The Nats need another starter. Not Edwin Jackson. Not (yet) Eric Fedde. A real fifth starter. With this in mind, I looked up the FA starting pitchers and have a few knee jerk reactions on whether they'd fit with the Curly W.
Jake Arrieta (32) Will command too much
Christian Bergman (30) Who? Journeyman. Not good enough.
Mike Bolsinger (30) He's a Dodger. He might be one of the faceless pitchers that relieve the starters nightly but I can't prove that he is.
Clay Buchholz (33) I thought he was dead. Maybe a spring training invite flyer
Trevor Cahill (30) This guy was a pretty good D Back and a reasonably good Cub reliever last year, I believe. I'd try him, but I don't know if I'd use him as a starter or reliever.
Andrew Cashner (31). He was traded for Anthony Rizzo. He's not consistent but if he's available I think he'd be usable.
Jhoulys Chacin (30) Didn't Ian Desmond hit him in the head once? He's bounced around and doesn't even start anymore.
Tyler Chatwood (28) Rockies pitcher. He's been good at times, not so much at other times. Was this the Coors Field effect? Maybe. Was it the pitcher's own inconsistency? Maybe. Should the Nats take a chance on him? Maybe.
Jesse Chavez (34).. Journeyman
Alex Cobb (30) This is the best guy on the list other than the 'stars'. I'd like him but I bet someone gives him a contract worthy of a number one.
Josh Collmenter (32) He's never maintained any consistency. But he's had a few moments. Might be this year's "Lightning in a Bottle" but I wouldn't risk it.
Bartolo Colon (45) Please retire. The "Big Sexy" bit isn't funny.
Johnny Cueto (32) — Not going to accept a back of the rotation salary
Yu Darvish (31) Did you see Game 3?
R.A. Dickey (43) Aside from the fact I hate watching him pitch, its not that bad an idea.
Nathan Eovaldi (28) — $2MM club option. We already have an injured fifth starter. Don't need another.
Scott Feldman (35). The Orioles think he's better than Jake Arrieta. I don't.
Doug Fister (34). I think Doug was good as a Nat and seemed to be reasonably good as a Red Sock. But Mike Rizzo generally doesn't chew his cabbage twice. And there must be a reason he's bounced around so much.
Yovani Gallardo (32) — Has a club option but if he's free, he's not for me.
Jaime Garcia (31) Maybe. Teams looking for pitching more than the Nats might pay more, though
.
Matt Garza (34) Was but not is. Has been. No thanks.
Dillon Gee (32) I always thought he was reasonably good as a Met. I'd give him a shot either as a starter or in the bullpen.
Miguel Gonzalez (34) Too Oriole.
Jeremy Hellickson (31) Bad Oriole.
Derek Holland (31) Pitches like an Oriole.
David Holmberg (26) Wasn't he a frequent guest of Mike Douglas in the '70s? A producer on Seinfeld? No? Well, he was traded FOR Edwin Jackson. Think about THAT.
Drew Hutchison (27) I would definitely sign this guy and give him a chance. I was always impressed with him when he was a Blue Jay. I think he could be 'fixed'.
Ubaldo Jimenez (34) Not good enough for the Orioles. So obviously not good enough for the Nats.
John Lackey (39) Maybe if there's an old timers game.
Francisco Liriano (34) Might be a cheap option but he hasn't been particularly good as an Astro.
Jeff Locke (30) A face in the crowd. I think he was a bad Pirate.
Jordan Lyles (27). Rockies pitchers might do well out of Coors Field
Lance Lynn (31) Already has a big moment at Nats Park. He'd be perfect but probably will get more to be a Top 2 starter elsewhere.
Miles Mikolas (29) he pitches in Japan and is nicknamed "Lizard King". That's a no.
Wade Miley (31) — $12MM club option with a $500K buyout. Too Oriole.
Mike Minor (30) — $10MM mutual option with a $1.25MM buyout. I remember this guy being fairly good for the Braves. He's apparently oft injured and a Royals reliever, so probably not an option.
Ricky Nolasco (35) — $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Was so bad the Twins gave the Angels Alex Meyer just to take him.
Wily Peralta (29) A pretty good Brewer. Probably someone desperate for pitching will overpay. I'm not sure why the Brewers haven't re-upped him.
Martin Perez (27) — $6MM club option with a $2.45MM buyout
Michael Pineda (29). Injury risk.
Tyson Ross -- Wasn't good with the Rangers but maybe on a non-roster contract.
CC Sabathia (37) -- Wants to be a Yankee
Anibal Sanchez (34) Can back up John Lackey in the Old Timers Game.
Hector Santiago (30) not good enough for the Twins?
Masahiro Tanaka (29) — Can opt out of the remaining three years, $67MM on his contract. A TJ injury waiting to happen.
Chris Tillman (30). Might be good for a year contract to try to reclaim his career. And if he was good, it would really annoy Peter Angelos. I'd do it.
Josh Tomlin (33) — $3MM club option with a $750K buyout
Jacob Turner (27). We've seen him once. It was enough.
Jason Vargas (35) Kind of guy the Orioles would sign in March
Hideaki Wakui (32). A Japanese pitcher I've never seen. 32 year old rookie isn't a good idea though
.
Asher Wojciechowski (29) An Astros pitcher I'm not familiar with. I see a lot of them in Spring Training, and I have no memory of this guy, so I don't know what is wrong this gentleman.
Chris Young (39) He couldn't get out of Syracuse before, why would he now?
There are a few pitchers I'd like to see come to DC as a fifth starter that are available and realistic possibilities. Alex Cobb, Jamie Garcia, Chris Tillman, Drew Hutchinson ,Lance Lynn, Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner, Jordan Miles, Tyler Chatwood,and Dillon Gee. Rizzo won't bring in all of them. If he gets one of the top people on this list like Cobb or Lynn, he only needs one of them.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Friday, October 27, 2017
Nats Will Get Joe Girardi.
I always get a good chuckle at reading Jon Heyman. If the Nationals found a cure for cancer, Heyman's headline would be "Nationals Brass Cruelly Hang On To Cancer Cure, Leaving Millions to Die." Jon, a supposed journalist, dislikes the Nationals about as much as Elaine Benes dislikes The English Patient.
So, today, Jon, tweets the following "information": "initial word hearing out of DC is that girardi is "not likely." for one, nats don't believe in paying big bucks to manager." And this tweet is being cited in credible places, like the excellent MLB Trade Rumors website, as an actual "update".
But really, what does this tweet say? Are these internal sources? Or did Jon call someone who lives in DC who told him what he wanted to hear? Jon also tweeted recently that the Nats were "weeks behind" the other teams in their managerial search. Weeks means more than one. Baker was informed he wouldn't be returning on October 20. Two weeks before October 20 is October 6. Thus, just doing the math, and putting two and two together, Jon Heyman claims the Nats mismanaged their decision on Baker because they didn't let him go before the NLDS even began.
Well, sorry, Jon. I think you're going to be proven wrong here. The Lerners aren't cheap. They put resources where they think they are most important. And clearly, here, no matter what managerial decisions they made on Jim Riggleman or Manny Acta 10 years ago, they, at this point, consider the manager to be key to a World Series victory. It would have been easy to keep Dusty Baker. They didn't do the easy thing.
They felt they needed someone to teach the team how to win. They signed Jayson Werth to a $126 million contract. Then, in 2014/15, they felt they another starter. They signed Max Scherzer to a contract over $200 million. They felt they needed a closer in 2017. They increased payroll to get Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. And Brandon Kintzler.
The decision not to retain Dusty showed that they now feel they need a manager who can get the most out of the players in the games that mean the most. The Nationals method of operation in this instance isn't to skimp, rather, the exact opposite. They go get the best man available.
Joe Girardi.
Of course there is no guarantee of anything here. But if past behavior predicts the future, we'll see Joe G in West Palm Beach in March.
P.S. Update from Chelsea Janes, with real information on Girardi. "The Nationals pursued Girardi when they first moved to D.C., but were still unsure of the veteran’s interest in managing as of Friday morning, according to a person familiar with the situation." Janes also reports "Nationals ownership might be willing to provide a longer deal (than two years) to their next manager, in part because of the state of the market."
So, today, Jon, tweets the following "information": "initial word hearing out of DC is that girardi is "not likely." for one, nats don't believe in paying big bucks to manager." And this tweet is being cited in credible places, like the excellent MLB Trade Rumors website, as an actual "update".
But really, what does this tweet say? Are these internal sources? Or did Jon call someone who lives in DC who told him what he wanted to hear? Jon also tweeted recently that the Nats were "weeks behind" the other teams in their managerial search. Weeks means more than one. Baker was informed he wouldn't be returning on October 20. Two weeks before October 20 is October 6. Thus, just doing the math, and putting two and two together, Jon Heyman claims the Nats mismanaged their decision on Baker because they didn't let him go before the NLDS even began.
Well, sorry, Jon. I think you're going to be proven wrong here. The Lerners aren't cheap. They put resources where they think they are most important. And clearly, here, no matter what managerial decisions they made on Jim Riggleman or Manny Acta 10 years ago, they, at this point, consider the manager to be key to a World Series victory. It would have been easy to keep Dusty Baker. They didn't do the easy thing.
They felt they needed someone to teach the team how to win. They signed Jayson Werth to a $126 million contract. Then, in 2014/15, they felt they another starter. They signed Max Scherzer to a contract over $200 million. They felt they needed a closer in 2017. They increased payroll to get Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. And Brandon Kintzler.
The decision not to retain Dusty showed that they now feel they need a manager who can get the most out of the players in the games that mean the most. The Nationals method of operation in this instance isn't to skimp, rather, the exact opposite. They go get the best man available.
Joe Girardi.
Of course there is no guarantee of anything here. But if past behavior predicts the future, we'll see Joe G in West Palm Beach in March.
P.S. Update from Chelsea Janes, with real information on Girardi. "The Nationals pursued Girardi when they first moved to D.C., but were still unsure of the veteran’s interest in managing as of Friday morning, according to a person familiar with the situation." Janes also reports "Nationals ownership might be willing to provide a longer deal (than two years) to their next manager, in part because of the state of the market."
Saturday, October 21, 2017
With Dusty We Busty
Welcome, welcome back. I wasn't finding the time to keep this blog up for a long time (9 years!) but I have found that for some reason I am having trouble accepting that this season has ended, and thought re-visiting the blog might be good therapy for me (and for anyone reading this). I began this endeavor as a way to exorcise the demons from the NLDS, but midway through, news broke that Dusty Baker was not returning as Nats manager, and I found this actually might be my way of saying "You know, I'm okay with that."
Don't get me wrong. As a guy, I loved Dusty. Everyone loved Dusty. He treated everyone, and I mean EVERYONE with kindness and respect. But man, the playoffs. Everything went wrong. Some of it wasn't Dusty. But some of it was.
For years I joked that I will see Matt Williams taking out Jordan Zimmermann in the ninth inning of Game 2 in the 2014 NLDS on my deathbed. This year, there wasn't that one watershed moment. There were many plays throughout the Cubs series that are sticking in my mind. And I am going to list them for you now.
1. Tony Two Bags "error" in Game 1.
Looked like a foul ball. Handled a little too casually. I know there are many fans that count Rendon as their favorite player and love his 'always smiling' attitude, but to be honest, his lack of apparent fire drives me crazy. Not that he isn't a great player. I just wish he seemed to care as much as I do. And the ball was foul anyway. That play ended up scoring runs, and screwing up a stellar start by Stephen Strasburg. But the ball was foul.
2. Sammy Solis, dammit.
Now I'm getting mad. Game 3 . Scherzer pitching a shutout with a precarious 1 - 0 lead in the bottom of the 7th. Ben Zobrist gets a double. And here comes Dusty. ONE STINKIN' HIT!! HE"S MAX SCHERZER!! Why is he being removed here? You don't trust a Cy Young Award winner to shut down a team he shut down all day because of one hit? Okay, okay. He's coming off an injury. He's near the magic 100 pitch count. Go to the bullpen. I'll get past this.
Now to the bullpen. Prior to mid-July, our bullpen was awful. Not a secret. In mid-July, Mike Rizzo obtained Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson from Oakland. To pitch the 8th and 9th. They have done very well from the get-go. But wait, there's more. Rizzo thought we needed another bullpen piece to shut down the 7th inning. So he trades for Minnesota's closer, and All Star, Brandon Knitzner. Starters get through six. Knitzler, Madson and Doolittle. The firm. T Shirts are printed up. The bullpen is saved. Or so we thought.
Game 3 of the best of 5. Its 1-0 in the SEVENTH. The Cy Young award winner is supposedly spent. So go to the formula that has been near perfect for two months, right? Knitzler, then Madson, then Doolittle. Odds are this will work. If not, tip your hat, this is the moment Mike Rizzo envisioned when he made those trades.
But OH NO!! Let's play the so-called percentages by bringing in a left hander. Sammy Solis. He's been lit up often during the year, when he wasn't hurt. His ERA is over 5.00. He was part of the 'problem' that led to two key July trades. This may be the pivot point of the series. We have three lock down bullpen pieces. WHY IS SAMMY SOLIS ON THE MOUND?
Of course, you know the rest. Solis gives up a hit to tie the game, because Dusty Baker thinks Kyle Schwarber is Babe Ruth and doesn't want to face him in that situation. Kyle is built like Babe Ruth, but hit .200 with one lousy hit in the whole post season. Sammy Solis against anyone is worse than Kyle Schwarber against Knitzler or Doolittle. Game tied. Sammy blew it. BIG SURPRISE!
When I heard that Dusty wasn't retained, two words came to my mind. Sammy Solis.
3. Oliver Perez?
I have two longstanding memories of Oliver Perez. One is from the 2000-2004 period when I would have to go Cincinnati to see my favorite baseball team. Inevitable, trips were planned mid-summer when Pittsburgh was in Cincinnati. It seemed like every time Pittsburgh played Cincinnati Oliver Perez started a game, and pitched a complete game shutout. But that was a long, long time ago. Ken Griffey Jr., Hall of Famer, was a Red. Sean Casey, MLB Network Analyst, was a Red. Aaron Boone, who gets paid to listen to Jessica Mendoza talk on ESPN, was a Red. Adam Dunn was a rookie. Riverfront Stadium still existed.
My other memory of Oliver Perez is in Spring Training, 2011. Lots has happened since I saw Ollie dominate the Reds. A team came to DC. I go to Spring Training. I re-develop a long dormant hatred of the New York Mets. Ollie is pitching against the Nats in Port St. Lucie this day in March 2011, and gets lit up, the likes of which Jeremy Guthrie would be proud of. He couldn't have gotten me out had the Nats decided to hand me a bat. He is booed off the mound more loudly than I've ever heard anyone booed in my life. Louder than Caps fans booing Pittsburgh Penguins. Louder than long suffering spouses forced to attend a John Denver concert. The booing is deafening. And its Spring Training! Ollie was released the next day.
So with these two polar opposite visions in my head, I question why the Nats signed Oliver Perez in the first place. To be fair, after that day in Port St. Lucie, he has bounced around and re-invented himself as a serviceable, but not great, left handed specialist. Rizzo signed him to that role in 2016 and he hasn't been horrible, but he isn't Knitzler, Madson and Doolittle. There are no Ollie T shirts.
So, with a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the eight inning of Game 3, with the score tied, Knitzler is pitching, so you feel somewhat safe. But, wait, one runner on, so Dusty goes to the bullpen. The eighth inning. So it must be Madson right? That would be good. Wait, Dusty wants a left hander. So it must be Doolittle. Dusty must have heard about the Zach Britton fiasco last year, right? But nooooooo. ITS OLIVER PEREZ!!! He was a part of the unacceptable pre-July bullpen too. He's hit or miss. But apparently Dusty's "gut" must have digested too many peaches because he we are again in a win or lose game situation and he's putting in pitchers that were not designed to pitch in the 7th, 8th or 9th. It didn't work an hour ago, so of course its going to work now, right Dusty? And of course what happens? A bloop hit. RESPECT ME!!! When the season is on the line, shouldn't the best pitchers in your bullpen be on the mound? Does Aaron Barrett throwing a wild pitch against the AT&T backdrop in 2014 not haunt anyone but me?
Okay, okay. It was a bloop that could have been caught. But it wasn't. And the Nats lost with Madson and Doolittle never taking the mound in a one run game. Why did Mike Rizzo trade for them again?
4. Speaking of the bloop....
Now that ball has to be caught. F.P. Santangelo said he'd rather have three guys going to the hospital than that ball fall in. I wouldn't. Trea Turner, who's entire series should have the Nats re-evaluating his value, was flagling at the ball like Pee Wee Herman running after his lost bicycle. Jayson Werth wasn't going to get there. Michael A. Taylor, for all his heroics, should have been the one to catch that ball. It was catchable, and he was the centerfielder, who we all know is the take charge guy. Michael did a lot of good things in the series, so I'm not going to bust on him. I think he was somewhat spooked at Turner heading right for him.
5. The Strasburg Shutdown, Part 2.
Okay, this ended up well. Just for one day. We can be heroes. Just for one day. We can be safer Just for one day.
After the game 4 rainout, the Nats had a choice between Strasburg and Roark. The world was calling for Strasburg. Dusty held a press conference after the rainout. Roark is pitching game 4, Dusty says. Strasburg threw a bullpen today Dusty says. Strasburg is not feeling too good to pitch tomorrow, Dusty says. Its the mold in the hotel, Dusty says. John Feinstein is rubbing his hands and re-fueling the fire on his stake to go after Strasburg again. So are everyone on MLB Network, national baseball writers, etc. Strasburg is soft. No one can look Strasburg in the eye says dancing legend and backup catcher David Ross. Strasburg is getting crucified.
Problem is, Dusty had some facts wrong. One, he didn't need to name a starter at all. Two, Strasburg didn't pitch a bullpen the day Dusty said he did, he pitched it the day before. Three ,Strasburg wasn't a little under the weather, he was deathly ill.
It all worked out okay, just for one day. Strasburg woke up healthy enough to pitch and shut everyone up by pitching the game of his life just when the Nats needed it most. But it rendered him unavailable for game 5. If Dusty said nothing about Strasburg and Roark pitched game 4, the Nats may have lost. But if they got to game 5, Strasburg would have been available. Had Dusty not went through the press conference, that may have been an option. But because of the press conference, Strasburg was pretty much forced to pitch game 4 or be crucified again in the press. Which brings us to the Game 5 starter.
6. Shakey had a party that lasted all night...
Gio Gonzales. Loveable guy. Really good to the fans. Wears his heart on his sleeve. Started Game 5 in 2012, which ended up permanently damaging Drew Storen's career. To my mind, if you have to point a finger to blame for that heartbreak, I go straight to Gio. It was 6 - 0. He got rattled. He started walking people. He let the rickshaw down the hill with Newman riding it. Though he was out of the game the damage was done, he started the downhill motion.
Prior to the playoffs, Phil Wood has been spouting off for three weeks that the pitching rotation for the series should be Stras, Gio and then Max. Dave Jaegler, who has baseball knowledge from watching games, not memorizing old statistics, points out that this idea is, um, not the best because Max would not be available for Game 5. Phil ignores Dave's attempt to inject some common sense into the conversation and gleefully points out that his brilliant idea will lead to a sweep. Because the Nats will inevitably sweep the Cubs.
Now its game 5. Unfortunately Max's injury has lead to him essentially being unavailable, except for a couple innings, as Dave had predicted. So now we have Tanner Roark, who pitched a beautiful game for the USA in the World Baseball Classic, and has more, um, guts shall we say, than most pitchers in the National League. Tanner has had a somewhat disappointing regular season, to be sure, but he improved greatly in the second half, and has a bulldog mentality. He's not going to get rattled. You get the idea that Tanner's entire career is playing with house money and he's going to make the most of it. Or....
Or, we have Gio Gonzalez pitching Game 5, just like 2012. Jon Jay, Hot Dog, the first batter, just like 2012. Unlikeable NL Central opponent, just like 2012. Dusty wants Gio to have redemption. Well....
Boom! Boom! Walk! Wild pitch! Gio literally looks like he is going to have a breakdown in the first inning. Everything goes wrong. But, he manages to survive leaving the bases loaded with only one run. Anyone, including the sight impaired, can see that Gio is not emotionally handling this big moment well. But, he only gave one run up, so why pull him? He's going to calm down. Particularly when the Nats gave him a 4-1 lead, right?
Well, we all know what happened in the third inning. Its 2012 all over again. Big lead, Gio panics. So much for redemption. And Tanner Roark never even was given a chance to pitch. The whole 'redemption' thing is so very Dusty. I get it. But once you see Gio is not seizing the moment, and you have a 4-1 lead with a quality starter rested, why do you let him out there to flop and twitch? Get the guy with balls in there. Maybe starting Gio wasn't Dusty's decision alone. But leaving him out there after he did his best Henry Rodriguez impression was all Dusty.
7. Where was he going? What was he thinking?
After Gio's implosion, only one run scored. Then Trea Turner ends up on third base with one out and Bryce Harper up. This run's gotta score right? WRONG! Infield in, Bryce hits a rocket to second base. Trea is breaking to the plate on a ball that NO ONE could have possibly scored on. Instead of runner on third and Zim up, its runner on first. No first inning run. Why did Trea go? Did the moment get too big for him? Was he overconfident that he could outrun a scorching line drive? Did Bob "Send-ly" get greedy? I'm not sure this question was answered, but it was one run we should have scored and did not.
We lost Game 5 by one run.
8. Lonely in your nightmare
If there is one decision I cannot criticize Dusty for, its bringing in Max Scherzer in the fifth inning. Its 4-3, even with Gio's antics. Max is available for two innings. Max pitches two scoreless, then the firm comes in and we win 4-3, even if there are no tack on runs. That was the plan and its viable. But....
So much goes wrong here, and none of it is on Dusty. Javier Baez strikes out with two outs in the inning. Javier Baez is going to kill someone one day, because his swing is out of control and more than once a catcher's head has felt the brunt of his lack of control. This time, it was Matt Wieters. Catcher's interference, you can't hit him in the head. Inning over, right? Well, no Thanks to the stellar South Siders Umpiring Crew, the hit on the head which visibly moved Wieters mask was ignored. Matt Wieters missed the third strike because, you know, getting hit in the head with a baseball bat might make you lose focus for a second. Once Matt realizes that the umpire isn't calling the obvious play, he gets the ball, dazed, and fires to first, shooting the ball in the outfield. Runs score. Dusty asks for review. This isn't reviewable. As we will see four hours later, checking to see if a nano second slip of a baserunner on a pickoff can be reviewed for 20 minutes, but a crack on the catcher's skull by a baseball bat is outside the replay guidelines. Can someone explain why?
Lots of other things happen. None of them good. None of them by the Cubs doing. An intentional walk. A hit batter with the bases loaded. The Cubs saw four consecutive batters reach: one by an intentional walk, one on a passed-ball strikeout, one on catcher's interference, and the fourth on a hit-by-pitch. Those four events have never happened before in the same half-inning, at least not in the more than 2.7-million half-innings.
9. Sammy Solis. Again.
Its the 8th inning. With all the nightmarish scenarios, the Nats still have a chance to win. Its 9-7. Madson in the 8th right? Its a elimination game. Oh, no. SAMMY SOLIS. Again. Dusty says "thank you sir, may I please have another?" Apparently his short term memory isn't what it used to be. Remember Game 3? Anybody? Why was the trade to Oakland made? Anybody? Well, good ol' Sammy gets one out, then promptly gives up two hits. Apparently someone may have suggested to Dusty "hey remember, Mike Rizzo made that trade to get good relief pitchers in July!" Dusty goes to Madson and he gets out of the inning. But. He couldn't just put in Madson. He double switched, taking out Matt Wieters, who the pitchers love throwing to, for Jose Lobaton, who has barely played all year, and has an average well below .200 in a double switch. So even going to Ryan Madson has a downside in this game. Because....
10. Where was he going, what was he thinking? Again. .
Jose Lobaton comes up with a runner on base in the bottom of the 8th. Miraculously, even though he's only hitting around.140, he gets a hit. Two on, two out. Trea Turner up. Cue Jim Carrey. So you say there's still a chance.
Then, Lobaton takes a wide lead off first and the Hot Dog Catcher For the Cubs throws the ball to pick him off. Loby is safe. But wait! The Weird Wuss wants a cheap out, so he asks for a replay. The replay is inconclusive. At no point, after being shown maybe 4 times in the stadium, is it clear that Lobaton was not safe. He clearly got back way before the ball got there. The Weird Wuss is saying he went off the base. I sure don't see it. The crowd doesn't see it. The umpire standing a foot away from it didn't see it. But somehow a New York replay official wearing a Cubs hat called him out. Inning over. The last chance.
The Nats aren't blameless here. Lobaton shouldn't have been in the game. Lobaton shouldn't have been that far off the base. But dammit, that replay was not clear and convincing evidence that he was out. Was it Dusty's fault that the replay went that way? Of course not. Was it Dusty's fault that Lobaton went too far off the bag? Of course not. Was it Dusty's fault that Lobaton was in the game in the first place? Well,.....
So there we have it. I'll be stewing over this game probably for the rest of my baseball life, which means the rest of my life. But losing a playoff game isn't the end of the world. Winning four division titles in six years without winning a playoff series is better than finishing second four times in six years to the New York Mets. And anything I've listed above is better than being a 10 year old baseball obsessed kid and your team moving to Texas.
I'm sorry personally for Dusty. Great human being. But he blew the playoff series. He wasn't the only one. But he was the one who's contract was up. I wanted him to get his World Series victory and get to Cooperstown. But many in the press are scalding the Lerners for making this decision. I can't. Dusty made several questionable in game decisions. Dusty unwittlingly set up Strasburg to be ridiculed because he got some facts wrong. I don't see disfunction in a team firing a manager for botching a playoff series. The Red Sox did the same thing to Grady Little in 2003. How did 2004 turn out for the Red Sox?
Time will tell on whether they got the right guy after Dusty. But the decision to let him go wasn't necessarily a bad one.
Don't get me wrong. As a guy, I loved Dusty. Everyone loved Dusty. He treated everyone, and I mean EVERYONE with kindness and respect. But man, the playoffs. Everything went wrong. Some of it wasn't Dusty. But some of it was.
For years I joked that I will see Matt Williams taking out Jordan Zimmermann in the ninth inning of Game 2 in the 2014 NLDS on my deathbed. This year, there wasn't that one watershed moment. There were many plays throughout the Cubs series that are sticking in my mind. And I am going to list them for you now.
1. Tony Two Bags "error" in Game 1.
Looked like a foul ball. Handled a little too casually. I know there are many fans that count Rendon as their favorite player and love his 'always smiling' attitude, but to be honest, his lack of apparent fire drives me crazy. Not that he isn't a great player. I just wish he seemed to care as much as I do. And the ball was foul anyway. That play ended up scoring runs, and screwing up a stellar start by Stephen Strasburg. But the ball was foul.
2. Sammy Solis, dammit.
Now I'm getting mad. Game 3 . Scherzer pitching a shutout with a precarious 1 - 0 lead in the bottom of the 7th. Ben Zobrist gets a double. And here comes Dusty. ONE STINKIN' HIT!! HE"S MAX SCHERZER!! Why is he being removed here? You don't trust a Cy Young Award winner to shut down a team he shut down all day because of one hit? Okay, okay. He's coming off an injury. He's near the magic 100 pitch count. Go to the bullpen. I'll get past this.
Now to the bullpen. Prior to mid-July, our bullpen was awful. Not a secret. In mid-July, Mike Rizzo obtained Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson from Oakland. To pitch the 8th and 9th. They have done very well from the get-go. But wait, there's more. Rizzo thought we needed another bullpen piece to shut down the 7th inning. So he trades for Minnesota's closer, and All Star, Brandon Knitzner. Starters get through six. Knitzler, Madson and Doolittle. The firm. T Shirts are printed up. The bullpen is saved. Or so we thought.
Game 3 of the best of 5. Its 1-0 in the SEVENTH. The Cy Young award winner is supposedly spent. So go to the formula that has been near perfect for two months, right? Knitzler, then Madson, then Doolittle. Odds are this will work. If not, tip your hat, this is the moment Mike Rizzo envisioned when he made those trades.
But OH NO!! Let's play the so-called percentages by bringing in a left hander. Sammy Solis. He's been lit up often during the year, when he wasn't hurt. His ERA is over 5.00. He was part of the 'problem' that led to two key July trades. This may be the pivot point of the series. We have three lock down bullpen pieces. WHY IS SAMMY SOLIS ON THE MOUND?
Of course, you know the rest. Solis gives up a hit to tie the game, because Dusty Baker thinks Kyle Schwarber is Babe Ruth and doesn't want to face him in that situation. Kyle is built like Babe Ruth, but hit .200 with one lousy hit in the whole post season. Sammy Solis against anyone is worse than Kyle Schwarber against Knitzler or Doolittle. Game tied. Sammy blew it. BIG SURPRISE!
When I heard that Dusty wasn't retained, two words came to my mind. Sammy Solis.
3. Oliver Perez?
I have two longstanding memories of Oliver Perez. One is from the 2000-2004 period when I would have to go Cincinnati to see my favorite baseball team. Inevitable, trips were planned mid-summer when Pittsburgh was in Cincinnati. It seemed like every time Pittsburgh played Cincinnati Oliver Perez started a game, and pitched a complete game shutout. But that was a long, long time ago. Ken Griffey Jr., Hall of Famer, was a Red. Sean Casey, MLB Network Analyst, was a Red. Aaron Boone, who gets paid to listen to Jessica Mendoza talk on ESPN, was a Red. Adam Dunn was a rookie. Riverfront Stadium still existed.
My other memory of Oliver Perez is in Spring Training, 2011. Lots has happened since I saw Ollie dominate the Reds. A team came to DC. I go to Spring Training. I re-develop a long dormant hatred of the New York Mets. Ollie is pitching against the Nats in Port St. Lucie this day in March 2011, and gets lit up, the likes of which Jeremy Guthrie would be proud of. He couldn't have gotten me out had the Nats decided to hand me a bat. He is booed off the mound more loudly than I've ever heard anyone booed in my life. Louder than Caps fans booing Pittsburgh Penguins. Louder than long suffering spouses forced to attend a John Denver concert. The booing is deafening. And its Spring Training! Ollie was released the next day.
So with these two polar opposite visions in my head, I question why the Nats signed Oliver Perez in the first place. To be fair, after that day in Port St. Lucie, he has bounced around and re-invented himself as a serviceable, but not great, left handed specialist. Rizzo signed him to that role in 2016 and he hasn't been horrible, but he isn't Knitzler, Madson and Doolittle. There are no Ollie T shirts.
So, with a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the eight inning of Game 3, with the score tied, Knitzler is pitching, so you feel somewhat safe. But, wait, one runner on, so Dusty goes to the bullpen. The eighth inning. So it must be Madson right? That would be good. Wait, Dusty wants a left hander. So it must be Doolittle. Dusty must have heard about the Zach Britton fiasco last year, right? But nooooooo. ITS OLIVER PEREZ!!! He was a part of the unacceptable pre-July bullpen too. He's hit or miss. But apparently Dusty's "gut" must have digested too many peaches because he we are again in a win or lose game situation and he's putting in pitchers that were not designed to pitch in the 7th, 8th or 9th. It didn't work an hour ago, so of course its going to work now, right Dusty? And of course what happens? A bloop hit. RESPECT ME!!! When the season is on the line, shouldn't the best pitchers in your bullpen be on the mound? Does Aaron Barrett throwing a wild pitch against the AT&T backdrop in 2014 not haunt anyone but me?
Okay, okay. It was a bloop that could have been caught. But it wasn't. And the Nats lost with Madson and Doolittle never taking the mound in a one run game. Why did Mike Rizzo trade for them again?
4. Speaking of the bloop....
Now that ball has to be caught. F.P. Santangelo said he'd rather have three guys going to the hospital than that ball fall in. I wouldn't. Trea Turner, who's entire series should have the Nats re-evaluating his value, was flagling at the ball like Pee Wee Herman running after his lost bicycle. Jayson Werth wasn't going to get there. Michael A. Taylor, for all his heroics, should have been the one to catch that ball. It was catchable, and he was the centerfielder, who we all know is the take charge guy. Michael did a lot of good things in the series, so I'm not going to bust on him. I think he was somewhat spooked at Turner heading right for him.
5. The Strasburg Shutdown, Part 2.
Okay, this ended up well. Just for one day. We can be heroes. Just for one day. We can be safer Just for one day.
After the game 4 rainout, the Nats had a choice between Strasburg and Roark. The world was calling for Strasburg. Dusty held a press conference after the rainout. Roark is pitching game 4, Dusty says. Strasburg threw a bullpen today Dusty says. Strasburg is not feeling too good to pitch tomorrow, Dusty says. Its the mold in the hotel, Dusty says. John Feinstein is rubbing his hands and re-fueling the fire on his stake to go after Strasburg again. So are everyone on MLB Network, national baseball writers, etc. Strasburg is soft. No one can look Strasburg in the eye says dancing legend and backup catcher David Ross. Strasburg is getting crucified.
Problem is, Dusty had some facts wrong. One, he didn't need to name a starter at all. Two, Strasburg didn't pitch a bullpen the day Dusty said he did, he pitched it the day before. Three ,Strasburg wasn't a little under the weather, he was deathly ill.
It all worked out okay, just for one day. Strasburg woke up healthy enough to pitch and shut everyone up by pitching the game of his life just when the Nats needed it most. But it rendered him unavailable for game 5. If Dusty said nothing about Strasburg and Roark pitched game 4, the Nats may have lost. But if they got to game 5, Strasburg would have been available. Had Dusty not went through the press conference, that may have been an option. But because of the press conference, Strasburg was pretty much forced to pitch game 4 or be crucified again in the press. Which brings us to the Game 5 starter.
6. Shakey had a party that lasted all night...
Gio Gonzales. Loveable guy. Really good to the fans. Wears his heart on his sleeve. Started Game 5 in 2012, which ended up permanently damaging Drew Storen's career. To my mind, if you have to point a finger to blame for that heartbreak, I go straight to Gio. It was 6 - 0. He got rattled. He started walking people. He let the rickshaw down the hill with Newman riding it. Though he was out of the game the damage was done, he started the downhill motion.
Prior to the playoffs, Phil Wood has been spouting off for three weeks that the pitching rotation for the series should be Stras, Gio and then Max. Dave Jaegler, who has baseball knowledge from watching games, not memorizing old statistics, points out that this idea is, um, not the best because Max would not be available for Game 5. Phil ignores Dave's attempt to inject some common sense into the conversation and gleefully points out that his brilliant idea will lead to a sweep. Because the Nats will inevitably sweep the Cubs.
Now its game 5. Unfortunately Max's injury has lead to him essentially being unavailable, except for a couple innings, as Dave had predicted. So now we have Tanner Roark, who pitched a beautiful game for the USA in the World Baseball Classic, and has more, um, guts shall we say, than most pitchers in the National League. Tanner has had a somewhat disappointing regular season, to be sure, but he improved greatly in the second half, and has a bulldog mentality. He's not going to get rattled. You get the idea that Tanner's entire career is playing with house money and he's going to make the most of it. Or....
Or, we have Gio Gonzalez pitching Game 5, just like 2012. Jon Jay, Hot Dog, the first batter, just like 2012. Unlikeable NL Central opponent, just like 2012. Dusty wants Gio to have redemption. Well....
Boom! Boom! Walk! Wild pitch! Gio literally looks like he is going to have a breakdown in the first inning. Everything goes wrong. But, he manages to survive leaving the bases loaded with only one run. Anyone, including the sight impaired, can see that Gio is not emotionally handling this big moment well. But, he only gave one run up, so why pull him? He's going to calm down. Particularly when the Nats gave him a 4-1 lead, right?
Well, we all know what happened in the third inning. Its 2012 all over again. Big lead, Gio panics. So much for redemption. And Tanner Roark never even was given a chance to pitch. The whole 'redemption' thing is so very Dusty. I get it. But once you see Gio is not seizing the moment, and you have a 4-1 lead with a quality starter rested, why do you let him out there to flop and twitch? Get the guy with balls in there. Maybe starting Gio wasn't Dusty's decision alone. But leaving him out there after he did his best Henry Rodriguez impression was all Dusty.
7. Where was he going? What was he thinking?
After Gio's implosion, only one run scored. Then Trea Turner ends up on third base with one out and Bryce Harper up. This run's gotta score right? WRONG! Infield in, Bryce hits a rocket to second base. Trea is breaking to the plate on a ball that NO ONE could have possibly scored on. Instead of runner on third and Zim up, its runner on first. No first inning run. Why did Trea go? Did the moment get too big for him? Was he overconfident that he could outrun a scorching line drive? Did Bob "Send-ly" get greedy? I'm not sure this question was answered, but it was one run we should have scored and did not.
We lost Game 5 by one run.
8. Lonely in your nightmare
If there is one decision I cannot criticize Dusty for, its bringing in Max Scherzer in the fifth inning. Its 4-3, even with Gio's antics. Max is available for two innings. Max pitches two scoreless, then the firm comes in and we win 4-3, even if there are no tack on runs. That was the plan and its viable. But....
So much goes wrong here, and none of it is on Dusty. Javier Baez strikes out with two outs in the inning. Javier Baez is going to kill someone one day, because his swing is out of control and more than once a catcher's head has felt the brunt of his lack of control. This time, it was Matt Wieters. Catcher's interference, you can't hit him in the head. Inning over, right? Well, no Thanks to the stellar South Siders Umpiring Crew, the hit on the head which visibly moved Wieters mask was ignored. Matt Wieters missed the third strike because, you know, getting hit in the head with a baseball bat might make you lose focus for a second. Once Matt realizes that the umpire isn't calling the obvious play, he gets the ball, dazed, and fires to first, shooting the ball in the outfield. Runs score. Dusty asks for review. This isn't reviewable. As we will see four hours later, checking to see if a nano second slip of a baserunner on a pickoff can be reviewed for 20 minutes, but a crack on the catcher's skull by a baseball bat is outside the replay guidelines. Can someone explain why?
Lots of other things happen. None of them good. None of them by the Cubs doing. An intentional walk. A hit batter with the bases loaded. The Cubs saw four consecutive batters reach: one by an intentional walk, one on a passed-ball strikeout, one on catcher's interference, and the fourth on a hit-by-pitch. Those four events have never happened before in the same half-inning, at least not in the more than 2.7-million half-innings.
9. Sammy Solis. Again.
Its the 8th inning. With all the nightmarish scenarios, the Nats still have a chance to win. Its 9-7. Madson in the 8th right? Its a elimination game. Oh, no. SAMMY SOLIS. Again. Dusty says "thank you sir, may I please have another?" Apparently his short term memory isn't what it used to be. Remember Game 3? Anybody? Why was the trade to Oakland made? Anybody? Well, good ol' Sammy gets one out, then promptly gives up two hits. Apparently someone may have suggested to Dusty "hey remember, Mike Rizzo made that trade to get good relief pitchers in July!" Dusty goes to Madson and he gets out of the inning. But. He couldn't just put in Madson. He double switched, taking out Matt Wieters, who the pitchers love throwing to, for Jose Lobaton, who has barely played all year, and has an average well below .200 in a double switch. So even going to Ryan Madson has a downside in this game. Because....
10. Where was he going, what was he thinking? Again. .
Jose Lobaton comes up with a runner on base in the bottom of the 8th. Miraculously, even though he's only hitting around.140, he gets a hit. Two on, two out. Trea Turner up. Cue Jim Carrey. So you say there's still a chance.
Then, Lobaton takes a wide lead off first and the Hot Dog Catcher For the Cubs throws the ball to pick him off. Loby is safe. But wait! The Weird Wuss wants a cheap out, so he asks for a replay. The replay is inconclusive. At no point, after being shown maybe 4 times in the stadium, is it clear that Lobaton was not safe. He clearly got back way before the ball got there. The Weird Wuss is saying he went off the base. I sure don't see it. The crowd doesn't see it. The umpire standing a foot away from it didn't see it. But somehow a New York replay official wearing a Cubs hat called him out. Inning over. The last chance.
The Nats aren't blameless here. Lobaton shouldn't have been in the game. Lobaton shouldn't have been that far off the base. But dammit, that replay was not clear and convincing evidence that he was out. Was it Dusty's fault that the replay went that way? Of course not. Was it Dusty's fault that Lobaton went too far off the bag? Of course not. Was it Dusty's fault that Lobaton was in the game in the first place? Well,.....
So there we have it. I'll be stewing over this game probably for the rest of my baseball life, which means the rest of my life. But losing a playoff game isn't the end of the world. Winning four division titles in six years without winning a playoff series is better than finishing second four times in six years to the New York Mets. And anything I've listed above is better than being a 10 year old baseball obsessed kid and your team moving to Texas.
I'm sorry personally for Dusty. Great human being. But he blew the playoff series. He wasn't the only one. But he was the one who's contract was up. I wanted him to get his World Series victory and get to Cooperstown. But many in the press are scalding the Lerners for making this decision. I can't. Dusty made several questionable in game decisions. Dusty unwittlingly set up Strasburg to be ridiculed because he got some facts wrong. I don't see disfunction in a team firing a manager for botching a playoff series. The Red Sox did the same thing to Grady Little in 2003. How did 2004 turn out for the Red Sox?
Time will tell on whether they got the right guy after Dusty. But the decision to let him go wasn't necessarily a bad one.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Rumors and lies and stories they made up
Well the old hot stove league is in full swing, and, the Nats seem to be smack dab in the middle of everything this year. I've been trying to follow everything I can on this, and here are the bits and pieces I've found around.
Coming
1. Mark Teixeira. Lots of rumblings about this. He wants to be signed by Christmas. He is apparently interested in playing for the Nats. He wants to stay on the east coast. The Nats are ready to offer 'crazy money.'
Teixeira is really perfect for the Nats, but are the Nats perfect for Teixeira? He's a good guy (certainly was a nice guy giving autographs when he came here as a member of the Braves.) From the area. A power hitting left handed first baseman.
Tex is rumored to be courted by the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Orioles and Nats. I just don't see the Red Sox signing this guy. They have Youkis at 1b, Lowell at 3b and Big Papa at dh. The rumor goes that Lowell would be dealt if Tex is signed. Seems like that's a high dollar gamble for this team that is so loaded they really don't have to pay $200 mil to one guy to get back to the Series.
The Yanks seem interested only because he's a big ticket free agent, and they are the Yanks, so they have to be interested in spending a lot of money. Why they would worry about Texiera when they so desparately need pitching is beyond me. Ching Ling Wang was hurt for most of the year, Mike Mussina retired, and they really have no one else (Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, both fantasy team busts for me last year, qualify as no one). The Yankees are clearly looking to sign Sabathia, but he seems hesitant (you mean that money can't buy you happiness?!). There are several other quality free agent starters on the market, including the oft-injured but talented Ben Sheets and the underappreciated Derek Lowe and Brad Penny. Unless that money is burning a hole in the pocket of Hank Steinbrenner, seems to me he's better off looking elsewhere.
The Angels are supposedly balking at Boras' demand for a 10 year contract. And Tex seems predisposed to come back east. So they are a possible, but unlikely destination in my opinion. (By the way, there is a complete idiot sportswriter on the west coast named Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register who states that Teixiera would be 'ridiculed' if he signed with a 'perpetual loser' like the Nationals. The team has been in existence four years. Perpetual? The Iraq war has been in existence two years longer than the Nationals. How can anything be 'perpetual' on the Nationals? One wonders how this loudmouthed uninformed unnecessarily insulting sportswriter sitting three thousand miles away could know that the Nationals will be 'losers' for the ten years of the contract Teixeira seeks. And jeez, I wouldn't mind being ridiculed for getting $200 million. I wonder how many Nationals game this idiot has actually seen.)
That leaves the Orioles and the Nationals. Good ol' Peter Angelos at it again. Teixeira supposedly grew up an Orioles fan (pity, really) so one would assume that if everything is equal, he'd put a bird on his head. But it may come down to years, guaranteed money, and which league Tex would rather play in. My guess is that he's going to end up in Baltimore, but the Nats have a better shot at this than what the national press would like to think.
2. Adam Dunn. If you read this blog, you know I want this to happen. Dunn's destinations have been remarkably quiet. My guess is that after Tex signs the bats are going to begin to fall. The one story I heard was that Jim Bowden contacted Dunn at the beginning of the free agency period, and told him to bring him a number before he signed anywhere else. With Bowden, AK, Aaron Boone, Bob Boone, Jose Rijo and Barry Larkin here, I really think that Dunn probably would be very comfortable with the Nats and be very productive. If Texiera goes elsewhere, this needs to get done.
3. Delmon Young. This would be a trade. Why why why? Didn't this family hose us once already? He's been with the Twinkies for a year and they're looking to move him. Another disgruntled ex-Devil Ray?
4. Orlando Hudson. I've always thought that this guy was over rated, he's a good quote so the press seems to love him. He also seems to be hurt quite often. But, lets face it, he's probably an upgrade over Ronnie Bellard or Anderson Hernandez, and would improve the team. Also is supposedly a great clubhouse guy. But I've seen his name linked to about a half dozen teams, so why would he come here?
Staying?
1. Aaron Boone. Wants to play here, of course, his dad and JimBo are here and he's a leader and liked in the clubhouse. He'd help Willingham and (more importantly) Olsen adjust. Its supposedly a matter of money.
2. Odalis Perez. There was a Spanish language report that he was working on a 2-3 year deal with the Nats, that turned out to be false. What veteran pitcher would you rather have in the rotation next year -- Odalis Perez, Tim Redding or someone else? I'm not sure I know the answer to that.
Going
1. Nick Johnson. Just before Thanksgiving there were a whole bunch of press reports that the Oakland A's were seeking Nick's medical records. This appears to be true but no trade imminent. One report suggested Nick would be traded if Texiera signed with the Nats; another indicated that the Nats were interested in a young A's first baseman .
Check the first 2008 post of the Nats Boy Report to see my high praise of Nick Johnson. When healthy, I think he's one of the most underrated players in the league. When healthy. Its been two years and Nick's played about six weeks though. I've jumped the shark. He's in the last year of his contract. Get something for him if we get Teixera or Dunn.
2. Jesus Flores. Jesus Flores? Really? Offered to the Red Sox? This was in a report out of Boston. Flores was named as one of a dozen catchers offered to Boston by various MLB teams. Wasn't there enough termoil behind the plate last year with LoDuca and Estrada? Unless Brian Schneider is traded back to the Nats by the Mets (and even then really), trading Jesus Flores is just plain nuts.
3. Lastings Milledge. I haven't seen any specific rumors about Milledge being offered around, but there has been some press speculation that Milledge is going to be traded sooner rather than later because he is shaky as a center fielder and doesn't have enough power to be a corner outfielder. My observation of Milledge is that the criticism is true. But shouldn't we have checked this last year before trading Church and Schneider? I personally think the price for Milledge is only going to go down, so I'd quit while I was behind and get what I could. .
Oldies but goodies.
1. Jamie Carroll recently signed a new contract with the Cleveland Indians. Good for him.
2. No word at all on my favorite all time Nat Brad Wilkerson who is a free agent. He can play 1b and the outfield. He isn't that expensive. And he has a ready made fan base here in DC. I'd love Wilky to come back but, like Paul O'Neill in Cincinnati, Bowden doesn't seem to like players who do things to win games rather than just put up stats.
3. Brian Schneider is on the trading block by the Mets. Perhaps they discovered that the joys of a ground ball to second aren't what they are cracked up to be. My personal observation, which is based on nothing concrete, is that Schneider was not the clubhouse force or influence on the pitching staff in NY as he was here in DC. People love Brian Schneider here. Like Wilkerson, he's got a ready made fan base, and doesn't make too much money. I'm not convinced that Wil Nieves is an adequate second catcher. Couldn't Schneider and Flores split time?
After the Thanksgiving holiday ends, the winter meetings take place. Should be fun.
Coming
1. Mark Teixeira. Lots of rumblings about this. He wants to be signed by Christmas. He is apparently interested in playing for the Nats. He wants to stay on the east coast. The Nats are ready to offer 'crazy money.'
Teixeira is really perfect for the Nats, but are the Nats perfect for Teixeira? He's a good guy (certainly was a nice guy giving autographs when he came here as a member of the Braves.) From the area. A power hitting left handed first baseman.
Tex is rumored to be courted by the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Orioles and Nats. I just don't see the Red Sox signing this guy. They have Youkis at 1b, Lowell at 3b and Big Papa at dh. The rumor goes that Lowell would be dealt if Tex is signed. Seems like that's a high dollar gamble for this team that is so loaded they really don't have to pay $200 mil to one guy to get back to the Series.
The Yanks seem interested only because he's a big ticket free agent, and they are the Yanks, so they have to be interested in spending a lot of money. Why they would worry about Texiera when they so desparately need pitching is beyond me. Ching Ling Wang was hurt for most of the year, Mike Mussina retired, and they really have no one else (Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, both fantasy team busts for me last year, qualify as no one). The Yankees are clearly looking to sign Sabathia, but he seems hesitant (you mean that money can't buy you happiness?!). There are several other quality free agent starters on the market, including the oft-injured but talented Ben Sheets and the underappreciated Derek Lowe and Brad Penny. Unless that money is burning a hole in the pocket of Hank Steinbrenner, seems to me he's better off looking elsewhere.
The Angels are supposedly balking at Boras' demand for a 10 year contract. And Tex seems predisposed to come back east. So they are a possible, but unlikely destination in my opinion. (By the way, there is a complete idiot sportswriter on the west coast named Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register who states that Teixiera would be 'ridiculed' if he signed with a 'perpetual loser' like the Nationals. The team has been in existence four years. Perpetual? The Iraq war has been in existence two years longer than the Nationals. How can anything be 'perpetual' on the Nationals? One wonders how this loudmouthed uninformed unnecessarily insulting sportswriter sitting three thousand miles away could know that the Nationals will be 'losers' for the ten years of the contract Teixeira seeks. And jeez, I wouldn't mind being ridiculed for getting $200 million. I wonder how many Nationals game this idiot has actually seen.)
That leaves the Orioles and the Nationals. Good ol' Peter Angelos at it again. Teixeira supposedly grew up an Orioles fan (pity, really) so one would assume that if everything is equal, he'd put a bird on his head. But it may come down to years, guaranteed money, and which league Tex would rather play in. My guess is that he's going to end up in Baltimore, but the Nats have a better shot at this than what the national press would like to think.
2. Adam Dunn. If you read this blog, you know I want this to happen. Dunn's destinations have been remarkably quiet. My guess is that after Tex signs the bats are going to begin to fall. The one story I heard was that Jim Bowden contacted Dunn at the beginning of the free agency period, and told him to bring him a number before he signed anywhere else. With Bowden, AK, Aaron Boone, Bob Boone, Jose Rijo and Barry Larkin here, I really think that Dunn probably would be very comfortable with the Nats and be very productive. If Texiera goes elsewhere, this needs to get done.
3. Delmon Young. This would be a trade. Why why why? Didn't this family hose us once already? He's been with the Twinkies for a year and they're looking to move him. Another disgruntled ex-Devil Ray?
4. Orlando Hudson. I've always thought that this guy was over rated, he's a good quote so the press seems to love him. He also seems to be hurt quite often. But, lets face it, he's probably an upgrade over Ronnie Bellard or Anderson Hernandez, and would improve the team. Also is supposedly a great clubhouse guy. But I've seen his name linked to about a half dozen teams, so why would he come here?
Staying?
1. Aaron Boone. Wants to play here, of course, his dad and JimBo are here and he's a leader and liked in the clubhouse. He'd help Willingham and (more importantly) Olsen adjust. Its supposedly a matter of money.
2. Odalis Perez. There was a Spanish language report that he was working on a 2-3 year deal with the Nats, that turned out to be false. What veteran pitcher would you rather have in the rotation next year -- Odalis Perez, Tim Redding or someone else? I'm not sure I know the answer to that.
Going
1. Nick Johnson. Just before Thanksgiving there were a whole bunch of press reports that the Oakland A's were seeking Nick's medical records. This appears to be true but no trade imminent. One report suggested Nick would be traded if Texiera signed with the Nats; another indicated that the Nats were interested in a young A's first baseman .
Check the first 2008 post of the Nats Boy Report to see my high praise of Nick Johnson. When healthy, I think he's one of the most underrated players in the league. When healthy. Its been two years and Nick's played about six weeks though. I've jumped the shark. He's in the last year of his contract. Get something for him if we get Teixera or Dunn.
2. Jesus Flores. Jesus Flores? Really? Offered to the Red Sox? This was in a report out of Boston. Flores was named as one of a dozen catchers offered to Boston by various MLB teams. Wasn't there enough termoil behind the plate last year with LoDuca and Estrada? Unless Brian Schneider is traded back to the Nats by the Mets (and even then really), trading Jesus Flores is just plain nuts.
3. Lastings Milledge. I haven't seen any specific rumors about Milledge being offered around, but there has been some press speculation that Milledge is going to be traded sooner rather than later because he is shaky as a center fielder and doesn't have enough power to be a corner outfielder. My observation of Milledge is that the criticism is true. But shouldn't we have checked this last year before trading Church and Schneider? I personally think the price for Milledge is only going to go down, so I'd quit while I was behind and get what I could. .
Oldies but goodies.
1. Jamie Carroll recently signed a new contract with the Cleveland Indians. Good for him.
2. No word at all on my favorite all time Nat Brad Wilkerson who is a free agent. He can play 1b and the outfield. He isn't that expensive. And he has a ready made fan base here in DC. I'd love Wilky to come back but, like Paul O'Neill in Cincinnati, Bowden doesn't seem to like players who do things to win games rather than just put up stats.
3. Brian Schneider is on the trading block by the Mets. Perhaps they discovered that the joys of a ground ball to second aren't what they are cracked up to be. My personal observation, which is based on nothing concrete, is that Schneider was not the clubhouse force or influence on the pitching staff in NY as he was here in DC. People love Brian Schneider here. Like Wilkerson, he's got a ready made fan base, and doesn't make too much money. I'm not convinced that Wil Nieves is an adequate second catcher. Couldn't Schneider and Flores split time?
After the Thanksgiving holiday ends, the winter meetings take place. Should be fun.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Olsen/Willingham: Change We Need. Change We Can Believe In.
Not surprisingly, Mr. Jim Bowden warmed up the hot stove early with a trade with the salary dumping Florida Marlins last night, acquiring a front line left handed starter, Scott Olsen, and a power hitting left fielder, Josh Willingham, for Emilio Bonifacio and two minor leaguers.
Hard to see any downside with this trade. The Marlins were salary dumping, and the Nats filled two needs with young, almost-arbitration eligible players. Olsen had a DUI a couple years ago, but so did Bowden. At least they aren't hiring a guard to keep him out of prison. Olsen stayed on the straight and narrow last year. I always liked him as a pitcher, seemed like he beat the Nats quite often. Right now, the rotation is probably something like this: Scott Olsen, John Lannan, Colin Balester, Jordan Zimmermann, and someone else.
Willingham beat the Nationals like a drum. He's an average fielding left fielder but hits usually 25-30 home runs a season, something desparately needed. Some speculation is that Willingham will play first base but I don't see that happening -- he hasn't played it on a big league level and there are several reports that the Nats are looking to make a free agent splash by signing a big name 1b, which, to build/rebuild/retain interest in the team, is probably necessary. See below.
Right now as I see it the outfield is Willingham/Milledge/Kearns or Dukes. But I just don't think that Dukes is being relied on by the organization to be in the lineup, and I think he may even be traded, assuming you can find someone else willing to take a chance on his volitile personality. Since arriving in DC, he's had a shouting match with the manager in Pittsburgh, angered the New York Mets twice by chanting like "softball girls" and by showing up the Mets after hitting a home run. He has a M.O. of angering opponents, and even some teammates, with his displays of...shall we say 'overenthusiasm'.
I see people on message boards discussing Willie Harris as a regular OF. Plu-eeze. Using marginal players like Harris on a regular basis is what landed us with less than 60 wins last year. Harris may not be back at all, he's a free agent, and if he is, he is likely to be a role player at best. He doesn't have the power to be a regular outfielder, he doesn't hit well enough. He had a couple of good months, but really tailed off at the end of the season.
I still believe the Nats are going for big game, and by the end of the week. Matt Holliday is gone to Oakland. Given that he has one year left in his contract, I am glad the Nats didn't bite like they did for Alfonso Soriano. Fox Sports reports the Nats may land Mark Texiera, a Maryland native and an ex-Brave (though not in Kasten's time). The report states the Nats offered Texiera 10 years at $200 million. And, of course, Adam Dunn has been in contact with the Nats too as has been widely reported. So look at this lineup and see if it doesn't look better than 2008:
Guzman SS
Milledge CF
Zimmerman 3B
Texiera/Dunn 1B
Willingham LF
Dukes/Kearns RF
Flores C
Hernandez 2B
Pitcher
The best part of the Olson/Willingham trade and the reports of free agent offers is that it is a clear signal that the management of the team is finally willing to spend some money and bring in some major league players to make the 2009 Nationals competitive on the field and interesting to watch. I grew extremely tired of the 'hope for the future' line, when the ticket bill that comes in isn't for games five years down the line, its for games to be played NEXT season. Maybe I'm not every fan, but I'd rather have a team that competes for 10 years, than one that loses 100 games on hopes of winning a World Series 10 years down the line. I waited 33 years for this team. Don't tell me to be patient anymore.
Looks like hope is coming to Washington in more ways than one in 2009. I'm looking forward to the changes that I can believe in.
Hard to see any downside with this trade. The Marlins were salary dumping, and the Nats filled two needs with young, almost-arbitration eligible players. Olsen had a DUI a couple years ago, but so did Bowden. At least they aren't hiring a guard to keep him out of prison. Olsen stayed on the straight and narrow last year. I always liked him as a pitcher, seemed like he beat the Nats quite often. Right now, the rotation is probably something like this: Scott Olsen, John Lannan, Colin Balester, Jordan Zimmermann, and someone else.
Willingham beat the Nationals like a drum. He's an average fielding left fielder but hits usually 25-30 home runs a season, something desparately needed. Some speculation is that Willingham will play first base but I don't see that happening -- he hasn't played it on a big league level and there are several reports that the Nats are looking to make a free agent splash by signing a big name 1b, which, to build/rebuild/retain interest in the team, is probably necessary. See below.
Right now as I see it the outfield is Willingham/Milledge/Kearns or Dukes. But I just don't think that Dukes is being relied on by the organization to be in the lineup, and I think he may even be traded, assuming you can find someone else willing to take a chance on his volitile personality. Since arriving in DC, he's had a shouting match with the manager in Pittsburgh, angered the New York Mets twice by chanting like "softball girls" and by showing up the Mets after hitting a home run. He has a M.O. of angering opponents, and even some teammates, with his displays of...shall we say 'overenthusiasm'.
I see people on message boards discussing Willie Harris as a regular OF. Plu-eeze. Using marginal players like Harris on a regular basis is what landed us with less than 60 wins last year. Harris may not be back at all, he's a free agent, and if he is, he is likely to be a role player at best. He doesn't have the power to be a regular outfielder, he doesn't hit well enough. He had a couple of good months, but really tailed off at the end of the season.
I still believe the Nats are going for big game, and by the end of the week. Matt Holliday is gone to Oakland. Given that he has one year left in his contract, I am glad the Nats didn't bite like they did for Alfonso Soriano. Fox Sports reports the Nats may land Mark Texiera, a Maryland native and an ex-Brave (though not in Kasten's time). The report states the Nats offered Texiera 10 years at $200 million. And, of course, Adam Dunn has been in contact with the Nats too as has been widely reported. So look at this lineup and see if it doesn't look better than 2008:
Guzman SS
Milledge CF
Zimmerman 3B
Texiera/Dunn 1B
Willingham LF
Dukes/Kearns RF
Flores C
Hernandez 2B
Pitcher
The best part of the Olson/Willingham trade and the reports of free agent offers is that it is a clear signal that the management of the team is finally willing to spend some money and bring in some major league players to make the 2009 Nationals competitive on the field and interesting to watch. I grew extremely tired of the 'hope for the future' line, when the ticket bill that comes in isn't for games five years down the line, its for games to be played NEXT season. Maybe I'm not every fan, but I'd rather have a team that competes for 10 years, than one that loses 100 games on hopes of winning a World Series 10 years down the line. I waited 33 years for this team. Don't tell me to be patient anymore.
Looks like hope is coming to Washington in more ways than one in 2009. I'm looking forward to the changes that I can believe in.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The First Base Dilemma
I started my Nats Boy Report blog last spring with an analysis of why Nick Johnson should be given the starting first baseman job over Dmitri Young. It made sense to me at the time, but it all turned out moot, because Nick lasted about six weeks and Dmitri lasted about as long as it takes to open a box of Sugar Free Ding Dongs. Kory Casto, Aaron Boone, Paul LoDuca, etc. all got significant playing time at first base. Which should, in part, explain a 59 win season.
Its pretty generally reported that the Nationals are looking for a new power hitting first baseman this off season. There have been a few names bandied about in blogs and 'trade rumors' websites. I'm no Kreskin, but here's what I see happening/not happening.
1. Paul Konerko. I have had a theory since the trading deadline last July that Paul Konerko is going to be a National in 2009.
Here's why: There were two rumors at the end of the trading deadline, just crazy enough to be true, that would support this theory: 1) It was reported that Bowden was talking to Kenny Williams about trading John Lannan and Joel Hanrahan to the Pale Hose; 2) It was also reported that Bowden had serious discussions about trading for a first baseman in July, but that the deal was not completed because the trading partner was in the pennant race and wanted to hang onto the first baseman until the off season.
If in fact both rumors were true, wouldn't it make sense that it was a Lannan and Hanrahan for Konerko deal? Nick Swisher, who has been named as a possibility for the Nats by Phil Wood in Newsday, would surely be had for less than Lannan and Hanrahan. Jim Thome is pretty much a DH these days. And, people forget, that Konerko is an ex-Red and a player that Bowden traded for in the past as GM for the Reds. Konkerko fits the profile.
Today, Newsday in NY reported that Konerko (along w/ Jim Thome) may be moved by the White Sox -- although the Nats were not mentioned as possible suitors. He also would have to waive a no trade clause, which, given the current state of the team, might be a sticking point. Also, this was before Adam Dunn was a free agent.
2. Adam Dunn. This makes so much sense. Dunn is exactly a player Bowden would like. Ex-Red. Bowden drafted him. Left handed power hitter. First baseman. Could also play left field, thus allowing Nick Johnson some ABs if and when he is healthy. Good friends with Austin Kearns.
There are reports that the Nats have already contacted Dunn's agent. Fox Sports reported in 2007 that the Nats nearly completed a deal with the Reds for Dunn at that time.
Right now, my guess is that Dunn is number one on their list, and if he is available and can be signed, this conversation is over. Konerko, and the others named below, are probably all Plan B.
3. Mark Texiera. For the life of me, I don't understand why Texiera, who is coveted by several pennant contending teams, would want to join the upstart Nats. The Angels. The Yankees. Yet I've read several places that Texiera is on the Nats radar. Supposedly its because he's from Annapolis. But since he grew up an Orioles fan, and since they are supposedly also interested in him, if location was the primary consideration, it appears that he'd go put that silly bird on his head and take their 200 million.
For what its worth, I don't think Texiera is a good idea for the Nats. He is a good player but not an impact player, not on the field or at the box office. He's a good guy, but really has anyone ever bought a ticket thinking "I want to see Mark Texiera"? And, for a team trying to build a fan base, star power should be a requisite if you're going to sink 200 million in one guy. (Alfonso Soriano, for instance...)
4. Prince Fielder. Fielder is often named as a possiblity on the official Nats website by Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Personally, I'm just happy Ladson finally stopped taking cheap shots at Brad Wilkerson.
But Fielder on the Nats? Please. He's young and he hits a lot of home runs. But he's probably 300 pounds -- how long is he going to be able to play the field? Dmitri Young proved that that formula is probably not a long term solution. The Nats probably can't spare the amount of prospects needed to acquire Fielder anyway. The Brewers, who just offered CC Sabathia $100 million, don't sound like they're ready to break their team up just yet anyway.
Any of these guys, though, would be an upgrade over Kory Casto, Dmitri Young, or Paul LoDuca, all of whom spent significant time at first base last season.
Two other free agent rumors floating around:
1. Matt Holliday. This is a guy that would be a franchise lynchpin for the Nats. The only problem is that he is on the last year of his contract, and, as we have seen with the Soriano trade, its not prudent to trade valuable members of your current team for someone who is only renting a year here and playing well only to acquire a big contract from someone else. I would trade anyone in the organization not named "Ryan Zimmerman" to get Holliday if the contract extension was worked out first. But the consensus is that he's going to St. Louis for Ryan Ludwig and some other players. I don't think we have a player not named "Ryan Zimmerman" who is as good as Ryan Ludwig, so this issue is probably moot.
2. Manny Ramirez. Believe it or not, I actually saw this reported on MLBtraderumors.com and by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. This would be so much fun. Manny can hit. Manny is colorful. I'm pretty sure that people have bought tickets to see Manny Ramirez. It would rejuvenate the franchise in this city and put us back on the national map for a while. Manny might like coming here because it would be his show, and we play in a pretty high profile city. Can we sign Manny and Dunn?!?! I don't see it happening because I don't think Manny would want to come here. But it makes so much more sense than other more credible rumors, that I wouldn't rule it out entirely.
Its pretty generally reported that the Nationals are looking for a new power hitting first baseman this off season. There have been a few names bandied about in blogs and 'trade rumors' websites. I'm no Kreskin, but here's what I see happening/not happening.
1. Paul Konerko. I have had a theory since the trading deadline last July that Paul Konerko is going to be a National in 2009.
Here's why: There were two rumors at the end of the trading deadline, just crazy enough to be true, that would support this theory: 1) It was reported that Bowden was talking to Kenny Williams about trading John Lannan and Joel Hanrahan to the Pale Hose; 2) It was also reported that Bowden had serious discussions about trading for a first baseman in July, but that the deal was not completed because the trading partner was in the pennant race and wanted to hang onto the first baseman until the off season.
If in fact both rumors were true, wouldn't it make sense that it was a Lannan and Hanrahan for Konerko deal? Nick Swisher, who has been named as a possibility for the Nats by Phil Wood in Newsday, would surely be had for less than Lannan and Hanrahan. Jim Thome is pretty much a DH these days. And, people forget, that Konerko is an ex-Red and a player that Bowden traded for in the past as GM for the Reds. Konkerko fits the profile.
Today, Newsday in NY reported that Konerko (along w/ Jim Thome) may be moved by the White Sox -- although the Nats were not mentioned as possible suitors. He also would have to waive a no trade clause, which, given the current state of the team, might be a sticking point. Also, this was before Adam Dunn was a free agent.
2. Adam Dunn. This makes so much sense. Dunn is exactly a player Bowden would like. Ex-Red. Bowden drafted him. Left handed power hitter. First baseman. Could also play left field, thus allowing Nick Johnson some ABs if and when he is healthy. Good friends with Austin Kearns.
There are reports that the Nats have already contacted Dunn's agent. Fox Sports reported in 2007 that the Nats nearly completed a deal with the Reds for Dunn at that time.
Right now, my guess is that Dunn is number one on their list, and if he is available and can be signed, this conversation is over. Konerko, and the others named below, are probably all Plan B.
3. Mark Texiera. For the life of me, I don't understand why Texiera, who is coveted by several pennant contending teams, would want to join the upstart Nats. The Angels. The Yankees. Yet I've read several places that Texiera is on the Nats radar. Supposedly its because he's from Annapolis. But since he grew up an Orioles fan, and since they are supposedly also interested in him, if location was the primary consideration, it appears that he'd go put that silly bird on his head and take their 200 million.
For what its worth, I don't think Texiera is a good idea for the Nats. He is a good player but not an impact player, not on the field or at the box office. He's a good guy, but really has anyone ever bought a ticket thinking "I want to see Mark Texiera"? And, for a team trying to build a fan base, star power should be a requisite if you're going to sink 200 million in one guy. (Alfonso Soriano, for instance...)
4. Prince Fielder. Fielder is often named as a possiblity on the official Nats website by Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Personally, I'm just happy Ladson finally stopped taking cheap shots at Brad Wilkerson.
But Fielder on the Nats? Please. He's young and he hits a lot of home runs. But he's probably 300 pounds -- how long is he going to be able to play the field? Dmitri Young proved that that formula is probably not a long term solution. The Nats probably can't spare the amount of prospects needed to acquire Fielder anyway. The Brewers, who just offered CC Sabathia $100 million, don't sound like they're ready to break their team up just yet anyway.
Any of these guys, though, would be an upgrade over Kory Casto, Dmitri Young, or Paul LoDuca, all of whom spent significant time at first base last season.
Two other free agent rumors floating around:
1. Matt Holliday. This is a guy that would be a franchise lynchpin for the Nats. The only problem is that he is on the last year of his contract, and, as we have seen with the Soriano trade, its not prudent to trade valuable members of your current team for someone who is only renting a year here and playing well only to acquire a big contract from someone else. I would trade anyone in the organization not named "Ryan Zimmerman" to get Holliday if the contract extension was worked out first. But the consensus is that he's going to St. Louis for Ryan Ludwig and some other players. I don't think we have a player not named "Ryan Zimmerman" who is as good as Ryan Ludwig, so this issue is probably moot.
2. Manny Ramirez. Believe it or not, I actually saw this reported on MLBtraderumors.com and by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. This would be so much fun. Manny can hit. Manny is colorful. I'm pretty sure that people have bought tickets to see Manny Ramirez. It would rejuvenate the franchise in this city and put us back on the national map for a while. Manny might like coming here because it would be his show, and we play in a pretty high profile city. Can we sign Manny and Dunn?!?! I don't see it happening because I don't think Manny would want to come here. But it makes so much more sense than other more credible rumors, that I wouldn't rule it out entirely.
Friday, November 7, 2008
The New Jersey Devils
Yesterday 2009 officially began for me as I spent the day after my birthday in a little bit of Nationals-land, attending the new jersey unveiling at the ESPN Zone. The ESPN Zone events are always fun and entertaining, getting a chance to interact with the players a little bit, etc. This was a little different than the usual noontime Q&A however, because there were quite a few media types there, including Brent Haber from Channel 9 and Russ Thaler from Comcast Sports Net. Cameras were lined up everywhere. And, most encouragingly, the place was packed with fans.
The new jerseys are in my opinion really pretty cool. The road grey jersey is mighty impressive -- a throwback, and apparently intentionally so, as noted by Charlie Slowes at the event. I'm an old time Senators fan (well, I remember them as my team for my first two years following baseball and went to my first game on Memorial Day 1970 at RFK), so obviously they are appealling to types like me. (Now if only once the Lerners would sponsor a Senators throw back the clock day along with the usual annual Grays tribute.)
Another really great jersey in my opinion is the new red Sunday jersey. I was never a fan of that interlocking DC logo. But this new jersey with a curly W looks almost EXACTLY like the Cincinnati Reds Sunday jerseys from 2003 -- the curly W replacing the Wishbone C, and that's about it. I actually own an Adam Dunn 2003 Sunday Reds jersey. He'd look right at home in that new Nats gear. The other alternate jersey is kind of odd. Its a dark blue jersey with an American flag pattern in an interlocking DC logo. Its taken a lot of heat on the message boards (at least the not-as-great-as-it-used-to-be Nationals Journal at the Washington Post), but I like it. It is kind of a unique logo, almost like one of those magic eye posters that were popular a while back, you look at it one time and you see the flag, then keep staring and you see the DC. The lettering on the back is white, and on the blue jersey I think it looks really nice.
Some other uniform notes: the blue caps will apprently continue to be worn on the road even though the jerseys are red and grey. You had to imagine what this may look like since Lastings (who was wearing a new grey uni) was not wearing a blue hat (or any hat) as he laughingly strutted past the cameras in the made up runway at ESPNZone. Something tells me that they have a backlog of blue hats they want to sell before switiching to all red, because a blue hat with that jersey is just gonna look odd and mistmatched.
The road jackets from last year, which were damn sharp, are apparently being scrubbed, (as are any clothing with Washington in that 'Fuddruckers' font). The new road jackets are supposedly going to look like the jerseys. I think Charlie said the jackets would be grey, but I may be wrong about that.
The new flag logo blue jerseys will also sport a new hat that looks a lot like the 2005 batting practice cap, only with the flag DC logo. They're pretty cool.
Manny Acta and Lastings Milledge were both at the ESPNZone as part of the event, but, interestingly enough, Elijah Dukes, although advertised, was not. Someone in the media (or on the team) should find out the explanation; missing a high profile fan event was just not cool if there was not a good reason for it.
Manny gave an approximately 15 minute powder puff interview to Charlie, then after the fa-fa-fashion show, the guys took questions with the media and then signed autographs for the fans. They were in good spirits, and, as always, both Manny and Lastings are very conversational and fan friendly in meets and greets like this. When Manny saw me trying to work the camera function of my new IPhone, he quickly grabbed Lastings and they both struck a pose. It was pretty funny. I've posted that shot here.
Jerseys and hats are, of course, available in the team store, so I dutifly made the three stops on the green line to pick them up (a late birthday gift). There were no packed houses when I went there to lay down the coin though -- it was about as empty as RFK in July 2004. I was pretty amazed that they had authentic player jerseys there in all styles -- of course at authentic jersey prices, but still, I'd rather have a choice at a Zimmerman than just a blank back. Interestingly enough, the jerseys in the store were better representations of the new gear than the fashion show at the Zone, where models from the Nat Pack modelled the ladies jersey equivalent of the new gear.
It was a happy day after birthday.
The new jerseys are in my opinion really pretty cool. The road grey jersey is mighty impressive -- a throwback, and apparently intentionally so, as noted by Charlie Slowes at the event. I'm an old time Senators fan (well, I remember them as my team for my first two years following baseball and went to my first game on Memorial Day 1970 at RFK), so obviously they are appealling to types like me. (Now if only once the Lerners would sponsor a Senators throw back the clock day along with the usual annual Grays tribute.)
Another really great jersey in my opinion is the new red Sunday jersey. I was never a fan of that interlocking DC logo. But this new jersey with a curly W looks almost EXACTLY like the Cincinnati Reds Sunday jerseys from 2003 -- the curly W replacing the Wishbone C, and that's about it. I actually own an Adam Dunn 2003 Sunday Reds jersey. He'd look right at home in that new Nats gear. The other alternate jersey is kind of odd. Its a dark blue jersey with an American flag pattern in an interlocking DC logo. Its taken a lot of heat on the message boards (at least the not-as-great-as-it-used-to-be Nationals Journal at the Washington Post), but I like it. It is kind of a unique logo, almost like one of those magic eye posters that were popular a while back, you look at it one time and you see the flag, then keep staring and you see the DC. The lettering on the back is white, and on the blue jersey I think it looks really nice.
Some other uniform notes: the blue caps will apprently continue to be worn on the road even though the jerseys are red and grey. You had to imagine what this may look like since Lastings (who was wearing a new grey uni) was not wearing a blue hat (or any hat) as he laughingly strutted past the cameras in the made up runway at ESPNZone. Something tells me that they have a backlog of blue hats they want to sell before switiching to all red, because a blue hat with that jersey is just gonna look odd and mistmatched.
The road jackets from last year, which were damn sharp, are apparently being scrubbed, (as are any clothing with Washington in that 'Fuddruckers' font). The new road jackets are supposedly going to look like the jerseys. I think Charlie said the jackets would be grey, but I may be wrong about that.
The new flag logo blue jerseys will also sport a new hat that looks a lot like the 2005 batting practice cap, only with the flag DC logo. They're pretty cool.
Manny Acta and Lastings Milledge were both at the ESPNZone as part of the event, but, interestingly enough, Elijah Dukes, although advertised, was not. Someone in the media (or on the team) should find out the explanation; missing a high profile fan event was just not cool if there was not a good reason for it.
Manny gave an approximately 15 minute powder puff interview to Charlie, then after the fa-fa-fashion show, the guys took questions with the media and then signed autographs for the fans. They were in good spirits, and, as always, both Manny and Lastings are very conversational and fan friendly in meets and greets like this. When Manny saw me trying to work the camera function of my new IPhone, he quickly grabbed Lastings and they both struck a pose. It was pretty funny. I've posted that shot here.
Jerseys and hats are, of course, available in the team store, so I dutifly made the three stops on the green line to pick them up (a late birthday gift). There were no packed houses when I went there to lay down the coin though -- it was about as empty as RFK in July 2004. I was pretty amazed that they had authentic player jerseys there in all styles -- of course at authentic jersey prices, but still, I'd rather have a choice at a Zimmerman than just a blank back. Interestingly enough, the jerseys in the store were better representations of the new gear than the fashion show at the Zone, where models from the Nat Pack modelled the ladies jersey equivalent of the new gear.
It was a happy day after birthday.
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