Your 2013 Washington Nationals

If last year was the breakout year for the Washington Nationals, this year is where expectations are met. Expectations meaning as Davey Johnson would say, ‘World Series or Bust.”

I cannot wait for the baseball season to start. I also worry about people think the Nationals have to be great everyday.

My problem isn’t with the team or management. The team is stacked everywhere: pitching, hitting, defense, bench, farm system. All credit goes to Mike Rizzo and his front office and scouts of building a team that was crap five years ago to now.

My problem isn’t with the media and their predictions. Most baseball experts from ESPN to Sports Illustrated have the Nats winning the division and winning the World Series. You can really dispute that since the evidence are there.

My problem is the fans expect to be the 1998 New York Yankees or the 1986 New York Mets (also managed by Davey Johnson). Nats fans would want a dominating team, but in reality, the only part that matters is September and October. I want my Nats to be steady and act like this is a marathon. It doesn’t matter if you have the best record in baseball; it’s the best record that matters the most.

I know there will bumps on the road like injuries or unforeseen circumstances, but that makes baseball fun to follow for six months…and that the Nats have a deep bench. I will not panic in April, May, June, July, and most of August. If they’re still in contention, all I want is the push to the postseason which leads to the World Series and bring back the title to D.C. since 1924.

Last year, they needed to win all season to get experience in the postseason. This year, they know how to pace themselves. Can the fans handle that? Let us enjoy the ride.

xxxSilver Elvis

Oh, the return of NatsJobs is today as well. Job postings are free for the month of April. Send your job posting to tracy@tranrecruiting.com or Twitter at @_natsjobs_

2012 Nationals Soliloquy

This was a fun ride.

I knew before the season, I wanted to return as a Nationals season ticket holder after attending some games the year before when I saw the Nats transition from doormat to respectability. This year was the question if the Nats could contend not only getting over .500, but for the wild card since the playoffs expanded to 5 teams.

During spring training (where I went to Viera, FL for the first time) and throughout the regular season, this was a different squad that I saw from the seven incarnations of the Nats. This team felt ready to take it to the next level. I thought the next level would be a winning season. The Nats next level went above expectations: an NL East crown and best record in baseball.

During that journey, the team was consistently winning each month, the crowds grew bigger (on and off, of course), and old and new friends forged. DC started to become a sports town when they have their summer sport. Baseball became popular when the Nats were winning. Everyone wants their piece of the pie. I will remember July 3rd when the Nats setup the “Ignite Your Natitude” Tweetup. That was probably the most fun I had in baseball:

• Running down to see Nats players (literally) from Strasburg, Stammen, Clippard, Jackson, and Storen.
• Meeting with other Nats fans on Twitter in real life.
• Mocking Angel Pagan at section 143.
• Fireworks.
• Finally, a Nats blowout (won 9-3 over the Giants)

The 2012 season was to cherish and will never forget…

Which leads me to now.

Most in D.C. became a Nats fan because they were winning and wanted to be part of it. Some followed the sport, some wanted to join in on the fun, and some  don’t care but want to follow what’s trendy. They wanted to be part of a “magical” season that suppose to happen to the best team in baseball by record. I was just happy the Nats made the playoffs and knew the playoffs are a crapshoot and there are no guarantees.

What people have learned today is the baseball gods control destiny. The baseball gods will toy with us with relief, frustration, jubilation and mystery. The final part depends on where the wind is blowing. We originally thought it would side with the Nats with the 6-run lead, but baseball has a funny way to remember history. Do you remember July 20 when the Nats blew a 9-run lead and lost in the 10th inning against the Braves? Do you remember the September 1 against the Cardinals where the Nats blew a 4-run lead? Why do you think I tweeted “IT IS NOT OVER” over and over?

Most of the fan base (and nationally) will blame Drew Storen for not shutting the door; blame the offense for not scoring a bunch more runs after the 3rd inning; blame Davey Johnson of relying too much on certain people and things; and/or blame Mike Rizzo for shutting Strasburg early.

I look at this poetically: the Nationals were not ready to handle the baseball gods. The offense relied on the regular season success to carry-over and it bit them. The fans became overconfident (myself included). The whole pitching staff (starters and bullpen) became tired, not Rizzo withholding Strasburg and that’s when the baseball gods feast on them. St. Louis won because they know what to expect from these battles. The baseball gods respect what they have done before and got rewarded. The message the Nats and their fans got from the baseball gods is this what pain feels like; how are we going to handle it?

We never had an immediate answer and thus, the season has ended for the Nats in the most cruelest of fashions, but maybe that is a sign that the Nats need to be tougher and play differently. I know the Nats will comeback next year, but what team should we expect? This as far as we know: this will be a different team next year in every which way.

As we say goodbye this season, it is also goodbye to a few things:

• Goodbye to Bo Porter. Good luck with the Astros.
• Goodbye to the players, coaches, and front office: rest up. You deserve a vacation.
• Goodbye to all the Strasburg talk (well, here locally).
• Goodbye to my friends who I met at Nats Park and on Twitter. We’re going to meet again, but won’t be the same in a wonderful setting. Hopefully there’s a NatsFest in January.
• Goodbye to fantasy and welcome back to the real world, where I want to return to a corporate setting.
• Finally, a special goodbye to Cheryl and Dave Nichols, who will be moving to Idaho next month to startup their photography business. If it wasn’t for them, NatsJobs wouldn’t have been created.

I’m going to summarize with the popular poem “A Ballad of Baseball Burdens” by Franklin Pierce Adams (with some changes) that sums up what we’re feeling:

The burden of hard hitting. Slug away
Like Ryan Zimmerman or like Bryce Harper.
Else fandom shouteth: “Who said you could play?
Back to the jasper league, you minor slob!”
Swat, hit, connect, line out, get on the job.
Else you shall feel the brunt of fandom’s ire
Biff, bang it, clout it, hit it on the knob—
This is the end of every fan’s desire.

The burden of good pitching. Curved or straight.
Or in or out, or haply up or down,
To puzzle him that standeth by the plate,
To lessen, so to speak, his bat-renoun:
Like Stephen Strasburg or Gio Gonzalez,
So pitch that every man can but admire
And offer you the freedom of the town—
This is the end of every fan’s desire.

The burden of loud cheering. O the sounds!
The tumult and the shouting from the throats
Of forty-five thousand at Nationals Park
Sitting, ay, standing sans their hats and coats.
A mighty cheer that possibly denotes
That Nat or anyone fat is in the fire;
Or, as H. James would say, We’ve got their goats—
This is the end of every fan’s desire.

The burden of a pennant. O the hope,
The tenuous hope, the hope that’s half a fear,
The lengthy season and the boundless dope,
And the bromidic; “Wait until next year.”
O dread disgrace of trailing in the rear,
O Piece of Bunting, flying high and higher
That next October it shall flutter here:
This is the end of every fan’s desire.

ENVOY

Ah, Fans, let not the Quarry but the Chase
Be that to which most fondly we aspire!
For us not Stake, but Game; not Goal, but Race—
THIS is the end of every fan’s desire.

We had our sadness, anger, disbelief, and now it’s time for reflection. The baseball gods are telling the Nats to improve as players, as a team, as fans, and more importantly, as a whole community this offseason. It is the only way to appease the baseball gods to get something we want: a World Series championship.

If I Were Running A Company…Mike Rizzo

The sports networks are all buzzing about 1) The NFL season returning and 2) The Stephen Strasburg shutdown. Except in the DC media, everyone is up in arms of how the Nationals (most of the anger goes to Senior VP and General Manager, Mike Rizzo (above)) will actually shutdown Strasburg before 180 innings because he had Tommy John surgery two years ago. The national media wants the Nationals to be “creative” of Strasburg’s innings and see him pitch in the playoffs, while Rizzo has long said that Strasburg is going to get shutdown this year. If this were the business world, Rizzo would be applauded.

What leaders do is assess the situation and look at the long-term view and stick to it. All Mike Rizzo is doing is sticking to his plan. If crap happens like the Strasburg injury, he has a plan not only for the injured player, but for the team. Tom Boswell explains it perfectly on the shutdown. What leaders also do is make a decision that is best for the organization and person that might be unpopular, but it is necessary. It’s true not only the national media, but Nationals players, even Strasburg’s father and Mike Rizzo’s father hate Rizzo’s decision, but Rizzo is sticking with the plan, which you may not like, but he’s creating a culture of transparency and accountability.  As a result, the Nationals (as of now) have the best record in Major League Baseball.

I’m going off my HR seat for a minute and talk as a fan. Please national media…SHUT UP! You don’t speak to the Nationals (and DC) fans of what to think about the shutdown. We don’t like it the shutdown, but at least we understand. You have your own opinion and we respect that, but don’t talk like you’re part of us that you know everything about DC sports and how we should act. If you want to act like us, live in the D.C. area for a minimum of a year and experience being a DC fan. You’re always welcome to our bandwagon. Back to HR mode.

You’re wondering why Rizzo is shutting down Strasburg and why 160-180 innings? For a detailed story, read Jayson Stark’s article and for statistical reasons, read this from my friend, Ouij.

What Rizzo is doing is an educated guess at best, but he has a few examples to look at. The first two are Chicago Cubs pitcher, Kerry Wood and Florida (now Miami) Marlins pitcher, Josh Johnson. They both had talent, blew out their arms, showed glimpse of returning to form and then struggle. The last example is Rizzo’s first test on the innings limit: Jordan Zimmermann.  Zimmermann had Tommy John Surgery  in 2009, came back late in 2010, and pitch 161 1/3 innings in 2011. This season, Zimmermann has the best ERA in the National League and is projected to pitch close to 200 innings and in discussion for the NL Cy Young (best pitcher) Award. It is a small sample, but Rizzo has reviewed the data and the case studies and see if Jordan Zimmermann worked out, so can Strasburg.

Think about your Stephen Strasburg at your workplace; a talented person who might be sick, pregnant, or an life-altering moment. How would you handle your most talented worker in that situation? First, understand they’re human and assist them. Second, if the person will be out for a short or long-term, or be gone permanently, have a talent pipeline (internally, externally, or through an agency) come in and step right in. In Rizzo’s case, when Strasburg goes down, he does have a backup plan with John Lannan and Christian Garcia (who is like Stephen Strasburg, but in the bullpen). That’s why they had the number one farm system in baseball (that was before the Nationals traded four prospects for Gio Gonzalez)

Overall, Mike Rizzo’s leadership is about the basics: toughness, honesty, transparency, and accountability. However, the one aspect Rizzo sets apart from the rest is his conviction to go through the plan. People say they have a plan or an idea, but don’t follow-up. For Rizzo, he’s committed to his plan if you like it or not. The Strasburg shutdown is not a popular, but I commend Rizzo of going through the plan from his research and talking to medical experts. If that is not the best retention plan, look where the Washington Nationals were at four years ago to now. What a difference great leadership can make.

The D.C. Sports Renaissance (Revisited)

One of my famous posts I did on my personal blog was my potential giddy-ness of the return of the D.C. Sports Renaissance two years ago. At that time, the Redskins had Donovan McNabb, which we all thought it was good, the Nationals were starting their youth moment with the drafting of Bryce Harper and the debut of Stephen Strasburg, the Wizards had John Wall, and the team that got a head start, the Capitals, had an identity. That post got a lot of attention, Ted Leonsis linked it to his blog. Fast forward to today, D.C. is reaching the goal of being a sports town, but the reasons two years ago have shifted.

The only thing that remains stagnant is the Wizards. Even with John Wall, the Wizards have been the Bullets/Wizards for nearly 25 years (except for a few good years from the Gilbert Arenas era). I don’t expect that to change unless David Stern can override trades like he did with New Orleans and screwing with the Lakers and helping the Clippers, but I doubt it.

The team that is on the decline is the Capitals. The Caps were the top of the D.C. sports sector for a few years. When they lost to Montreal in 7 games after leading 3-1, it started their identity crisis. In those two years, they change coaches and change philosophies. Gone were the “run and gun”, the “Greatest Show on Ice” team. In was a defensive philosophy that was surely put this team deep in the playoffs. That defensive philosophy went the same path as the “run and gun” offense: it reached to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Everyone said the team had gain an identity in this year’s playoffs and lost it when Dale Hunter wasn’t coaching this team next year. I think the Caps lost their identity when they saw how the Los Angeles Kings are performing in these playoffs and are one game away to win the Stanley Cup. These L.A. Kings were the Caps suppose to be: 200 feet of “Hells on Ice” on offense and defense. Sadly for the Caps, they wish they thought about it sooner.

We then have the potential resurrection of the Washington Redskins, which after two terrible years, can come back to the top with Robert Griffin III as their franchise QB. After having 100 starting QBs in the past 20 years, it’s great the Redskins now have their “franchise” QB if RG3 meets (or exceeds) expectations. Although some fans question Mike Shanahan’s move of trading to get Donovan McNabb two years ago and gave use dumb & dumber last year, give Shanahan credit that he pulled off the trade with the St. Louis Rams since 1) they gave up 2 first round picks and a second this year & 2) Shanny and new Rams coach, Jeff Fisher, are good friends. This has been the most anticipated Redskins season since the 2004 season when Joe Gibbs came back to the sidelines. This one I expect to be longer.

Finally, to the team everyone is buzzing about and the basis of the original post two years ago: the Nationals. My original point for the post two years ago was if D.C. wants to become a sports town, it needs the baseball team to step up. There’s always football with the Redskins in the fall. There’s basketball and hockey in the winter and spring time. Even if we didn’t have pro basketball or hockey, there’s college basketball to make that up. Before 2005, there was no activity in the summer in D.C. (D.C. United and Mystics aside). After 2005, there was baseball, but it was just there as another D.C. activity because the team stunk. That change in 2010 with the debut of Strasburg. Although he got injured that same year, you can tell the Nationals were building something. Today, they’re in the hunt for the postseason (it also helps MLB added an additional team to the postseason) and they could be in the hunt for the next 5-7 years. With the Nationals success, there is D.C. sports all-year round and before the Redskins break camp, people can enjoy the Nats and hopefully it sticks.

Between these two years, the post I wrote was hyping up potential. Those two years never came to fruition as D.C. teams did struggle. This year, you see a different vibe as you won’t see any D.C. teams win any championships immediately; we’re closer than we think. It won’t bring any casual fans in, but if you’re a D.C. sports fan, it is time to invest.

If I Were Running A Company…Jim Riggleman

If you know my writing, I love writing where sports and HR intersects. I always feel the HR department is like your sports operations department: they set the culture, they find and source talent, they develop players/employees, and they oversee the business. Sadly in this case study, this really hits home.

Yesterday, Jim Riggleman decided to resign from his position as manager of the Washington Nationals because he thought Mike Rizzo, the General Manager of the Nationals, and the front office never reach out to him about his contract and he thought he deserves an extension.  Rizzo didn’t give an extension, Riggleman gave his final stand, Rizzo didn’t bite, and Riggleman left. To have an HR perspective on this, let’s look at Mike Rizzo and Jim Riggleman.

Mike Rizzo

Mike Rizzo was considered one of the best scouts in baseball. He started scouting for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox and then went to the Arizona Diamondbacks on their inaugural season in 1998 and became Director of Scouting in 2000, where he started to make a name for himself. After the 2006 season, he joined the Washington Nationals as an Assistant General Manager. In March 2009, he became the interim General Manager when Jim Bowden resigned after the Dominican Republic skimming bonus scandal. In 2009, Rizzo drafted Stephen Strasburg; traded outfielder Lastings Milledge and reliever Joel Hanrahan to Pittsburgh for outfielder Nyjer Morgan and reliever Sean Burnett; and signed Strasburg to the biggest contract given to a drafted player in the last minute. Those sequences lead to Rizzo removing the interim tag and became a full-time general manager.  Rizzo received a five-year extension after the 2010 season after drafting and signing Bryce Harper and made critical trades such as Matt Capps to Minnesota for Wilson Ramos and other prospects.

There’s no question Rizzo got his job because he was great evaluating talent and can make business deals with agents and other general managers in baseball. Although 80% of his job is scouting players and development, it is the 20% Rizzo is still working on and that’s handling the media. Rizzo did not handle the situation well when reporters wanted to ask Nationals hitting coach, Rick Eckstein, about the Nationals hitting slump earlier in the season. It seems Rizzo wants to control all situations, which makes him look like a dictator.

Jim Riggleman

Jim Riggleman is a journey manager. He started managing for the San Diego Padres in 1992, then went to the Chicago Cubs in 1995, where he led them to a National League Wild Card in 1998. In 2001, after been fired by the Cubs in 2000, he was the bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2001-2004. Riggleman returned as bench coach in 2008 for the Seattle Mariners and became interim manager when John McLaren was fired later that year. In 2009, Riggleman was hired as bench coach for the Washington Nationals. In that same year, Riggleman became interim manager when Manny Acta was fired. After the 2009 season, Riggleman signed a two-year deal with a club option in 2012. Although 2009 and 2010 were a struggle, 2011 was looked at as a bridge to 2012, where you have Strasburg returning and Harper called up to the majors. Initially, it looked like a lost year when the Nationals were 27-36 and last place in the National League East. However, Riggleman and the gang won 11 of the last 12 games, are one game over .500 (38-37), and have sole possession of third place and possible wild card talk. In addition, this was Riggleman’s dream managerial job since he went to Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, MD and went to Frostburg State.

Although Riggleman was at home, his overall record as manager was 662-824 and 140-172 record as Nationals manager. Riggleman was getting gigs all over baseball because he was a “by the book” guy. However, in 1998 when the Cubs faced the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Divisional Series, he put Kerry Wood on the mound, although he had not pitch since August 31. The Cubs were swept by the Braves and the following year, Wood had Tommy John surgery, ending the Cubs playoff aspirations in 1999 before the season begins and Riggleman was gone the following year. This propped up the discussion that Jim Riggleman is decent manager who does not make good baseball decisions.

The HR Perspective

The reason I wrote a long description of Rizzo and Riggleman is because you need to see two different viewpoints, where they come from and how Riggleman’s resignation resonate. On the base of communication and goal setting, I fault Rizzo for not communicating well to Riggleman before Spring Training about what were the Nationals team goals during a transition year for not only the team, but for Riggleman. If Rizzo thought Riggleman was not the right fit, he should still talk to him about his expectations and what should be discuss during and after the season. Rizzo failed on that end.

Although Rizzo did not handle the contract extensions/goal settings talk well, he always had a stance that you wait until after the season ends to make your decisions since he had to wait being a full-time general manager.  Rizzo’s negotiations with Scott Boras and making trades that eliminate part of the losing culture put him in the driver’s seat for a full-time position, and then the five-year extension.

Coming to his contract year in 2011, Riggleman knows this was his make-or-break year. He had a new team in 2011 that was young, athletic, and eager; where in years past, the Nationals were getting leftover veterans to make up the roster. If we’re basing by results, Riggleman did a great job since the Nationals are over .500 for the first time since 2005. However, from quotes from both Rizzo and Riggleman, Riggleman wanted a “conversation” of his contract extension. If Riggleman started the question with, “what are the goals and expectations of the team,” Rizzo would of listen and have that conversation. However, Riggleman talked about his contract extension and the rift started. It escalated today when Riggleman gave Rizzo a choice today and that was it.

While Mike Rizzo made some mistakes, he was right standing pat on his values that you have to finish the season to know what you got.  I believe Jim Riggleman wanted to stay in Washington because he founded his dream job. For this dream job, he wanted job security. If it was his last year, it would be likely Riggleman gets that extension because Stan Kasten was still the president of the Nationals at that time since Kasten was a people’s person. Instead, Riggleman had to deal with a baseball person, not a people’s person. Riggleman went all-in on a baseball person…and was called on his bluff. If Riggleman didn’t make good baseball decisions, he did not make a good read on his business decisions as well.

What’s Next?

With Jim Riggleman gone, how does this affect the Washington Nationals this season and even next? No one knows, but there’s one question at the end of the baseball season: Was Jim Riggleman the glue, a contributor, or a standby for the Nationals? We would know where the Nationals are in the next 3+ months.

The DC Sports Scene: Fall 2011 Edition

For the longest time, the DC sports scene has been horrendous. You’re lucky if you had one good DC team. However, this has been changing the past few weeks.

Redskins

Obviously, this is not the best Redskins team ever, but from training camp, interviews, and their play, this is a different Redskins team in year’s past. Gone are the flashy names Snyder has signed and coming are football players who want to play. Everyone criticized Mike (and his son, Kyle, for that matter) Shanahan for not keeping the house in order and didn’t develop Donovan McNabb or motivate Albert Haynesworth. With the offseason moves they made, guess the Shanny made the right decision. This is a real team. They might win the NFC East, like Rex Grossman predicted, and they’ll unlikely go to the Super Bowl from the mouth of Tim Hightower, but this is finally a “team” and hopefully this continues on a few more years…and hopefully better QBs  and WRs down the line.

Nationals

I predicted the Nationals would win 77 before the season start just for the Werth signing, not necessarily for the statistics, but what he brings to the clubhouse the Nats really lack: winners. I was close…the Nats won 80 (could have been 81 if it wasn’t for the monsoon that hit the Dodgers series). Some say this team will start contending for 2013…I think they’re starting now. They have solid pitching, bullpen and starting, a strong infield, a revelation in power hitting from Michael Morse, and a team bonded together and actual hope. Of course, the Nats need a speedy center fielder, but no necessarily a leadoff hitter. Just want the guy at the 6 or 7 spot to help out the bottom of the lineup. The Nats also need a veteran for the pitching staff. Most everyone will want C.J. Wilson from the Texas Rangers. It would be nice, but after the Yankees performance last night, they’re moving all in to get him and CC Sabathia. Best bet for the Nats: sign Mark Buehrle for a 2-4 year deal and he will be beloved in Washington since when he is pitching, it usually ends around 2 hours, a must for the transient community here. The bigger picture is this: the Nats are coming and a dynasty might start a year earlier than expected. As for the baseball fans in DC: get your tickets now, especially against the Philadelphia Phillies, so we don’t see their tour buses and piss around DC… literally.

By the way, please no managerial change until 2013. We don’t really need Terry Francona, although Joe Maddon is available after the 2012 season.

Wizards

There’s nothing much to say since the Wizards are not going to be good and there’s a lockout. If you’re a fan of the Wizards, you want to side with the owners for a hard salary cap since that will be the only chance the Wizards can be good and if they’re lucky, a championship.

Capitals

If the Nationals are the most anticipated team in DC in 2012, the Capitals are the most anxious. As you know from my past posts, hockey is my number 1 sport to watch, but as I learned from previous years: the regular season doesn’t matter. The NHL regular season is also known as the longest preseason North American sporting league ever. It’s great that the Caps are the best in the “preseason,” but they’re always be determined when the “real” season starts and that’s the playoffs. I do not want the Caps to be number 1 in the “preseason.” I want them to use the regular season to prepare for the playoffs. I expect some struggle, some triumph, some agony, some pain, and something unorthodox throughout the 82 games, but that’s great because it makes the team hungrier to advance beyond the conference semifinals and hopefully the Stanley Cup. Like many other Caps fans, I’m cautiously optimistic for this season, but the Caps need to know: this is the year to capitalize. If they go to the Conference Finals and beyond, consider it a semi-success (the real success is if they win the Stanley Cup). Anything less than that, not only heads will roll at Kettler Iceplex, but the fan base will move somewhere else. From the looks of it, the Caps are looking like the Detroit Red Wings of the 1990s. The question is can they win Stanley Cups like Detroit in the 90s? I am anxiously waiting.

DC has come a long way, but next year is the moment DC should become an emerging sports town as we have more than one (or two) team to root for and anticipate. I don’t remember that happening in DC in a long time. There’s something in the air and t looks great for DC…politics aside.

Memo to the D.C. Metro

If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you know I have a disdain for the Metro. I’m a proud public commuter. I love taking buses and trains. I find it more cooler than driving on the beltway. I love Metro so much, it hurts that I contribute to Unsuck DC Metro, which is a great source of Metro news and fodder.

However, I saw this harmless article about why Cliff Lee chose the Phillies over the Yankees, Nationals, Rangers and others because both Cliff and his wife, Kristen, love taking the train. I could argue about DC being a more cultural than Philadelphia or that most Philly fans throws batteries, boo Santa Claus, and taser their fans:

However, I don’t blame Cliff Lee rejoining the Phillies to create the “Four Aces” lineup with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. He wants to win a World Series championship. Who can blame him?

I don’t blame the Washington Nationals because they are trying to progress as an organization and although they signed Jayson Werth, they didn’t get Werth’s best friend on that team 2 years ago.

I blame you, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

In the past few years, you not only scared people away from taken the Metro at its peak, but you have scared off potential clients, ruined businesses, forced conferences to relocate , and your transit system has killed people.

The first straw that broke the camels back was the SHRM Conference was scheduled to be in D.C. in the next year or two. However, due to “transportation issues”, the SHRM Conference is going to Las Vegas next year and Atlanta in 2012. I don’t mind traveling to Atlanta since I have friends there, but it would have been much cooler in D.C. Yes, the 2006 SHRM Conference was a mess because of the monsoon hit that week, but you couldn’t work out how the buses and trains will run (plus our incompetent drivers)? You lost 15,000 additional tourists because of that.

Another strike to your company is your trains have caused double-digit fatalities in the past few years when trains most likely injure people at best. What’s worse: people are committing suicides by just jumping off the platform and get crushed by your trains than jumping off the bridge.

To be fair, other transit systems have the same problem, but in L.A. and Boston’s case, it was incompetence by the human. In your case, it was incompetence by the machine.

The Cliff Lee thing might be small beans, but in the bigger picture, your transit system was going to be an asset to attract people to buy/rent houses and apartments and bring businesses near the Metro stations. Instead by staying on the status quo, your transit system is a liability to work out a deal.

The good thing that is happening to the WMATA board is a potential clean sweep of the whole board to bring in the new one. I do not want my board members to say:

“To an extent, it’s thankless and it’s very time-consuming,” said Maryland board member Elizabeth Hewlett, one of those who wants to step down. “Obviously no one likes to be criticized, especially when you are working so very hard.”

or

“Some of the comments were not well-received,” said Maryland member Gordon Linton, who decided to leave before the reports came out, but officially announced his departure Thursday. “It was wondered whether they understand how the board actually functions.”

or

Board member Jeff McKay and other members faulted the reports – one by a task force organized by the Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the other by Metro’s Riders’ Advisory Council – for making recommendations that were unrealistic, detrimental, or reflected a lack of understanding of how the board works.

or

“They need someone willing to be heavily scrutinized, work for free, not have a conflict of interest, and have a schedule to devote two days of your week to this…” — Jeff McKay

Really? Two days to devote on this and you can’t do the job? Here’s what you do: Shut up, F*** the system, and do what’s best for Metro and not be a talking head for your district or state because you actually have a job the 6% of the D.C. Metro area wished they do because they are unemployed.

I want D.C. Mayor Vince Gray, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (and his right hand sock puppet, Ken Cuccinelli), and the Federal Government to get board members who are passionate about public transportation from engineers, advocates, business people, and others to can contribute to the agency. By the way, your guerrilla marketing strategy...seriously?

I rarely write blog posts like this, WMATA, but I have to because I care about public transportation and enjoy going to the Metro, but you’re at a crossroads right now.  Ridership and Fare hikes are not your issue; it is how inefficient your trains and systems are. Get reliable people who know how to operate a subway station; bring innovators on the engineering and business front; and bring people who are proactive and WILL DO the job, not use the board as a resume enhancer. When you have the trains and systems in check, people will come to the Metro plain and simple, but you made this more complex than it is.

Also, I don’t want to hear about “Multi-Jurisdiction Dysfunction.” We’re a bunch of grown-ups now. If the majority of states in this country can accept tax cuts and repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” two states and the District can solve the Metro, right?

Think of this as your “Kick In The Ass!” memo, Metro. It’s time to do it and back it up.  Your golden opportunity is now and it is slipping away.

One Crazy August Day

It was one crazy Saturday that had a potential of being a wreck, but instead, I caused the wreck… in a good way.

It started in the morning with Eli’s baptism. I really like our pastor who gave details what are the next steps are and why they have to do it.  Here’s the video of Eli being baptized (For the record, my dad was holding the Flip, while I was handling the main camcorder):

After the baptism, it was off to lunch at my brother’s house and give Eli presents. One of my favorites was a hand sewn sandals my in-law made for Eli.

After lunch, it was off to the Metro to see some friends before heading to Nationals Park for the Nats-Cards.  However, when I entered the Vienna station, I encountered this.

That’s right, tea party people tailgating outside the station waiting for their family and friends.  Luckily, I put on a disguise, for which I will reveal later. When I got on, there was a full train of people coming from the Glen Beck rally and kind of expecting the worse.

It was a peaceful ride from Vienna to Rosslyn at the Orange Line, but when the train arrived at Foggy Bottom, the rush was on. From Foggy Bottom to my stop at Eastern Market, the platforms were full of Glenn Beck and Al Sharpton’s supporters coming into the train. I’m worried that my train would cause a riot. I came out unscathed and exited Eastern Market with no scratches.

I met up with the rest of the Mr. Tony littles at Ted’s Bulletin, which is from the owners of the popular Matchbox. It had an old 40s feel: the setting, the menus, the ambiance, and there’s no reception for cell phones. It’s a bit pricey, but there’s a lot food, so the price is justified.  If you’re wondering, I had the Walk of Shame Breakfast Burrito. It sounds like a Man v. Food item, but it wasn’t spicy or huge enough, but it was savory and tasty. After a few drinks, it was time to head to the ballpark.

At the ballpark, I was circling around getting a Pudge bobblehead, trying to find baby clothes for Eli and something for myself, and then found @DCyetti, @Darkmeathook, and Maggie and Ashley of First Ladies of Baseball at the Scoreboard Walk.  Then, a camera man spotted me with the Elvis Silver Wig and ask me to participate in the Fan of the Game and jump around for 30 seconds. So I did:

(Courtesy of Maggie and Ashley of First Ladies of Baseball)

I was trying to pull a combo of Ric Flair “WOOOO!” and WWE’s Edge current entrance. If I have to do it again, I should of swerve my hips like Elvis and have a much more planned 30 seconds than the hooting and screaming. Nonetheless, my buffoonery won Fan of the Game and a $50 gift certificate from Harris Teeter. During the game, people were congratulating me, giving me hi-fives, and even strangers wanted to take pictures with me.

As for the game, it was something special as the Nats scored the most runs in their home park with 14, and won their 100th game at home.  It was an entertaining game as we saw controversial calls, an offensive explosion, and enjoying it with friends.

Before I continue, I must say on Nyjer Morgan’s play in the 8th inning, it looked like he was safe, but there was no replay. When I got home, I saw Nyjer missed the plate and intentionally was aiming for Brian Anderson, the Cardinals backup catcher. I really like Nyjer, aka Tony Plush, since he started the silver Elvis wig tradition within and inspired me to make a replica, but I guess he still has the hockey mentality to hit than play it straight and touch the base.  Riggleman was right to bench him on Sunday.

Moving on.

After the game, I went to the Navy Yard Metro station and one person yelled out “Fan of the Game” and everyone on the platform looked at the stairs and saw me coming down and did my thing for the people. When I got into the train, there were a few who banged on the windows to congratulate me and a couple said that “It was an honor to be with the Fan of the Game” (exact quote).  When i got to the Orange Line, I had the same responses, but after the Ballston stop, the remaining crowd in my train gave me a round of applause. I said jokingly that “This is biggest applause inside the Metro train will ever received.”

All in all, it was one of the strangest days with Eli’s baptism, the rally, the metro, the ball game, and winning Fan of the Game, although, my biggest regret is that I didn’t score any chicks after I won Fan of the Game. However, I can say I was part of history and enjoyed it with my family and friends (and strangers).  I can finally be known as the “Fun Uncle” for Eli.

Strasmas

The event in the past 10 years I wanted to attend was Barack Obama’s inauguration in January 2009.  I wanted to be part of history, but it was too crowded for my taste but would love an opportunity to revisit.  I’m not saying The Strasburg’s MLB debut was like that, but this is easily the best sporting event I ever attended and it was in my backyard.

I have been to a Caps playoff game, the White Sox-Cubs game, , Gilbert Arenas MLK Buzzer Beater against the Jazz, but none of these had the magnitude in this game.  The reason could be this is what Washington baseball has been waiting for a very long time.  The other is DC really has been on futility for so long from the rest of the teams, except for the Caps the past few seasons.  Everyone wanted to be part of history and they did: it was a sellout, celebrities including Charlie Casserly, who I met before leaving the game, media was loaded, Baseball Tonight was on location, you name it.  What made the event special was not the media hype, but the performance was out of this world.

People are gong to say it’s the Pittsburgh Pirates, they’re MLB-lite and it was easy cooking for the Strasburg.  Fair, but the Strasburg had to deal with the media attention, a bigger crowd, and a hungry team trying to ruin his spotlight.  The result was the Strasburg gave up 2 runs, struck out 14, and allowed no walks in 94 pitches, which is a first in the majors. You can say the team is weak, but don’t look at the opponent, look at the Strasburg pitches.  They are so nasty, you even feel sorry for the opponents’ batter like Joe Theismann’s leg.  You can discredit Pittsburgh as a weak team, but at least they battle unlike the worst team in baseball a few miles up north from Washington (and they’re in the American League).  The fans sounded they wanted to erupt and wanted to let it out from the beginning and sustain it to the end.  Makes me so proud as a DC fan, I’m going to cry.

The only downsides of the event I encounter were:

1. Food is still subpar.  Had a soggy bun on my hotdog. Bleah!
2. Teddy still lost when the Strasburg made his debut.  Guess we have to wait when Bryce Harper makes his debut, then Teddy might win.

I will say in this one night, The Strasburg is the number two rank athlete in DC, behind Alex Ovechkin.  However, The Strasburg can be number one in less than two years if the Caps still become “choking dogs” and the Nats win the pennant or win the wild card, which can happen of how the team is built.  The Caps lead the renaissance of DC sports and they should get credit, but from tonight’s game with the sellout crowd, Strasburg merchandise, and a Nats fan throwing a Pirates home run ball back into the field, winning is not enough…DC wants a championship.  That is a sign DC has become a legit sports city.

I hope you had a Merry Strasmas and hope you have a safe The Strasburg Boxing day today.

Strasmas pictures

If I Was Running A Company…Bettina Deynes (Updated)

I read this SHRM article on Bettina Deynes (hat tip to Kristen Hudak, blogger for MASN’s National Buzz, for sending this article) who is the Vice President of HR for the Washington Nationals.  The cover story is about how Bettina and the HR department collaborate with General Manager Mike Rizzo and the front office. 

Rizzo wanted a culture of winning in the organization after the Nationals lost more than 100 in back-to-back seasons. On one hand, Rizzo need to sign free agents and develop players who would change the team’s culture.  Rizzo also wanted Bettina to hire more scouts and develop training programs to encourage that for this upcoming season, the Nationals are a serious baseball club.

There are two reasons I love this story.  One was how much Bettina went through with the Nationals since joining in 2006: Alfonso Soriano 40-40 and bolted to the Cubs, the opening of Nationals Park, Dmitri Young and Elijah Dukes, the Dominican Republic player scandal, the Natinals, Jim Bowden, Clint, season ticket holders, Phillies fans, you name it. After all of that, Bettina is still the Vice President of HR and is reaping the benefits of a new (and in my opinion, better) regime and a growing organization this season and hopefully beyond.

The second thing I love this story is this really gives me hope that HR can collaborate with the front office, either in sports or business.  I wish I was in the Nationals HR department to help out, but this made me wonder: does the Washington Capitals (or Washington Sports and Entertainment) have a HR department to improve the organization and hopefully (but really slim chance) to motivate the players on the team?  If Ted Leonsis, George McPhee, or Mary Davis, President of Employment and Administrative Services for Washington Sports and Entertainment, are reading this, if there any HR openings, I’m available and hopefully the HR department collaborates with the front office a lot. Why not stop there: how about the Redskins? Ok, too far (the offices is at Ashburn and I don’t drive). How about working for the Wiz…oh wait, they’re cursed.

Anyway, this has giving me renowned hope that HR can work with the front office, and new hope that a HR department can help a sports team. Thank you, Bettina for giving me a new lease on my working career…

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and I’m still waiting for that phone call Ted, George or Mary.

Update: Since the Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft Lottery and get the number 1 pick and likely select John Wall and possibly a big free agent, I wouldn’t mind working for the Wizards at all.  But if I have a list of who to work for in order:

1. Caps
2. Nationals
3. Wizards
4. Redskins
5. United
6. Divas