I am feeling kinda warm and fuzzy about the warm and fuzzies...

You'd think we got Johnny Bench.

Sounds like P-Lo has it in for the Mets, and for the Nats, thats a good thing. Nothing like a well motivated player, I just hope he's motivated more than 18 times.

Well, my only hesitation about Lo Duca was that I had read a couple places that he had had problems getting along with Milledge, and I didn't want anything distracting our fledgling superstar.

Since that doesn't seem to be the case, I'm going to go ahead and jump on the P-Lo bandwagon now, while good seats are still available.

Anybody else starting to feel a little giddy over this. I have to admit that I may have been the most skeptical about this signing, but (fake or not) the remarks from the presser today just got me stoked. Anybody else in the front row seats (sect. 105) in LF next year wanna join in with me on the Willy Mo Fan Club?

Sounds like Lastings Milledge is a real Willy Mays Hayes

spelling edit: Willie Mays Hayes

(how dare I misspell the name of the great #24)

Corey, I'm right there with you.

I was really hesitant about the Lo Duca signing at first. Not because of his past, which I really didn't see as much more than the NY media being bored, but because of potentially hurting Mr. Lastings (my kids love it when I address them as Mr. firstname, they think it makes them sound so respectable, so they act better. Works with high schoolers, why not Mr. Lastings?).

But this interview, coupled with what Steinberg (WHAT, WE'RE IN PART OF THE POST, NOT THE NJ?!?), and what *gasp* Ladson had to say about it...

Lo Duca, welcome to DC buddy. I hope you hand it to the Mets and cause them to lose all 18 yourself. You earned it.

I love it. You gotta hand it to us NJ bloggers. We aint nothin if we aint an easy sell.

Alllll Abooooooard......

my problem with the lo duca signing is that he is not much of an OPS upgrade over Schneider and a considerably worse arm. The 5 year stats Barry posted in his 12/11 article show he's just about a wash in OPS Schneider.694 vs. PLD .732). And, if you value OBP 1.8 times SLG, it'll warm your heart to know that most of that is in SLG. Some have suggested batting him second - would you have done that with Schneider? The best thing about the swap is it gets us out of Schneider's last year of the contract - the $4.8 million Barry mentioned in his post. I think it is naive to expect much of a bounce back for Lo Duca offensively at 36 if we expect him to play 100+ games. I don't mind the Schneider deal, but I would have rather found a catcher who defended like Schneider than one who hits like him. Count me among the disgusted.

Lo Duca's a decent defensive catcher, except for his sub-par arm. And offensively, you're right, he's basically equal to Schneider. The positive, as you say, is that it's a one-year deal. The FO obviously thinks Flores will be ready to start in '09, so this deal clears the way for him. Plus, we got Milledge...who has by far the most upside of any player in the deal.

There are several catchers I liked better, but Lo Duca as a one-year rental ain't bad.

Plus, if you go back to the Rule 5 signing of Flores, basically we got Flores, Lo Duca and Milledge from the Mets for Schneider and Church. May not pay huge dividends in 2008, but a significant improvement/investment for the future, I'm thinking.

OK, then, from a neutral corner: Lo Duca Doubters -- what would convince you you're wrong? What would he have to do, for you to say "I was wrong"?

Off topic, but this is great....a Mitchell Report Draft! haha...

http://mlbfleecefactor.com/2007/12/11/the-mitchell-report-draft/

If Manny Acta, Tom Glavine, and Tommy Lasorda all think Lo Duca is a good teammate and a good catcher, then he's a good teammate and a good catcher. Welcome aboard!

I was reminded by one of the quotes thrown out there today why OBP does not tell the whole story. Moving the runner along also matters. Lo Duca is skilled at that.

I actually thought LoDuca made some kind of condescending, passive-aggressive negative remarks about Milledge. I didn't write down exactly what he said but something about how he just needs to keep his head on straight and how he's had to learn some things. Milledge I thought came off as a confident young guy. Can't help but wonder if being confident, young, talented, and BLACK was the problem people had with him in NY. Maybe that's the problem Billy Wagner--good ol' boy from Tazewell County--had with him.

I just watched the video and I have to agree with you Steven. Milledge and Lo Duca kept speaking of the other in the 3rd person and never once looked at the other. They are NOT buds, that's for sure.

I'm okay with LoDuca for a year, but I don't have a great feeling about his character. He comes off as a pushy wise-a** with a big ego and no sense of humor about himself.

It's just a hunch, but I don't see him stepping aside and letting Zim, Kearns, or Dmitri keep the clubhouse cool. I see him clanging around, throwing his elbows all over that clubhouse.

Man, the team's hardly recognizable any more. I hope all this turnover levels off at some point.

I like the fact that we are getting a sold mix of very young hitters with a few vets peppered in there to help them along with their development. I like that the GM is making an effort to go after African American Players for this team.

Whatever the last couple weeks have accomplished for the Nats -- and I think it's plenty -- one sure side effect has been media attention.

Some admire the Nats for having plucked tomorrow's stars from under the unwitting noses of Omar Minaya and others. Tracy Ringolsby begs to differ, calling the Nats one of the losers of the winter meetings:

"General manager Jim Bowden is never hesitant to take on problem children from other organizations. So one day he is acquiring OF Lasting [sic] Milledge from the Mets and the next day it's OF Elijah Dukes from Tampa Bay. Good luck to manager Manny Acta and his staff. The odds are they will spend more time babysitting than actually running the game."

Odds are to me that they will spend time team-building instead of just flipping lineup cards. Thoughts?

(Link: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7535680)

BTW, Barry, way to gig your media-mates; I'm lovin' this:

". . . but the Nationals must know they have hit the big-time because Dan Steinberg was in fact there."

Not Korn or Wilbon, perhaps, but a start none the less.

First and foremost: I'm a homer. Born and raised in DC area, I bleed burgandy and gold this time of the year. I love my Wiz (still call them the Bullets half the time) and enjoyed watching the Caps beat the Devils on local TV up here.

BUT...

I'm with Corey. I'm getting excited about next year's Nats more than anything going on with the other teams. They are going to be young with HUGE potential (and possible headaches too). I swear, I'm making out line-up cards and grinning. I just can't wait to get to spring training!!

I ask for only one more thing: Please sign Livian. Stan, the young kids will learn from a gutsy, wily veteran. That's a good thing.

I"m with you Nats fan in NJ...please sign Livo. I thought he would have poerfect last year as well, but I'd still lvoe to et him this year. I just think he'd be perfect for this young rotation.

"Man, the team's hardly recognizable any more. I hope all this turnover levels off at some point."

Posted by: NatsNut | December 11, 2007 11:17 PM

Really NatsNut? Did you feel as though the team as contructed last year was going somewhere? I loved the guys we have had, but I like that we are getting better players now.

And I'm not sold on the Lo Duca signing yet, either.

CE - If Lo Duca has a SB% against him that puts him slightly below league average for starters, has an OBP around .340, and a SLG of .400, then I'll be pleased. I don't think that's too much to ask and, offensively, he's done it before.

LA Nats - I would have preferred a strong defensive catcher and lived with the batting liability, along with a middle infield upgrade. A Henry Blanco type. Miguel Olivo, if he's released.

As for OBP vs. BA, I'll leave it for wiser heads to argue. I suppose OBP is more important at the top of the order in the NL due to 8 - 9 dead spot in most NL batting orders. Just a guess with no stat checking but a walk from the #7 or #8 hitter in an NL order I'd think is less likely to turn into a run than one in the AL. I suppose an NL #7 hitter should make contact and hit a lot of flies, even if he Ks a bit (avoid double plays and having 8-9-1 innings too often). Lo Duca should hit no higher than #7 or #8 unless he has he gets his OBP up to .340.

No question on my end that the Milledge deal was worth the cost. My only issue is how we replaced our starting catcher.

Slightly off topic and maybe a thought only a stat geek could love, but I was reminded of something when I read NatsBisquit's comment regarding Lo Duca's rep for moving runners.

I have often thought that the best way to evaluate an offensive player would be to keep a stat called "bases per plate appearance". You would calculate it like this. Every time a player batted, you would credit him for any bases advanced by him or his teammates. For example, if a batter singled with a man on 1st and the runner went to 3rd, he would be credited with 3 bases. If the batter hit a fly ball to the outfield with runners at 2nd and 3rd, and both runners tagged up and advanced, he would be credited with 2. If a player walked with the bases loaded, he'd be credited with 4, because each runner and he moved up one base. If a player hit a HR with runners on 2nd and 3rd, he'd get 7. I suppose you could even count in the negative, meaning that if a batter grounded into a DP, you could give him a negative 1, because of the lost a base.

The advantage to this system is that I think it would calculate the actual contribution made by an offensive player, including his situational hitting. The disadvantage for player comparison purposes is that his stats would somewhat dependent on his teammates, both for how often they get on a base and their base running ability. As a team though, one could evaluate the offense efficiency, but taking the total and dividing by four. If a team is efficient, it should total the number of runs they actually score because four bases do equal a run after all.

Just a thought to chew on.

i like it #4. i'd subract 3 bases from a bases clearing double play though. -2nd - 1st.

Paul "6-4-3" Lo Duca should never bat eighth. Bat him 7 and then a fast, maybe-slap-hitter 8th, so that the pitcher can move him along.

.390,
Nah, I knew there needed to be some changes. But the ones we made are just about opposite of what I expected. I expected Schneider to stay with the team until he retired and became a bench coach, for one.

And granted I'm probably jumping to a lot of conclusions about the clubhouse at this point, but I thought character would be a really big priority with the team. My first impressions of Milledge and LoDuca, watching yesterday's video, just don't seem to jive at all with the hard-working, humble, team-versus-self oriented impression I've had of the clubhouse.

I concede I jumped all over the guys who were making a big deal about LoDuca's "issues", but watching him, he does look and sound like a bully. And frankly Milledge sounds like he's a career season away from becoming a full-blown prima donna.

I hope I'm wrong.

I don't think it's fair to say we hurt the team by swapping Schneider for Lo Duca. Schneider may have had slightly better statistics behind the plate and similar statistics at the plate this past year but the biggest factor in my mind is that Lo Duca has a far greater chance to hit near .300 than Schneider does. Schneider was pretty consistent and Lo Duca had a down year in 07. I'm happy to roll the dice with him this year and gamble that the offense will improve, the defense won't be significantly different and the contract/commitment will be shorter.

Works for me!

We didn't swap Schneider for Lo Duca.

We swapped Schneider and Church for Lastings Milledge. That's a great trade.

Lo Duca holds the catcher place for one year until Flores gets the final green light (or for half a year). If Flores is not ready in 2009 then he is a bust.

Coincidentally, this also solves the problem of who to start at catcher in 2009. A veteran making over $5 million or a young guy who's likely to be an All-Star.

I agree with the fundamentals of Gibby's post. I wish people would get viewing this as what it was not: a straight-up Schneider for Lo Duca trade. We traded an aging catcher who couldn't hit the damn pentagon if he was standing in the center courtyard for a potential superstar outfielder who has a solid 10-15 years to contribute to this organization. This was done with the understanding that there is a solid catcher waiting in the wings (Flores). Lo Duca was a secondary move completely dependant on the previous: we needed a vet guy to hold the spot for a while until Jesus is ready to be an everyday guy, hence, the one year contract - do you really think a personality like LoDuca would have settled for just a one year deal if there was more to be had?

So look at it this way, for what I say, is exactly what it is. We lost Schneider for Lastings and went out and signed a year lease for LoDuca. A helluva lot better than bringing back Matt Lecroy. I'm not a fan of his character, from what I've read, but this offseason has taught me to give people an optimistic chance in D.C. until they convince me otherwise.....but besides that, he is a solid contact guy who can hold his own defensively (certainly not a gold glover, but we don't need one). Personally, I think he brings an attitude of 'winning' and a knowhow of 'being a contender' to a clubhouse where hardly anybody knows that is like. Like it or not, this is 21st century baseball - not many more "Casey at the Bat" or Rockwell painting type of guys out there. It's a cost/benefit game: is the benefit that this player can bring us potentially worth the cost. Conclusion: thus far this offseason I say Jimbo stumbled his way through the empty cans and went to his 8am ECON 203 lecture on cost/benefit analysis.

Re: #4

I like the idea. My first thought is that it is certainly a much more telling stat than B/A. It might be tweaked to account for SACs, so that you could account for a batter putting a ball into the outfield with a runner on 2nd or 3rd as opposed to trying to smoke the ball and hitting into a simple ground out. It might actually allow for a statistical judgment of a pitcher's cost/benefit at the plate.

Very interesting.

Gibby,
not sure if you meant me, but I'm not saying we necessarily *hurt* the team by swapping Schneider for LoDuca. I'm saying the team's unrecognizable and as a fan, the change has me a little uncomfortable.

My attachment to the team goes beyond runs scored. (runs scored are the positive side to the team's being unrecognizable) I'm very proud of last year's team. Proud that they were scrappy, stayed positive in some ugly situations, and seemed to all get along with each other. That part of the team, its character, is starting from scratch again and I'm leery. It's just a big question mark that I was hoping would stay an exclamation point.

i'm ready to see 2008 manager of the year Manny Acta make this thing work. i'm still not so excited about our hitting coach but meh.

i'm pretty sure we have a 78-80 win club here now. how you like those apples?

I really like that they are talking about winning. Even given the fact that last year's scrappy club over-achieved, in September/October, I wasn't thinking about this club winning just yet. Granted, there remain considerable questions and we are probably still two or three years away - but I like the change in discourse.

How many days until Mr. Lo Duca reports?

If, in fact, Schneider-for-Lo Duca is a wash in terms of offensive stats and financial cost, then the Nats have effectively traded Ryan Church for Lastings Milledge and given up a bit of arm strength behind the plate. I'll take that deal in a heartbeat.

76days 13hrs 16min 56sec

From my perspective as an expat DC homeboy in Africa: This is a team that can REPRESENT the Nations capital.

Like DC, it has a bit of everything all mashed up together in a low-rise newly constructed park. A latino manager and middle-infield. An African American left side of the outfield. Some good ol boys. Attitude. Professionalism. A bad streak. Potential. Grudges.

Read all about it!

I'm definitely watching this spot.

Does any one know who compiles the depth chart on nationals.com? I find two things of note there. One, Elijah Dukes is listed as the starting RF with Kearns 2nd. Kearns is not listed as the starter in any three of the positions. At 1B, Nick Johnson is listed 3rd behind Dmitri and Ronnie Belliard. If he were going to be healthy, I'd hope they'd have him at least 2nd. Are these listings in any way reflective of the FO thinking or just some guess by a web site functionary?

from buster olney's blog:

Within the wake of this signing, we may learn today that the Cubs have non-tendered Mark Prior.

sounds like a target. reclamations r us!

506: "Coincidentally, this also solves the problem of who to start at catcher in 2009. A veteran making over $5 million or a young guy who's likely to be an All-Star."

ack. look, flores might be a decent player down the line, but "likely to be an all-star?" come on, there's no evidence of that at all. let's not get carried away here.

To: Steven on Capital Hill

What a horrible example of stereo-typing. Do you honestly thing everyone in New York and Tazewell county are racists?

You should be ashamed.

"ack. look, flores might be a decent player down the line, but "likely to be an all-star?" come on, there's no evidence of that at all. let's not get carried away here."

Heck if I know how to pick an All Star. I'm just going by what I read on this blog. Which never contains hyperbole...

NatsNut, no not talking about anyone specifically just the overall vibe from many that having Lo Duca as the starting catcher for the 2008 Nationals is worse than if Brian Schneider was in that spot.

I agree with you sentiment about last year's team. Great chemistry, scrappy and hard fought for most of the year. But none of would be satisfied if that were the status quo every year. Eventually we want the team to win and that requires this base that is being built. I've said before that I think the Nats final record in 2008 will be worse that it was in 2007. This has been a tumultuous offseason and the team will need time to gell and figure out who belongs. Even if the record dips I still see this as a very positive step forward, I'm definitely drinking the koolaide that Stan and Jimbo are selling...

Assuming the Nats don't start 9-25 this season, I think there is a great possibility they could be .500, or better. The pitching should improve, the line-up looks improved, so why not. I don't think they're done with catching either. Look for them to acquire at least another for spring training. The decision to keep Flores up or send him to the minors for more playing time hasn't been decided as of yet. Viera should be intersting, can't wait to get there.

"Viera should be intersting.."

And not in the 36 pitchers trying out for 4 spots way!

I totally understand the OBP and RBI comparisons between Lo Duca and Schneider and get that they're basically comparable. But what no one seems to mention is that this guy's a what ... four (?) time all-star and has hit over .300 on several occasions. Has Schneider ever done that once?

I know this is a less sophisticated and more of a lay-person's conception of important stats, but if Lo Duca just hits at his career average (.288), he's a fifty-point increase in terms of offense over Schneider last year.

"if Lo Duca just hits at his career average (.288), he's a fifty-point increase in terms of offense over Schneider last year."

If Schneider hits for his career average there's a thirty-point increase over Schneider last year.

Right on fredva. Great to see someone calling out blatant stereotyping/racism and pure victimization mentality. Glad you got to it before I could.

still puts us 20 pts above last year at C and without the 5m cost in 09, when we hope flores can take over and do as well or better than either loduca or schneider would in 09 (not to mention going forward). that's worth the risk, imo.

i don't see the nats starting out 9-25 again, so hopefully that gives them a leg up over last year. if we can cut the injuries in half, which wouldn't be unreasonable, we have a shot at 500.

Man, the team's hardly recognizable any more. I hope all this turnover levels off at some point.

Posted by: NatsNut | December 11, 2007 11:17 PM

Yeah, it's a lot of turnover, but changes HAD to be made. The "old club" was a great story, and we all had a lot of fun watching them "hustle"....BUT ...it's time to win. Our Lil' Nats need to grow up and win.

On a one-year deal, LoDuca will have trade value in July if Nats are out of the race. My guess is there would be more interest in renting a decent hitting catcher with an expiring contract than there would be for Schneider and his two-year deal. And Flores may be ready for a full-time gig by then.

Moeller and Cota could be serviceable backups.

Would still like to see an upgrade in the rotation and at least one of the middle infield positions, but plenty of time for JimBo to work on that.

Draft a shortstop, and some more stud pitching to trade for a more ready shortstop.

am i the only person thats offended around here? to have people *begin* to get excited about this team is a slap in the face to the rest of the fans that have *been* excited for this team.

last years team was a great team to root for. they overachieved and played hard. anytime they beat someone, it was a gift. like the pounding against the cardinals in august.

i am very afraid the FO, the fan base, and the team is setting itself up for a let down. you know what happens when everyone thinks they are better than they are? you get crappy fans (philly), arrogant fans (boston), delusional fans (ny's).

i am not saying to play the lovable loser card. but to expect big things and not get them is far worse than expecting few things and receiving more. you can argue the glass/outlook/perception argument if you want. but dont confuse yourself. baseball is entertainment. and i would argue that last years team was and will be more entertaining than this years team, even if it wins 85 games.

just a few thoughts from a weary fan. i dont want the Nats to turn into the Redskins.

Or sarcasm...

-----

I'm just going by what I read on this blog. Which never contains hyperbole...

"baseball is entertainment. and i would argue that last years team was and will be more entertaining than this years team, even if it wins 85 games."

The '07 Nats had their moments, to be sure. But they also had some veeeery long nights early in the season on the way to 9-25. (Of course, going .500 after that didn't hurt a bit.) And watching the team scrabble for runs while praying that the bullpen would hold up was something I found to be more enervating than entertaining.

Every season has its excitements and its disappointments. I'll cherish '07 as I do every season past, but I look forward eagerly to '08. If nothing else, the anticipated increases in offense from the refreshed lineup and new venue should provide plenty of entertainment.

"and i would argue that last years team was and will be more entertaining than this years team, even if it wins 85 games."

theraph, that's pretty judgmental in and of itself. we have no idea how entertaining this year's team will be. not only because we haven't seen them play at all, but because we don't even know what the whole roster will look like.

nothing wrong with getting excited about changes in your team and looking forward to the new season. that doesn't necessarily mean you disliked the old team. i appreciated what i've watched the past 3 years. and i'm still looking forward to next season (and beyond) with the changes that have been made with an eye to competing long-term.

"and i would argue that last years team was and will be more entertaining than this years team, even if it wins 85 games."

The one thing I know is that when leaving RFK last season after a game, I felt much more "entertained" when the Nats won.

I'm with Hendo on this one.

and tejada is gone to houston... for outfielder Luke Scott, pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate, and third baseman Michael Costanzo

I think last year's team did overachieve some... but I think it would be a disappointment if this year's team did no better than that. Because of the way the Nats split their season into before and after mid May, I think that it's fair to expect about a .500 team... but there's a ton more upside than downside, I think.

They're at least as good, if not better, at every position... and given how beat up their rotation was last year, if they can get just a normal level of injuries and another couple outs out of their starters, I think you'll see a pretty big improvement.

I'd love to see them sign another starter, but in terms of performance, I don't see a starter out there in the free agent market that is really any better than what we already have... and what you could get in trade would be too expensive.

Everyone is down on Patterson, but I think we should at least give him the benefit of the doubt.

One thing is for sure... it'll be different than we're expecting.

Does anyone have any details about the big "blow up" and "temper tantrum" that Brian Schneider threw in 2006? Ladson made mention of it a couple of days ago, but he failed to provide details. So, does anyone have details?

i understand what everyone is saying. next year will be entertaining in its own right. but im just trying to say that higher expectations leads to disappointment. an improved roster and a more potent offense will no doubt lead to more wins. with more wins, comes more expected wins. taking the per win value out of each contest, and focusing on the aggregate. what makes baseball fun, to me, is the daily competition. i am not looking at the standings wishing for more. i just want to be satisfied after spending 3 hours a day watching a game. (which is a substantial amout of free time).

i am seriously worried about the perception of the nationals. i have been a redskins fan for a long time. and not once have i looked back on it and said "wow, i had a great time rooting for them." its always so negative. part of that is due to expectation. thats all im saying.

on another note:
tejada is headed to the astros. think he plays 3rd or they deal their SS?

I want the commissioner of Major League Baseball to move the Atlanta Braves to the NL Central and put the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League East.

In the prior thread, NatsNut had asked about baseball movie recommendations. We had a bit of a baseball book discussion at one point and some passing references to baseball movies the week after Thanksgiving (I think that cevans referenced Angels in the Outfield, Damn Yankees, and It Happens Every Spring in that one). I have bunches of movies in my NetFlix queue, NatsNut, including Bronx is Burning, which you'd referenced in your query. I'm not sure which of the standard movies you've already seen, but Baseball Almanac has a rather comprehensive list that is worth a look (it's not annotated, though):

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/movie_f1.shtml

theraph:

You bring up an interesting point about why people are sports fan - very philosophical. I think one can get enjoyment from just about any kind of team. The only type that frustrates me is the one that seemingly has no plan for improving. I can deal with losing as long as there is a sense that the team is building toward something they might actually achieve. After over thirty years of no baseball in my home town, I was willing to put up with a plucky if planless franchise. No more. I feel like the team finally has a long term direction. Sure maybe Milledge, Dukes, etc. flop, but at least the Nats are trying moves that MIGHT make them a championship ball club. Watching that plan unfold, whether it produces play off games or not, is entertaining for me because I love baseball.

Winning is a lot more fun though.

6th & D, re. Schneider chair-throwing, see this link (there was a video on youtube at one point):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/13/AR2006081300417_2.html

"Does anyone have any details about the big "blow up" and "temper tantrum" that Brian Schneider threw in 2006? Ladson made mention of it a couple of days ago, but he failed to provide details. So, does anyone have details?"

I don't remember the specifics, but it involved a reporter asking him for the 1,000,000th time if his arm was feeling okay after a bad game. He assured them that it was.

"I don't remember the specifics, but it involved a reporter asking him for the 1,000,000th time if his arm was feeling okay after a bad game. He assured them that it was."

I guess that reporter must have been Ladson, eh?

I actually came away feeling optimistic after watching the Lo Duca/Milledge press conference. I had the impression that they had reached some sort of mutual understanding after getting off on the wrong foot initially. I liked their attitudes about winning and the fact that Milledge wears #44 as an homage to players before him and is therefore in touch with the history of the game (which I'm not sure that younger players always are). I also thought it was funny that Bowden essentially said "tell your statistics to shut up" several times.

...and he probably addressed him as "Ryan Sneider"

---

I guess that reporter must have been Ladson, eh?

Agreed, natsfan. The best way was when he said "this is not fantasy baseball."

Re. Milledge's #44, presumably that would be Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, and Willie McCovey.

I liked his highlight videos, too.

theraph, i think #4 said it pretty well.

as far as the skins go, i've enjoyed watching them for 40 years. good and bad. expectations or not. when i started watching them, they were terrible and had been for years.

whether you are disappointed by expectations or not is really up to you. being a fan is what you make of it. only fairweather fans overbuild expectations to the point that they become non-fans. and nothing you or anyone else here says will change that. those of us who appreciate baseball and are happy to have our own team will continue to follow them, good or bad. thick or thin. we may b*7ch during bad and thin, and that's the right of a fan, but we'll still be here.

Theraph, don't take this wrong, but doesn't that say more about you than the team?

********
i have been a redskins fan for a long time. and not once have i looked back on it and said "wow, i had a great time rooting for them."

Posted by: theraph | December 12, 2007 01:34 PM

Don't forget that part of the joy of the Deadskins is discovering what new way of sabotaging themselves they will come up with this week.

It's like being a Cubs fan!

perhaps. but that would be indicative of about 95% of the fans in the stadium as well. its a redskins cultural thing.

im a baseball fan. i have been one, and i will be one. i dont complain if a team is doing poorly. thats life. i would prefer to have a reason to root that isnt associated with winning. i dont agree with that. so, yes, maybe it is a reflection of my personal preference. sue me.

interesting post on the sports bog about yesterday's news conf... all the news that's fit to print... err... "illuminate"... about milledge's sweater vest and watch...

and the link to above sports bog is...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2007/12/lastingss_watch_and_lo_ducas_g.html

Theraph, don't forget the fundamental difference between football and baseball... You only get 16 tries in football. You can't watch the sport without demanding a win.

I like the watch. Good to see some style coming into the clubhouse. I wonder, though, if Lastings was making a statement by wearing the same sweater he wore on his album cover?

Also, GO GET PRIOR if he is non-tendered tonight.

Prediction: Bowden DOES NOT go after Prior, if available.

Analysis: Price too high, downside too big.

Exception: On February 1, Prior is still unsigned, and willing to take a minor league contract.

You heard it here first.

Two things: that Bog post was wildly funny, better than many Steinberg items (which can be saying a lot, given his proclivity for unearthing the unimaginably funny).

Second, as stated in several earlier posts, I absolutely agree with picking up Prior if he gets non-tendered. If we are in the business of taking high risk chances with the potential for high reward (and I'm not opposed to that approach at all), then Prior seems to fit the mold.

Also as previously mentioned, "take a flyer on Prior" shall be my rallying cry henceforth.

if we're going to potentially spend money to upgrade the team, taking a chance on a guy like prior is the right way to go. "freak" injuries, not kerry woods' arm injuries. incentive the heck out of the contract.

Prior would be good for a little healthy competition on the field. Maxwell and Escobar would finally have some major league freak injury talent to compete against.

Sadly, Escobar won't be competing in the freak-injury-off this coming season... didn't I see someone on here say a little while back that we released him?

So part of the buzz from yesterday's meeting, Bowden is not done. He still is working on other things. We know he is looking for offense improvements. We know he is looking at the middle infield. We know he does not have that much depth from which to trade. And we can guess that the Nats don't have enough to acquire Brian Roberts. Sooooo, who is he gonna get and at what price?

Projected batting order: (1) Felipe Lopez, 2B; (2) Lastings Milledge, CF; (3) Ryan Zimmerman, 3B; (4) Nick Johnson or Dmitri Young, 1B; (5) Austin Kearns, RF: (6) Elijah Dukes or Wily Mo Pena, LF; (7) Jesus Flores or Paul Lo Duca, C; (8) Cristian Guzman, SS.

pretty sure this is exactly the lineup i've been proposing. courtesy of espn who suspect nats have 28th best lineup right now in the majors. that's an improvement!

I did not find Lo Duca's comments re: Milledge condescending or passive aggressive. Here they are from Steinberg's Bog:

* Lo Duca on Milledge: " really feel you're going to see a superstar in the making. It's just a matter of him keeping his head on straight, and he knows that. He's going to make a lot of money in this game. He's got a ton of talent. He's the kind of kid that can carry a team, he's got that much talent. And he knows that."

How bad a trade was the Tejada trade? It's like both teams rearranging the deck-chairs on their respective Titanics.

Ultimately, I think the O's lost out on it, because they've got five worthless player, instead of one worthless player.

True, Section 506. Although, in the O's defense, the Astros five worthless players combined don't make a quarter of what the O's one worthless player was making, so at least they're saving money. Now maybe they can afford to lower the price of beer at Camden Yards.

i don't know that they got 5 worthless players. luke scott seems to be in the mold of adam dunn, low BA, high OBP and SLG. except i think he can actually play the field, unlike dunn. a couple of the prospects were ranked decently.

here's how someone from baseball america responded to the trade in a chat today:

===

Sean Arlington, VA: What do you think of the Orioles trading Tejada for Luke Scott, Matt Albers, Troy Patton, Dennis Sarfate, and Michael Costanzo

SportsNation Chris: We all pretty much know what Luke Scott is. I love Albers' delivery and he creates good natural deception for a RHP. I touched on Patton briefly earlier, and if his changeup continues to improve, he could be a legit No. 2. Quality velocity on the fastball, plus curveball are already there. Sarfate is a bullpen arm with some value. Costanzo is the enigma of the bunch. Some scouts don't believe he's an everyday third baseman, but like Scott, he's got lefthanded juice. He just needs to put it all together for a full season. In each of the last two years he struggled with consistency early and then blew up in August. He handled lefthanders better this past year, but there are still defensive question marks. On a side note, I just got off the phone with Costanzo, who said his parents bought a bunch of Astros stuff for various family members for the holiday season. Hope they have the receipts.

==

they didn't get what they would have a year ago, or two years ago, but he's not the player he was then, either.

btw, scott's numbers the past couple of years:

AVG OBP SLG OPS
.336 .426 .621 1.047 (214 ABs)
.255 .351 .504 .855 (369 ABs)
.273 .366 .516 .882 (career, 663 ABs)

18 HRs in 369 ABs isn't shabby. but he really is like dunn... in those 369 ABs, he had 95 Ks, and 53 BBs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=6229

Think they'll move Roberts to third?

Too bad the Nats don't need a light-hitting shortstop. I just read that the 'Stros are going to play Tejada at short and non-tender Adam Everett.

no. roberts is a prototypical 2B and a good fit there. he'd be out of place there and whoever they replaced him with at 2B wouldn't likely be as capable as who they could put at 3B (mora, for now, or whoever they bring up/sign/trade for).

LA Nats - If you buy into the Chris Needham analysis, Everett is a guy we should look at. The problem is Guzman has never played 2d so is not suited to be a backup.

New post.

Sounds like the O's may try to get by with a platoon at 3d - the guy they picked up last year (Ryan?) and this Costanzo. Mora either traded or perhaps moved to CF. Scott is a place holder until Reimold is ready. Patton slots in at #3 behind Guthrie / Loewen and woud be #4 if they keep Bedard. They have a hole at SS. I don't think Fahey fills it. Curious what they do.

Just wanted to flag a dumb thing I said up stream. In reply to CE, I said that .340/.400 OBP/SLG out of Lo Duca and a slightly below average SB% against would make me not critical of Lo Duca, after saying I was disgusted with the pick up. Well, that's close enough to some projections of Lo Duca's offense (hardball times) that I have to temper my initial reaction. At a .732 OPS over the past 5 years, I can't say he unlikely to meet my offense benchmarks. I still have concerns about his arm, big time. But, it's just a 1 year deal. Disgusted, I ain't. Not happy, but another thing I'll trust real baseball people's judgment on.

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