Given how the Nats performed at home, I had a very uneasy feeling about this road trip. Frankly, I'm stunned they've won two games (and the series) against a very good team, especially Speigner, who has been awful, beating Santana last night. That isn't to say that Santana wasn't good. He was very good and only made one mistake as did our pitcher. Fortunately for the Nats there were no men on base when he did it. It was nice to see Rauch and Cordero back to form. Yes, Cordero did allow two hits, but he was throwing strikes and made the right pitches when he needed to. Good game. I know it's tough to sweep a team, especially on the road, but it would be fun to see the Nats do it.

Anthony

I suppose at some point people will drop the smirking nasty remarks about the Nats. It's not that they always come through, but that they come through often enough that they don't deserve the contempt. IMO, we should root for modestly talented people to perform above expectations, not laugh at them for trying. That is particularly true when they succeed. I guess it depends on who you root for in David v. Goliath. I always see myself as David, only I miss the key shot. If you think Goliath is the hero, then scoff at the Nats.

I thought Johnny Holliday had a nice voice for play by play and was very cut and dry about it (meant in a good way), but that's an odd adjustment to make if you're accustomed to Carpenter. However, I did notice a couple mistakes, but can't remember exactly what they were at the moment (one was a name, and one was retelling a play incorrectly). No big deal.

Did Debbi Taylor have her baby yet?

"10. Johnny Holliday subbing for Bob Carpenter on MASN. No Debbi Taylor or Byron Kerr from the sidelines. Thoughts?"

...a better broadcast.

I still find it odd that people are praising the performance of a team that's still on pace to lose 95 games.

I guess those unnamed team executives who were openly talking of 120 losses knew what they were doing in terms of lowering the bar.

Barry - The starting rotation in 2-3 weeks

Is it too early to start thinking about who the Nats are going to move down when starting pitchers start coming back?

When Speigner pitches like he did on Saturday, it starts to make it a little harder. I know a lot will be determined over the next two weeks and how well everyone pitches, but I imagine the Nats will have some tough decisions to make.

I just hope a guy like Bacsik doesnt lose out here. He has pitched well every game that he didnt have a stomach virus. In my opinion, Jerome Williams should have to prove himself at triple A before he takes a spot from a guy like Bacsik.

Thoughts?

NatsFan28;

Yeah, it is going to be a crowded rotation soon. I imagine Chico is safe, and maybe Simontacchi depending how they pitch the next few games. No question Bergmann and Hill will be back in the rotation based on their perfomance this year, and Patterson based on his performance in the past. So that leaves Bacsik and Williams out I guess, with Speigner and Bowie back to the bullpen.

I guess the next 2 weeks will tell.

my view of the rotation (in no particular order) will be: patterson, hill, chico, simontacchi, bergamnn. with bowie and speigner/bacsik to the bullpen. it all really depends on how those 2 perform the next two weeks.

Barry,

... please instruct JimBow to make a deal for pitcher Boof Bonser post haste.

... we must not allow someone with a name the calibre of 'Boof Bonser' to escape. The name alone will fill a thousand seats every time he appears.

Wow how bitter must Young be right now after having that homer reversed!

Barry, can you handicap where you think Dmitri Young will end up getting traded to? Seems to me he'd be just what the doctor ordered for the offensively-challenged White Sox (I did a double-take earlier today when I realized the Chi Sox were worse than the NAAAts in just about everything). What sort of prospect(s) would be realistic to expect in return?

So, that reversed home run call really hurts right now, especially down 3-0 in the top of the first, but I still feel like it was a good call. Would it have been nice to get the HR anyway? Sure. However, the ball was foul, and bravo for the umps taking the time to talk it over.

@#*%&@ argue SOMETHING Manny!!! This is your fault!

It *is* a great name -- BOOOOOOF

---

... please instruct JimBow to make a deal for pitcher Boof Bonser post haste.

... we must not allow someone with a name the calibre of 'Boof Bonser' to escape. The name alone will fill a thousand seats every time he appears.

What's the deal with the Twins catcher wearing what appears to be a Reds batting helmet when he's behind the plate?

Speaking of Twins, I wonder whether Dmitri had an opportunity to talk baseball cards with reliever Pat Neshek, who is also quite a collector (see his site below, if you're interested).

http://eteamz.active.com/patneshek/index.cfm?

14. Hoorah -- the Nats take another road series. Next up, the Birds.

Oh, well.

We already have a Dmitri, a Levale, and a Nook. A Boof would surely put the Nats near the top of the league in cool baseball names.

Pity that ex-Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba came into and out of baseball about 25 years too early. Boof and Biff would have been a most excellent battery. Although the Nats *can* offer Jesus and Jesus -- "The Jesus Battery" -- hmm, there's a best-seller lurking in that title...

How about Lopez now being 2 for his last 31 at bats? Am I the only one that wants to see this guy voted off "The Plan" Island?

Maybe it can be the title of Barry's next book.

Yeah, that was directed at Hendo. Just because I hate being vague.

Speaking of names, we currently have four Ryans on the roster (including Wagner), and we've also had both of the only guys named Marlon to play in the majors.

Sec 224 asked pointedly "Am I the only one ..."

... well in a word, yeah. As far as I'm concerned anyway.

Barry,

I end up going to Minneapolis for work more than I would like. But one thing I am always pleasantly surprised by is the dining scene. So, I'll be interested to hear where you ended up eating with your Dad and any other places he sent you.

One recommendation--you absolutely HAVE TO go to Hell's Kitchen for breakfast before you head out on Monday if you haven't been there before. It's right downtown and an unforgettable experience in every way. Make sure to get some of the homemade peanut butter.

For Chris: We're praising the team (on par to lose 95) because they really are playing well. If you read Barry's entry, we've beaten some of the best pitchers in baseball, with a VERY ragtag rotation. I mean, our rotation was ragtag BEFORE 4 of them went on the DL. That we are still winning ballgames at all is a feat, and they're winning them well. I for one am amazed and proud of these guys, regardless of what the final record shows.

Great baseball names: probably stating the obvious but Smoker? Please. Can't get better than that.

I am heading up the parkway tomorrow night...First visit to that stadium in years...So there will be at least 8 Nats fans in the left field bleachers...

"The Jesus Battery / And Other Curious Tales of the Nats' Rebuilding Season"

Atlanta: I don't wish another book on Barry. Writing books is hard. But it would be a shame not to pick up on a title like that.

pk: You'll have the O's fans outnumbered on Monday night 8-0. The series doesn't start until Tuesday. %^)

I'm all conflicted, because our Harrisburg Senators will be in to Bowie this week to face the Baysox. What to do?

Well spoken, NatsNut!

NatsNut,

... I appreciate and applaud your positive attitude. I'm sure you have captured the sentiments of many Nats fans with your generous and encouraging comments. I hope someone on the Nats roster monitors this group and reads what you've said.

... I'm sure many of your co-listers here feel the same way and would all respond with a hearty GO NATS!!

Natscan: Excellent point, re hoping someone on the club reads our posts.

This is a great blog, but it'd be a shame if we were just talking to ourselves.

I hope that Jim Bowden doesn't wait too long before trading Dmitri Young for the cursory two draft picks. Young, and Ronnie Belliard, should bring the Nationals four draft picks in the next 45 days. Add those to what we received for Daryle Ward and Marlon Anderson last year, and I'd say eight prospects for four part-time players is pretty darn good. Even if just one of those eight becomes a regular for the Nats, I'd trade four reserves for a starter any day of the week.

Depth, baby; that's what it's all about.

Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Didn't Meatlof have a song with those words?? Now, Nats, you need 2 out of the next 3 to even the "beltway battle". The NLers' need redemption as the junior circuit has been having there way this week. Isn't it nice having to make decisions about who to keep in the rotation once some of the early starters return. WHO KNEW that problem would exist? As far as Felipe L. goes, he'll rebound. You just can't make rash decisions everytime someone goes into a slump..geez! GO NATS STAY HOT

Hendo: that is so a book I would buy.
Chapter 8: "Please God, don't let Jim have a RedBull": The 2007 Amateur Draft.

Also, though my comments are rarely insightful, I do hope that someone in the club is reading this, if for no other reason than it shows the devotion of a dedicated portion of their fanbase. I bet Bill Ladson reads in case someone is mean to him. (Sorry, Farid, couldn't help myself. All in good fun, eh?)

Why not move Lopez down to, say, 7th in the batting order until he gets his confidence, or batting mojo, or whatever back?

Of course, I have NO idea who would replace him, but figured I'd put the thought out there...

Good point, Juan-John. Whoever could replace Lopez batting first? Hmmmmm.

Ryan Langerhans, maybe...

I got it! Tony Batista!

Farid -- Welcome back! I miss your daily blogging something serious.

"10. Johnny Holliday subbing for Bob Carpenter on MASN. No Debbi Taylor or Byron Kerr from the sidelines. Thoughts?"

Bob, you better update that resume. Johnny sounds good and he actually lets Don Sutton give his insight. [Don Sutton wants a bobblehead -- Mr. Kasten, get 'er done!]

PK, I'll "See you at the Yard!" -- Tuesday night means $8 seats on the Upper Level -- yeah, baby!

Juan-John: A couple days' rest on the bench could do Lopez a heap of good. Worked for Church.

"10. Johnny Holliday subbing for Bob Carpenter on MASN. No Debbi Taylor or Byron Kerr from the sidelines. Thoughts?"

It was nice to have at least one person (Holliday) in the booth working for MASN that wants the Nats to win. Did not appreciate Sutton arguing against Young's 'home run' being called a home run, particularly while the call was still in play. Carpenter and Sutton when together spend too much time talking about the other team (and praising them). Carpenter needs to go back to St. Louis where he can call the team he likes. It was nice to have a weekend off from him.

I'd prefer Holliday and Knight calling every game and get two new guys for the pre-game show.

"8. Still, could we expect this?"

No, of course not. Now, if I'd been asked which player would more likely have a breakout season, I'd have said Guzman, IF his labrum behaved, and IF he could discipline himself to look over a few pitches; but both of those good things happening, and no other bad things happening, seemed to be bucking stern odds. And in any event, I wouldn't have come within a mile of predicting what we're seeing now.

Not to disregard da Meat, by any means. As with Guzie, my wildest projection of Young's season wouldn't have looked like the one he's having.

Sounds like two guys you could build a lineup around, huh? (Cf. Lopez, Felipe.)

My thoughts on Johnny Holiday, et al:

John did okay. I've been listening to him for decades. Prefer Carpenter. Dread the coming series with Ray Knight sitting in for Sutton. He pontificates continually and gets on my nerves. His act works better in the studio. Miss Debbie Taylor. She has a tough job trying to get intelligent conversations out of a baseball player, most of whom don't know how to talk to an audience. Bryon Kerr does a good job.

It is time for Manny to show a little emotion. When the players make bad fielding errors or don't run out every play or when the umps cost us a game like they did last week, it is time to get angry. As the manager, he is not being paid to be a nice guy to work with. (Of course being employed by Lerner, he is hardly being paid at all.)

Despite our desperate need for more hitting from our outfield, Bowden should not trade for Elijah Dukes. Mrs. And Miss PowerBoater currently enjoy going to a few games a year, this could come to a quick end if one of the Nats makes headlines for domestic abuse.

Two out of three is not good enough this week, only a sweep will do. (I hope to be at Camden Yards on Wednesday.) Lets go Nats, win the MASN Cup!

Johnny Holliday being better than Bob? That's crazy. I thought the broadcast was beyond boring. I can't wait for Bob to get back. Don and Bob have great banter together and are always amusing.

Usually the sideline commentators have no idea what they're talking about, but Debbi isn't too bad.

I can't believe Speigner beat Santana! That has to be a boost of confidence for him.

Can't wait to sweep the O's!

PowerBoater,

... while I tend to disagree with you about the need for Manny to get riled, I want to go on record as a firm supporter of your comment re Elijah Dukes:

"Despite our desperate need for more hitting from our outfield, Bowden should not trade for Elijah Dukes. Mrs. And Miss PowerBoater currently enjoy going to a few games a year, this could come to a quick end if one of the Nats makes headlines for domestic abuse."

Hendo:
good point---Tuesday night, is what i should have said.

I will be giving Angelos some of my money on Thursday, but I have seats right behind the O's dugout, hopefully it wont be an Elaine Bennis spectacle when I wear my Nats jersey and hat! Are we forgetting that Luis Ayala is going to be ready for the bullpen soon? And are we also forgetting Michael O'Connor who pitched some pretty good games last year? Where do these guys fit into a crowded bullpen/rotation? If guys can stay healthy, the pitching looks to be in decent shape for the second half. I think we can make things very hard on the Mets, Braves and Phillies...they certainly wont be able to look past us...

Cosmo: Twins catcher Mike Redmond wasn't wearing a Reds helmet. His helmet features the home logo, the interlocking TC. The blue T was probably blocked out by the strap of the catcher's mask, so all you saw was the red C.

I'd hope that it wouldn't be a male-female, pro-con split on the domestic abuse issue, but I really don't like the idea of adding Dukes into the clubhouse mix. I'd still support my team, though.

---

PowerBoater,

... while I tend to disagree with you about the need for Manny to get riled, I want to go on record as a firm supporter of your comment re Elijah Dukes:

"Despite our desperate need for more hitting from our outfield, Bowden should not trade for Elijah Dukes. Mrs. And Miss PowerBoater currently enjoy going to a few games a year, this could come to a quick end if one of the Nats makes headlines for domestic abuse."

Barry, since you're staying in the Twin Cities for the day off, you should head to the Kent Hrbek Outdoors Bass Fishing Classic on Lake Minnetonka. Lots of current and former Twins players, so you can rub in the series win for the Nats. Plus, it benefits the ALS Association.

I guess he wasn't a Nat when he made headlines for domestic abuse, but don't forget that Dmitri Young had his own problems with this a year ago, when he grabbed and choked his girlfriend of two years in at hotel room in Detroit.

I'm not trying to stir things up. It's not exactly like being arrested six times and threatening to kill your wife, which is where Duke is coming from. It really looks like Young has dedicated himself to turning his life around (he even has an Alcoholics Anonymous tattoo). I'm just saying.

Hey Juan-John,

"Why not move Lopez down ..."

... while such a move might do wonders for Felipe, we, along with Manny, have to think about the dynamics of the whole line-up. If he moves, everyone else is affected and there could be more downsides to those effects than upsides for Felipe.

John in Mpls,

... yes John, you're right about Dmitri in terms of domestic abuse. The difference I see is that offered us a viable explanation, he convinced us (me) that he'd changed and then asked us to give him a chance to prove it. I believe he has done just that.

... IF Dukes were to come, and IF he were to ask for the same consideration, I'd give him that. But we haven't reached that point yet, and I'd just as soon we didn't.

NatsFan1A: The response to a domestic abuse charge would be split somewhat based on male and female fans. But I was thinking more of a split between casual fans who will associate an arrest with the team and an avid fan who will associate an arrest with the player.

GOod points regarding Young and Dukes. That was something that had been in the back of my mind lately and its been helpful to follow your thoughts through this thread.

I thought the broadcast itself was particularly dull. The Nats win the series from a contending team, get some good performances out of their (as someone else put it) ragtag pitching staff and the announcers seemed less than interested in the proceedings on the field. At least Carpenter was enthusiastic and the team's play and seemed excited about watching the Nats win. But I really miss the guy (who's name I can't recall) that Carpenter worked with last season. They had great chemistry and were fun to listen to. It was a shame he wasn't asked back.

Tom Paciorek.

While I like Sutton, I think Paciorek provided the edginess that's needed to counter Carpenter's blandness (kinda like Pespi taking the blah of milk, if you remember your 70's TV).

Re. Tom Paciorek:

I liked Tom Paciorek but got tired of him repeating "short, compact swing" a dozen times each at-bat. Sutton doesn't seem to have any of those redundant comments in his repertoire and I like his self-deprecating comments about his career. The two of them just make a nice easy-to listen-to broadcast team.

I enjoyed Holliday, except for his many bloopers. At least he knew his limits and let Sutton speak. Let's see the ones I can recall (and I watched only about 1/4 of all the innings he broadcast this weekend):

1. A National hits a grounder to 3rd, which Holliday said Zimmerman fielded (before correcting himself)

2. Referring to Nook Logan as "Nick Logan"

3. Saying a batter had tipped a third strike when his bat was nowhere near the ball and the umpire had already signalled out (Sutton corrected him)

4. Saying that keeping the infield in is done to get the runner out at home (rather than keeping him from even trying for home, which is the far more common result)

5. Mispronouncing Saul Rivera's first name

6. Saying what a beautiful night it was for baseball in Minneapolis (ummm.. it's a domed stadium)

I don't detect a male-female split on the Dukes issue. I think we mostly agree that he needs to clean up his act, and that he's far enough from having done so to merit extreme caution before even considering introducing him into a fairly stable player personnel mix.

With respect to remorse and regeneration, Dukes and Young seem to me as night and day.

Not sure what the previous commenter meant by saying Carpenter doesn't seem into whether or not the team wins. That is definitely not the impression I get when he's calling the game or during post-game analysis. I can hear him in my head saying stuff like, "ZIMMERMAN SCORES! AUSTIN KEARNS SCORES! AND THE NATS LEAD FIVE TO ZERO!!" with heartfelt enthusiasm.

Holliday was super sleepy and hard to listen to. He also called Church "Kearns" before, again, correcting himself. :) I too miss Tom Paciorek and his goofy sense of humor (and even his constant references to players' "short, compact swings"), though Don Sutton is growing on me.

So glad to see the Guz at full strength after enduring many groan-worthy moments watching him at RFK in 05. I am also happy for Dmitri, and, despite withholding my enthusiasm for him early in the season for the reasons mentioned earlier (that pesky female perspective on domestic abuse), I am starting to warm to him and hope this is a true turnaround point for him in his life. Almost everyone deserves a second chance!

I'm heading up to B-more in full Nats gear on Thursday. GO NATS!

I think Hendo and Natscan hit the nail on the head with Young. It really is about remorse, and Dmitri really does seem committed to making the turnaround a permanent thing. Dukes, to say the least, has done no such thing.

A vendor at the Metrodome this weekend saw me in my Nick Johnson jersey, and started asking me about how Johnson is progressing. He ended the conversation by saying, "Good thing you guys got Dmitri Young." He was being sarcastic. Point being, Dmitri's off-field problems are still the scope through which a lot of people - especially who follow the AL Central, I think - see the guy. Sadly, that's the kind of stuff that sticks to you, not a rehabilitation.

"6. Saying what a beautiful night it was for baseball in Minneapolis (ummm.. it's a domed stadium)

Posted by: Blitz | June 11, 2007 11:10 AM"

Actually, Blitz, I was at the games this weekend and it was a beautiful evening for baseball. It's not the weather's fault we were indoors.

Section 502,

Were you the young lady wearing a Zimmerman t-shirt or the young lady wearing the white Nats jersey that was on the big screen? Other than a toddler wearing a curly W hat and a kid wearing an Ovechkin t-shirt, that's all I saw of Washingtonians at the Dome.

Saturday was a nice night for baseball. In 2009, Minnesotans will finally get the chance to see what they've been missing for the last quarter century - baseball without a roof.

John in Mpls;

You asked: "Were you the young lady wearing a Zimmerman t-shirt or the young lady wearing the white Nats jersey that was on the big screen? Other than a toddler wearing a curly W hat and a kid wearing an Ovechkin t-shirt, that's all I saw of Washingtonians at the Dome."

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm 52 and bearded. And male.

There weren't many of us at HHH but we ran into half a dozen other Nationals fans during the weekend. The most Twilight Zone moment happened leaving the ballpark Sunday when we started talking with another couple who were also wearing Nats caps and shirts, because it turned out we knew several people in common away from RFK and wound up having a great conversation walking down to the Town Hall brewpub, where a couple of rounds of their excellent adult beverages were consumed (If it's available try the Scotch ale on the hand pump -- WOW!) Phone numbers and e-mails were exchanged and we'll undoubtedly be getting together with them again.

Actually, I thought you were the kid in the Ovechkin t-shirt.

It's good to know we had some representation. The Metrodome doesn't get a lot of opposing fans, except during the interleague series against the Brewers. Unlike RFK, where you may see a guy wearing a Mets hat when the Mets aren't even in town!