This little Riggy went home

You better not try to stand in my way

When I walk out the door . . .

Take this job and shove it

I ain’t working here no more . . .

Yes. There was a segment of America that surely rose and cheered when Jim Riggleman decided to live out every working man’s fantasy on Thursday, channeling Johnny Paycheck and spitting in The Man’s face.

Who among us hasn’t had a bad boss or three along the way? Who among us hasn’t wanted to chuck it all in one grand John Wayne moment?

And who among us hasn’t ultimately been shaken out of that delusional fantasy world, realizing that sometimes all jobs make you eat something that tastes a lot less sweet than pie?

Here are the bare facts of the case: Riggleman wanted his option for 2012 picked up. The Nationals were less than enthused with doing that. Riggleman told his bosses on Thursday that if the option wasn’t picked up before the end of the day — a day that culminated with a 1-0 win over Seattle, the Nats’ 11th win in 12 games — he wouldn’t get on the team bus.

In poker, this is known as trying to bluff your way to a pot with nothing but a busted straight in your hand. The Nats called Riggleman’s bluff. And in the one truly honorable thing Riggleman did, he actually honored his threat and quit.

The problems started later, when Riggleman tried to paint himself as a cross between Norma Rae and Gandhi. He was too old to be disrespected, he said. He may not be Casey Stengel, he said, but he deserved better than this. No properly run organization, he raged, ever would allow a manager to serve as a lame duck, as the Nats had.

It turns out he was wrong about all of that, even the part about being Casey Stengel. See, if you take out Stengel’s Yankees years, his 13-year managerial record was 756-1,146 — which is one of the few records, for managers who’ve worked as many as 12 seasons, that’s worse than Riggleman’s, which was 662-824. Yes, as highly as Riggleman regards himself as a skipper, if he ever gets another job he’ll have to go on a 162-game winning streak simply to reach .500. He has one winning season across a full schedule in his career.

And maybe this detail escaped Riggleman, but in 2001 Joe Torre — winner of four of the previous five World Series — worked without a contract for 2002; worked, in fact, the final three games of the ‘01 World Series after his contract already had expired. Of course, who can worry about details when you’re too busy fitting yourself for martyr’s robes?

This is the only fact that truly matters: Riggleman signed his contract knowing full well what it contained. Is it coincidence that he didn’t make this cowboy stand on June 9, when his team sat at 27-36? And how would Riggleman, genius manager, have reacted if, say, Michael Morse had decided yesterday he wouldn’t board the bus to Reagan National without an new deal?

Chances are, Riggleman would have droned on about the disease of me, and bemoaned putting self above team, and talked about the selfishness of the modern athlete. When in truth he could have just offered up a mirror.

And stared into it.

I hope Riggleman truly understands what he did. Chances are, when he’s riding a bus in an independent league next year, he’ll have plenty of time to ponder it.

For a daily dose of Vac’s Whacks, click nypost.com.blogs/vaccaro

WHACK BACK AT VAC

Fred Cacchione: I liked your idea about a new schedule except for the extra three games against a “designated” opponent. Why should the Mets (I’m a Pirates fan, FWIW) have to play the Yankees three extra games every year while someone else is going to get three extra games against Kansas City? Just that is enough to make it unfair in a hot pennant race. Equal, equal, equal.

Vac: I guess I’ve always been, and remain, a sucker for Mets/Yanks, Cubs/ChiSox, Angels/Dodgers.

Greg Patrei (written last Sunday): Well, tonight we find out who killed Rosie on “The Killing.” Or will we? I just hope the ending is conclusive — and we don’t have a “Sopranos” final episode.

Vac: First off . . . SPOILER ALERT!!!! Secondly . . . that finale makes the “Sopranos” send-off look like the “Newhart” finale. And I officially no longer give a rat’s rear end who killed Rosie Larsen. Thanks a lot, AMC.

Mark Ellis: I hope you were tongue-in-cheek when you wrote Joe Girardi was a good manager. The reason Yankee fans criticize him is because he is a terrible strategist in the field. He is lucky that two pitchers that he got from the scrap heap have come through and the power is there, otherwise where would we be?

Vac: The funny thing about managers: Most Yankees fans revered Billy Martin and revile Joe Girardi, who each have the same number of managerial titles.

VAC’S WHACKS