tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post8824912719071816506..comments2024-03-28T10:50:33.234-07:00Comments on Nationals Baseball: How the Nats were built - FA and tradesHarperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07738813756060133236noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-37333303932846181062015-03-08T12:51:09.611-07:002015-03-08T12:51:09.611-07:00It's a long leap from "I can't quanti...It's a <i>long</i> leap from "I can't quantify the effect that Werth had on the culture" to "the assertion that Werth had a positive impact on the Nats' culture is false." John C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-46485554434470092602015-03-07T12:43:00.346-08:002015-03-07T12:43:00.346-08:00As my mother used to say, never criticize someone ...As my mother used to say, never criticize someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes... because that way, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.<br /><br />But, hey, this is the internet! Harper, I actually liked your three-part bludgeoning of the Werth-was-it straw man, but the narrative jumped around and I had a hard time following which year was which (tables would have helped.) I came away with the general sense that Rizzo had had a particularly good run. But, then, I knew that. I'm not yearning for the full Michael Lewis Monty, but the story really is about Rizzo. The trades have been good, the drafts have been good, the hiring of minor league and front office staff has been good, the timing (even the bad luck) has been good. The next few off seasons will be all about whether Riz is the genius the last few seasons make him out to be. It's good to see you thinking about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-53225337951151074512015-03-07T09:46:30.606-08:002015-03-07T09:46:30.606-08:00@John C. -- I definitely agree that leadership in ...@John C. -- I definitely agree that leadership in the clubhouse is critical to cohesion and effectiveness. And I'm sure Werth contributed. But Zim, Desmond, and even LaRoche were providing a lot of leadership too -- maybe more. <br /><br />One thing that I recall reading a few years ago was that Werth was instrumental in pushing for better conditions and better food and better training techniques. I'm sure that made some contribution. Here's the link:<br /><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/jayson-werth-has-made-his-presence-felt-throughout-washington-nationals/2013/03/23/16c9bba2-93ae-11e2-a31e-14700e2724e4_story.htmlDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12295227567170577873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-88711846685520115712015-03-07T08:50:24.632-08:002015-03-07T08:50:24.632-08:00And your trouble with developing the counter-argum...And your trouble with developing the counter-argument shows why this narrative is invalid, it's non-falsifiableBjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-83999506333871969782015-03-07T08:17:42.319-08:002015-03-07T08:17:42.319-08:00@Donald - Yea my biggest problem with the Werth na...@Donald - Yea my biggest problem with the Werth narrative is that there's no way to tell which way the causation happened.<br /><br />Did Werth's signing begin a new era in which management was now willing to spend on FA's? Or had that change in management already happened and Werth was just the first step?<br /><br />Similarly with the "culture" thing. Did Werth sign here because he saw the front-office and clubhouse seemed to be in the right place? Or was he responsible for much of the shift in the clubhouse (I don't think he'd impact front office guys either way).<br /><br />All we seem to be able to say for certain is these two things roughly coincided:<br /><br />1. Nationals started winning more<br />2. Jayson Werth was signed<br /><br />I want to say they're more related than ice cream sales and shark attacks, but it may just be straight up coincidenceBjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-81926648075725651172015-03-07T08:14:36.265-08:002015-03-07T08:14:36.265-08:00On Werth and the Nats' culture, I simply accep...On Werth and the Nats' culture, I simply accept that we cannot quantify it. That doesn't mean there was no effect; it could well be that we just don't have the measuring tools. <br /><br />I do know that in my experience small unit cohesion and effectiveness are dramatically impacted by low level leadership. At the squad or platoon level, the Sgt. or CPO equivalent matters a lot. John C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00177992237175546115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-22146853826728952412015-03-07T05:50:30.697-08:002015-03-07T05:50:30.697-08:00I was trying to construct the counter argument abo...I was trying to construct the counter argument about signing Werth being the turning point moment, but just couldn't. I know that a lot of folks said that before Werth, no free agent wanted to come to DC, and by signing him, it showed that the Nats were serious about contending and spending real money. But really, where's the evidence of that? They signed LaRoche a month or two after Werth, but I don't recall LaRoche having a ton of competing contracts at the time. And that was pretty much it for 2011 into 2012 by which point the Nats were winning, which was certainly much more of a driver in attracting talent.<br /><br />The other argument for Werth is that he some how changed the culture, but again, it's hard to credit Werth with the team turning around when so many other things went right.Donaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12295227567170577873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-26138795750095991572015-03-06T12:02:55.230-08:002015-03-06T12:02:55.230-08:00Really enjoyed these articles Harper. Thanks.Really enjoyed these articles Harper. Thanks.sircnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-74697026776421974322015-03-06T11:26:23.612-08:002015-03-06T11:26:23.612-08:00MASN's hiring of Don Sutton was key to getting...MASN's hiring of Don Sutton was key to getting and keeping me engaged. I don't know if I would still find his analysis appealing as I've learned more about the game, but listening to him talk strategy in at-bats where the Nats were almost always overmatched got me into baseball. Also, Dmitri Young's weight and batting average.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-29689098473830249772015-03-06T09:19:53.159-08:002015-03-06T09:19:53.159-08:00Don't forget throwing Riggleman overboard and ...Don't forget throwing Riggleman overboard and bringing in Davy. Rizzo was smart enough to know the difference between a caretaker manager and a manager of a contender. <br /><br />Compare the Nats making the move for manager as they moved into contention with their hoops counterpart the Wizards. <br /><br />Excellent series and a few trip down memory lane. Hoonoreply@blogger.com