A View from the Capital–The Party’s Over

“The party’s over..” for Jim Bowden that is. “Turn out the lights…tomorrow starts the same old thing again.” Thank you Willie Nelson, but there will not be the same old thing again in Washington, DC tomorrow. Nor will things remain the same in Viera, Florida where spring training for the Nats may see some fresh faces.

Mike Rizzo is likely to take over as interim General Manager while the ownership–the Lerner family–decides which way to go. But as those decisions move forward, one thing is certain. Jim Bowden will not be seen on his Segway again, and few fans will miss him.

The negative views of Bowden are concentrated among Washington fans and filled the blogosphere. However, some have seen him differently. In a Washington Post Sunday on-line column, Dimitri Young provided the perspective of many players to whom Bowden gave a second chance. Many times those players rewarded Bowden with good return on the dollar. After all, Jimbow learned his trade under skin flint owner Marge Schott, so he was used to making the most of his payroll.

Players saw a different side and others in Washington were able to find kind words as well. Tom Boswell, ever the pro, found good things to say about Bowden, praising his high energy commitment to task. But he cherry-picked from Bowden’s famous trades. DC fans remember all of the trades and the Bowden hyperbole that came with them, the empty superlatives that were belied by the results and performance on the field. For fans it was the three seasons after the new car smell was gone that will make them glad so see Bowden gone.

There has been no formal announcement that the interim GM will be Mike Rizzo. Stan Kasten has scheduled a public statement later this week, but Rizzo has done a fine job already in cleaning up the mess Bowden made in the Dominican Republic. Rizzo’s hiring of Fernando Ravelo, GM of the Tigres de Licey organization, and his relocation of the Nationals away from the Jose Rijo Academy in three short days speaks volumes about his ability to get the job done.

According to an article in Baseball Prospectus, Rizzo may be uncomfortable with the full responsibility for being General Manager. He has always been given high marks for his capability as a talent evaluator. Boswell gives him credit for scouting the Nationals best minor league prospect, Jordan Zimmermann . But there are many facets to a General Manager’s job. Rizzo may be smart to wonder if he has mastered them all. There was an excellent NY Times piece on the Yankees’ organization on Sunday that made clear how many talented individuals it takes to run a good organization.

Rizzo will certainly get consideration for the job. But the Lerners will be turning a very important page for their young franchise and it will surprise many if they make a hasty move. Tony LaCava, who has worked with Kasten before and is highly respected by everyone, is a likely candidate.  Jerry Dipoto is another. While Bowden talked of building the Washington organization, some believed him unsuited to the task. LaCava and Dipoto are stark contrasts in that both have made their names in managing player development for numerous organizations. Almost as important, both are widely liked within the game–something that would never be said about Bowden.

His resignation may mean the departure of his colleagues from Cincinnati including Bob Boone. With Jose Rijo fired last week, Boone is the highest profile hold-over and whoever the new GM may be, he may wish to wipe the slate clean. Manager Manny Acta is working under a one-year contract and his position now may be more precarious as well. The results of the team on the field this year will likely have much to do with whether he returns in 2010.

Other less high-profile names may go also. Cincinnati draft picks that Bowden brought in like Wily Mo Pena will no longer have a champion reluctant to pull the plug. So the changes in Washington will stretch as wide as Bowden’s once weighty ego, but will hopefully have greater depth. Washington area fans are breathing a huge sigh of relief and are anxious to turn the operation over to a quieter and more cerebral replacement.

There is of course the example of President Obama who was in the crowd talking trash at the Wizards-Bulls game on Friday night, and watching his daughter play recreational basketball out in this neighborhood the following morning. Quiet, cool intellectuals are in vogue suddenly. Nationals fans would like one like that: one that has got game and doesn’t need a Segway to find his way to the hoop.