Nationals Have Long Way to Go After Mistake-Filled Loss Against Braves
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The Washington Nationals lost the opener of their four-game set against the Atlanta Braves on Monday in what was a mistake-filled performance.
In the top of the sixth inning -- which ultimately doomed them -- the Nationals misplayed two ground balls, threw a ball into the dugout, hit a batter, had a passed ball and couldn't turn a double play because of a poor throw. That resulted in the Braves scoring five runs, which gave them a lead they didn't relinquish.
What's most disappointing is that this came after manager Blake Butera called a team meeting ahead of Sunday's contest after there were multiple mistakes made this past Saturday. The hope was the meeting would be a wake-up call, but that was not the case.
Nationals Are Clear Work in Progress
Fans want things to be fixed immediately. That's understandable. Watching a team constantly make mistakes in the way this franchise has over the years is frustrating. And after Butera was hired and he stated that he was going to hold players accountable, it's aggravating to see games get thrown away because of self-inflicted blunders.
But it's clear that it's going to take some time to right the ship in Washington. That's part of the battle of having a young team, especially as they try to navigate things on the major league stage. Just four weeks into the regular season under Butera's leadership, and almost six months into his tenure as skipper of this club, the 33-year-old still needs time to instill change when it comes to the culture. And that's going to be the case throughout the season as more young players get called up to the MLB roster.
Blake Butera Is Correcting Mistakes Differently Than Previous Regime
Butera's strategy when it comes to correcting mistakes is to address things in front of the team. That often means an individual player's blunder is highlighted in a public setting, which is different from how the previous regime operated when things were addressed on a singular basis behind closed doors and not mentioned to the group.
"This season, first-year manager Blake Butera and his staff approach a player the day after they make a mental mistake and inform them that they will appear in 'a negative light' during the upcoming hitters' meeting. The idea is to turn the mistake into a teaching moment for the group. Simple, perhaps, but a sharp change from the past few seasons," reported Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic (subscription required).
The skipper has said this approach is not to publicly scold or embarrass any individual for their mistake, but to use that as a teaching moment for everyone in the clubhouse. Whether or not that works will be something to monitor over the course of the season as Butera navigates the challenges of being an MLB manager for the first time in his career.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai