(Jim Riggleman's final move as manager of the Washington Nationals. Screen grab of TV/MASN.)
Jim Riggleman resigns as manager of the Washington Nationals
"I wanted a conversation about it. I didn't say 'Pick up my option or else.' I said I think it's worthy of a conversation when we get to Chicago. Mike said we're not going to do that."
(Jim Riggleman, via MASN, 6/23/2011)
So Riggleman says he wanted a conversation; Rizzo says Riggleman demanded an extension?
Gotta wonder if this is the kind of change Jayson Werth had in mind when he was "misinterpreted" by the media a few weeks ago when the ship was sinking in Milwaukee?
It's always something with this team.
Next manager of your Washington Nationals will be...Davey Johnson? John McLaren? Mark Lerner?
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An nice big FU to Rizzo there for not playng ball...
Posted by: adam | June 23, 2011 at 05:10 PM
Screw Riggleman. What a classless move to quit on the team just as it was accomplishing something.
Posted by: bdrube | June 23, 2011 at 06:06 PM
Fuck Mike Rizzo for being a bitch about not signing Jim Riggleman if Mike Rizzo just signed the fucking contract we wouldn't be in this much shit
Posted by: Lster | June 23, 2011 at 06:53 PM
This isn't football. Teams generally improve after a managerial change during the season.
Riggleman screwed himself. He has a contract and had a team give him a chance when no other team beat his slut down to be a Manager after 1999. Even Seattle didn't offer him a Managers job after he filled in as the interim manager in 2008.
Posted by: gonat | June 23, 2011 at 07:13 PM
Sorry, beat his door down. Slut is funny though. Darn computer suggested words!
Posted by: gonat | June 23, 2011 at 07:16 PM
Riggleman basically came out and said that he only wanted Rizzo to agree to a conversation, and Rizzo refused -- and Rizzo is saying Riggleman essentially drew a line in the sand and demanded an extension immediately before he'd board the bus to the airport after today's game. Truth probably lies somewhere between, and this thing probably escalated much more quickly than either guy thought it would within the last, say, 48 hours. Something was simmering for a while, and they reached a point where Riggleman painted himself into a corner, with no way to save face when Rizzo wouldn't agree to do whatever it was Riggleman really asked of him.
But there's got to be more to the story.
Agree with the sentiment that Riggleman's decision was poorly timed and selfish, yet I find myself, oddly enough, siding with him. Rizzo probably pushed him towards the door as it swung and hit Riggs on the ass on his way out.
Posted by: Nats Enquirer | June 23, 2011 at 07:26 PM
@gonat "beat his slut down" would have cleared up the Rizzo-Riggleman dispute perfectly, though!
Posted by: Nats Enquirer | June 23, 2011 at 08:57 PM
Whyyyyyyyyy
Posted by: Big Oil | June 23, 2011 at 09:39 PM
Mark Zuckerman just wrote it right.
I think Riggleman's next job will be coaching his nephew's Little League team.
What the heck was he thinking or I guess he wasn't thinking.
Posted by: Michael L.G. | June 23, 2011 at 09:56 PM
Next manager will be Teddy.
Posted by: Dwight | June 23, 2011 at 10:50 PM
Is Robbie available? Don't say anything about age, he's five years younger than Jack McKeon.
Posted by: NorEaster | June 23, 2011 at 11:09 PM
Bring back Frank!!!'
Posted by: Anonymouse | June 24, 2011 at 12:06 AM
Feel sorry for Riggs. He was a good guy and wanted some respect, just a conversation about his option. Rizzo is spouting crappy talking points. We will get no truth from him. I believe Riggs and I believe that Rizzo is a puppet and didn't have the authority to talk to Riggs until he briefed Uncle Ted. That meeting was scheduled for 4 days after the WS ended so he had already told Riggs that he would tell him 5 days after the WS about his contract. Sad state of Nats front office affairs.
Posted by: Al M | June 24, 2011 at 09:11 PM