Nats fire Williams after two seasons
In describing what he will look for in a manager to replace Matt Williams, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo might’ve been pointing out exactly what he felt went wrong with the man he hired two years ago and fired Monday.
“Leadership qualities, knowledge of the game, X’s and O’s are all important. Communication in the clubhouse, communication within the coaching staff, is vital,” Rizzo said. “Experience is always helpful. It always adds a layer of expertise to anybody’s resume. ... We certainly would lean toward someone that has some type of managerial experience, especially at the major league level.”
Williams, of course, did not, but he had a history with Rizzo. And while Williams was voted NL Manager of the Year for his rookie season in 2014, when the team finished 96-66, he is now out of a job because the Nationals failed to make the playoffs after entering this season with World Series aspirations.
Rizzo delivered the news to Williams the morning after Washington finished the regular season barely above .500 at 83-79, seven games behind the New York Mets in the NL East.
“This entire season was a disappointment,” Rizzo said. “It was not our best year. It wasn’t Matt’s best year. It wasn’t my best year.”
In February, the Nationals exercised Williams’ 2016 contract option. But he presided over a 2015 season filled with defeats, discord and a dugout dustup between NL MVP front-runner Bryce Harper and teammate Jonathan Papelbon during a game the day after the team was eliminated from playoff contention.
The Nationals also said they will not renew the contracts of the seven members of Williams’ staff, including bench coach Randy Knorr, who Rizzo said could be considered for the manager’s job.