Cincinnati rolled into town Friday, six years to the day since Jim Riggleman’s fateful decision. Some players agreed with it, others did not. It was a choice that made Riggleman wonder if he would work again in baseball.
He quit that day, June 23, 2011, as Washington Nationals manager after a rousing win and in the midst of a rising tide around the organization. The Nationals had refused to pick up his contract option before they had to, so Riggleman decided their future for them. He left.
He was 58 years old, at a point where conviction and cash can alter reasoning.