When Davey Martinez took over as manager of the Washington Nationals after the firing of Dusty Baker, he inherited one of baseball’s most talented, experienced rosters.
More than 110 games into the rookie skipper’s first season, the Nats are inexplicably in third place. Perhaps even more troubling is the absence of sound fundamentals and consistent hustle that have so far served as the Martinez era’s trademarks.
Baker’s dismissal after 192 regular season wins and back-to-back NL East titles was clearly a mistake. Now, the biggest question is how the Washington Nationals attempt to recover from the organization’s self-inflicted wound.