In case anyone missed it, though the YIKES! could apply here, too. Honestly, I think that "click" in his shoulder could be decent pitching. He was on last night, I'll take lower velocity with that pitching any day.

-----

Trying to kill time at work today, so I decided to look at the NL batting averages with runners in scoring position (min. 25 PA's). Washington has 4 players that have at least 25 PA's:

Milledge -- .333/.440/.389
Kearns -- .208 /.387 /.250
Johnson -- .200/.433/.350
Zimmerman -- .038/.097/.038

YIKES! Milledge, so far, is the only one getting on-base with runners in scoring position!

I also noticed that only one other NL team has at least 4 players that have at least 25 PA's ... the Mets:

Pagan -- .409/.423/.591
Church -- .400/.500/.400
Wright -- .269/.394/.654
Beltran -- .222/.323/.370

Now that's some decent clutch hitting!

Interestingly, only one team (D'Backs) have three players meet this criteria (Hudson, Byrnes, Young). The Cubs (Soto, Ramirez), Dodgers (Ethier, Loney) and Cardinals (Glaus, Ankiel) hvae only two players, and the Braves (Texeira), Brewers (Weeks) and Phillies (Howard) have only one player.

So it looks to me that the Nats are getting guys into scoring position more than most other NL teams. Some time or another, the hits will come to drive them in. I'm praying that it's sooner rather than later.

Posted by: e | April 22, 2008 3:36 PM

And the dreaded carryover...

Did anyone else's mind go straight to this Sam Wyche gem when they read this post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7M3S87wHj4

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are not the Chicago White Sox, and Manny Acta is not Ozzie Guillen.

Posted by: Budapest | April 22, 2008 4:12 PM

Posted by: MKevin | April 22, 2008 4:20 PM

umm. that sucks.

Modern day baseball:

An injured pitcher calls his agent before calling his team.

i dont like to be negative. but as i posted a few weeks ago, hearing a "pop" will not go away after a few days rest and a cortisone shot. the clicking is residual tendinitis from using the arm/shoulder prior to the decrease in the inflammation. thats common practice in all bursitis/tendinitis/inflammation/torn labrum situations.

that "clicking" is the tendon where the bicep muscle, the shoulder muscle(or several) are catching on the bones. if he continues to throw, then that clicking will result in a tear. he needs to shut down to prevent surgery. if he continues to throw, even at the drs advice, he will need surgery. thats just the way it and there is no way around it, unfortunately.

and, the rehab sucks.

Don't forget, swanni, the team is not a neutral party. It's possible he talked to a coach, too, and they just didn't tell anyone.

Repost:

"Starting in mid-1996, Marge Schott was banned from involvement with the day-to-day operations of the Reds. She wasn't even allowed to attend games at Riverfront without buying a ticket. And during her earlier suspension in 1993, Bowden officially ran the team. So let's not be so quick to blame Marge for JimBo's run of mediocrity in Cincinnati."

___________________________________________

CIL,

So basically you're telling me that because Marge was suspended Jimbo then had an open checkbook?

That is both naive and ridiculous.

"thats just the way it *is*".
i corrected a typo? thats a first.

RE: Clicking

It's probably just a washer or a bolt or something. My car door does that...

(couldn't help it... gotta do something to lighten the mood...)

@505--Since you obviously are Jim Bowden's mom, I feel bad quarreling with you. You and your boy can celebrate your 1 lifetime playoff appearance and keep blaming World Series Champion Marge Schott for all your problems.

yes, double down that carryover:

manny is not the problem. he's got a very long leash in my book. i've said before zimmerman wasn't a 3-hole hitter and now it appears commonplace to call for his removal.

well i wouldn't do that either. there truly is nobody else on this team that deserves to hit there. my point was this team won't be legit contender until zimmerman is the third best hitter on the team, most likely hitting 5th. as of now that's just not the case. better players have had horrible streaks worse than this. let zimmerman suffer through the slump. i'm sure he's mentally stable enough to survive and learn from it.

i wonder if all our players have so many at bats with runners in scoring position is because it's the same runners who are stranded. such as guzman waiting at 2b, milledge ks, zimmerman ks, johnson ks. 3 at bats with runners in scoring position. whereas mets, would just knock him in with a single. a bit of a misleading stat.

and the minors has improved big time. quit hating on bowden for stuff that's already been fixed and is now in the process of generating positive results.

________________________________

cordero calls his agent first? not impressed.

JimBo should have seen this coming with Cordero last year and traded him at the top of his value. If he can't predict the future of his players with complete accuracy, what use is he as GM? He should be fired.

Even worse, Cordero doesn't call the team; his agent does. What does that tell you?

Maybe it's just me, but it feels like Barry is revealing more details about the inner workings of the team as he proceeds to his new beat.
Would love to see Barry become the Nats columnist rather than becoming yet another Skins beat reporter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bowden

Does anybody want to add to Bowdens bio on wikipedia, it is a little sparse..and Im sure one of you can think of something creative to say.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bowden

Does anybody want to add to Bowdens bio on wikipedia, it is a little sparse..and Im sure one of you can think of something creative to say.

I think it sums it up nicely. Got his first job in MLB by rooming with kid of a team owner, then later traded Gary Majewski. That seems like an appropriate summary of the significance of his MLB career.

Actually, be sure to mention the part about getting fired for comparing the players union to Osama Bin Laden. That deserves a mention.

Assuming that Bowden called Manny after Cordero's agent called, that means the team's manager was the third person to know his top closer is meeting with a surgeon.

Does that sound right to you?

As I'm still trying to avoid doing any actual work, I decided to check on the Nats' Relivers and how they're doing with inherited runners. Keep in mind this is an unscientific approach.

Ayala -- 4 inherited runners. 1 scored.
Colome -- 2 inherited runners. 2 scored.
Cordero -- 1 inherited runner. 0 scored.
Hanrahan -- 4 inherited runners. 0 scored.
King -- 8 inherited runners. 4 scored.
Rauch -- 5 inheritede runners. 1 scored.
Rivera -- 6 inherited runners. 4 scored.
Schroder -- 1 inherited runner. 0 scored.

Totals -- 31 inherited runners. 12 scored.

What does this tell us?

I have no frickin' idea.

Section 506 - I'm pretty sure that Bowden can't predict the future because the Learners are cheap.

Oh, and be sure that the Wiki entry mentions that he twice acquired Aaron Boone. 505 thinks it's really important that this gets highlighted.

505, did I say anything about an "open checkbook"? There's not a single GM in baseball--including Cashman (or Bob Watson during the same era) who has an "open checkbook." My point was exactly as I stated it--Schott had very little ability to control operations during most of Bowden's tenure. She wasn't even the formal owner for the second half of his time there.

Believe me, this is one subject area in which I am not naive. Bowden was just not a good GM in Cincinnati. Even after Schott was officially out, he was given every opportunity to succeed as GM in Cincinnati under Lindner/Reik. Along with his mediocre record as GM, even his idiotic 9/11 comments weren't enough to get him fired there. Ultimately, he simply failed miserably.
---------------------
CIL,

So basically you're telling me that because Marge was suspended Jimbo then had an open checkbook?

That is both naive and ridiculous.

Posted by: Section 505/203 | April 22, 2008 4:37 PM

Steve on CH,

So let me get this straight, because I took the position that Jimbo didn't do that bad of a job in Cincy under unusual circumstances, and that it is too early to tell with the Nats, I'm his mom?

Brillant.

So, if I don't agree with a person (you) who rarely has anything positive to say on this blog, you end the arguement with an elementary school insult?

I mean, are you for real?

Not buying it, NoVA Nat. After all, if Bowden had predicted the future he would have known the Lerner's cheapness imperiled his prediction abilities. Death to Sweet Caroline!

Since when is being "his mom" an insult (I thought we always used it here in a joshing sense?)

Seriously on Bowden: he seems to need someone to help focus his energy and creativity. Stan seems to do that well. We'll know for sure in five years.

Unless, of course, they're all fired.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lastings_Milledge

Check out what I did for Milledges 2008 season, if its still there.

Hell as fans we may not be able to change the way the Nats play, but we certainly can change their Wikipeida profiles!

So maybe it was Marge Schott's cheapness that started it all? I guess its the old chicken or the egg debate.

For those editing Jimbo's Wiki page, make sure you add comments. Your edits will be quickly reversed, but your comments will be maintained in the history. (I'd add some edit myself, but the Wiki folks don't like me.)

2008 Opening Day Payroll

$ 54,961,000

Cordero $6.2m
LoDuca $5m
D. Young $5

30% of the opening day payroll is now sitting idly by utterly useless.

(I won't mention the $2.5 owed to Jose Vidro)

No, you're "his mom" because 1 playoff appearance in 14 years as a GM is a record only a mother could love. I thought it was pretty funny. Funnier than "theraph" or whatever that was.

But I'm not always negative! I have lots of good things to say about Manny and his approach, and I've gone on at length about how it's unfair to condemn Kasten for not putting a winner on the field after 1 draft and 2 off-seasons, considering the wreckage he inherited.

But the difference is that Kasten actually has a track record of success that justifies the benefit of the doubt.

"But I'm not always negative! I have lots of good things to say about Manny and his approach, and I've gone on at length about how it's unfair to condemn Kasten for not putting a winner on the field after 1 draft and 2 off-seasons, considering the wreckage he inherited."

Yeah, but then you go and act like a jerk to probably the most open-minded and conciliatory poster on the blog. The one guy who WOULD stick up for you if someone was flaming you, you go and flame.

That's kinda douchey, sorry, dude, it appears you don't mean it that way. It's harder in print to discern tough guy ribbing from an obsession to burn everything to the ground that stands in the way of you being proven right in your own mind. I know that I mistook it for the latter.

"But I'm not always negative!..."

___________________________________________

Steve on CH,

I guess the few positive things you post are being camouflaged by all the negative things, because I damn sure missed them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Nationals#Notable_moments_from_the_2008_season
Check out the notable moments from the 2008 season

2008 Opening Day Payroll

$ 54,961,000

Cordero $6.2m
LoDuca $5m
D. Young $5

30% of the opening day payroll is now sitting idly by utterly useless.

(I won't mention the $2.5 owed to Jose Vidro)

Posted by: | April 22, 2008 5:05 PM
---------------------

see what happens when you spend money on players??? stick with the young unknowns and they'll stay healthy ...

oh yeah, let's lighten up everyone! it's just a silly game, at least that's what my shrink keeps telling me ("it's only a game. it's only a game. it's only a game.")

e, your shrink isn't taking this thing seriously enough. I'd like to see him put some real passion into your therapy. He should be fired.

"Yeah, but then you go and act like a jerk to probably the most open-minded and conciliatory poster on the blog. The one guy who WOULD stick up for you if someone was flaming you, you go and flame. "

==========

Are we reading the same blog?? I would not put 505... in that category. Or are you confusing 505... with 506... ?

I was referring to, Bob L. Head, who has far more class than me.

When did the requirement to post here Barry that you be positive? You post positively or negatively based on what you see. Have you seen the team? Barry this Blog has become a joke

The Lastings Milledge entry was there, and I admit it cracked me up as his only highlight. I think he will earn a much better entry later. Your next one seems to be removed.

Tom Boswell, April 18 on Chad Cordero:

"He should be treated like pure gold. Right now, he's being treated like Just Another Guy." That's why he called his agent.

At many levels, the Nationals look panicky right now. Why on earth is Cordero __who looks like he may be seriously injured__ on the ML roster, not on the DL or rehabbing in the minors? What's the hurry with Hill? Doesn't he have too much long-term value to risk? Why is Pena back when his timing is non-existent?

Watching Cordero on Wednesday night was almost too sad to see. Facts: His velocity was down in Florida. He felt a "sharp pain" and heard a "pop" when throwing on Opening Night. He's a trooper, so he comes back as fast as he can. Then, he throws 10-to-12 mph slower than normal IN A GAME. The poor kid can't get the ball to 80 mph. There's a road-side batting cage machine down the road from me that throws 80. And we all hit it.

MRI's don't show everything. Cordero has a spectacular early-career record even if he escapes a lot of jams and gives up some homers. All that matters are the numbers, babe. Career 2.79 ERA and 128 saves at age 26. He should be treated like pure gold. And, right now, he's being treated like Just Another Guy. Somebody in the organization needs to stand up and say, "Shut this guy down until he can throw 89 again or until we find out what's wrong with him."

Don't want to beat a dead horse (or dead arm) here, but this is another indication of the lack of trading acumen of our beloved GM. If JimBow would stop overrating his players when it comes to deals, Cordero's arm problems would be some other team's worry right now. Usually, a closer is the most "protected" pitcher on a staff and this does not bode well. I would also light candles and say prayers that Wookie isn't the next guy who has to make an appointment to see Dr. Andrews.

maybe jimbow can trade cordero to the reds, like he did majewski.

I second that. There aren't too many posters on this blog who would go so far as 505/203 did in *re-posting* his/her own words calling out another poster (in this case, me) as "naive and ridiculous" and who then ignored my response that s/he essentially demanded.
* * * *
Are we reading the same blog?? I would not put 505... in that category. Or are you confusing 505... with 506... ?

Posted by: What's in a number? | April 22, 2008 5:28 PM

I totally agree flynnie. It sure seems like there were some obvious signs that something was/is wrong with Cordero. I'm not a Dr, nor do I play one on TV, nor do I claim any inside info, but if he was indeed rushed into service to get the bullpen back into slot and halt a losing streak, it seems:

1 - to be at best in poor judgment, and at worst negligent.

2 - to have not had the desired effect (read "not worked/backfired/etc").

Yeah, but then you go and act like a jerk to probably the most open-minded and conciliatory poster on the blog.
__________

Well, I apologize if anyone felt like I was a jerk to anyone. I guess you are saying that by calling 505 "Jim Bowden's mom" that this was taken as a harsh attack. But I was just humorously mocking him/her in a friendly way for what I thought was a pretty humorous defense of Jim Bowden--"he's good! He acquired Aaron Boone and Ron Villone!" I was teasing, so no need to get defensive.

As for Bob L. Head, this whole back and forth STARTED with him calling me and my pitchfork-wielding friends "know-nothing blogger blowhards." I responded to his name-calling ad hominem attack with substance! So... why am I now a "jerk?"

JimBow release Patterson.
Hill rehab is fast tracked. Everyone says 7.20 era is ok.
Cordero has 15 minute session with Manny & JimBow.
And you question why Cordero or any other player on this team would talk with his agent first??

Remember the plan. Do not forsake the plan. The plan by Stan will stand. Patience please. I know we all get frustrated, I know I do...but give it time, say 10 to 15 more years and the plan will, uh, will come to pass. Seriously folks/fans...ride this thing out. Do not jump ship yet. Just frown and bear it.

maybe jimbow can trade cordero to the reds, like he did majewski.
____________

Actually, I would add this to the reasons we would be better off without Bowden. I can't imagine other GMs aren't gunshy about dealing with a guy with a reputation for hiding injuries.

When did the requirement to post here Barry that you be positive? You post positively or negatively based on what you see. Have you seen the team? Barry this Blog has become a joke

Posted by: JayB | April 22, 2008 5:43 PM

___________________________________________

So, always being negative is the way to be?

I second that. There aren't too many posters on this blog who would go so far as 505/203 did in *re-posting* his/her own words calling out another poster (in this case, me) as "naive and ridiculous" and who then ignored my response that s/he essentially demanded.

Posted by: Coverage is lacking | April 22, 2008 6:07 PM

___________________________________________

OK. I'm Man enough to admit if I took too far. I apologize for calling you "naive and ridiculous."

losing streaks sure do bring out the "jerkiness" of lots of people. altho i'm sure there are some who'd just be cranky bastiges even if we made it to the WS. some people just like to complain just because they can.

kinda like sometimes i just like to debate (some might say argue) just because i can.

hey, i'm capable of recognizing my own flaws. sometimes.

It's Boras.

---

Scott Borus

Perhaps he meant porous as in the condition of his cloak of invincibility of late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's Boras.

---

Scott Borus

Posted by: impersonator's proofreader | April 22, 2008 6:22 PM

Jeezus, what grade are you people in?

Old Topic. Harris is not the problem. Maybe we just don't have any good hitters. Who was Ty Cobb's hitting coach anyway??

what has acta done to prove hes such a good mgr. when the nats were supposed to finish historically bad last year they only finished really really really bad. and now they may be historically bad. so tell me again why hes so good?

the cubs lost their first 2 games and sweet lou changed the lineup immediately. after 2 games. it took acta weeks to change the lineup during this scourge.
guy has done nuthin.
hes srgent shultz of hogans heroes.
he knows nuthin.

i like milledge a lot but if he doesnt know when to run and when not to--like on the first pitch against olson this weekend, why isnt he getting the red light and being told not to run. this is bad managing.
these guys are playin like crap.
i mean these are the bad news bears here.
thats on the manager.
are you tellin me we are the worst team in all of baseball. bs. i dont believe it.
thats on the mgr.

shucks...this is nothing a little 16 game winning streak wouldn't help cure.

I was disgusted when I saw Willie Harris and Nieves in the lineup vs. Smoltz..but heeeey WilliE (in my best Alf voice!).

1-0 NATS!

I just hope Stan's plan works within 2 to 3 years. Of course by then the Nats' STE's will be down around 8,000, and I can better seats for cheaper. So that should be good. Of course, I think according to the Mayans, the world ends in December 2012 so lets hope we win the WS that fall.

I don't care if you call me naive and ridiculous. I do however want you to admit that you are wrong in repeatedly claiming that Bowden somehow deserves a pass for his tenure in Cincinnati because he was supposedly handcuffed by the tyranny of Marge Schott. That is simply untrue, as I explained in my response that you ignored.
* * * *
OK. I'm Man enough to admit if I took too far. I apologize for calling you "naive and ridiculous."

Posted by: | April 22, 2008 6:21 PM

Hey, gang, this is a bit off-topic, but anyone have any idea what channel the Caps game is being broadcast on?

Re: Milledge: In spring training Manny said that he was going to give Milledge the green light as long as his average stayed above 74% successful.

http://tinyurl.com/6bktth

If you look up Milledge's 2008 stats on baseball-reference you'll see the official scorers have him listed as successfully stealing 2 bases and caught 2 times. But if you've watched or listened to any of the games this season you'll realize that he has been much more aggressive and "stolen" at least a couple of bases I can recall by stretching singles into doubles and advancing two bases instead of just one Not that this is always smart but ... it is fun to put pressure on the other team and this has -- more often than not -- worked (for better or worse).

I don't know what to think about Cordero. I really don't. There's just not enough information to assess the situation.

Did he call his agent because he's worried about getting Pattersoned? Because the chemistry in the clubhouse is so bad that he doesn't have fluid communication with St. Claire or Acta? Because he's been trying to tell his managers and coaches about this for weeks but they've been squelching the message in the media? (in Washington there has to be at least one conspiracy theory option) Maybe he's just concerned about the impact of the fine print in the contract on this situation.

It might really be nothing. Remember being 26 years old? Sometimes this kind of thing can be largely ignorable. At least it was for me ... but I sat at a desk all day (and I made a lot less dough doing it)

CSN/CSNHD

Unless I miscounted, Felipe just made his way into the record books as Smoltz's 3,000th K.

It's looking more and more like failing to trade Cordero this past offseason -- when his value was at an all-time high -- is going to go down as the biggest mistake of Bowden's tenure with the Nats.

See, that's what my snarky post about Bowden not seeing the future and knowing to trade Cordero was all about. You can't say it was a mistake for the GM to not trade someone based on some bit of information not available at the time such as, uhm, the future.

LANats wrote:

"It's looking more and more like failing to trade Cordero this past offseason -- when his value was at an all-time high -- is going to go down as the biggest mistake of Bowden's tenure with the Nats."

Given that Bowden shouldn't have traded Cordero for the magic beans that everyone was offering in the first place, then I would say that if that was his biggest mistake, then he's doing pretty well.

LANats wrote:

"It's looking more and more like failing to trade Cordero this past offseason -- when his value was at an all-time high -- is going to go down as the biggest mistake of Bowden's tenure with the Nats."

Given that Bowden shouldn't have traded Cordero for the magic beans that everyone was offering in the first place, then I would say that if that was his biggest mistake, then he's doing pretty well.

Me, I never got why Cordero stayed as a closer. We call him Cardiac Cordero, right? I mean, really, there's gotta be better closers out there, no?

You can certainly say it was a mistake if the guy's biggest worth to your team was as trade bait, and you failed to pull the trigger.

He couldn't have known that Cordero would get hurt, know, but he had to know that Cordero's value on the market would never be higher, and he failed to capitalize on that value for a team that's in rebuilding mode and needs all the prospects it can get.

We finally caught a break. A hideous bunt ended up loading the bases with one out. Could we please finally take advantage of good fortune?

Time for Felipe to get his revenge on Smoltz...

We finally caught a break. A hideous bunt ended up loading the bases with one out. Could we please finally take advantage of good fortune?

Answer- No. Lopez grounds out to first

LANats wrote:

"It's looking more and more like failing to trade Cordero this past offseason -- when his value was at an all-time high -- is going to go down as the biggest mistake of Bowden's tenure with the Nats."

Given that Bowden shouldn't have traded Cordero for the magic beans that everyone was offering in the first place, then I would say that if that was his biggest mistake, then he's doing pretty well.

Me, I never got why Cordero stayed as a closer. We call him Cardiac Cordero, right? I mean, really, there's gotta be better closers out there, no?

Probably, but if you reliably know stuff like who they are, you're worth a great deal of money to 30 organizations I could name.

if someone knows of a good offer he refused, i'd like to hear about it. i'll be happy to dis bowden for turning down a good offer for cordero.

but i've yet to see any actual reports of actual offers.

to be honest, i don't remember seeing any reports of "actual" offers (or even "rumored" offers) for soriano, either. everyone said he was asking for too much, but i don't remember hearing about any "reasonable" offers being made to bowden.

again, not saying there weren't any, but i don't think i even saw any solid rumors.

Given that Bowden shouldn't have traded Cordero for the magic beans that everyone was offering in the first place, then I would say that if that was his biggest mistake, then he's doing pretty well.
Posted by: Wigi | April 22, 2008 8:16 PM

______________________________________

I suppose we could argue the merits of what he was offered, but this is part of my point. I think Jimbo has by-and-large done a good job with the Nats, but he missed an opportunity with Cordero.

SF Fan is spot on. Cordero's not that great a closer. He's like the Joe Borowski of the NL. So after he had a year or two of putting up gaudy save numbers, the organization had to know that his value would never be higher.

"I don't care if you call me naive and ridiculous. I do however want you to admit that you are wrong in repeatedly claiming that Bowden somehow deserves a pass for his tenure in Cincinnati because he was supposedly handcuffed by the tyranny of Marge Schott. That is simply untrue, as I explained in my response that you ignored."

___________________________________________

I will not concede my argument about Bowden. I don't think he was that bad of a GM in Cincinnati. Was he Theo Epstein or John Scherholz? No. And on the opposite end of the spectrum was he Mike Flannagan? No.

Please don't confuse me for being a Jimbo apologist or the president of his fan club. I personally think the Nats could do better as far as a GM is concerned. But, you can't do a Dan Snyder and blow it up whenever the wind shifts. He has made some bad moves and some good moves but, I think based on the vast minor league improvements that have been made under his watch, he deserves the chance to finish what has been started.

"I don't care if you call me naive and ridiculous. I do however want you to admit that you are wrong in repeatedly claiming that Bowden somehow deserves a pass for his tenure in Cincinnati because he was supposedly handcuffed by the tyranny of Marge Schott. That is simply untrue, as I explained in my response that you ignored."

___________________________________________

I will not concede my argument about Bowden. I don't think he was that bad of a GM in Cincinnati. Was he Theo Epstein or John Scherholz? No. And on the opposite end of the spectrum was he Mike Flannagan? No.

Please don't confuse me for being a Jimbo apologist or the president of his fan club. I personally think the Nats could do better as far as a GM is concerned. But, you can't do a Dan Snyder and blow it up whenever the wind shifts. He has made some bad moves and some good moves but, I think based on the vast minor league improvements that have been made under his watch, he deserves the chance to finish what has been started.

I'm going contrarian on the Chief's behalf here. No closer out there, regardless of availability, would have made this team significantly better than it is with Cordero.

Don't squeal like little piggies when the bullpen gives up a lead and then say you want to trade him for AA prospects.

"I don't care if you call me naive and ridiculous. I do however want you to admit that you are wrong in repeatedly claiming that Bowden somehow deserves a pass for his tenure in Cincinnati because he was supposedly handcuffed by the tyranny of Marge Schott. That is simply untrue, as I explained in my response that you ignored."

___________________________________________

I will not concede my argument about Bowden. I don't think he was that bad of a GM in Cincinnati. Was he Theo Epstein or John Scherholz? No. And on the opposite end of the spectrum was he Mike Flannagan? No.

Please don't confuse me for being a Jimbo apologist or the president of his fan club. I personally think the Nats could do better as far as a GM is concerned. But, you can't do a Dan Snyder and blow it up whenever the wind shifts. He has made some bad moves and some good moves but, I think based on the vast minor league improvements that have been made under his watch he deserves the chance to finish what has been started.

Does anyone know of a website where team LOB statistics can be compared? I've looked at hardballtimes.com and baseball-reference.com but can't find it. And I feel sure that we're setting the pace in this category.

Thanks

I personally think the Nats could do better as far as a GM is concerned.
__________________

If you really think this, and STILL want to keep Bowden, then I can't help you.

Hey, Lannan's looking pretty good these last couple of starts. Maybe Trader Jim can trade him TONIGHT on the off chance he gets injured sometime next year.

Hey, Lannan's looking pretty good these last couple of starts. Maybe Trader Jim can trade him TONIGHT on the off chance he gets injured sometime next year.

Off chance, or even money. Take your pick.

Is anyone watching the game? Lannan has out-dueled Smoltz.

Shocking, I tell you. Shocking.

Nieves with a couple hits...Wee Willie with some solid AB's.

Would be nice if, at some point, the name calling and Nat bashing would be overwhelmed by actual support.

Hey, Lannan's looking pretty good these last couple of starts. Maybe Trader Jim can trade him TONIGHT on the off chance he gets injured sometime next year.
Posted by: Suicide Squeeze | April 22, 2008 9:05 PM

-------------------------------

LOL. The difference is that Lannan could figure into the team's future. Cordero, probably not. I'm glad they're giving him a chance to start in the majors, and he is looking good this year.

Hey, Lannan's looking pretty good these last couple of starts. Maybe Trader Jim can trade him TONIGHT on the off chance he gets injured sometime next year.
Posted by: Suicide Squeeze | April 22, 2008 9:05 PM

LOL. Point taken. But the difference is, Lannan could be part of the team's future. Cordero, probably not. I'm glad they're giving Lannan a chance to start in the majors, and so far, it seems to be paying off.

If Shawn Hill can pitch consistently, all of a sudden the NATS rotation doesn't look so bad.

If we could get some guys hitting above .225 we would be in business.

Nick, what's up?

Is anyone watching the game? Lannan has out-dueled Smoltz.

Shocking, I tell you. Shocking.

Nieves with a couple hits...Wee Willie with some solid AB's.

Would be nice if, at some point, the name calling and Nat bashing would be overwhelmed by actual support.

Can anyone explain to me why Manny would call in King to face 2 switch hitters (Jones and Tex.) and then pull him from facing Lefty McCann?

Did nobody else see the irony in this?

___________________
OK. I'm Man enough to admit if I took too far. I apologize for calling you "naive and ridiculous."

Posted by: | April 22, 2008 6:21 PM

i don't know the numbers for sure, estuartj, but he may have just wanted to turn them around to hit right handed. most switch hitters have a better side.

OT in the Phone Booth

LDO,
In an attempt to even out my emotions, I'm not making a big deal of this game and adopt a winner's attitude.

Shutout Braves? Ho hum. Against Smoltz? Whatever. Psh. They're SUPPOSED to.

Lannan's performance is nothing to brag about. It's expected.

(My mom never game me dollars for A's. She's said she wouldn't reward me for things I'm SUPPOSED to do).

I cant explain why King didnt stay in...

though McCann is 0 for 2 in his career vs Ayala

And do we know what the over/under on that point that would be, LDO?
*****************
Would be nice if, at some point, the name calling and Nat bashing would be overwhelmed by actual support.

Posted by: Los Doce Ocho | April 22, 2008 9:29 PM

It's SOOOOO nice to see that there are other teams that can make stupid mistakes that lead to an add-on run for the Nats!

MORE add-on for 3-0 lead with BASES STILL LOADED WITH ONE OUT! I may faint.

if the the score remains the same, will this be a "reverse lock" win like when speigner beat johan santana last year? speaking of johan, will nats recall speigner to start tomorrow night?

After a quick peek at baseball reference...

Chipper's numbers as a RH hitter (.306/.392/.508) aren't as good as a LH (.309/.409/.563)...though still hall of fame worthy

Teixeira .276/.364/.532 as LH & .306/.381/.545 as RH

Nice work by Campillo...thanks for the run!

Performance-based bonuses to Manny & Lenny for tonight's game, perhaps??

Yeah, heaven forbid we reward the behavior we're trying to reinforce.
OK, that was a little bitter.

************
(My mom never game me dollars for A's. She's said she wouldn't reward me for things I'm SUPPOSED to do.)

Posted by: NatsNut | April 22, 2008 9:37 PM

Bottom of the order has played very well in this game. Middle of the order hasn't done squat.

Piling on!!

Six to naught!

until now, of course, ed.

Ed...your insight is incredibly Krukian

as for the over/under - I sure hope for the under

I think Nieves has to catch more.

Yeah, heaven forbid we reward the behavior we're trying to reinforce.
OK, that was a little bitter.

************
(My mom never game me dollars for A's. She's said she wouldn't reward me for things I'm SUPPOSED to do.)

Posted by: NatsNut | April 22, 2008 9:37 PM

Posted by: MIB flashbacks | April 22, 2008 9:46 PM
-------
that's also why I still can't eat canned peas to this day!

See how great a one game winning streak can make everyone feel!

OK, NOW it's a one-game streak

Ta Da!!

Woo hoo! Next stop world series!

Or

Well, there's our one win for the week, hope you enjoyed it.

Take your pick.

What a relief. Good night friends.

Have one evening without angst.

Lannan out pitches Smoltz despite Smoltzee throwing 10 Strikeouts. Rauch throws 9 pitches, all of em for strikes.

Not sure if anyone is catching the gamecast on this, but its funny to see Resop's picture in an Angels uniform. He pitched all of 4 games and came over from FLA for Kevin Gregg.

For all the attacks on Bowden's trade record, just check Stoneman's past work with the Angels pitchers (Jenks, Turnbow & Wise for nothing, Alexi Casilla for JC Romero Amezaga for Jason Bulger). And that was for a contending team. Yikes.

While Bowden may not ultimately be the right guy for a rebuilding team, he has a pretty solid trade record with the Nats.

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

flyers, 3-2, in OT

Smoltz can have his 3000th+ K on the night he gets out-pitched by John Lannan. Excellent game by many standards. Still too many blown chances but at least they busted it open late. Feels good to get one in the bag heading home. We'll worry about the plethora of aces they'll be facing in tomorrow's edition.

Absolutely on Nieves. He has a lot of energy and makes a big difference in the tempo of the game.

Well that just ruined my night.

Re. Bullpen management

Manny brought Ray King in to turn Chipper and Tex around to the right side. He then brought Ayala in to pitch to the right-handed hitting Francour, not McCann. It was by the book, and it worked.

LDO, Mkevin, seems to me that Smoltz got Bergmanned by Lannan.

Listening as Smoltz neared his record strikeout, I said to my husband that I'd rather that he achieve his record in the game and we get the win. Hey, whaddya know? It worked. :) Nice one, Nats!

Boy it felt good to see that happen to someone else, eh?

I love everyone.

I fell asleep and dreamed the Nats had a 5 run 9th to seal a 6-0 shutout over Smoltz and the Braves. Yeah, right.

We love you, too, NatsNut. :)

Just think how good all those red Ovechkin shirts will look in the blue seats of Nationals Park this weekend.

Man, it just goes to show how electrified a town can become when a team is winning. I didn't hear any talk of ticket sales or concessions. I can't wait until we get to do that in baseball.

That's gonna be great.

Oh, and nice game, Nats. Bring that back with ya.

...and it sounds to me like we have another verb (or two) to add to the NATionary.

To "Bergmann" - (v) - 1) to out-duel an opposing starting pitcher when said opposition is heavily favored; to win decisively against a future Hall of Famer; 2) to cause an opposing pitcher to "Smoltz"

To "Smoltz" - (v) - to throw a tantrum when leaving the pitchers mound when being "Bergmanned" potentially but not necessarily resulting in injury and a stint on the DL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

seems to me that Smoltz got Bergmanned by Lannan.

Posted by: Traveler | April 22, 2008 10:08 PM

Good one, MKevin. To "Speigner" might be a synonym for to "Bergmann." ;)

ha ha. I deserved that one. Didn't mean to sound so b*tchy, I really was trying to reign in my own excitement.
______________________
Yeah, heaven forbid we reward the behavior we're trying to reinforce.
OK, that was a little bitter.

Posted by: MIB flashbacks | April 22, 2008 9:46 PM

@MKevin,

Is "Bergmanned" synonymous for "Speignered?"

Agreed. Good one, MKevin.

Don't your shoulders feel lighter, people?

No, Speigner is an extreme form of Bergmann, cf. dislike vis-a-vis loathe

So, are we then hoping that Santana gets Speignered tomorrow night because Brian and Ryan are back in town?

natsfan1a/leetee1955 - excellent addition!

Ammended:

To "Bergmann" - (v) - 1) to out-duel an opposing starting pitcher when said opposition is heavily favored; to win decisively against a future Hall of Famer; 2) to cause an opposing pitcher to "Smoltz"
- Synonyms) to "Speigner"

To "Smoltz" - (v) - to throw a tantrum when leaving the pitchers mound when being "Bergmanned" potentially but not necessarily resulting in injury and a stint on the DL.

A win I love it and Flop was not Flop. Bummed about the Caps tho.

To my knowledge Santana holds the distinction of being the only member of the "Speignered" club to date. May as well make him a two-time member.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, are we then hoping that Santana gets Speignered tomorrow night because Brian and Ryan are back in town?

Posted by: leetee1955 | April 22, 2008 10:34 PM

been lurking on tarik's blog rerading the raw emotions of the disappointed caps fans (even though i haven't seen anything yet from my two favorites - Boo! and mauree). win or lose, god, i can't wait to have that same experience when the nats get to postseason.

MKevin,I love the definitions - also, I was only able to follow the game on Gamecast, so had no idea about Smoltz's behavior! Great game, eh?

that should be "reading the raw emotions..."

Mike Keenan is available at the end of hockey season to manage the Nats! You will love him. His mother never complimented him so that he wouldn't get conceited, and his players loathe him! Sound familiar, Manny haters? Your childhood, your kind of manager!

flynnie,

most of us love manny. we just sometimes wonder if that's him or a blinking cardboard cutout in the dugout.

Not this game... I was referring to the same game last year as you were. Smoltz's antics when leaving in the middle of Bergmann's no-hit bid. If I remember correctly he had some sort of collision with AK where he ended up hurt. He threw a bit of a hissy-fit coming out of the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MKevin,I love the definitions - also, I was only able to follow the game on Gamecast, so had no idea about Smoltz's behavior! Great game, eh?

Posted by: Traveler | April 22, 2008 10:47 PM

MKevin, yes, I remember - he did have some sort of near collision with Kearns, then glared at him, which brought a great round of booing from the crowd - but whatever it was that happened to Smoltz, he did to himself, Kearns did not cause it.

Smoltz is a great pitcher, and he does deserve accolades for reaching 3,000 Ks. Pity for him that the game will not be remembered for that!

And Kumbayas broke out all over this land...

so, how many picked 2-6 for the road trip beforehand? i thought 3-5 which of course could very well have been the case. i am really happy the bats woke up the past couple games though...

Soooooo...it wasn't a dream...well, how about that.

"If I remember correctly he had some sort of collision with AK where he ended up hurt. He threw a bit of a hissy-fit coming out of the game."

You'll also recall that Kearns actively tried to avoid Smoltz, who was standing in the basepath. Kearns tried to get as around him as he could and actually twisted all awkwardly and Smoltz just jutted his hand right into the big man (at a weird angle).

Then, when Austin Kearns ran into it - and we all know that you don't want Austin Kearns running into anything, especially not parts of your body - Smoltz got hurt and threw a temper tantrum, accusing Kearns with all sorts of death glares.

Lannan pitched SEVEN shutout innings?!? Did I read that right?

Kinda helps to assuage the heartbreak of the Caps' losing in overtime.

"Sometimes a team just needs a break- to be blessed with a gift." Bob Carpenter, when Braves reliever hurled an easy out to 2d into the outfield.

Bob's voice is perfectly married to the pastoral beauty of the game. He keeps it light, withut pulling any punches. We are so lucky to have him.

Let's not go overboard just because the Nats won a game. Carpenter is awful. He makes multiple mistakes every night and steps all over Sutton trying to provide mistaken "analysis" that he has no business providing and that Sutton then needs to correct him on.

At least it seems that Carpenter has minimized the use of some phrases that he brutally overused last year such as "jam job" and "good take.". Be thankful for the little things I guess..like more play-by-play from Johnny Holliday.

New post up. Ding ding.

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