Four years later, Nats hand over the reins to Dave Martinez

Mike Rizzo had the opportunity to hire Dave Martinez four years ago. The Nationals needed a new manager following Davey Johnson's planned departure, and the former major league outfielder - at that point still bench coach for the Rays - was among the candidates Rizzo interviewed before selecting Matt Williams.

Rizzo again had the opportunity to hire Martinez two years ago. The Nationals again needed a new manager following Williams' firing, and Martinez now had the experience of helping lead the Cubs to the National League Championship Series on his resume. This time, the Nats (after negotiations with Bud Black fell apart) went with Dusty Baker.

Today, Martinez and Rizzo sat side by side on a dais constructed inside the Nationals clubhouse, a roomful of reporters, photographers, and team executives and owners watching as one formally introduced the other as the club's seventh full-time manager in 14 seasons since arriving in town.

Could that same scene have played out in November 2013 or November 2015, instead of November 2017? Might the entire course of this franchise have been different had this affable, well-respected baseball man been hired for the job sooner?

As Rizzo explained, no. Martinez wasn't ready for the job then. He is ready for it now.

"I told him: 'In my humble opinion, you are much more prepared to be the manager right now than you were two years ago,' " the longtime general manager said. "World Series ring on his finger. Deep into the playoffs each of the last three years. Taking a greater leadership role each and every time I was around the Chicago Cubs and seeing how he handled things there. Taking his communication skills to another level."

Martinez, 53, grew a lot over the last four seasons, one of them with the Rays, the last three with the Cubs after manager Joe Maddon switched employers. He has been Maddon's right-hand man for a decade, but his influence expanded in recent years. He was finally ready, the Nationals believed, to be given a team of his own.

"He took a greater role when he was with the Cubs," Rizzo said. "Joe Maddon - who I spoke to many, many times about this - he called him his co-manager. And (Cubs president) Theo (Epstein) bragged about the culture that he was greatly responsible for developing. Those were probably the main two differences that transpired in those four years."

Though others around him picked up on his potential long ago, Martinez himself didn't always aspire to manage in the big leagues. That desire didn't emerge until more recent years, after he got his first extended taste of coaching under Maddon.

"I'll be honest with you. I played for a lot of years, retired, had four beautiful children," Martinez said. "I thought I'd be a good coach, but really didn't know if I wanted to be a coach because of the traveling, jumped in it. Joe called me up, asked me to help him out in spring training one year, and next thing you know, I became the bench coach a couple years later.

"Since that moment in 2008, my first year, we ended up going to the World Series and losing. Since then, I really had the burning sensation of being considered as a manager one day. Through process and preparation and going through all the interviews, I've learned a lot about myself and my skills, which led me here today."

Presented as a creative thinker who has the ability to blend both old-school clubhouse relations with new-school analytical application to lineups and in-game decisions, Martinez takes over a Nationals roster that remains loaded with talent but remains mystified by its inability to advance beyond the first round of the postseason despite four opportunities in six years.

Martinez saw firsthand the most recent October misery to befall Nationals Park, celebrating from the visitors' dugout as his Cubs toppled the home team 9-8 in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. What he saw was a team perfectly capable of playing deeper into October, a hurdle he's now tasked with overcoming.

"First and foremost, as you know, it was not easy," he said. "We went to Game 5. And on the other side, I've always had a thing about never quitting. We preach that every day. It's something that I'll bring here. We'll play 'til the last pitch every game. We'll compete every single day, and ... the object is to win as many games as possible, starting from Day One."

In the immediate days and weeks to come, Martinez's most important tasks will be to fill out his coaching staff - Rizzo said nobody has officially been hired yet, but all hirings will be "a group decision" - and start getting to know his players. He already has reached out to several, spoke today with Sean Doolittle and plans to travel to Arizona this weekend to meet Max Scherzer.

Martinez and his staff will then begin to formulate a plan for spring training - expect more "quality than quantity" and expect plenty of low-key events involving not only players but their families to help foster relationships - and ultimately report to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in February.

That recently constructed facility, as of today, was featuring a marquee proclaiming it as the "spring training home of the World Series champion Houston Astros."

It's now Martinez's job to try to force them to change the last two words of that marquee one year from now, touting the facility's other occupant.

"Moving forward, this team doesn't lack much," the new manager said. "It really doesn't. I think we just gotta get over the fact that we're not here just to win a playoff game. We're here to win the World Series."