation? But, as I mentioned, we’ll proabably never hear the whole story from either side.Thanks for asking. I’m looking forward to reading your piece.
J. Hartley – Silver Spring, MD
*Good for Riggleman…bad for the Nats! I’m really disappointed how Rizzo treated him…but, it doesn’t surprise me. It’s painfully obvious that he was playing Riggleman for a fool and his bluff was called. All the man asked for was a “conversation”…a “conversation” that Rizzo knew he was going to have to have at some point. He can’t say that the results weren’t there…he’s over .500 with a ragtag outfit! Riggleman manned up and Rizzo wussed out…simple as that.
D. Thomas – Glenwood, MD
*Jim, you’re a class act. Standing up like you did while on top takes brass ones and will be greatly respected by everyone that counts. I was proud to say I knew you before but even more proud now.
T. Parris – Damascus, MD
