John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Well, that didn’t take long.
Less than a day after the Washington Nationals’ 2015 season ended with a 1-0 loss to the playoff-bound New York Mets, the club has fired Manager Matt Williams, along with his entire coaching staff, according to several media reports. .
Williams, who leaves with a year left on his contract, had no major league managing experience before he was hired prior to the 2014 season, but he led the Nats to a NL East division crown his rookie year, and baseball watchers picked the Nationals as a World Series favorite in 2015. Those unmet expectations were perhaps the most likely reason for Williams’ dismissal. Instead of winning a pennant, the Nationals barely rose above .500 for the season, finishing with an 83 – 79 record,
A series of devastating injuries to a variety of players kept the Nationals from fielding their intended starting lineup until late August – nearly five months into the 2015 season, and Williams was forced to field players who were never intended to play major roles for the team. Injuries aside, however, Williams faced harsh criticism for his handling of pitchers, which seemingly cost the Nationals several games. Williams was also said to have strained relationships with several players, making for an unhappy clubhouse.
Williams’ fate may have been sealed on September 27th, when his biggest star, Bryce Harper, was physically attacked in the dugout by the Nats’ closer, Jonathan Papelbon, with Papelbon putting his hand around Harper’s throat. Several other players pulled the two apart, but Williams was seemingly clueless about the fight, and sent Papelbon back into the game. Papelbon was ultimately suspended for his actions, and Williams later admitted it was his fault for not playing closer attention to the chaos in the dugout.
Williams, 49, goes from being named the National League Manager of the Year in 2014 to the unemployment line a year later.
No word on when a replacement for Williams will be named.
Copyright 2015 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: MLB)
