The Nationals, fresh off their second straight 100-loss season, are searching for the right manager to turn the ship around, which is a tall, if not impossible, order.
Nationals Would Like A Word With Don Mattingly About Their Managerial Opening
The biggest name to emerge as the possible replacement to Jim Riggleman, who replaced Manny Acta: Don Mattingly, who was considered a front-runner for the Yankees job when Joe Torre left. The Nationals have requested the Dodgers' permission to speak with their current hitting coach about the job opening:
Mattingly said Tuesday the Washington Nationals asked Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti for permission to speak to Mattingly about their managerial opening.
The former Yankees first baseman also spoke to the Cleveland Indians by phone about their opening and said the Nationals are "willing to wait until after the World Series to start." [...]
"[Their arms] are pretty good, actually," Mattingly said. "The young kid, [Jordan] Zimmermann, I know he's having surgery and stuff, but he's got one of those arms that, when we see it during the season, it's like, 'Wow.' Young guy, good arm, attacks, throws strikes with all his pitches. You look at things - and again, I haven't gone deep into anybody. You're talking what-ifs. But you see the surface."
If he’s excited about Jordan Zimmerman, who is having Tommy John surgery, wait until he gets a load of this Steven Strasburg guy. No way, he’ll pass up the job then. Unless, of course, he takes a look at the rest of the Nats pitchers.
One main issue in luring Mattingly to the Nats, aside from the obvious, is that he is believed to be the successor to Joe Torre as the next manager of the Dodgers, a considerably better position than what Washington can offer. Although Mattingly did say, “When the opportunity knocks [to manage], you knock the door down.”
Also reportedly on the Nats interview list: Bobby Valentine and Bob Melvin.
For more on the Nationals managerial situation, check out SB Nation’s Federal Baseball.
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