In describing what he will look for in a manager to replace Matt Williams, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo might have been pointing out exactly what he thought went wrong with the man he hired two years ago and fired Monday.
“Leadership qualities, knowledge of the game, X’s and O’s are all important. Communication in the clubhouse, communication within the coaching staff, is vital,” Rizzo said during a telephone conference call. “Experience is always helpful. It always adds a layer of expertise to anybody’s resume.
“We feel that where we’re at in our timetable of winning a championship, we certainly would lean toward someone that has some type of managerial experience, especially at the major-league level.