"So you're rotation..."? Dave, say it ain't so.

Atta boy Felipe, way to play your way into the lineup. A solid 0'fr day with an E4 bringing the tying run to the plate in a guy (Wright) who has been hot all day.

This is going to be like the year the Braves brought up Smoltz and Glavine - when they got the *&^&%$ kicked out of them....only problem is that none of these guys look like Smoltz and Glavine.

Shameful grammar, I agree. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Time for a bit of tough love for Felipe. He's due for an earful from someone.

Will we accept an error every game? No. Hell No!

Dave --

How bad was the throw from FLop? Was the throw WAY over DY's head, or could a first baseman that could stretch get it?

Schroder, who gave up the Wright homer, gave up three runs in the sixth on some very hard-hit balls (two doubles and a triple).

Lopez drops in a hit with two out in the top of the seventh, but is left on by Langerhans.

5-2 Mets, middle seventh.

"know Manning and the Giants are not exactly popular among Redskins fans, but please don't treat this post like, say, fans of a certain other local team might when a somewhat-football-related video ends up on their blog ... I'm sure you understand." from Jason La Canfora...

We should all write to the editor and complain about him.

felipe, do you think that should have been an error?
"no...hell no!"
but it was a play you should have made, wasnt it?
"i threw the ball hard, you cant judge this kind of stuff by fielding percentage, i know i am where i need to be"
hitting close to the mendoza line and making an error a game?
"i wanna [RF] start, i deserve it"

Matt seems to be struggling a bit with the change to his mechanics. Paging The Saint...

Good thing spring training doesn't count. Nats, for the third spring in a row, are near the bottom in wins. Not absolutely certain about three springs ago, but I believe I'm right.
One thing that bothered me about the Nat's bullpen last year and I'm seeing the same trend this spring is, in games they appear to have lost already, they are tremendous, unhittable. But the close ones, they seem to take turns blowing it. Maybe it's my imagination, but....

Smoltz and Glavine didn't look like Smoltz and Glavine when they first came up either.

skins need everything to be about them. gotta be making up for something else lacking, i'm sure.

i remember when kasten called into riggins show recently and all they wanted to talk about was redskins for the first 2 minutes.

if football fans are fans of baseball then i have more in common with them than if they aren't. but no need to fall over myself as if i need their blessing or their fandom. i'm a fan of the game, i'm not a fan of being a fan.

just to clarify before the hatemail comes in. i am a redskins fan but the nats have much more appeal to me. i don't really care if dc is a sports town or not. i just like what i like. i'm kinda selfish that way.

anyway. the real reason for this post started has more to do with this Boswell line than my respons to jason la canfora's pleasing the redskins faithful:

Patterson's career does virtually duplicate Bennie Daniels, who won a presidential opener for the Senators in '62 and was quite friendly, years later, when I visited him in prison.

here's to hoping patterson stays a free man.

know Manning and the Giants are not exactly popular among Redskins fans, but please don't treat this post like, say, fans of a certain other local team might when a somewhat-football-related video ends up on their blog ... I'm sure you understand." from Jason La Canfora...

We should all write to the editor and complain about him.

Posted by: SF Fan | March 21, 2008 03:19 PM
__________________________________________

Jasno brings the truth. His blog is the reason any other team on this website has a blog, plain and simple. You all know it, so why hate?

Just because the Redskins are #1 and the Nats are like a redheaded stepchild there's no need to get all moody about it.

And so what if he pokes fun and some whiny, cry baby fans on the Nats blog? By complaining about his joke you're only reinforcing it. Geez!

La Canfora was right to say that. He got savaged by some for what really was a funny video.

"If you bench Lopez, you might lose the player -- emotionally speaking."
--------------

I think they may right now be on the verge of "losing" him "emotionally" -- if it hasn't already happened.

Which is a shame because you know he's got talent, he just hasn't been able to get his head screwed back on right.

Not that that is an excuse, given how much they're paying the guy.

Lannan, Lannan, LANNAN! Can't we all agree he's better than chico and get this charade over with?

that was me, right or wrong.

oh and for more fodder i never watched the video. but i did try to read the skins blog once last year.

Even though he brings the truth, he's ceremoniously eviscerated by Redskins Insider posters whenever he comes even astronomically close to criticizing a decision the Redskins make.

"know Manning and the Giants are not exactly popular among Redskins fans, but please don't treat this post like, say, fans of a certain other local team might when a somewhat-football-related video ends up on their blog ... I'm sure you understand." from Jason La Canfora...

We should all write to the editor and complain about him.

Posted by: SF Fan | March 21, 2008 03:19 PM

I'm taking SF Fan's comment as a bit of snark and giving him Post of the Day for it.

HTTR, in honor of Jasno's pique.

That's a lot more "dude," "bro," and "hate" than I can really bear. La Canfora is an excellent reporter, though(although not nearly as good of a writer as Barry), and he has been since he was on the Capitals beat.

But, you know, RI readers probably get turned off by the haikus, grammer police, and literary allusions here. To each his or her own.

-----

oh and for more fodder i never watched the video. but i did try to read the skins blog once last year.

Was that on purpose, J in M?
_________
"grammer police"

anybody have any way of calculating the nats chances of finishing above .500? if i keep in mind that we will be doing good to get to .500 it helps me calm down. there are few critical errors on a .500 team. yeah they have to do their jobs and some will do better than others, and there will be plenty of turnover. but nobody is so important they become a goat if they don't perform. that said, nobody is so unimportant that they get a free ride. we have a respectably mediocre team here who may surprise us on the upside, or disappoint us on the down side, but are probably going to be right in the big squishy middle of the league... which is pretty damn fine for a team that didn't play here a few years ago, and almost didn't play anywhere...

Long Range 10 Day weather forecast. Few Showers on 29th, Showers on the 30th.

I remember sitting in the constant drizzle twenty years ago to watch the Mets play the O's in the Bring Baseball to DC exhibition game. So with that point of reference, I suspect the 29th will happen regardless of weather so the organization can dry run the stadium.

An opening day rain out on the other hand, given Presidential security and Transportation/Parking nightmare stories just waiting to be expressed. I'm certainly not wishing for it; maybe 40,000 Nats umbrellas should be pre-positioned at every seat just in case.

There is one thing that Lopez has going for him... and that is that he's not hurt. Whatever his problems are, they are almost certainly about being unhappy with his current situation... which a possible trade partner might look at and say that the change of scenery will induce a bump in performance... So it is possible that potential trading partners will look at his potential value rather than his current value... let's hope.

The downside of that is, he'll probably set the world afire wherever he lands, so we'll all regret having traded him... But I say, don't be fooled.

I was surprised that Manny was as candid in his comments as he was.

Boomer:

How are you deciding that Lannan's better than Chico? If you look at their minor league stats - really the only place where they've had enough stats to be significant - Chico's actually slightly better. I grant you it's not by much, but he is better. He's also shown he can take the ball every five days in the big leagues and be decent. I like both their make-ups. They both seem unflappable, but I don't think either of them is better than a back of the rotation starter - #4 or #5. From what they've done in pro ball so far though, Chico deserves the first shot. Long term I think one of them gets traded. They are so similar in terms of stuff, and it's hard to have two almost indentical pitchers in your rotation.

He wasn't even talking about the Nats. Nats fans love the Redskins. It was the DC United page that Mr. La Canfora was talking about. The DCU faithful feel that their team plays "football" and the Redskins don't. So, everybody calm down.

Um...I hate the Redskins.
_______________
Nats fans love the Redskins.

Posted by: 6th and D | March 21, 2008 06:02 PM

Natty B, the odds are 50-50: either they will or they won't. Or to quote from long, long ago and far, far away: "No chances--DO. Or do not. There are no 'chances.'"

And I don't give a flying Philly [fig] about the football team. Don't wanna, don't hafta. Can't make me. I just enjoy laughing at their fans, and putting curses on their name.

I'm not sure I can agree that Lannan is better than Matt Chico. I think he did very well last year considering he had never pitched above 'AA' in his life. I really think that Chico - with a real major league offense behind him - can become a reliable 12-14 game winner for the Nationals with an ERA in the 3.75 - 4.00 range.

Nothing wrong with that.

Now, in two or three years, the chance of his being supplanted in the rotation by one of the near-phenoms currently in the minors is great. If that happens, Matt gets traded for prospects or goes in a package for another strong bat.

Nothing wrong with that either.

By the way, I watched the Mets game this afternoon, and thought Chico's pitches looked much better now that he's returned to his high leg kick.

As to Felipe Lopez, I'm afraid that he's going to be almost as worthless in any potential trade as was John Patterson. He will be a reclamation project for another team, their version of Dmitri Young.

And if you remember, no one wanted Young last year; he ended up signing a minor league contract with a 67 win team.

My guess is the Nats would receive a couple of organizational type players at the most.

Personally, I'd be happy to see him go. I am a BIG Ronnie Belliard fan. He'll do whatever he's asked, he's cheap, and he's a great hitter.

shame on you scott in shaw

Given the one post per hour rate, I think I'm sending this into the ether, but ...
The other roster question that appears to be bubbling up will be who the 25th spot will go to. After Hill or whoever else is healthy is activated for the 5th starter spot, they will carry 13 position players. I have the first twelve being: LoDuca, Nieves, Belliard, Guzman C, Johnson, Lopez, Young, Zimmerman, Dukes, Kearns, Milledge, and Mackowiak. That leaves Langerhans, Harris, and Boone A. The Nats are in a funny place because while they will have 6 righties, one switch hitter, and one lefty in their everyday line up, they will have a very left handed bench. Young and Lopez are switch hitters and Mackowiak is left handed. Does that mean they need to keep Boone to balance things out? I say no. I'd keep Harris for his defensive versatility and his ability to lead off an inning as a pinch hitter. I'd feel better about him if his SB stats were good, but they're not. In fact they are atrocious. The Nats have a pretty good defensive OF, so keeping Langerhans as a late inning defensive replacement has limited value. When Pena returns, the Nats will need to unload someone as long as no one has gotten hurt. That might be the point at which they make a trade. Six weeks into the season, about Pena's projected return, is often when teams make moves.

Nieves and Ray King need to be added to the 40 man, but space will be cleared when Guzman G and Whitney are returned. I also noticed on the Nats web site that Odalis Perez is not listed on the 40 man. The Nats actually only have 39 guys listed right now, so they have some flexibility to make a trade.

Oops. That should read, "I also noticed on the Nats web site that Odalis Perez is NOW listed on the 40 man." Was that reported anywhere?

Go Commodores...oh, wait. Sorry :D

Chico never pitched above AA, you say? Lannan started in Single A ball last year.

I still can't get over his MLB debut and freakin' striking out Bonds when he was still sitting on #755. And he's a couple years younger than Chico.

Don't get me wrong, I'm at least Chico's auntie. I do love the kid, and I don't mind waiting a spell for Lannan.

But I have a feeling Chico's going to continue to be the steady work horse, but Lannan's star is going to shine a little brighter.

good on ya, Scott.

I appreciate the fact that the NJ Shaw contingent(Scott and MIB) aren't big Skins fans - do your,thing, for real. But please understand that the rest of Shaw - the folk that have been there for generations - ride for the Skins. Talking down to Redskins fans (i.e. the people who make up the core of this city) is not the best way for us to bring people into the Nats' fold. Let's show some consideration for this city's long-standing traditions and cultivate some new baseball fans, rather than turning them off to the sport with our pompous ways.

I appreciate the fact that the NJ Shaw contingent(Scott and MIB) aren't big Skins fans - do your,thing, for real. But please understand that the rest of Shaw - the folk that have been there for generations - ride for the Skins. Talking down to Redskins fans (i.e. the people who make up the core of this city) is not the best way for us to bring people into the Nats' fold. Let's show some consideration for this city's long-standing traditions and cultivate some new baseball fans, rather than turning them off to the sport with our pompous ways.

So nevermind the cross-95 intrasport rivalry: Bring on the intracity cross-sport animus. Keep it local, I say!

Nothing personal, Mo, but I don't care a bit about "bringing people into the fold."
I've been living here longer than most, thank you, and I've been pompous just as long as anyone else. Shaw is what it is because of a tradition -- apartheid. That don't make it right.

That said, this is just baseball, and that's just football. None of it is worth getting your shorts bunched.

Mets.com has recent articles on both Church and Schneider. Interesting reads.

there is reason to get shorts in a bunch because the redskins get treated like the be all and end all of the area when in reality the nats are in a better situation. actually in the city, games you can actually get a ticket to. owners who arent total dipshirts. and a bright bright future thanks to careful planning. just once i would like to see the nats or even the caps who are in a similar position, get the attention they deserve which right now is all of it

At least Mr. Snyder's first name ain't "Peter"...

Oops, better duck before the O's exec open up on me.

Danny is a Punk Ass.

AP Press Release

The NFL Record Books will be updated to show an asterik by the Redskins Super Bowl wins over the Dolphins and the Broncos due to the Strikes during those seasons. The Redskins only legitmate Super Bowl win over the Bills will remain asterik free.

Lovey are you drunk again?
http://tinyurl.com/ysc8ak

Sheila is a punk rocker.

Sheila is a punk rocker.

hahaha, thanks nats journal...you are all true friends

The name of the team notwithstanding, and it is an understandable complaint, I would prefer to increase cross exposure with the Reskins. The more people there are that want to follow the Nats as even their second team, the more coverage we get in the papers. Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot.

One thing we haven't talked about in a while are the uninspired uniforms our team wears, and the just as corporately spit-out logo. I am truly surprised that the Lerners and Stan haven't taken the opportunity to improve on those half-hearted efforts.

Hear hear Mo Monroe. I am with you. Mister, you are way off base.

there is the professional world of warcraft power leveling here. welcome.

there is the professional world of warcraft power leveling here. welcome.

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