Contrats to John and J-Max.

There is some more good stuff on them and on the "Vermonsters" (love that) here:

http://www.farmauthority.dcsportsnet.com/

Bravo, fellas!

Here's wishing Hill a speedy recovery!

Getting back to WAPO Nats coverage, Barry how in the world did you guys miss this!

On page six of the NY Post,

Nationals Closer Chad Cordero along with NY Fan Fav David Wright and boyhood chum Ryan Zimmerman, and several other Met and National players where seen Tuesday night well after midnight heading into a China-Town eatery. Reliable sources say owner Chow Down Now kept the kitchen open well past closing at his Sour Dou eatery, serving up steaming bowls of fried rice, General Tso Chicken, Moo Goo Gipan, and pounds and pounds of BBQ spare-ribs. Now said he wasn't surprised to hear that Cordero had come down with a stomach ailment seeing that his long time chef, Fling Dang Wong had recently be fined by the city's health dept inspectors for failing to wash his hands after relieving himself in the mens room. Now said, "I told Wong to clean it up, but I was too busy watching the Mets choke for a second night in a row that I forgot to check under his finger nails at the start of the 7PM shift".

Hope Hill is 100% for next year. Pretty interesting Tippy. It goes to show you how much fratnerizing goes on now in the Majors as opposed to the '50s and '60s when it was frowned upon (and Ty Cobb would not know what to make of it.). But Tippy surely you don't believe this would ever make WaPo Sports Page. Did you try "Reliable Source?"

All hail Lanno and J-Max. Good to see recognition that our youth movement is coming along nicely. (Take that, Dave Sheinin.)

Yeah Tippy, that same story noted that the Hall of Fame had called asking for Chad Cordero's glove.

I'd check to see if the people running the Chinese restaurant were just a front and the real owner turned out to be Jimmy Rollins.

Haha! Thanks, Tippy - cute story. Maybe we can get Steinberg to write up similar columns for the Nats (no offense Mr. Bog - you seem to have a knack for silliness).

Imagine John Lannan...striking out the side...

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I know that someday John Lannan
Will make Nats games lots of fun

and Nats fans will be as one

Lannan reminds me a little too much of Mike O'Connor, especially now that he too is a Nationals' Pitcher-of-the-year.

O'Connor looked really good for the Nationals last year until the league saw him enough times to figure him out. I hope that isn't Lannan's fate. There aren't too many Tom Glavine's in the league for a reason; it's very difficult to continually pitch to spots night in and night out.

All we can do is keep our fingers crossed.

And what's the deal with O'Connor, anyway? Did he get blown out of 'AA' because he still isn't healthy or has he just become another not so good pitcher?

Yo Barry, The Post's Nationals Schedule is wrong. the game this saturday is not at 705, nor is it on MASN2. its at 355 on Fox, so you might wanna let some one know so it can be up to date.

You make a good point Farid, but Glavine's not the best example this week. ;)

I think more than in the previous two years, the Nats minor league players of the year are an indication of the improvement in the farm system, and unlike the last two years, I think both are likely to make it to the bigs (in case you've forgotten who those were, they were Casto, twice, and O'Connor in 2005 and Zinchola in 2006 - Not sure about Casto... he might be done... the other two have a shot, but neither is in the same category as Lannan or JMax).

As for Church... Barry asked why people were tepid about him... I am a lot less tepid about him now than I was... but I think I know why. When you watch Church play, he doesn't look like he's having fun. He looks like he's working... Kearns is the same way to some extent, though he looks a lot more relaxed out there recently. Belliard always looks like he's having fun, as does Dmitri. Lopez looks like he's having a root canal... and if you think about it, I think most will agree that how the player appears pretty much parallels how people feel about the players. That doesn't mean you have to be smiling all the time... watch Flores when he comes to the plate... he looks like he's reading SEC filings... but he also looks like he likes it.

My big complaint with Church was that he didn't seem to give it up at the edge of his range... He hasn't seemed the same since running into the wall in Pittsburgh in 2005... and clearly he wasn't, because he got hurt... but I've changed my mind about that. Barry's stats show that my perceptions of him are definitely affected by glass half empty/glass half full effects. I would be totally for keeping Church as a platoon CF, but probably not with Logan. I would be OK with Logan if he could throw...

You know, Barry... you can't talk about these guys in a vacuum.

Also, Barry... any chance Guzman will get some playing time against the Phillies, or is he done for the year?

great site boblhead.

forget where i saw that somebody had projected michael burgess as having sheffield's equivalent production. that would be nice. and he has an arm. that site makes it sound like we got some good bats. i keep thinking of it as mostly pitching depth but that sounds good too.

at what range is logan better off running the ball in instead of throwing? warning track? ouch. he's cool though.

Barry,

Come clean....The Game Story from Philly game.....would that have EVER been written in any other MLB city? Come on be honest!

Come clean and I for one will let it die....all your rationalizing and excusses that fuel the fire. The truth will release you!

"Come clean....The Game Story from Philly game.....would that have EVER been written in any other MLB city? Come on be honest!

"Come clean and I for one will let it die....all your rationalizing and excusses that fuel the fire. The truth will release you!"

Barry, I second the call. Come clean by saying what I believe instead of giving me your honest assessment and I will let it go. All you have to do is say what I want to hear, no matter what the truth is!

506, you're on a roll lately.

Me? Resigned to near lurker status since school resumed and work got all busy. :(

So is anyone besides (apparently) Matt and me going to take advantage of the nice weather and make the road trip to CBP?

Always happy to hear from you, JennX, as your schedule permits!

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Me? Resigned to near lurker status since school resumed and work got all busy. :(

I was thinking about it but ya'll scared me off. I don't want to get my a**ed kicked!!

Yeah, I'm feisty today. I'm in fighting mood and I'm ready to take some people on, but I'm willing to confine it to one thread in order to spare the innocents. Maybe those 72 wins has me all ready to kick some Philly soft-tissue extremity and you're seeing me acting out in anticipation on the blog.

I also have a bit of Philly Phan Phobia.

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I was thinking about it but ya'll scared me off. I don't want to get my a**ed kicked!!

Wigi, you might (and I do mean might, see below) have a point when you say that Church doesn't "seem to give it up at the edge of his range."

For those well-balanced folk that do not delve into such seamhead minutiae, there is something called a "zone rating" that is derived from assigning certain zones to every position and then measuring the percentage of balls fielded by each player in his zone.

Nook's career zone rating as a CF is .902. Had he posted that rating this year, it would have ranked 7th in the league, ahead of the likes of Andruw Jones, Ichiro Suzuki, and Aaron Rowand, and just behind gold glover Torii Hunter.

Ryan's career zone rating as a CF is .855. Had he posted that rating this year, it would have ranked 17th in the league (although this have put him only one slot below Andruw Jones, which says something about the latter's decline).

So there you have it, right? Proof that, due to his crash into the wall or otherwise, Church doesn't reach as many balls in his zone as he should.

But wait: Church's zone rating in centerfield in 2007 was signficantly better than his career number (.882). This ranks 11th in the league this year. And Nook's zone rating in centerfield in 2007 was significantly worse than his career number (.875) (13th).

So, the defensive "dropoff" from Church to Nook looks negligible and may disappear altogether once you factor in arm strength (Church has a higher "range factor" than Nook which means that he averages more putouts and assists per game than Nook does).

Platoon them!

First prize is a week in Philly; second prize is . . .

We've got Patterson and Hill in serious surgical recovery mode and a 23-year-old named Lannan whose arm is untested in the bigs. IF each of these guys comes through with 25 or so starts next year, it will be Katy bar the door for the Nats.

What are the chances? Hmmmmm

Um, Sect. 506, I think NatsNut was referring to the Philly road trip idea (not to question your powers of intimidation, y'unnerstand)... ;)

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Yeah, I'm feisty today. I'm in fighting mood and I'm ready to take some people on, but I'm willing to confine it to one thread in order to spare the innocents. Maybe those 72 wins has me all ready to kick some Philly soft-tissue extremity and you're seeing me acting out in anticipation on the blog.

Yep, NatsNut, that's why I'm not going up Friday night. The day game crowds seem to be somewhat less savage.

I might have occasion to revisit that assessment, particularly if Philly is still on the bubble as of Sunday morning.

We will keep you in our thoughts, Hendo. If things don't go so well in Philly, it was nice knowing you... ;)

"We've got Patterson and Hill in serious surgical recovery mode and a 23-year-old named Lannan whose arm is untested in the bigs. . . ."

That trio won a grand total of seven games in 29 starts, in front of the second-worst run production in the majors. If they can step up -- particularly if run production improves -- 2008 could be an interesting and fun season.

506 salutes: "If things don't go so well in Philly, it was nice knowing you... ;)"

Likewise, I'm sure. Just make sure what's left of me gets shipped to Georgetown U Hospital, and my ashes get buried at home plate at Nats Park.

Now, whom should I will the MX-5 to...

A NY radio station is holding "tryouts" for anyone that thinks they can help out in the Mets' bullpen.

A little tussle isn't such a bad thing every once in a while...

Phillies fans need to be reminded sometimes that we Nats fans aren't complete pushovers...

Of course, any other time I've started something with a Philly fan, it was in RFK...

Should make for an interesting Sunday...

Actually, that was me. I had raised with the home plate ash scattering idea at one point, but my sister-in-law suggested the rosin bag (ewwwww). ;)

Gee, I wonder whether anyone would volunteer to take care of the Miata for you...

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506 salutes: "If things don't go so well in Philly, it was nice knowing you... ;)"

Likewise, I'm sure. Just make sure what's left of me gets shipped to Georgetown U Hospital, and my ashes get buried at home plate at Nats Park.

Now, whom should I will the MX-5 to...

Oh, BTW, thanks to the Diamondbacks, it would seem that we have clinched in the "Not the Worst Team in the NL" category. Yeeeeeeaaaaaaah!!

Apologies to 506 and natsfan1a -- who, come to think of it, would look good in the Miata along with natsfan1c...

natsfan1a, we can finish no worse than tied for last in the NL.

We have 72 wins with 3 left.
The Pirates and Marlins each have 68 wins with 4 games left.

So if they each go 4-0 the rest of the way and we lose all 3 to Philly we would be tied for last.

Far more likely is that we will finish with the 21-23 best record in the majors.

Yeah, it's the old 506 mis-attribution demon. I ain't afraid of no Phillies Phans. I would march up there and right into CBP and declare my hatred of their team and them if it didn't jeopardize my attendance at The Roots concert Saturday evening. Ironically, The Roots are from Philadelphia...

506: Would you tell them WHY you hate the Phillies? as in, damn ryan howard and his home runs, that stupid nice guy jimmy rollins, etc.?

Isn't Clint going to be at The Roots concert?

Barry,

I thought about something today and had I thought about it yesterday, it would have been more relevant...but here goes...

What kind of difference would it have made if Omar Minaya would have traded for some middle relief help before the deadline... I'm thinking about Rauch in particular, since he shut the Mets down last night (and was one of those considered by the Mets). Guess they could have used him in this last stretch of games (and some of our other middle relievers)...How ironic and potentially tragic, eh?

Hendo, have you SEEN Clint's roots?!

There's no good answer to that question.

"With a couple of free agents in the (combined salary) $15-million range this winter, the Nats could be a 75-to-85 win team next year." Tom Boswell

Who does Mr. Boswell have in mind? He said if the Nats stand pat with the current roster, they could end up losing 90-100 games in their new park.

Man, I wish there was a game tonight...

I don't think Boz had anyone in mind. He was simply observing that there's no reason to expect the team to improve if it stands pat, and that the addition of free agents would strengthen the team at the major league level. And the context of "losing 90-100" was:

"Doing nothing this winter, then getting hit with a few injuries and disappointments next spring, is a good way to lose 90-to-100 in your first year in a new park."

Which I tend to agree with. In spite of all the griping about RFK, I'll bet it was worth at least a handful of wins (5 or so) over the new park, especially in the first year.

I also think that as a DC native who has seen two Washington baseball franchises fail here, that Boz is (rightfully) concerned about the team getting off to a good start in the new stadium, and what the longterm impact of a miserable inaugural season in the new park could be.

Well, there are really two games tonight, if you don't mind that the Nats are in neither of them.

This weekend will be fascinating as we witness the Mets potentially turn into the '64 Phillies -- against the '07 Phillies, no less, who, notwithstanding some of their fans, I wouldn't mind a bit seeing go into the postseason. (If I live that long.)

And, for those not into obliquity, the two games I was referring to are Mets-Cardinals and Phillies-Braves.

estuartj, the beauty part is that the Pirates played today and lost. They're at 68-91 with 3, not 4 games remaining.

natsfan1a, we can finish no worse than tied for last in the NL.

We have 72 wins with 3 left.
The Pirates and Marlins each have 68 wins with 4 games left.

So if they each go 4-0 the rest of the way and we lose all 3 to Philly we would be tied for last.

My 2 cents (doubt anyone cares and I have tried to stop posting and just reading the past few weeks but here goes nothing.....)

Many of us including Barry noted the odd nature of the Game Story the night he was off. Barry said he would explain how this could happen at the Post and the issue was a real one.

Now Barry does not want to address it.....Tells me a great deal about the editors at the WP Sports Section.

I think it is weak of Barry to hide behind
Folks like Section 506 (Before moving)'s blind loyalty no matter how well earned that respect and loyalty toward Barry may well be. We are talking about the Post Editors Decisions when Barry takes a night off.

Tom Boswell
"Before the season, what did they hold which was of long-term value in most people's mind, if you intend to be a contender.

John Patterson, Nick Johnson, Ryan Zimmerman, Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez, Chad Cordero, Brian Schneider, Rauch.

EVERY ONE has taken a step backwards this season.

In short, the Nationals should understand that, while everybody pats them on the back for not being bad this season, they are a thousand miles from being GOOD. This team needs enormous improvement. That includes considering all free-agent options, not curling up and saying, "We're not too bad right now. Let's let the kids in the minors grow up."

Going 71-91, even if 51-111 was expected, is no reason to be remotely satisfied. With a couple of free agents in the (combined salary) $15-million range this winter, the Nats could be a 75-to-85 win team next year. And 83-85 wins may get you into the wild card discussion next Labor Day, which would be great for the franchise. Doing nothing this winter, then getting hit with a few injuries and disappointments next spring, is a good way to lose 90-to-100 in your first year in a new park."

Do any of you hav any idea of what free agents would be so transformative? Not Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones, or Aaron Rowand-they're not in the (combined salary) $15-million range. Who? Bonds and Sosa?

Sect. 506 (not Sect. 502 or natsfan1a or anybody else), I second NatsNut's request. Pleeeze pleeeze pleeeze, can't we have just one itty bitty Phillies/Philly rant (you know, about how you have to stand in line forever to see the bell and when you get there, it's broken anyway, etc.)??

Hendo, re. the Miata, you're smooth...

Oops - that last was me. Got too eager with curiosity.

Agreed with Hendo: I'd much more enjoy seeing the Phillies team in the playoffs than the Mets. That doesn't take into account the abject disdain that I have for the majority of their fandom. In addition to general obnoxiousness, they seem to be of the opinion that we can never be as good of fans as they, because their team simply has more "history" to it (I suppose there's a point if you limit it to continuous history) and therefore their fandom does as well. I've heard this from uninformed fans across the board, but from personal experience, I've found that Phillies fans seem to particularly revel in it.

That being said, Hendo, if we sweep the Phillies (as I hope we do), then their chances of making the playoffs are absolutely minimal. With both teams having 4 games remaining, Padres would have to lose all games, Philly win tonight against the Braves, and then beat Padres in a playoff. Of course, that's assuming the Rockies (hottest team in baseball) don't pass one or both teams or Atlanta doesn't make a more unlikely charge in its last 4 games.

Point being: I'd enjoy seeing the Phillies lineup in the playoffs, but certainly would not do so at the expense of the Nationals' chance of ending the season on an epic 6-game road trip, bringing heartbreak and despair at every stop.

Barry's coverage is irrelevant. He will no longer be the Nats beat writer. Eli Saslow will. Welcome, Eli! I really enjoyed your gamers!

I believe that one of the NY papers referred to this phenomenon as "Natastrophe."

---

Point being: I'd enjoy seeing the Phillies lineup in the playoffs, but certainly would not do so at the expense of the Nationals' chance of ending the season on an epic 6-game road trip, bringing heartbreak and despair at every stop.

Oh JayB has stoked the fire again. JayB, have you ever done a month-long content analysis study to actually look at some figures before coming to a decision? That makes me mildly insane, but not blindly loyal.

I've been posting here since I stumbled into a poorly marked corner of the Post's sports coverage in April and have had plenty of criticism over the season. I'm sure folks remember my relentless nagging about having a link from the main page in the blogs section.

Over that time there has been a growing cacophony of whining about the Post's coverage mixed with some legitimate and polite questioning. It's the entitlement of the whining that I'm in a furor about today.

The Post is not the P.R. arm of the Washington Nationals and never should be. It's a private business and I will strongly oppose any sort of entitled complaining that the Post ought to function as some sort of cheerleading camp rather than the business it is. I will not fetishize a newspaper as anything more than an attempt to make money by relaying stories, as some appear to be doing and I won't put up with having my beloved baseball coverage continually tarnished by perpetual complaining. Keeping quiet all year doesn't seem to have helped, so now I'm going to do the opposite, and when Barry does his post I'll be happy to have it out with you more JayB.

Or is that blind?

Ahem, sorry, JayB, that got awfully ranty. I like to save my rants for intangibles, I don't really have anything against you. You could be totally awesome, I don't really know you.

I HATE being called "blind", though, I think you're sorely mistaken there. Disagreeing with you doesn't mean I don't have good reason for it.

Boy, if only we played the Phillies tonight, I would be rant-tastic!

Too bad we don't play the Phillies tonite, Sect. 506. I imagine that they're probably all eating some of those delish cheesesteaks at the colorfully named Bourse, after having made a special trip to revisit historic highlights such as that fine-looking bell.

:)

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Boy, if only we played the Phillies tonight, I would be rant-tastic!

He's not either blind, he's a very thoughtful and pensive poster, so there.

...and he's freakin' funny too.

ARGH... 506 getting angry...

"Too bad we don't play the Phillies tonite, Sect. 506. I imagine that they're probably all eating some of those delish cheesesteaks at the colorfully named Bourse, after having made a special trip to revisit historic highlights such as that fine-looking bell."

I mean seriously, how are you honestly going to say hot Cheeze-Whiz is better than melted provolone?!

"That being said, Hendo, if we sweep the Phillies (as I hope we do), then their chances of making the playoffs are absolutely minimal."

Can't dispute that, faNATic. And I did pick the Mets to win the NL East at the beginning of the season. But the thought of them representing the division in the playoffs just makes me shake my head.

Not to mention how I would just love to stick it to Minaya to cap off the season.

506 is trying to finally get Pat vs Gino in the celebrity deathmatch of the century.

jayB, glad you're staying on top of the Odd Nature of the Game Story the Night Barry Was Off. One can imagine that it's only a matter of time before the Post capitulates and assigns Woodward and Bernstein to get to the bottom of this.

I mean, c'mon, a gamer with no quotes from the home team? Step aside, Jimmy Hoffa, this is the REAL unsolved mystery of our times!

Plus, there's the whole cover-up thing, which is just ENDLESSLY fascinating. Barry won't talk! WHY won't Barry talk? Is the Russian Mafia behind this? The MIND BOGGLES! Tune in tomorrow for another episode of, "As the Bloggers Kvetch"!

The Phillycentric games needs to be explained. It was bizare.

I thought the Boz column strange (as was Shenin's). Why assume the NATs are going to stand pat? To those going to Philly are y'all going to eat Chinese, ha ha!

Section 506, while you are right you do post far more that most, we both have been original readers and participants in NJ.

I agree to a large extent with your views, but it is not clear you are seeing my rather focused issue.

That is that the WP failed to cover the team with that game story. Barry is off and they don't even go the clubhouse. WP should NOT cheer for the Nats BUT THEY SHOULD COVER THEM. Someone at the post failed to do that and I would like Barry to explain how and why that happened. It just may lead some insight on the bigger issue others have raised on coverage.

Cheese steak? Hot Cheez-Wiz(tm)? Feh.

Take the trouble to hunt down a Schmitter, probably the best meat-and-cheese (Provolone, I believe) sandwich in the majors, certainly the best in Philly.

But who are these magic bean pixie dust $15 million free agents who will turn this into an 85 win team? Adam "The Strikeout King" Dunn from the Great American Smallpark?

$15 million (combined)!!??? And they can blast this bunch into the wild card? Who are they?

yummm, that's some fine, melty cheese food product...

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I mean seriously, how are you honestly going to say hot Cheeze-Whiz is better than melted provolone?!

You would rather talk about Barry Svrluga, who has four more games to work as the Washington Post's beat writer for the Nationals, and cheese whiz than baseball. Enjoy your 6th grade clique chummy-tummy chat. This used to be a place you could learn something.

Cheeze-Whiz? Seriously? That's just wrong!! Growrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl! Then he hits a double.

For all of the whining and moaning about whether or not the Post is fair to the Nationals has anyone else noticed that the team gets NO LOVE from Comcast SportsNet?

The team is hardly ever mentioned on the network and when highlights are shown, they are usually from the OTHER TEAM'S broadcast. The Curse of Mr. Angelos's Sports Network.

Flynnie (I think) asks, "Do any of you have any idea of what free agents would be so transformative [to move the team to 75-85 wins]?"

Not a pair of guys for $15M, I don't. Not even for $30M.

And I'm not sure how much it matters. If Guzie comes back healthy, and Hill, Lannan and Patterson can produce, that's a boost right there.

Other possible boosts:
1. Nick Johnson's return.
2. An on-base guy in the $5-10M range.
3. One out of three of J-Max, Marrero and Daniel.

With a few of these factors coming into play, and assuming the bullpen holds up, .500+ isn't out of the question in '08, and even better in '09.

Dear Robert L. Head:

The problem is, Nook can't throw. Any one-out fly ball with a runner on third that Nook fields is a run. You don't notice it on TV, but when you have the entire field in view, it is clear.

Nook has no arm.

If you're gonna have a right handed bat start 40 games next year in CF, start JMax. He's as fast, has more power and a much better arm.

Platoon Church with JMax.

(Disclaimer: I don't really think you should do this, JMax needs to play every day amd whack 40 homers in AA... but it would be better than keeping Logan)

Actually, the 1am Comcast SportsRise had the Nats' sweep of the Mets as their top story, although they also seemed to imply that the Nats had clinched 4th place. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but they meant "clinched" to mean no-worse-than-a-tie for 4th, right (i.e. if Florida wins out)?

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"For all of the whining and moaning about whether or not the Post is fair to the Nationals has anyone else noticed that the team gets NO LOVE from Comcast SportsNet?"

Ryan Langerhans likes Cheeze-wiz. Provalone? That doesn't sound like something they have in Texas.

Update: Smoltz is getting smoked at CBP. 2-0 in the bottom of the first with none out and a man on first.

I think everyone is reading too much into Boz's comments.

For one I think he meant that if the Nats add 15 mil in payroll, through FA or trade.

Also, they might be that good anyway with Guz and Johnson back, plus a healthy (or healthy-ish) rotation. They ahev played +.500 ball for over 4 months - which is enough of a sample to say it's not a fluke (after all, what similarities does today's team have with the one we fielded in April).

Finally his comment about losing 100 games in the new stadium came with two HUGE caviots, 1. If they stand pat in the off-season and 2. If they have bad luck with injuries or poor individual performances.

I know I've said this a million times here, but I think we need to look at the whole team roster (and even MLB ready MiLB players). Replacing Langerhans, Fick, Jiminez, Batista and maybe Logan with better personnel could have a much bigger influence than you imagine on the W-L record than signing 1 big FA signee would and without binding the team to a long term contract that will hamstring them for years to come.

4-0 now

oh, and the Fish won

Hi, Ava! Excellent point.

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Ryan Langerhans likes Cheeze-wiz. Provalone? That doesn't sound like something they have in Texas.

Cards are up 1-0 on the Mets. Gene Mauch, we hardly knew ye...

Which team wants to miss the palyoffs more, Chicago or New York? Could the NL playoffs really be ARI, SDP, MIL and PHI?

How crazy would it be if the two top payrolls in the NL were on vacation in October?

That'd be great, to sit the top payroll teams!

Phillies up 6-0, Mets down 3-0. Wow.

If only we could eliminate the Phillies and the Mets...

I tell you what... the Mets are gonna have a problem with the Marlins.

If I could only eliminate one of them... the Phillies or the Mets, I would want to eliminate the Phillies.

There's a pretty good chance they'll end up tied... wouldn't that be fun?

It's too bad we can't eliminate the NL central. That the Cubs or Brewers will go and Colorado or San Diego won't is ridiculous.

Wigi wishes: "If I could only eliminate one of them... the Phillies or the Mets, I would want to eliminate the Phillies."

I'd rather it be the Mets. If they make it into the playoffs, I envision a slaughter that will bring shame on the NL East for seasons to come.

That said, Wigi, I'll make you a gentleman's bet: a half-pound of Alaskan salmon from you (if the Phillies make it) vs. a half-dozen Briggs half-smokes from me (if the Mets make it). Bet to be settled on Opening Day '08. How's that sound?

Hendo: you're on!

I agree, the Mets would go quietly... but there's just too much schadenfreude to go around. Making the Phillies suffer on Sunday, followed by the Mets three games later... what could be sweeter than that?

I am getting a sad dose of reality with this night off, seeing what my life will be like in just 4 days when there are no more nats games...

Ah, but think of what the offseason might bring.

Not that I necessarily agree with the proposed moves, but consider what's suggested in this nugget from the Express:

http://www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/2007/09/sports_talk_a_look_ahead.php

Hendo, I can't open the link on my blackberry, give me the Cliff Notes version...

Wigi, I'm not a Logan apologist, but if we're not going to sign a free agent cf, the platoon is the way to go, no? I think so, bro. Just until J-Max is ready, though.

Mets lose, Phillies win. Enter Marlins and Nats...

Oh my. Mets and Phillies are tied. It's all about the last series now.

Executive summary of the Express article for estuartj:

- Zimmerman, Young, Hill are here to stay.
- Cordero, Rauch, Lopez could go.
- Nats could pick up Adam Dunn and/or Aaron Rowand.
- Detwiler could be up by midseason.

Nothing we haven't exactly heard before, but there's something about the imprimatur of ink (or electrons) to put weight behind speculation.

Thanks, Hendo, I didn't know about that online source! Speaking of which, will look forward to learning more about your guest gig at a blog to be named later as mentioned in a previous thread.

schadenfreude! And the Phillies have a jail in the basement of their stadium. I think that I'm beginning to understand the difference between Nats' fans and other teams' fans.

I think that I've said this before, but IMO, next year will be temporizing. Yes, they will need to put a team on the field that is about as good as this year's, but (beyond the fact that there are no must have free agents, this year) the team will still need to see how the stadium plays. Is it closer to OPCY, RFK, or Great American? The team needs to know to have a good idea of what the value of any individual piece is.

The Dodgers are out of the playoffs and ready for the periodic human sacrifice.

Two seasons ago, they tied the can to Paul DePodesta -- who landed nicely on his feet in San Diego, thank you.

Now Bill Plaschke reports in the L.A. Times that Matt Kemp, he of the .333 / .366 / .509 hitting line and, um, adventuresome batting and baserunning skills, is apt to be walking the plank soon.

Cheap young slugger, anyone?

Kemp is interesting, but there has to be a reason why they would want to unload a guy like that..... I know Jeff Kent isn't the nicest of people, but I would be willing to bet that Kemp has a large ego.

just an extreme outsiders perspective on a teams internal blowup.

seriously though, why WOULD they trade him? its not based on talent (hes better than the rest of them) - so it has to be something else, right?

Jimbo has some good things to say in the Examiner today:

http://www.examiner.com/a-960080~Taking_stock_of_the_Nats__progress.html

Zimmerman as a Gold Glove, JimBo? Can you win a Gold Glove with that many errors?

im sure the rebuttal will be number of putouts, assists, and balls a normal player would not even field. and if he is feeling really saucy, its a golden glove, not a golden arm award.

Hey Bob L. Head,

Someone should forward that article to Sheinin! Thanks for sharing, didn't know Bowden wrote a column for them every week.

Also on the awards front, another shout-out for the Skip at the national level (from Ben Reiter at Sports Illustrated):

Manager of the Year: Manny Acta

An absolute no-doubter. Acta's worked wonders with the Nats, who have somehow gotten better as the season has gone along -- they're currently riding a four-game winning streak, and are on pace to finish with 73 wins, at least a dozen more than anyone expected of them. Acta has to be in the conversation for the NL-wide award (I think the NL West trio of Clint Hurdle, Bud Black and Bob Melvin might split that vote, especially after Black inadvertently tore the ACL of his own player this week), and one has to wonder whether the Mets think about their former third-base coach and wonder what might have been. In SI's Baseball Preview I wrote, "The Nationals will be hard-pressed to equal last year's win total of 71." Whoops.
Odds he'll win the NL-wide award: 3-1.
Also considered: Charlie Manuel.

---

He mentions Bowden as an "also considered" for Executive of the Year (but gives it to John Schuerholz).

Full story at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/baseball/fungoes_blog/2007/09/nl-east-dishing-out-hardware.html

Heroic tarp-holding notwithstanding, it's tough to root for the Phillies over the Mets now, since, for the Phils to get in, the Marlins have to beat the Mets at least once more than the Nats beat the Phils. Phils win East = Nats finish last. So as much as I hate to say it, let the Phillies have the wild card, and (cough, choke) Mets have firrr ... fuuuuuuuurrrsss... can't say it.
The East.

G-town, Zimmerman also writes one (on Fridays). Bowden's is usually on Wednesday, so that's two for him for this week. (shhh, don't tell, but their are archives on the OP's site)

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Thanks for sharing, didn't know Bowden wrote a column for them every week.

dadgummit, I meant to say "there" not "their"

wait a minute, that's not right. DC is THREE games up on Fla.
Nevermind.

wait a minute, that's not right. DC is THREE games up on Fla.
Nevermind.

Hey, they told me they rejected that first one!

Will the real Emily Litella please stand up?

they're very cagey that way

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Hey, they told me they rejected that first one!

Speaking of Acta, I enjoyed the Post piece on him today (but hands off, Mets FO).

cevans, be at peace. The Fish can sweep the Mets and Phils can sweep the Nats and the Nationals will still be tied for fourth place in the East.

One Florida loss, or one Washington win means that we are guaranteed sole possession of fourth place.

Still, root against Philly. Besides the fact that they are terrible human beings masquerading quite effectively as gentlemen and fine ball players (just as residents of Philadelphia are good people successfully masquerading as the most boorish bunch of blowhards in professional sports), it's good to have a nearby rival for the development of the franchise. I predict that in 2011, Nats-Phillies will be one of the best rivalries in baseball.

I know you have some Philly rants left in ya, Sect. 506, and that's a good start for the series. :)

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Still, root against Philly. Besides the fact that they are terrible human beings masquerading quite effectively as gentlemen and fine ball players (just as residents of Philadelphia are good people successfully masquerading as the most boorish bunch of blowhards in professional sports), it's good to have a nearby rival for the development of the franchise.

Nats are 72-87.
Marlins are 69-90.

Let's hope we take 2 of 3 from the Phils, and the Mets take 2 of 3 from the Marlins.

I know there's this whole tie thing going on with NYM and PHI, but I really want us to end up solidly in fourth, not tied for 4th, which (and somebody correct me if I'm wrong), is still a possibility, right?

So, it appears we have some answers as to what to expect next year.

In:

Zimmerman, Kearns, Flores (and Schneider, as support), Pena, Hill, Bergmann, Chico, Lannan

Conspicuously Absent:
Young, Lopez, Logan, Church, Redding, the Bullpen, Belliard, Guzman (perfect trade bait around July, I'm guessing), the Bench, Langerhans

And the Phillies have a jail in the basement of their stadium...

Posted by: Catcher50 | September 28, 2007 09:56 AM

Actually, the jail was in the bottom of the Vet, which was torn down to make way for a parking lot for the Linc and CBP.

Oh, and Johnson on the absent list. I think this is a really good idea on who Bowden considers keepers and who he considers movable for the price.

Asks theraph in re Matt Kemp: "seriously though, why WOULD they trade him?"

Says Plaschke: "There is concern over some of the rookies' attitudes and aptitudes. . . . insiders say [the Dodgers] have reached the conclusion that they can be contenders quicker and longer if one or two of these kids are traded for more developed players who could help them avoid a repeat of this September's meltdown."

At least as seen from 2,300 miles away, what the Dodgers need is starting pitching, so that would seem to leave the Nats out of the sweepstakes. All the same, it wouldn't be advisable to underestimate Bowden/Rizzo's creativity (another three-way deal, perhaps?), so it should be interesting to watch this situation unfold.

Seeing this list from JimBo is an epiphany of sorts for me.

Anyone else realize the two year contracts for Bells and Meat would make them both classic "loaners" in July of 2009? Does that sound like long term planning for Playoffs 2010?

The problem with a Nats - Phillies rivalry is that you have to respect the other team. They are the team I enjoy watching least in the NL East.

With the Redskins - Cowboys rivalry, you hated the Cowboys, but you respected the team.

But I would agree with 506(movin' on up), the Phillies - Nats will be among the most contentious... especially if the Nats take it to them this series and knock them out again.

From the AP story about last night's Mets-Marlins game:

"The final home game for attendance-challenged Florida drew 24,809 fans. Some cheered for the Marlins."

It gives me no pleasure to disagree with you, Wigi, but I feel I must. (Really! On both counts!!)

I have a great deal of respect for the Philadelphia Phillies players. It's the boorish Phillies fans I loathe.

And I think Nats/Phils will go on to become one of baseball's great rivalries, if it hasn't already reached that point.

-- --- --- ---

The problem with a Nats - Phillies rivalry is that you have to respect the other team. They are the team I enjoy watching least in the NL East.

With the Redskins - Cowboys rivalry, you hated the Cowboys, but you respected the team.

But I would agree with 506(movin' on up), the Phillies - Nats will be among the most contentious... especially if the Nats take it to them this series and knock them out again.

Posted by: Wigi | September 28, 2007 10:56 AM

Hendo, thanks for the followup.

i guess i understand the theory behind trading a young player like Kemp. but if they have recently came to the conclusion that younger players have attitudes it just screams gross negligence. avoid the topic while we are in first place (re: June-July) but when the team stinks, we will blame the rookies, cite an inherent aloofness, and be free from direct criticism of signing over the hill players that predictably crumbled as the drain of a long season wore on their combined 4,000 major league games.

i would also suggest that if they were in 4th place at the deadline, they probably would have suggested playing the younger guys instead of vets. it just seems like a stupid coach/FO/PR move to take blame away from the construction of the team.

i would gladly welcome a young "malcontent" that clashed with such wise sages and peaceful non-conversationalists such as Eddie Murray, Jeff Kent, Derek Lowe, and Grady Little.

get on the phone, jimbo.

i need an editor over my shoulder when i type with emotion....

Juan-John, yes, we could end up tied with the Fish (worst-case scenario). I'd like to see us end up solidly in first, too.

---

I know there's this whole tie thing going on with NYM and PHI, but I really want us to end up solidly in fourth, not tied for 4th, which (and somebody correct me if I'm wrong), is still a possibility, right?

Here's a Dodger blog that is relevant to the Kemp discussion:

http://ussmariner.com/2007/09/24/the-danger-of-veteran-entitlement/

MLBTradeRumors says Kemp and (top pitching prospect) Clayton Kershaw for Santana is being discussed.

Also says Jason Bay (roughly, the Adam Dunn in Pittsburgh) might be available.

Personally, I'd pass on all of these guys, stick with the program through mid-2009 and then, what 506 said.

One reason to root for the Mets: every call on WFAN is about them, the Yankees and baseball. Half the Philadelphia sports radio calls are about the Eagles. (Unlike D.C. where they are all about the Redskins.) Baseball in New York is like opera in Italy - the locals care about it more.

The Phillies had a beautiful ad where Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Aaron Rowand, Ruiz and Charlie Manuel looked right into the camera and thanked the fans, each of them saying individually what made them grateful. It was the polar opposite of the wretched Nats ads: Chad Cordero' hurling in the bullpen - what are you going to do about that, Willie Randolph? Please, please hire the Phillies' ad agency, Nats Hierarchy.

Yeah, I know that the "jail" and attendant magistrate was at the Vet, but I understand that the new park has a small facility designed to do approximately the same job.

As to the note about "some cheered for the Marlins", I would recommend you to this weekend's "crowd" at OPCY.

"It was the polar opposite of the wretched Nats ads: Chad Cordero' hurling in the bullpen - what are you going to do about that, Willie Randolph? Please, please hire the Phillies' ad agency, Nats Hierarchy."

Even when Chad Cordero hurls in the visitors' bullpen at Shea, as he did the other night, I don't think it's Willie Randolph who has to go out there with a mop and pail to clean it up. Although if the Mets don't win soon, it might be...

New thread, folks.

Wow, they're strict! What a dungeon THAT must be.

---------
And the Phillies have a jail in the basement of their stadium...
Posted by: Catcher50 | September 28, 2007 09:56 AM

Actually, the jail was in the bottom of the Vet, which was torn down to make way for a parking lot for the Linc and CBP.
Posted by: Medium-sized Mac | September 28, 2007 10:49 AM

What he said.
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I have a great deal of respect for the Philadelphia Phillies players. It's the boorish Phillies fans I loathe. I think Nats/Phils will go on to become one of baseball's great rivalries, if it hasn't already reached that point.

Posted by: Section 502 (formerly) | September 28, 2007 11:23 AM