Mike Rizzo (baseball)
| Mike Rizzo | |
|---|---|
 Rizzo holding Ryan Zimmerman's Silver Slugger Award |
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| Born | December 14, 1960 Chicago, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Saint Xavier University |
| Occupation | General Manager/Executive Vice President |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Organization | Washington Nationals |
Michael Anthony Rizzo (born December 14, 1960) is an American baseball front office executive. He is the General Manager and Executive Vice President of baseball operations of the Washington Nationals. He was promoted to this position on October 19, 2010, after having served as Assistant General Manager, and then General Manager.
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Early life [edit]
Rizzo grew up in Chicago as one of four children. His father, Phil, was a former minor league baseball player who drove a truck for the city and scouted for the California Angels on a part-time basis. The Angels made him a full-time scout, as many of the players he identified reached the majors.[1]
Rizzo attended Holy Cross High School in River Grove, Illinois and Saint Xavier University, where he played college baseball for the Saint Xavier Cougars.[2]
Early career [edit]
The Angels drafted Rizzo in the 22nd round, with the 553rd overall selection, in the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft.[1] He played for the Salem Angels (Class A Short Season), Peoria Suns (Class A) and Redwood Pioneers (Class A Advanced) from 1982 to 1984. After the 1984 season, the Angels released Rizzo. His father suggested that he was not skilled enough to reach the major leagues, and advised he attend college.[1]
Rizzo became an assistant coach at the University of Illinois.[1] Larry Himes, the scout who drafted Rizzo, became the general manager of the Chicago White Sox, and he hired Rizzo as a scout for the Upper Midwest region.[1] He also scouted for the Boston Red Sox. Rizzo joined the Arizona Diamondbacks when the franchise was created in 1998, and served as the Director of Scouting for the Diamondbacks from 2000 to 2006.[1][3]
Washington Nationals [edit]
Seeking to replace Joe Garagiola, Jr. as the Diamondbacks' general manager, the team chose Josh Byrnes over Rizzo.[1] As a result, Rizzo joined the Washington Nationals organization, when he was appointed Assistant General Manager/Vice President of Baseball Operations by Jim Bowden on July 24, 2006.[4] This move coincided with the franchise's ownership transfer from Major League Baseball to a Washington, D.C.-based investment group headed by Ted Lerner.[5]
Three days after Bowden's sudden resignation on March 1, 2009,[6] Rizzo was promoted on an interim basis by team president Stan Kasten.[7] He was named the full-time Senior Vice President/General Manager on August 20, 2009.[8] On October 19, 2010 Rizzo got a five-year extension and was promoted to Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager.[9] The last two years of his contract are club options.[10]
Rizzo became involved in a national controversy with his decision to shut down ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg late in the 2012 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery from the year before.[11]
Personal life [edit]
Rizzo married Sheilah Marie Kenny of Peoria, Illinois, on October 22, 1988 in Chicago. They have two children - Michael Anthony, Jr. (b.1990) and Mary Kathleen (dec.).[2]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g Kilgore, Adam (2011-02-25). "Mike Rizzo, the man who built the Washington Nationals". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ a b [1]
- ^ "Who is Mike Rizzo? « The Nationals Review". Nationalsreview.wordpress.com. 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ "Nationals name Mike Rizzo Assistant GM and Vice President of Baseball Operations" (Press release). MLB.com. July 24, 2006. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ "Lerner Group finalizes purchase of Washington Nationals" (Press release). MLB.com. July 24, 2006. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ "Statement from Jim Bowden" (Press release). MLB.com. March 1, 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
- ^ "Rizzo Gets New Duties; Kasten: No Urgency for Search". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ "Washington Nationals promote Mike Rizzo to Senior Vice President & General Manager" (Press release). MLB.com. August 20, 2009. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ Zuckerman, Mark (October 19, 2010). "Nationals Ink Rizzo To 5-Year Extension". CSNwashington.com. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ^ Kilgore, Adam (September 28, 2012). "Mike Rizzo under contract for one more guaranteed year, two club options". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ Schad, Tom (September 3, 2012). "Johnson, Rizzo weigh in on Stephen Strasburg's shutdown". The Washington Times. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
External links [edit]
- Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
| Preceded by Jim Bowden |
Washington Nationals General Manager 2009-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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- 1960 births
- Living people
- American people of Italian descent
- Arizona Diamondbacks executives
- Boston Red Sox scouts
- Chicago White Sox scouts
- Major League Baseball executives
- Major League Baseball general managers
- People from Chicago, Illinois
- Peoria Suns players
- Redwood Pioneers players
- Salem Angels players
- Washington Nationals executives
- Saint Xavier Cougars baseball players
