One of the problems that members of the sports world continuously have is an inflated ego. They are surrounded by friends and family who consistently tell them how great they are.
This is obviously the case, otherwise they wouldn’t hold the positions that they do. What these members of the entourage don’t comprehend is that they are surrounded by the top people in the world in their respective fields and that there are varying degrees of excellence.
Jim Riggleman held one of the most coveted positions in sports. He was a major league manager for the Washington Nationals before he abruptly resigned recently after a one to zero victory by his team. Abandoning his club on the verge of their interleague series against the Chicago White Sox is a cowardly and spineless move.
Riggleman must have his track record confused with that of a Tony LaRussa, Ron Gardenhire, or Bobby Cox. These aforementioned managers have achieved longevity in one of the most fickle of professions. The ironic part of his departure is that he reportedly did not feel that the club was committed to him. He obviously was not to them if he was ready to jump ship midseason. In his defense, he was one of the lowest paid in his position in major league baseball at around six hundred thousand dollars annually.
In this sluggish economy, that amount is still more than most people would earn in a decade. Most of us feel disrespected in the workplace. For example, you readers have failed to realize my true greatness as of this juncture.
But I digress.
Riggleman has compiled over eleven seasons as a manager in the major leagues, most notably with the Chicago Cubs in the mid nineties. His career winning percentage is below forty five percent. This hardly seems like a man that should be making hasty demands for job security. It is true that this journeyman has had stops in places that are not consistent winners from a franchise standpoint. Seattle and San Diego have not experienced greatness over the last couple of decades, but Riggleman is part of the reason that is the case.
Jayson Werth made some comments recently about things that needed to be rectified within the organization. He backed off the remarks somewhat, but the seed for transition had definitely been planted. He and pitcher Drew Storen are two of the cornerstones on the current active roster. One must also keep in mind that there is competition for the baseball dollar in the D.C. metropolitan area.
The Baltimore Orioles have been firmly entrenched in the region for years, while the Nationals have no tradition in a sport where it means more than in any other. The club is playing five hundred ball now, but few think that they will finish the year in that region. The schedule was over before it started in this division when Cliff Lee decided to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Why should a casual fan buy tickets to a Nationals game?