Washington Nationals: Comparing the Nats to other NL contenders
By Brian Foley
Managers
Let’s step off the field and compare managers among the NL playoff contenders. There are some really talented skippers at the top of the National League, starting with the Chicago’s Joe Maddon, who has always extracted the best from his teams. San Francisco’s Bruce Bochy pulls all the right punches in October, and has three World Series rings to show for it.
Dave Roberts guided his Dodgers’ team to the NL pennant last season, and Bud Black was at the helm of the Rockies’ Wild Card berth in his first year with the club.
Arizona’s Torey Lovullo and Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell are both young, up-and-coming managers who effectively blend analytics into their managing styles.
St. Louis fans wanted to ride Mike Matheny out of town last year, but he has still led the Cardinals to four postseason appearances in six seasons, including a World Series berth in 2013. By the way, Matheny would be the most successful manager in Nationals history.
Speaking of Washington, the Nats are once again breaking in a new manager, but at least this time, Davey Martinez comes by way of the well-regarded Maddon. It remains to be seen how he reacts during game situations, though early signs seem positive. And at the very least, Martinez already has the Maddon-esque quirks down pat.