The new Washington Nationals' "Field Manager" (ed. note - "And when did that become the new, cool thing to call them?") Jim Riggleman said all the right things when he was introduced as Manny Acta's replacement at the helm of the worst team in baseball. Mr. Riggleman met with the press, (ed. note - "...and even some bloggers, which was appreciated, Nationals!"), during a news conference earlier this week, and the quotes from the new "FIeld Manager" and the players' reactions to the move were printed and reprinted throughout the Natosphere™...but it all seemed oddly familiar to me...

MLB.com's Bill Ladson quoted Mr. Riggleman, in an article entitled, "Riggleman introduced as Nats' skipper", explaining that fans shouldn't expect a complete overhaul:

COMPLETE ARTICLE AFTER THE JUMP...

The new Washington Nationals' "Field Manager" (ed. note - "And when did that become the new, cool thing to call them?") Jim Riggleman said all the right things when he was introduced as Manny Acta's replacement at the helm of the worst team in baseball. Mr. Riggleman met with the press, (and even some bloggers, which was appreciated, Nationals!"), during a news conference earlier this week, and the quotes from the new "FIeld Manager" and the players' reactions to the move were printed and reprinted throughout the Natosphere™...

MLB.com's Bill Ladson quoted Mr. Riggleman, in an article entitled, "Riggleman introduced as Nats' skipper", explaining that fans shouldn't expect a complete overhaul:

"'We are not going to reinvent the game,' Riggleman said. 'We have to find a way to get different results. I don't think we can change a lot. I know Manny wouldn't change anything that he did. I wouldn't change anything that he did. I'm just going to continue to pound the message. Maybe coming from someone else, maybe they will respond, maybe they won't. We have to try it.'"

"There's not a lot to change," Washington Post writer Chico Harlan quoted Mr. Riggleman explaining further in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "The Jim Riggleman Era Begins", because, "Manny Acta did all the right things...(and) ...had them aligned pretty much the best way." "Acting" GM Mike Rizzo seemed to agree with the new "Field Manager's" assessment of the situation in DC, as he explained to Washington Post writer Mark Viera in an article entitled, "Mike Rizzo Quotes On Acta and Riggleman":

"'I just believe the team is better than what they've shown, so maybe something in a different voice, a different way of presenting possibly the same material, could have an effect.'"

The Nationals' themselves, for their part, expressed regret that their play had led to Manny Acta's dismissal. In an article by Washington Times' writer Mark Zuckerman entitled, "Nats take the blame", a few even spoke up about their role in bringing about the "Field Managerial" change, with middle-of-the-order bat Adam Dunn stating, "'It's a terrible feeling...Essentially, we got him fired because we didn't perform up to expectations. That's a tough pill to swallow.'" Rejuvenated reliever, (and everyone's favorite New Jersey native) Jason Bergmann suggested that it was simply, "'...the culmination of three unproductive seasons from three different sets of 25 players'", and right fielder Josh Willingham said that it might be time for each player on the Nationals' roster to take a moment to, "Examine yourself, and if you're giving your best effort every night and putting everything into the game..."

(ed. note - "The need for a new voice, a new approach to the same problem, not a complete restructuring but a slight adjustment to a team full of players who now recognize their role in the forcing the Front Office to make a change...it all sounds so familiar...") 

6/19/08:

"'As I said when I was let go by the Cubs, a new voice needed to be heard. It wasn't that the message was wrong. It was just the way things go,' new Mariners' Manager Jim Riggleman explained to MLB.com writer Guy Curtright in an article entitled, "Riggleman feels for ex-skipper". Mr. Riggleman didn't seem to think it was ousted skipper John McLaren's fault that the Mariners were struggling, however, as he explained further:

"We have a lot of good players, but it just hasn't clicked," Riggleman said. "Making a lot of changes would indicate I didn't agree with what John was doing and I did agree with it."

The next day, on 6/20/08, the Mariners themselves spoke up in another article by MLB.com's Guy Curtright entitled, "Players take blame for McLaren's firing", in which Mariners' slugger Richie Sexson explained that the players felt some or even most of the blame could be placed on their shoulders, "'As players, we feel responsible when people get fired....We didn't perform, so the axe had to come down on someone. It's too bad it was [McLaren]. We feel bad for him. It was more us than him.'" Sexson's teammate, relief pitcher Miguel Batista, described the Nationa..uh Mariners' new manager as being "very mellow", and suggested that the decision to replace John McLaren was made due to the nature of the game as a business, stating, "'This is a results business, so someone has to pay the price [when you lose]."

The Mariners, at the time, had an "Interim" GM Lee Pelekoudas, to go with their new "Interim" Manager, and Mr. Riggleman seemed to realize that everyone involved with the team would essentially be playing for their jobs the next season, as he was quoted by MLB.com's Mr. Curtright stating:

""The better we play and the more we work, the better chance there is for everybody to stay..."

In October 2008, the Mariners hired Milwaukee Brewers' Vice President Jack Zduriencik as their new GM, "replac(ing) interim GM Lee Pelekoudas" as seattlepi.com reporter John Hickey wrote in an article entitled, "Brewers' Zduriencik to be Mariners GM". A little over a month later, the Mariners introduced their new manager, Don Wakamatsu as MLB.com writer Doug Miller reported in an article entitled, "Wakamatsu named as Mariners manager"...