The fact that Davey Martinez, as a rookie manager, got the Nationals to an 82-80 record, did a lot to convince GM Mike Rizzo that the first-year skipper had what it takes to bring a World Series title to the nation’s capital (which Martinez did in his second year on the bench in D.C. in 2019).
“I’ve said this last year many times, you guys heard me,” Rizzo told reporters on a Zoom call announcing Martinez’s multi-year extension last month.
“That 82-80 season we had in 2018 was probably the most leadership, and one of the most difficult jobs any manager we’ve had here had to do.