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Have your own question for Nationals manager Jim Riggleman? Submit it using the comment box below and he might answer yours in his next post!

Matt: What's your favorite thing to do in DC when you're not at the ballpark?

Jim Riggleman: I live in the suburbs so I haven't had a lot of time to explore downtown too much, but really, in the little bit of time that I'm not at home or at the ballpark, I've enjoyed jogging that area down there by the monuments in DC and in some of the neighborhoods around there and across Pennsylvania Avenue. I like running through all the quaint neighborhoods, the architecture, and the tree lined streets. I enjoy that, and it just makes the run go by better.

Bill: What moves do you feel the Nationals should make in the offseason to be competitive next year?

Jim Riggleman: I think that Mike Rizzo and Stan Kasten have talked about that somewhat publicly. You've got to be careful when you talk about what your needs are because it can be insulting to the players you have currently, but I think the main thing that Mike and Stan have talked about is adding a little more veteran presence to the pitching staff. Livan Hernandez has added that some and then [they're looking for] maybe one more guy as we continue to move along with John Lannan and some of these other young starters. It's nice to have a veteran guy out there as we wait on Stephen Strasburg and some others to come around next year and to have someone out there without these young guys feeling like they have to be the lead man in the rotation.

Andrew: You have been on the field for so many historic home run games, such as McGwire's 62nd HR to break Roger Maris' record and of course Sosa's 66th; and then as Bench Coach for the Dodgers you witnessed history again with Barry Bonds' 71st HR to break McGwire's home run record. Which home run game was the one that will be most memorable to you or is there another baseball memory that stands out?

Jim Riggleman: I think my most memorable time in a game, the most exciting time where the consequences of winning and losing were the greatest, was that 162nd game of the year to see who was going to make it to the playoffs between us and the Giants. But out of the home run games, when McGwire hit his 62nd home run when I was managing the Cubs and the Maris family was there at the ballpark and they stopped the game there for a while. That was pretty special to be there, even though it was against us, but to be there and be a part of it. And then the day where Sammy hit three in the same day to where he and Mark were both tied at about 62 or 63 each and it got even more touch-and-go as to who was eventually going to have more home runs that year. That was pretty special too.

Erin: Along the lines of Jim's question, what's your favorite memory as a member of the Nationals so far?

Jim Riggleman: That's a tough one. We're still so much in our infancy, but I guess I'd have to say Willingham's two grand slam day in Milwaukee. It's something that's only been done a couple times in the history of the game and both home runs were fairly meaningful in the game in terms of what the score of the game was and where we were at. I think that one stands out as far as someone's individual performance. Every now and then you get a chance to feel good for an individual who's been through a lot throughout the season, and I think that two grand slam day is kind of the one that comes to mind.

Doug asked: How has the culture changed from the beginning of the season to now? How do you keep guys motivated all the way through September?

Jim Riggleman: Well the second question is really a good question, but as far as the culture of the team, I think that it was just a natural progression, really. We were just having such a hard time and the ballclub was struggling so badly and everyone was trying to do the right thing but we were so beaten down. Then the All-Star break came at a good time for us; it gave us a chance to catch our breath. We didn't come out playing real well, and we played one particularly just horrible game where we felt like enough was enough. And the coaches and myself stood up and said, 'This is ridiculous. We have to do better than this and be accountable. We're working, but we have to do better than this and look in the mirror, and if we can't do that, then just don't put the uniform on and show up.' And I didn't know how the players would respond to that, but they did and they played a lot better baseball after that.

The second question [about motivation] is a great question because it's not that easy to do, but you just have to keep going in there every day and pushing them. I tell the guys, 'You can't get too caught up in the record because no matter how many games we win now, the record is going to be poor; but we have to look at how close we are - not how far but how close. And then we just look to establish a way that we go about our business that we can carry into the future and we set the standards for what we will and won't accept as we move into the future.