A WELCOME RETURN
Nationals manager says seeing fans back in the ballpark erases the `emptiness' of last season
Davey Martinez, 56, is manager of the Washington Nationals. In his second season with the team in 2019, he led the Nationals to a World Series championship. Previously, he was a bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs and, before that, an MLB player for many years.
Q: Now that you finally have fans back after such a strange time, what does it feel like to have that energy coming at you again?
A: There was an emptiness last year. I'm not going to lie. You come to the ballpark, and there was nobody here. It was kind of sad. And when we got the word that we were going to have fans again, it was awesome. Whenever these guys get a big hit, or we score some runs, and you hear the fans behind you, the dugout erupts. And the fans bring a lot to that. Just to hear them — I mean, guys in the dugout were screaming out, “We got fans! We got fans!” We had 5,000 fans. And it was loud. I can remember that. Because I've been here, as you know, through the playoffs and World Series, and it gets really loud. But to hear the 5,000 fans, we thought it was 50,000 fans out there.
Q: What difference did you feel winning a World Series as the manager here in D.C. vs. as bench coach in Chicago?
A: They're both tremendous. Both teams never won (for so long). This one took 75 years. The other one took 108 years. But they're very different. It was awesome to win in 2016 in Chicago. But for me, winning here was special because, not that it was about me, but I had a lot to do with it as far as keeping the boys together and building this culture here.
Q: I think fans felt that there was something very special about that group of people, that team. As a manager, how do you foster or cultivate that culture, from “Baby Shark” to the dugout dances?
A: Oh, it's about building relationships and having an appreciation for each individual player. And let them be them. I've always told them, “Hey, this is not my clubhouse. This is your guys' clubhouse.” I don't want to be a dictator, you know? I want you guys to be you and have fun. And they took to that really well. We tried to go 1-0 every day and have fun while we were doing it.
And I want them to continue to have that kind of energy and that passion. That's just who they are. It's who we are.
Q: Did that understanding of how to build relationships come out of your time as a player? I know you played on nine teams — or 10, if you count Chicago twice — even four in one season, once. That's a lot of experience on a lot of teams.
A: I played for some unbelievable managers. And I've tried to take a little bit from each one. And playing for so many different teams, I learned how to just communicate with individuals and try to fit in but not try to be anybody different than what I am. To be yourself, be who you are. And I try to do that now as a manager. People respect that a lot, players respect that a lot. You know, I can't fool anybody. (Laughs.) The guys know who I am. They know I'm very passionate about what I do, passionate about everybody in that clubhouse, and I make myself readily available for anybody.
I have the respect because I played the game for such a long time. But also, I listen. I listen to the players. It's not just about the game itself, it's about life. And I want to get to know them as a person, as well, and what drives them. And I take the time to do that.
Q: Every year, people come and go, which can be great because you get to meet new people, but I'm sure there's a lot of sadness as well that you have to say goodbye to this great mix, this great chemistry, great individuals.
A: Absolutely. No doubt. Most of these guys you stay in contact with. Especially after the year that we had in 2019. But it's a new season. And we're accustomed to the transition of new players.
Q: So who is the player or players that you most miss getting to see on a daily basis, that you're still in touch with?
A: Howie Kendrick. Yeah, I miss him. He lives out in Arizona, so I want to make sure I see him when we get to Arizona. He wants to come by and see the guys, so it will be fun to see him.
Q: Do you have a moment in your career where it just felt like everything was coming together? Like, finally, things line up just so, when something clicked.
A: So, in '95, we just got done with the strike. And I was a free agent. I had no team. You know, trying to look for a team to sign with. Nobody knew what was going on. I thought I was going to end up going to Japan, actually, to play. And then, all the sudden, a couple teams called me up. I ended up signing with the White Sox.
That's when I realized what baseball really meant to me. Because I knew I wasn't ready to give it up. And when they called me, I had a moment where I said, `Hey, I truly really love this game. And I'm really passionate about it. So let's just go out there and just have fun.' And that's when I really just kind of let myself say, `It's a game. You go out there and have fun and enjoy it.' And since then, I really took off. I mean, I saw a big difference in how I played the game.
Q: Can you talk about your toughest moment in baseball, either as a player, a manager, a bench coach, when you really struggled and thought: I don't know if I can do this.
A: You know, in this game, you got to endure a lot of failure. As we know, some of the best players in the world, they get 10 at-bats and get three hits. So they fail seven out of 10 times.
It's the same thing as a coach or as a manager. You want every player to succeed. And when they don't, you wear it. There are a lot of sleepless nights when I constantly think about players and how to make them better. Not just for this organization, but themselves. Because I know what they endure every day, what they go through. So my struggle is always: How can I make them better and how can I make this team better and, honestly, how can I make the city better and the fans better? So it's a daily grind. But when something does happen and it's successful, you reap the benefits. And I love that about the game.
Q: You had to undergo a cardiac catheterization a couple years ago. Did that change things for you? Did it influence the way you see the game, yourself in it, even life?
There was an emptiness last year. I'm not going to lie. You come to the ballpark, and there was nobody here. It was kind of sad. And when we got the word that we were going to have fans again, it was awesome.
A: It kind of helped me put things in perspective. Just about slowing down a little bit and enjoying each moment. You know, like, hey, just take care of the seconds. And the minutes, the hours, the days will take care of themselves.
Q: You're famous for mottoes and sayings like that one. Do you have one that's sort of rolling through your head these days?
A: I mean, I come up with different things. I toyed around with one just about how we always talk about who we want to be or what we want to be. So I tell the players, `Hey, let's not talk about it. Let's be about it.'
Q: You're described by your players as being very positive every day. With everything that's gone on with your health, with the pandemic, how do you get yourself to that place where you can do that?
A: I don't know. I wake up like that. Like, `Hey, it's a new day. Here we go.' I mean, honestly, I love being around them. I love what I do. And I try to bring that positivity every day at the ballpark. I try to forget about anything that's ever happened before and focus on the possibilities of what can happen now.