Matt Williams fired as Washington Nationals manager
The Washington Nationals were an utter disappointment this season, missing the playoffs when they were expected to win the World Series, so it’s no surprise at all that Matt Williams won’t be their manager anymore.
The Nats made this one quick, making Williams the first MLB manager to lose his job on this Monday after the regular-season concluded. (The Padres canned interim manager Pat Murphy on Sunday). The Williams news was first reported by James Wagner of the Washington Post and later confirmed by the Nats, who not only fired Williams but his entire staff too:
The list of possible replacements for Williams, according to The Post, includes ex-Padres skipper Bud Black, ex-Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez and baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr., who has zero managerial experience, but he and the Nats have flirted with each other over the years. Whoever it is will inherit a talented roster … and huge expectations.
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It might be tough to remember, with the sourness of 2015 still around, but Williams was the NL manager of the year in 2014, his first year with the Nats. He won 96 games as a rookie. After going 83-79 this season, Williams’ tenure as Nats’ manager ends with a 179-145 record. Those numbers aren’t bad, but missing the playoffs in a season where the team was far-and-away the World Series favorite was plain unacceptable.
As the Nats floundered this summer — going a combined 23-30 in July and August — people began calling for Williams’ head. There were reports that he had lost the clubhouse weeks ago. A series of Washington Post articles last week chronicled the Nats’ disappointing season and even featured outfielder Jayson Werth calling Williams out for mismanaging the club.
The failure of the Nats and Williams reached their apex during the Jonathan Papelbon-Bryce Harper fight last week, in which Williams fully admitted he didn’t know the extent of the fight even though he was in the same dugout. It was as clear then as it is now: Matt Williams wouldn’t be leading the Washington Nationals too much longer.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
