Really Like These Quotes

Watching the 2009 Entry Draft the other day, there seemed to a legitimate plan in place to draft a certain type of person. Youngsters of good character. We are not talking here about the whether "such and such" was picked by Our Washington Nationals too early in the draft. The merit of the talent chosen will play out over the next few years. Sohna and I were talking about this very topic among ourselves the other day.

And now Interim GM Mike Rizzo has confirmed that in a Q & A transcribed at Nationals Journal.

Question: What about all this emphasis on character? It seems like that's the second word out of everybody's mouth, talking about all these guys. Is there a new emphasis on this? Is it kind of like, Hey, we need to make sure we have the right guys in this organization?

Mike Rizzo Answer: "There's no doubt. We didn't just start that, either. Since I took over, specifically, we're weeding out the guys we feel don't fit that. Because you know what? When we're ready to be really good -- not just be competitive -- but when we're ready to compete for championships, to do that you've got to have good-character people. They're not all choir boys. But when the game is on the line, what's gonna happen? Hustle plays. Alberto Gonzalez [a few days ago]. Zimmerman running hard down the line. Those are the plays that win games. You can't quantify them on a scoresheet. But they win you games like that. And when you don't do that -- when you walk a guy to start the ninth -- little things help you lose games."

We also really like this following comment because it shows that Mike Rizzo is implementing his own style--not standing pat on others. And it sounds like a GM close to getting the "Interim" Tag removed.

Question: This was your first draft without Jim [Bowden]. Were there any ways in which your own philosophy shined through more this year?

Mike Rizzo:" I think -- maybe in a very small way. But the last two drafts, I more or less ran both of those drafts, with Jim's input. Jim would always have his input. He liked those high-ceiling, toolsy guys. I like them, too. But I like them in a certain round. You know, I've had a lot of success in the draft with the way I like to draft."

Both are good quotes and from a guy that's seems confident he's making incremental steps to change the momentum of Our Washington Nationals.