WASHINGTON (7News) — It appears Washington Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo isn’t looking to replace manager Dave Martinez anytime soon.
During his weekly radio appearance Wednesday with the Sports Junkies on 106.7 the Fan, Rizzo said Martinez “still has the pulse of the clubhouse” amid a 10-game losing streak.
Rizzo said Martinez is a calming presence for this young Nationals squad, adding that he’s as player-friendly a manager as he’s ever worked with. The Washington Post reported Sunday that multiple players were “shocked, dismayed and pissed” over the manager’s postgame comments Saturday about the team’s struggles, though.
“We can’t hit for them. We can’t catch the ball for them. We can’t pitch for them. We can’t throw strikes for them. They gotta do that,” Martinez said after the Nationals’ 4-3 loss on Saturday.
Rizzo said Martinez’s comments took on a life of its own among the fanbase and media, but not within the team.
“This guy does 500, 600 interviews a year and he’s flawless,” Rizzo said. “But he got caught in a frustrating, angry moment, and kind of lashed out. I think it was out of frustration.”
”There’s onus on the players. There’s onus on the coaches. There’s onus on the manager, and there’s a great onus on the general manager to do a better job,” Rizzo added. “We all got to look in the mirror.”
Despite Rizzo’s opinion, the majority of outside blame seems to be falling on Martinez. Some fans at Nationals Park booed and chanted “Fire Davey” in the late innings of Tuesday’s 10-6 loss to the Rockies.
Asked postgame how he processed the boos and Washington suffering its 10th consecutive loss, Martinez said: “I don’t.”
“Honestly, for me, I try to look at the positive,” Martinez said. “What I look at is, this team doesn’t quit. We’re gonna keep fighting. That’s who we are.”