What an odd year it’s been in baseball. Derek Jeter is in line to get 3,000 hits at Yankee stadium but gets injured to delay the process. Then Albert Pujols injures his wrist knocking him out for six weeks.
Now for one of the strangest stories of the year. Jim Riggleman resigns as manager of the Washington Nationals immediately after their 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. Indeed, under Riggleman, the Nats have won 11 of their last 12 games bringing their winning percentage to .500 for the first time since May 11th.
Winning got to him? Well, it was more of an issue of his long term role in organization. He simply didn’t have one. He saw the writing on the wall and that writing told him that he was going to be gone by the end of the year. According to rumors, team management refused to even meet with him on the matter.
“I’m 58,” Riggleman said. “I’m too old to be disrespected.” Fair enough. I feel his pain. But there are other players (pun intended) in this story. Let’s think of them, too.
Players like Nats outfielder Layne Nix… “I don’t even know what to think. I just know we’re playing well, and we have a game tomorrow.”
Baseball pundits are putting Davey Johnson front and center for replacing Riggleman. Time will tell.