The Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten showed why he considered one of the smartest executive’s in sports. He picked the slowest sports day of the year to fire Many Acta the Nats manager.
Kasten was able to take bad news and spin it into optimism. It was a brilliant move on his part worthy of James Carville type Washington spin move.
Joined by interim General Manager Mike Rizzo(who got more face time then he has all year) at a Monday press conference at Nationals Park Kasten was able turn the negative of the letting go of Acta and turn it into a positive.
How did they do it?
Both Rizzo and Kasten talked about the talent on the team that was not playing to their abilities. But at the same time they were smart enough potential that was on the team. They talked about the newly named successor to Acta, bench coach, turned interim manager Jim Riggleman.
MASN and Comcast SportsNet carried the press conference live and by noon the Nationals were not only the top sports story locally but on a national basis. There was plenty about Acta getting fired but there was also the positive about the young talent on the team.
ESPN 980AM Locker Room Show with Kevin Sheehan and Marc Sterne spent an hour talking Nationals on a day that if they talked baseball it would be about the All Star Game not about local D.C. baseball.
CSN will have plenty more on WPL and SportsNite as the day goes on.
The conversation was not all good as people pointed out a number of faults with management, ownership and even the fans. But any conversation about the Nationals is a plus even it is not in a good light.
Nats Xtra will continue the conversation throughout the week as MASN returns to cover the team on Thursday. WFED 1500AM will have plenty more about the team as the Nationals and the Cubs get ready for a four game weekend stint.
Talking Nationals baseball good or bad is what the team needs now and while I am sorry to see Manny Acta go the move is all about focus on the positive.
Now winning about 35 or 40 post All Star break games would go a long way toward making that upbeat talk of Rizzo and Kasten ring true.
