Riggleman Resigns as Washington Nationals Manager

Jim Riggleman, a Richard Montgomery High School alumnus who had guided the Washington Nationals to a winning record through the season’s first 75 games, stunned baseball fans, media and club management alike as he abruptly resigned as the club’s manager following a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners at Nationals Park on Thursday afternoon.

Meeting with media in the clubhouse following Thursday’s win, Riggleman cited the uncertainty of his contract as the reason behind his resignation.

Riggleman said he was on a one-year contract with the club and some time ago had asked Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo to have a conversation about his job status.

“As we get to this point in the year, I mentioned it to Mike again. He said he’s not ready to talk about it and so I just feel that’s like saying, ‘You know what, you’re not the guy,’” Riggleman said.

He said he was not giving the club an ultimatum, but wanted to talk with Rizzo when the team got to Chicago for a three-game series with the White Sox that begins tomorrow.

“I wanted a conversation about it,” he said. “I didn’t say, pick up my option or else.”

Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo announced Riggleman’s resignation in a postgame news conference.

“Jim and I had a discussion before the game today and he told me of his displeasure of his contract situation and told me that if there wasn’t something done about the contract that he was going to resign after the game," Rizzo said. "So, we accepted his resignation. As you can see it’s taken us a little bit by surprise.”

Rizzo initially said that the team had no immediate plans for a manager, saying, “by Monday we will have somebody managing the team.”

In an interview on MASN a short time later, Rizzo said the team would have a manager on the field when it plays the White Sox tomorrow.

“This is just a small bump in the road, we’re going to right the ship and move on smoothly and put together a championship-caliber organization that [fans] can be proud of,” Rizzo told MASN.

The announcement, during a stretch when the Nationals have won 11 of their last 12 games to pull themselves one game over .500, and move from fifth to third place in the National League East, came as a shock to fans.

“It’s hard to describe what I’m feeling right now, it’s hard to believe it,” said Brad Botwin, vice president of the Rockville Express, a team in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. “Attendance is up, they seem to be gelling, different stars [are contributing].”

Riggleman had appeared at an at the in Rockville on Sunday.

Riggleman talked about playing ball on the Civic Center grounds, Botwin said.

“He was there for quite a while, gave his wonderful speech, talked to everybody,” said Botwin, who added that he spent about five minutes talking to Riggleman, who came to the dinner after a 7-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles that snapped an eight-game winning streak for Washington.

Botwin said he asked Riggleman “very basic baseball stuff," including if it was good to get beat every once in a while.

Riggleman has appeared at the Express fundraiser “four times maybe,” said Botwin, who spoke on the phone from Knights Field at Montgomery College—Rockville where the Express were facing the Southern Maryland Nationals on Thursday evening.

“I remember in previous years, win or loss, he’s the same guy,” said Botwin, who called Riggleman “a cool man, a real gentleman.”

Botwin said he introduced some of the Express’s players to Riggleman, saying that the former Nationals skipper has an “old school” approach to the game that young players could learn from.

“I had not a clue that any of this was going on or was happening,” Botwin said. “Everyone walked out of there with a big smile on their face.”

Riggleman , where he was a standout at before going on to Frostburg State College.

Following a short minor league career, Riggleman became a coach and then a manager. He posted a 522-652 record over nine seasons as manager of the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners.

Riggleman returned to the Washington metropolitan area as a bench coach for the Nationals in 2009. He took over managerial duties on an interim basis on July 14, 2009 after the club fired Manny Acta. The Nationals were a major league-worst 26-61 at the time. Under Riggleman, the club finished the year 33-42.

Ultimately, Riggleman led the Nationals to a 140-172 record in just under two years at the helm.

“I thought after 10 years I earned the right to have a little bit longer leash,” Riggleman said on Thursday.

In May, Riggleman was named as a coach for the National League in next month’s All-Star game in Phoenix.