Washington Nationals’ manager Davey Johnson and their 2012 regular season prospects -MLB Feature
Effect of Davey Johnson on the Washington Nationals has started to come clear as many of the Minor League prospects are bringing out stunning performances in Spring Training. Matt Purke hardening things for Georgetown Hoyas’ batters and Bryce Harper showing
patience on the plate give one a reason to believe that a side touted as the bunch of youngsters is certainly going to have an impact this season.
Taking the role from John McLaren, last season Nationals’ manager, everybody knows Johnson the incumbent, have a lot on his plate. Mclaren recorded 66.7 percent win-loss ratio during his time and the fact up till now Johnson has the same ratio around 48.2
percent tells the high number of wins he has to add for Nationals to surpass his predecessor. Seen in the context that Mclaren spent only three games negate the credit however he gets apparently.
Therefore barring him, Johnson can easily claim being the most successful Nationals’ manager, ever better than the erstwhile most successful Frank Robinson who had a 46.9 percent win-loss ratio.
Everybody speculated the influence “free” and relaxing style of management Johnson brings will render on players and few even feared he could lead players evaluate themselves wrongly. For example letting players to hit the nets at 10am and not looking at
their weaknesses on one side soothes the players mind, but on the other hand it can easily derail them from their duties on the team.
For as long as results are turning out great, he can be condoned, but just as soon as something goes wrong, scapegoat will not be harder to locate and that will easily be the manager Johnson.
After conceding two losses in opening two Spring Training games against Houston Astros, it looked as the vicious circle of losses awaits the club. Fortunately though that did not happen and they recovered immediately by registering two convincing victories
against New York Mets and then against the Atlanta Braves.
After signing off last season on a high, standing at third place with 80-81 record, one will be looking forward to a build up on that.
In a match against Astros where Stephen Strasburg was amped up for throwing, though he endured 44 pitches, he can hardly generate the kind of impact needed. No wonder the side plunged to a 2-10 loss on Sunday. Worse was the time when Thomas Stephen Gorzelanny
was sent as a reliever and the way he was hammered all over the park by the Astros told something of unreliable backup Nationals had. Gorzelanny gave away seven earned runs on just three hits along with couple of walks and other wayward pitching.
Return to form by Rick Ankiel’s in a game he helped Nationals find their first 3-1 victory by showing great wisdom in swinging and hitting at the plate is heartening for the club. Along with this, Gio Gonzalez’s constant pitching at 90mph against Atlanta
Braves and keeping hitters in their place is something the club can take as a huge positive.
“We should make the playoffs this year. If we don’t, they can fire me,” Johnson said.
While Johnson continues applying his own techniques of getting the best out of players, selecting opening day roster for regular season and inducting the best talent is going to be a tough decision for him. With players like Bryce Harper, Matt Purke and
Stephen Strasburg all showing improvements and potentially becoming surprise performers, picking out the right mix will determine the way things pan out for Nationals in big games.
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