Washington Nationals

If the Nationals need a new manager...

Published Aug. 18, 2015 12:44 p.m. ET

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You probably remember Davey Johnson. With a few twists of fate or slightly fewer sabbaticals, Johnson might well be in the Hall of Fame someday. Johnson managed the Washington Nationals in 2013, and while he doesn't appear on a list of the Nationals' front-office personnel, he's reportedly still got ties to the franchise. 

So on its face, this makes a lot of sense:

After all, if you've got a team that cruised to a division title last season but is struggling terribly this season, due to injuries and inexplicably ineffective players, maybe you just need a better man–    

Oh. Yeah. That's what happened in Davey Johnson's last season with the Nationals. In 2012, they won 98 games. But on this exact date in 2013, the Nationals sported a 60-62 record.

Johnson managed his club to a 26-14 the rest of the way, but it wasn't quite enough.

I won't begin to suggest that Matt Williams is Davey Johnson's equal, and I'm not even sure a change at this late date wouldn't help. But it's probably worth remembering that Davey Johnson's managed some disappointing teams, too.

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