Too soon to start the Jim Riggleman Axe Watch?

(Jim Riggleman ripped his team's effort after the Nationals fifth straight loss on Sunday. Photo by UPI/Alexis C. Glenn via Newscom)

Jim Riggleman's postgame comments after Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Marlins were...interesting, to say the least. Sounds like all the losing is starting to get to ol' Riggs, but mostly because he doesn't like the effort. Watch the video here.

"I think the losing wears on you, but it's a 162-game schedule, it's a nine-inning ballgame. That's what you sign up for, that's what you give. You get 25 guys up until Sept. 1, and whatever we have -- 32 after that. Until we get everybody on the same page, it takes a great effort everyday to get out of where we are. ...You cannot be in the same class as the Padres, Giants, Yankees and Tampa Bay until you have everybody on board pulling the same way, putting personal statistics and all that nonsense behind them. Until everyone is pulled in the same direction and getting after it every day, it's not going to show up in the win column."
(Jim Riggleman, via Nationals.com, 9/12/2010)

Kinda makes you wish Riggleman would name names, huh? Just who are these phantom players putting personal stats and milestones and "all that nonsense" ahead of the team?

Anyway, Riggleman addressed his team in a closed-door postgame meeting on Sunday, but apparently he let his coaching staff have their say, to rip away at the effort, too. Just so everyone knows it's not just him.

Hate to say it, but the fact that Riggleman felt the need to change the messenger for a postgame team scolding does not bode well for the manager. Yes, it's understandable that a 60-win team with 16 19 games to go might tune out any manager; but you've gotta wonder if Jim Riggleman has lost the clubhouse. Wonder how his handling of the Nyjer Morgan fiasco plays into it.

Does a bad start in 2011 cost Jim Riggleman his job?

Is it too soon to start the Jim Riggleman Axe Watch?

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Comments

[Shoshana]

Um, last I checked, the Nats still have 19 games to play. Unfortunately, I'm viewing it as 3 more games for them to lose. :(

[bdrube]

Too soon? Heck no. I'll be disappointed if he starts next season as the team's manager. The 7-game winning streak at the end of last season and the 20-15 start this year were clearly mirages. FJB needs to change the name of his blog to FJR.

[The Nationals Enquirer]

@Shoshana -- You're right, 19 games left! We got the 9 flipped upside down there...

[Jokester]

I was at the game. It had to be the most unexciting 6-5 game I've ever seen. I was near the dugout, and you could see players clowning around and enjoying the day, but not really into the game. Definitely a team playing out the string. I'm not sure if that is a reflection on the manager, or just the fact of a game between two teams out of the hunt. The one thing I couldn't figure out was why Riggleman played future-less veterans Kennedy, Harris and Mench rather than the younger players that need as much major league experience as they can get.

Bring back Frank Robinson...He wouldn't put up with the mediocre play, and he surely wouldn't defend players when they do stupid things.

[NTPNate]

Hmmm... Manny Acta "lost" the team after two losing seasons. Jim Riggleman is "losing" the team after two losing seasons. Yup, the manager is clearly the problem here.