Barry, you forgot li'l Bobby Fick! Where's Ficky?

The only guy I'd want back is Schneider, as I think going from him to Capt. Red A$$ was a major downgrade at catcher. Other than that, the only players on your list who seem to be putting up credible stats are Church and Galarraga. Even if Church wins the MVP I'd rather see him on someone else's team (never liked the guy), and lets see if Galarraga can keep those numbers up over a full season.

It seems to me that Bowden has generally done well getting more than he's given in trades and roster moves.

Agree 100% about Schneider...we need his leadership.

And, Barry, you forgot one "What if..."

What if bumbling Tolman doesn't wave Zim home and get him thrown out? As I said in my post last night, he makes bad running calls on a regular basis...why is he still coaching third base? If Manny really likes him, fine, put him at first, but not third where there's too much at stake.

For that matter where is Nook? And no early love for Ryan Church? I miss both of the Mets, Brian and Ryan. One of the Mets we got, Lo Duca, leaves me cold...his rah-rah ranting , HGH-shooting, horse-racing, no-arm flapping, pass-balling self. Maybe Milledge is the future and I will be patient...but in the meantime...I would rather have Brian/Ryan than Paul/Lastings. I know that wasn't the trade...but I'm just saying....

I'm really happy for Church. He seemed to get a lot of crap here I didn't understand. It's nice to see him thriving in new digs. But I'm not so sure I'd still want him back.

Sigh. Schneider. Oh Schneider. I absolutely miss him and really want him back.

Otherwise I'd have to agree that there isn't a whole lot to be missed from the lot of 'em.

I wonder about Fick too.

215,
laughing at your LoDuca description. Especially "pass-balling."

Galarraga is becoming my Newman.

This is an amazing list. Thank you Barry. Every one of these players, except Schneider and Churchie, (and for 4 games Armando Gallaraga) are doing worse than when they were here. That must be credited to Mr. Bowden. And whom do I miss? I loved Church since he smashed into the left field wall in Pittsburgh, breaking ribs and separating what was there to be separated to catch a long fly and rescue The Chief from a blown save. I thought Guillen was poison when he criticized Church for not playing hurt. But liking Church, I was glad to see he and Schneider go to a contender. And to have no extra base hits at Shea shows that Schneider still has that light hitting Nats disease that LoDuca, when he reverts to form, should cure. (Barry-is he really going to end the season at .290? I'm waitin', and hopin', and hopin' and waitin'. . .) Rick Short, nearly hit .400 in New Orleans, hit well in his September call-up, and then gave his all, separating a shoulder diving to his left to try to keep a line drive in the infield, is in the top 10 hitters of Japan's Pacific League. I miss Nook, who hit great when the switch-hitting experiment ended, and could actually catch a fly ball even if he broke wrong, which often happened. He was cut by the Dodgers, and I can't find him anywhere.

"Who would make the CURRENT team better?" Clearly Soriano and Schneider. Soriano, in my mind, bats 4th, Nick moves to his proper spot @ #3, Zimmerman moves down to 6th where he belongs and Schneider, even assuming LoDuca outhits him this year, makes the pitching staff better.

That said, it is a credit to Bowden that it is just those two, and in the context of The Plan, I regret neither move. My prediction is that Dukes will push Milledge to right or to the bench, but that was still a trade you'd do again.

This game was very exciting and entertaining. I felt like a Pittsburgh fan watching Endy Chavez let that fly ball drop beside him on Saturday, and then watching the March of Doom. When Z-man scalded that last ball with two out in the 9th, I thought, "He's done it again!" Bob Carpenter has the gift of prophecy. He said, "Aaron Boone would love to open up on one in this park, JUST LIKE THAT! That one is launched! It's out of the park!" Like a morning prayer, I read I Hate Walks' post on not being a fair weather fan and appreciating the beauty of the game.

Flynnie, Bob Carpenter has the gift of prophecy? Come on, let's not get ridiculous here. You know what they say about a blind pig, right?

Mornin', stinker!

Thanks for the list, Barry. It seems to me any calculation of who we would rather have has to include the consequences of reversing that decision. So, while I agree, Soriano helps whatever team he's on, he would cost Burgess (tearing up the sally league) + Zimmermann, plus the outrageous 7 year deal he got, so, no thanks, pass. Same with Schneider - I'd love to have him back, but I don't want to give up Milledge. I really hope when his contract runs out that the team looks at him as a backup to Flores. So, that said, the only one I'd like back is Rasner - we basically gave him away for nothing by fumbling our 40-man roster, and he'd certainly be a #4 or #5 option along with the other Columbian Clippers.

Yeah, I miss Schneider (also Carroll - feel free rag on me for that one, as usual ;)). Don't know that any of the former Nats on their own would make our team better. Also echoing the whither Fick comments.

Burgess didn't have anything to do with Soriano. We got Josh Smoker and Jordan 2Ns for him.

Love this post! Man, we're gonna miss Svrluga ... great information.

Can't say I'm sorry about any of the moves. I think Church was never going to produce for us; he needed a change of scenery. I'm not in the pro-Schneider camp; i think his bat is weak and was close to an automatic out. I'll say this again: neither Schneider or Church was set to be our starter this year, so why not trade two part time players for a starter (Milledge) with a ton of upside? I still make that move every day.

The decision NOT to go after Livan Hernandez or Kyle Lohse in the off season is still defensible. Would you rather have a veteran who has a bloated 5.00 era and middling w/l record or would you rather blood-let an up and comer like Lannan who may be inconsistent but gives you 19 scoreless innings while he improves every day?

The only other players on there doing well were things you couldn't predict. Rasner, Galarraga were too young at the time of their release.

Here's some additions that are noteworthy or that I'd like updates on.

- John Patterson: thought he was on IR with Texas AAA franchise but can't find him.

- Jason Simontacchi: no idea where he is. Injured still? recovering?

- Josh Whitesell: *lighting* it up for Arizona's AAA team. this move really irked me during spring training. We kept the likes of Langerhans, who i doubt ever sees a Major League roster, yet DFA Whitesell. .290/.385/.540 with 6hrs in 28games.

- Matt Whitney: our rule5 draft pick who we couldn't make a deal to keep from Cleveland. .256/.326/.419 for Cleveland's AA team. Eh; probably a good move to let him go, he's a 1B with other prospects we value more.

- Robert Fick: after DFA by us, signed with San diego in January, released in March. ? location now.

- Glenn Gibson: player traded for Dukes. Getting lit up in mid-A ball for Tampa Bay's affiliate. 1-4, 6.51era though a halfway decent whip of 1.34.

BTW, I think I know what happened last night. The rally possum overslept and missed the flight to Houston.

I don't know that I'd undo the trade, but Livan sure would stabilize our starting pitching if we'd picked him back up this off-season.

Today is one of the worst days for Nats fans ever.

Chris Needham is calling it quits. Say goodbye to one of the best blogs in all MLB. I'm sure some folks found him overly critical, but the intelligence, research, and just plain thoroughness of his work has been an indispensable addition to Nats fan world.

The Post if it had any sense would at least try to get him to do a weekly column or something. His blog is so superior to any baseball columnist the Post has it's not even close. Even though he's said before that he wouldn't be interested in a full time journalism gig, he's been doing his blog for free for 3 years, so I bet with a little coin, higher profile, and way less work load he'd at least think about it. At the very least the Post should try.

Except for maybe Soriano, Zimmerman, and Manny, no one associated with the Nats has brought more to the table since 2005 than him.

HIRE CHRIS! HIRE CHRIS! HIRE CHRIS!!!!!!!

In retrospect, JimBow has a great record. The only real glitches are Rasner (sometimes the numbers make good decisions impossible).

Schneider would be a positive behind the plate, but does he really give us anything more than Nieves? Church has gone through streaks like this before, but doesn't seem to be able to sustain.

Fick is an interesting situation. I'd really like to find out what the story is. He provided some real leadership and knowledge. I always felt that he would be an excellent prospect to be a coach/manager, but (I think) he only needs a few months on a ML roster to make his 10 years, which is a big bump in retirement, so I'm guessing he is still trying to catch on somewhere.

I wouldn't worry about Fick. He's probably naked and ranting in some manager's locker room in some league somewhere even as we speak.

Oh for crying out loud enough with the apologists. You guys are going to break your necks trying to spin postive.

All this list shows is that Bowden not only has precious little talent on the current roster, but that he hasn't brought in or lost any talent either! Rosters full of scrubs and bums for 4 years! Of course the former Nats stink! That's what happens when your GM is committed to a strategy of scavenging through castoffs, reclamation projects, and broken down retreads.

PS HIRE CHRIS!!!

In agreement with most of sentiment. Church was never going to put those Mets numbers up here. Glad he is doing well there. Miss Schneider's glove and arm but his bat very rarely did anything for the team. Anyone surprised about Endy. I thought he had gotten it together in Philly.

On another note, it will be interesting to see if the NATS can put last night aside and win tonight or if they go into a spin like they did afther that close Phlly loss in the fourth game of the season.

Here's the site for Chris Needham's blog: http://dcbb.blogspot.com/

I encourage everyone to drop him a thank you for his tireless work.

Even if you never read his blog, Barry stole at least a half dozen ideas from him a year, so you really have been reading his stuff if you've been reading this.

"HIRE CHRIS! HIRE CHRIS! HIRE CHRIS!!!!!!!"

The Post doesn't turn bloggers into baseball writers, dummy. It turns baseball writers into bloggers, e.g. Svrluga. And when that doesn't work, it turns baseball writers into an even lower form of life than bloggers, namely Redskins writers. Again, e.g. Svrluga.

Thomas Boswell. Not even a good enough (or bad enough, take your pick) baseball writer to be turned into a blogger. Eventually his weekly yo yo-ing column eruptions will be all that remains of baseball in the print version of the Washington Post.

Steven on the Hill, r.e. your Bowden bashing, please enlighten us: what EXACTLY would you have done differently while managing the Nats between 2005 and now? Please cite examples of specific players you would have brought in, and how you'd have brought them in, as this thread seems to suggest that Bowden made no major mistakes in who he decided to give up.

Usually you have to give things to get things. I doubt people will fight you on the Nats having had not much of anything to trade in the years since Loria and Minaya's firesales. Other than "the Plan," which seems to be progressing nicely (see system, farm), what free agents would have made the difference for the Nats in the past three years?

Speaking of where are they now, because O's Exec hasn't been around lately with updates on the team, I thought that I'd share that they are now in 4th place in the AL East (at .485).

Deep Fried Screech: I'm not the one paid to evaluate talent and field a winner. I'm the one paying 7.50 per beer and 47 for a bleachers seat, and the right to complain is included in those prices.

Ray King: this is me not responding to your constant name calling. But if you can't acknowledge the sheer number of hours, if not outstanding quality of Chris Needham's blog, then that's really sad.

Come to think of it though, I would have hired Walt Jocketty and fired Bowden.

Or promoted Rizzo and fired Bowden.

There you go. There's 2 specific moves I would have made.

Now.... FIRE BOWDEN! HIRE CHRIS!

Even if you never read his blog, Barry stole at least a half dozen ideas from him a year, so you really have been reading his stuff if you've been reading this.

Posted by: Steven on Capitol Hill | May 7, 2008 9:32 AM

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Wow, the fact that there is a fairly finite number of pertinent statistics or interesting aspects of a single baseball team MUST mean Svrluga stole his work from Needham.

That's ridiculous.

Just because facts, statistics, or trends reappear in different writers' work does not mean that there has been content-stealing going on. Indeed, there is only one MLB team in this town with 25 players on its roster at any given time, with a fixed number of minor league affiliates (and therefore, fixed number of players) upon which to report. No matter how many times you twist the numbers around, inevitably, there will be some overlap coverage between all the outlets that pay attention to the Nationals franchise and all with which it is affiliated.

Everyone watches the same game every afternoon or evening. Everyone sees the same performances. Everyone has the same set of raw statistical data to break down if they choose to do so. Again, the fact that two people analyze the same limited data set in the same way at one point or another has nothing to do with "idea theft," but rather reflects the amount about which there is to write.

As a side note, this has nothing to do with being an apologist, and everything to do with the fact that over the course of three-plus years of having a team, coverage of the team (and as we've seen time and again, there is debate as to whether or not that has been comprehensive) by bloggers-by-trade and journalists will likely have some overlap. Them's the facts.

What about the starting pitcher we got from San Diego -- Brian Lawrence? -- that never played here? Where is he now?

"Ray King: this is me not responding to your constant name calling. But if you can't acknowledge the sheer number of hours, if not outstanding quality of Chris Needham's blog, then that's really sad."

I never said anything good or bad about Chris Needham's blog, Steven. In fact, I think it's been quite good and have even commented over there myself on occasion. I'm sorry to see it go.

What I said, basically, albeit with a modicum of snark, was that there's no way the Post would ever hire him as a columnist. That's not what they do. If you ever actually read and tried to comprehend what others are writing before going off on one of your rants, you would know that. Once again, you are barking up the wrong tree. But if it gets you off the "Top Ten Reasons Jim Bowden Should Be Fired Today" rants (which btw are the same reasons you wanted him fired yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, ad nauseum) then I suppose that's a good thing. Rant on.

Barry is no thief of ideas...period. His writing over the years this franchise has been in town has been appreciated by many, as was his book National Pastime. I'll miss him when he heads to that other team in town who so desperatly needs another writer (?). Afterall, they only seemingly have a dozen writers covering them already. Go figure

Barry -- here's a couple more for you:

what if the Nats relievers actually did their job?

what if Ayala doesn't groove an 0-2 pitch to Carlos Lee?

what if the Nats don't play that ridiculous "no doubles" defense, especially in that pathetic band box the Astros play in?

If Kearns is playing normal depth, he makes the catch. Instead, he's playing almost on the warning track in RF where a pop-up can go out as a homerun. If Kearns is playing at normal depth and a ball is hit over his head, it's a homerun. That ballpark is ridiculous.

I miss Church, but he was never going to perform like this for us. Scenery change move...good for him.

I don't miss Schneider at all, though I do wish they'd saved the money on LoDuca.

I'm actually very happy we grabbed Perez instead of Hernandez, he is at the top of my pleasant surprise list this year, plus his contract (and age) make him a movable part if/when we want to move him to make room for a younger arm.

Today is one of the worst days for Nats fans ever.

Chris Needham is calling it quits. Say goodbye to one of the best blogs in all MLB. I'm sure some folks found him overly critical, but the intelligence, research, and just plain thoroughness of his work has been an indispensable addition to Nats fan world.
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He's a bleeping blogger. Get over it.

I missed Schneider, but if he'd not gone we would have no Milledge (read: future star, present player), and we would never have gotten to know Wil Nieves like we do today.

I'll always be a Jamey Carroll fan as long as he keeps hustlin', which I expect he will do for a long, long time.

Still, I don't think that any of these players would dramatically improve the Nats team on the field today. Would Livo pitch well for DC? Sure, but better than Redding or Lannan or Perez? Even if yes, he doesn't have the upside potential or bargain price. Would Soriano be fun to cheer for at the plate? Yes, but "...if Willy Mo ever gets a'hold'a one..." I mean, while I loved watching him, I'm not critical of the overall plan that let him go.

Then there's Church, who I was glad to see go -- as much for his sake as for the Nats. He couldn't have put up those numbers in this town, and I don't think he will sustain them for NYM. But good on him if he does, Milledge and Kearns can catch most of what he hits anyway. ;)

But the rest of them? Nah. Thanks for the great service, guys. Keep the shirt.

Barry, big thanks for including what the Nats got in return on each of those deals.

I'm no apologist for Bowden but I don't think he got really rooked in any of these deals. Like love said yesterday, "he is exciting and involved. he makes mistakes and gambles more than he should...but thats how i like it, this is baseball." That's how I like it too. It gives us hope for the future and something to talk about (even if we don't like it right, SoCH? ;)

As for last night's game, well .. it was exciting with all the back and forth, but it seemed like two very evenly matched teams having simultaneously poor outings (both starting pitchers walked each other!) and the umpiring wasn't any better (to hear Charlie Slowes tell it, the home plate ump's strike zone included the black of the plate on some pitches and not on others). A lousy game in a lousy park with a lousy result. Let's get those cards in the mail to mom, take some juice-box batting practice, and get back home for the weekend.

Folks,

I wouldn't waste my time debating with SoCH. He is an angry person and a hater.

What's that saying about fighting with a pig? All you do is end up getting dirty?

As an out of towner with the mlb package, I was watching the Astros TV feed last night. I really enjoyed the strike zone box they displayed and how far off a lot of those pitches called strikes were. The inconsistency was astonishing. A joke. I'm just glad that ump will be moving on to 3rd base tonight. The telecast was enjoyable to watch, even for a Nats fan. It's interesting to hear the comments about your favorite team from another perspective. It was apparent they did their homework as they seemed knowledgeable eneough.

So in the last 24 hours I've been a dummy, a pig, and an ignorant sl*t.

You're right, I'm the angry one.

Schneider is a fine enough player, but I'd rather deal with a year of LoDuca for the long-term payoff of Lastings Milledge and Jesus Flores.

Soriano would clearly add to any lineup, but given that the Nats weren't in a position to re-sign him at the time, they got a reasonable return through their draft picks.

Honestly, Galarraga, with the way he's pitched, his youth, and the fact that he was essentially a throw-in on that deal, would be the best player for the Nats to still have.

Yeah, that has to be the lowest strike zone I've ever seen. It was almost like he was trying to compensate for the ballpark being a bandbox by lowering the strike zone about 6 inches. And that balk call was just pure b.s. -- it looked he was annoyed with the Nat's pitchers pulling that move for the 5th time, and just called a balk out of petulance to punish them.

So in the last 24 hours I've been a dummy, a pig, and an ignorant sl*t.

You're right, I'm the angry one.

Posted by: Steven on Capitol Hill | May 7, 2008 10:17 AM

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That a boy Steven! The first step is admitting you have a problem.

Nobody called you a sl*t, and you obviously understood the movie reference. That was a comedy, remember?

Robert Fick: Released by San Diego in spring training, currently out of work.

Nook Logan: Asked for release by Dodgers in spring training, currently out of work and last seen in the tunnel outside the Nationals clubhouse in Houston last night.

Jason Simontacchi: Living in St. Louis, running into former beat writers out to dinner there, and planning on playing independent ball.

Brian Lawrence: Signed a minor league deal with Kansas City in offseason, doesn't seem to be pitching.

Church is awesome. And to assume that 'he would never put up those numbers here' is a misrepresentation of statistics. Check them out. Look at the doubles, and the number of ABs last year. He could do it, but everyone wanted to find a scapegoat.

So what does the team have now? They traded a "good player on a great team, but not enough talent to be a good player on a bad team" for the same exact player.

I didn't like the trade then, if you recall, and I don't like it now. If Milledge ever performs at an All Star caliber, I will take everyone on here out to lunch.

Honestly, Galarraga, with the way he's pitched, his youth, and the fact that he was essentially a throw-in on that deal, would be the best player for the Nats to still have.
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This is right, except for Soriano--obviously we'd be better off with him.

But he wasn't a throw-in on that deal. He was never a fringe talent, it's not true that no one in baseball saw his ability, or that his success has been a total fluke. He was/is a real prospect, albeit one with a history of injuries, who we gave up for a one-year rental of Soriano. Maybe it was worth it, and I tend to think it still probably was because that one year of Soriano was so unbelievably phenomenal, and without him the last 4 years would have been REALLY unendurable, but defending that deal by claiming Galarraga is some total bolt-from-the-blue fluke isn't realistic. He was what he is--an oft-injured power arm who has a decent chance of being a solid bullpen arm and may even still become a middle-of-the-rotation starter, and based on his performance this year, you have to say that these positive outcomes are looking increasingly likely.

PS note how I got through a whole post without any name-calling or personal attacks? It would be nice if my friends here took heed.

regardless of what anyone else has said about you, SoCH, you *do* come across as "the angry one" quite often.

131, i don't think schneider was going to be a "part time player" this year if he wasn't traded. he was going to be the starter and flores was going to be where he is now: AAA (or AA).

you know what jumps out at me about schneider's stats? not the number barry points out: 295 BA. well, it's technically the same number but in another spot: 295 slugging. which means he hasn't hit an extra base hit yet this year.

Brian/Ryan/Livo

231--I'm fine with being identified as a pitchfork-wielding fan who's thoroughly dissatisfied with the product on the field. You and Bob and Ray King can take up the mantle of those who want to say that perennial losing is fine.

But my posts have never sunk to the name-calling, swearing, and ad hominem attacks that are becoming pretty much par for the course among my rose colored glasses-wearing critics.

From Barry's notebook comment about Friday's starter vs Florida. Chico is still listed as the starter and Barry thinks Bergmann might be getting called back (I guess with Chico being demoted). I think this is unlikely for a couple reasons, first they seem committed to staying "loyal" to Chico for last years performance. Second, if they were going to pull Chico, why call anyone up? Friday would be Tim Redding's normal day to pitch because of Monday being an off day. Finally, if your going to give a start to someone else, Mike O'Connor is far more deserving than Bergmann based on their performances thus far. My only caveat would be that starting O'Connor would leave us without a lefty in the bullpen unless Chico can swap roles with O'Connor or someone else can step up to fill that role (not a lot of great options among LHRPs in the minors).

If it was my call I would skip him this time around and see if he can make good use of the time to better refine his control and delivery with Randy St. Claire and maybe pitch a few innings out of the bullpen before his next start next Wednesday or Thursday.

Here's a classy tribute to Chris--http://mvn.com/mlb-nationals/

In re my statement on Schneider; You'd have to think that, absent of any other moves (Lo Duca, Estrada signings, and the 6-yr FA signing of Nieves), that Flores would be the starter over Schneider this year. He certainly was getting more playing time towards the end of last year.

But its moot; it was clear early on Bowden wanted Flores in AAA for a full season and signed 2 major league catchers and 4 more minor league catchers (Nieves, Herrera, Cota and Moeller).

seriously how do you chance diving for that ball if youre austin ks. the one and only thing you cant do is let the runner score from first. you play it like a single and move on from there. one of the worst boneheaded plays ive eva seen. and hes supposed to be the great fielder. unreal.

I was never a big Ryan Church fan (seemed really arrogant to me). However, watching Wily Mo Milledge butcher left and center last night does make me yearn for the good old days when we had outfielders who could catch a baseball.

RE: Chico. I have lots of appreciation for the guy going out there and taking his lumps last year. And I really hope he can get it together, but man, he's not getting the results right now. Maybe some time in AAA would help? I mean, I don't want to see the Nats punish the guy as let him get it back together.

Just sayin'.

EVERYONE needs to watch this video of Rick Ankiel hosing two runners out at third.

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805072655396

dk--absolutely right. By all means, be aggressive, buy you can't let that ball get by you and allow the go-ahead run to score.

BTW--You think after misspelling "Backe" two days in a row the Post will get it right tomorrow?

"You and Bob and Ray King can take up the mantle of those who want to say that perennial losing is fine."

you mean calling me someone who says "perennial losing is fine" wasn't ad hominem??

note that i didn't name call, either. ;)

131, that was my point. if they'd have kept schneider, they still wouldn't have kept flores up here to share time. he would have been the starter.

I probably can't add anything else good to say about Schneider--I'm trying to think we traded him for Lastings Milledge, but that would mean we traded Ryan Church for Paul LoDuca. I like Ryan, and he's hot right now, but he's streaky and I bet he and his .315 BA will begin to regress to the mean soon.

As for LoDuca: Schneider for LoDuca was a net postive for the Mets. LoDuca can't throw out a little old lady with a walker--in fact, I don't think he's thrown out anybody this year. If I were an opposing manager and LoDuca was catching, I'd send every runner who ever got to first.

Jeffrey Hammonds would make this team better. He's better than Kearns.

Byrd and Bray. Byrd has all of the tools and Bray has an electric arm. Not to say I would undo the deals that sent them away, but those two will be around MLB for a long time.

you mean calling me someone who says "perennial losing is fine" wasn't ad hominem??
_____________

No, that's characterizing your position in an exaggerated way for satire.

Saying "don't listen to 231 because he's not really a fan" or "people who live on Capitol Hill don't know anything anyway" would be examples of the typical ad hominem attacks I'm getting daily.

except it's not exaggerated, it's patently incorrect. ;)

Also from Barry's notebook, he talks at length about Manny and Randy's policies on use of relievers, but doesn't mention them continuing to use a short bullpen so they can carry 14 position players (and thus not face the prospect of eating the salary of Mackowiak or Estrada - I'm guessing Harris is safe, for now).

i initially thought the milledge for 2 holes in the lineup (schneider/church) was a great deal. i still think so but with a couple of thoughts.
1. milledge although very young is looking shakier than i anticipated although he did come thru with a big hit last night where tolman should not have sent zim.
2. milledge seems to need some seasoning. he is definitely in a slump right now though he seems to be a good 2 strike hitter.
but milledge also doesnt seem as smart as he should be but again he is young and seems talented.
3. church is on fire now but will end up around .250 --right?
4. if they played nieves, we wouldnt be talkin about schneider. nice guy but we dont need him.

im gonna hope he comes around and it was a good trade.

but that being said, its time go get some players who are already good. not ones who arent but you hope will be good.
get some good free agents already!!!

Brian Lawrence (in addition to Ryan Drese) have been signed by the Southern maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League. And John Halama is pitching there too. And Damian Jackson is on that roster. Finally, Matt LeCroy is playing for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the same league.

Just my two cents .. Steven on Capitol Hill is my least favorite poster, by far..

"But my posts have never sunk to the name-calling, swearing, and ad hominem attacks that are becoming pretty much par for the course among my rose colored glasses-wearing critics."

Kind of ironic, isn't it, that a guy whose oft-repeated list of complaints about Jim Bowden contains multiple ad hominem attacks is himself getting upset over so-called ad hominem attacks on himself that really aren't. Just sayin'.

Steven, if I was to call you an angry windbag, would that be an ad hominem attack? Because, you know, you are.

btw sending zim who is not fast on a hot shot liner to shallow right by mill was really dumb. 3rd base coach has got to be able to read the play better than that.

when the catcher is reading a magazine and smoking a cigerette at home plate waiting for the runner to arrive, well the 3rd base caoch aint doin his job very well.

OMG, my vote for post of the day.

CRACKING up, dk.
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when the catcher is reading a magazine and smoking a cigerette at home plate waiting for the runner to arrive, well the 3rd base caoch aint doin his job very well.

Posted by: dk | May 7, 2008 11:34 AM

I thought it was a Saturday Night Live Weekend Update reference?

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Nobody called you a sl*t, and you obviously understood the movie reference. That was a comedy, remember?

Steven on Capitol Hill wants to HIRE somebody???!!!?? What's in this coffee?

Man, I'm glad someone else noticed. It wasn't just the low strike zone - that, at least, was consistent. But off the plate, the strike zone was all over the place.

I also agree that the Houston broadcast was good overall. The only problem I had was the dumb sound effects they threw in every now and then - like wind during a shot of the flags flying or silly music during a shot of the moon. That kind of cheapened the broadcast.

-----

The inconsistency was astonishing. A joke. I'm just glad that ump will be moving on to 3rd base tonight. The telecast was enjoyable to watch, even for a Nats fan. It's interesting to hear the comments about your favorite team from another perspective. It was apparent they did their homework as they seemed knowledgeable eneough.

Another "what if" on last night's game:

What if Lopez catches that bloop off Tejada's bat in the 8th inning? Is it just me, or did the replay (on which Carpenter and Sutton declined to comment)show that that ball was catchable? For someone with good range, Lopez has a mystifying and annoying habit of not making the play. (I'm thinking also of that ground ball on Saturday vs. Pittsburgh that managed to elude the picher, Goozie, and Lopez.)

"3. church is on fire now but will end up around .250 --right?"

-------

Well, other than his cup of coffee first season in Montreal, he's never hit below .272 and an OPS of .813.

Among Nat players with 5 or more AB, only Nieves and Guzman have better averages and only Nick and Nieves have better OPS numbers than those lows.

Milledge certainly has more upside, but I don't get the disparagement of Church in so many quarters.

Steven on Capitol Hill is a valuable counter-balance to the blindly positive excuse-making of many of the comments here.

I agree that sending Zimmerman was perhaps the blunder of the game. Absolutely killed the rally.

The Houston announcers could not stop talking about the outfield positioning, and it came into play not only on the Lee hit on which Kearns attempted to make the diving catch, but also on the broken-bat blooper by Lee that Milledge had no chance on (the one that fell just out of Lopez's reach). Also brutal.

Or - and I don't think you can understate the importance of this play - Lo Duca failing to throw out Berkman at third because he threw to the foul side of third base. Almost a brilliant play by Zimmerman, but I have to feel like Nieves throws him out there.

Then there's Belliard, who was clearly not ready to pinch hit when they called back Estrada in the eighth. Was it just me, or did he mail in that at bat? The Houston announcers pointed out that he looked like "a guy who is unhappy with his role."

Of course, if you want to sum up a game the Nats absolutely gave away, let's look at Lopez getting fitted for that golden sombrero on a pitch that hit him on the foot. That's hard to watch, friends.

Steven on Capitol Hill is a valuable counter-balance to the blindly positive excuse-making of many of the comments here.

Posted by: Yet another opinion | May 7, 2008 12:09 PM

___________________________________________

SoCH,

Is that you?

(That's supposed to be Tejada's broken-bat blooper above, not Lee's. My bad.)

John in Mpls,

I agree, LoDuca made a bad throw to get Berkman but, it was a close play and I think he was out by a hair. Plus, Riveria (I believe) didn't even look at him.

And yes, Belly completely mailed in that at-bat. He did not look happy or motivated at all.

Barry, since no one has done so, let me be the first to offer you Belated Thanks for the 10:30 am update on Whitey Fick(too bad-1 yr shy of an MLB pension) Nook (in the tunnel last night? Did you talk to him?)Jason Simontacchi and Brian Lawrence.

@theraph
Since hitting the wall in 06 Church could not do it. All he hit last year was doubles. The rest of the time he was an out. If he put had up this season numbers conisently here, here he would still be. Also you set the bar too high for Milledge. No need for him to be an All Star--just consisently better than Church. However, if Milledge is an All Star there are those readers of this blog who will look you up.

Post of the Day:

As for last night's game, well .. it was exciting with all the back and forth, but it seemed like two very evenly matched teams having simultaneously poor outings (both starting pitchers walked each other!) and the umpiring wasn't any better.

Posted by: i hate walks | May 7, 2008 10:04 AM

If the Post is going to hire any blogger, it should be i hate walks.

Darrell Rasner - RHP Yankees - Rasner just missed qualifying as a prospect when he was promoted last week, but he's close enough and intriguing enough to take a look at. A 2002 second-round selection by the Expos, the Nationals left Rasner exposed on waivers in February 2006 despite good command and a lively sinker. The Yankees claimed him for free and then used him at a variety of levels that season. He was particularly impressive in 10 starts for Triple-A Columbus as a 25-year-old, posting a 2.76 ERA and 47/11 K/BB mark in 58 2/3 innings. Rasner also didn't look overwhelmed in brief trials in the majors, so he was a candidate for extended time in the majors in 2007.

Indeed, Rasner was awarded a rotation spot last spring when injuries struck, and he made three solid starts for the Yankees before being sent to the minors. Back in the majors in just a few weeks, Rasner made three more appearances before being hit on the finger with a comebacker. The finger turned out to be fractured and required surgery, effectively ending Rasner's season. Back in Triple-A to start the 2008 campaign, Rasner had a 0.87 ERA and 27/6 K/BB mark in 31 innings before his callup. In his season debut on Sunday, Rasner limited the Mariners to two runs in six innings while striking out four and walking none.

Rasner is your typical finesse right-hander, getting by with his sinking high-80s fastball and a variety of solid yet unexciting secondary offerings. He'll need to continue hitting his spots and limiting long balls, and if he does he could be a solid enough 4th starter for the Yankees. The run support he'll be afforded makes him a better option in fantasy leagues, and his lack of strikeouts means he's a better 4x4 option. Rasner will likely remain in the rotation until after the All-Star break, when Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and perhaps Ian Kennedy will all be options to replace Rasner and fellow fill-in Kei Igawa. Since he's likely good for a few wins while starting for two months, he's worth throwing a few dollars at in AL-only leagues.

Recommendation: Claim in AL-only leagues.

Here's a classy tribute to Chris--http://mvn.com/mlb-nationals/

Posted by: Steven on Capitol Hill | May 7, 2008 10:51 AM
---------------------

It's amazing the dude was every able to blog, with you hanging on his nuts all day and night.

Actually I think Drese and Lawrence are on the Camden team, not South Md.

http://www.riversharks.com/team/

Also, Just found Simontaccchi, unless these links are really old. How could Jason have been in St. Louis last week but be on this roster and actively playing?

http://www.liducks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=player&playerId=164

Another former player now in the Atlantic League. And Jim Magrane, ex of Harrisburg's staff last year, is on the same team. Along with Pete Rose Jr and Carl Everett.

A Morning Prayer, to be said in the mirror after every loss:

Your argument exposes you as a fair-weather fan who only wants to see winning games. One who can't celebrate the details of a beautiful sport in which the best team might not win on a given day, so we play 162 to be sure. I want to see winning games, certainly, but I want to see a superior team every time I go to the park and I'm willing to have a few seasons of patience to see that happen. If you want to only go to winning games, make sure you get tickets for Nats vs. Marlins or Pirates or Rays and bring money for build-a-bear just in case.
Posted by: i hate walks | May 6, 2008 4:07 PM

505/203, you're right on it being close. And, like I said, I thought - out or no out - Zimmerman made a heck of a play on that throw.

You almost don't blame Rivera for not looking at Berkman. His career high in steals is nine. This season, he already has six. On his way to a 50/30 season? Maybe not. But he's on pace for 49/29.

I agree that Schneider is a missing piece and that PLod sucks a lot.

I do think however that the reason that Church has finally started living up to his potential is because he is playing in NY. Think about it, he is under absolutely zero pressure to perform because he is surrounded in the lineup by people like David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Delgado.

When he was traded everyone in NY thought it was a terrible deal, and his bar was set so insanely low that typical .250 40 2b 20 HR would be wonderful for them. He isnt being asked to be a power hitter or the teams star, he is just asked to play baseball the way he can. Must be refreshing for him.

When he was traded everyone in NY thought it was a terrible deal, and his bar was set so insanely low that typical .250 40 2b 20 HR would be wonderful for them. He isnt being asked to be a power hitter or the teams star, he is just asked to play baseball the way he can. Must be refreshing for him.

Posted by: natsinthevalley | May 7, 2008 12:40 PM

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

We should trade Zimmerman to the Mets straight up for Aaron Heilman then.

I think it is imperative for ALL Nats pitchers to look at every single baserunner, from Jose Reyes to Ryan Howard, because each and every manager knows they can steal a base on Lo Duca. This makes it more important for the Nats pitching staff to keep the runners honest, otherwise every single and/or walk will become a triple.

Quick poll. How many think that when Dukes gets called up to DC, the Nats will sit Milledge for a game or two per week to get Dukes some playing time? WMP seems to be slowly getting his stroke back and I don't think they'll mess with his AB's. Same with Kearns, who the past few games has actually hit the ball pretty well (surprise, surprise). Milledge might be the one to get a day off every know and then, IMO.

It really helps Church that Milledge was looked at as such a bum in NY.

very true estuartj

Dukes can play all 3 OF positions and if he's hitting I bet we see him start 2/3 of the games, with AK, LM & WMP all giving up rotating starts. At least until someone steps up to truely deserve to play everyday, or someone shows they don't belong in any starting line-up.

I stopped reading Capitol Punishment a while back because of all the vitriol. He seemed like an angry man, willing to find fault with everything.

On a similar note, I think I understand now the disagreements between certain people on here. One side believes in the plan. The other side does not. If you classify "The Plan = semi-competitive now, win later", then Kasten/Bowden is on the right track. If you classify "The Plan = never gonna work losing proposal", then Kasten/Bowden ought to be fired.

I'm not sure I've read about someone believing in the plan but thinks that either Kasten or Bowden is screwing it up?

I think Chris and several posters here are incredibly bitter that Kasten and Bowden "lied" to them about when they would start spending large sums of cash to field a winner. Thus all the "Lerners are Cheap" talk.

As far as I'm concerned THE PLAN means fielding as competitive a team as possible, but only in so much as it doens't hamstring the organizations ability to be competitive LONG TERM.

"THE PLAN means fielding as competitive a team as possible, but only in so much as it doens't hamstring the organizations ability to be competitive LONG TERM"

I think this where a lot of the venomous argument comes in between the purist Planistas and those of us who think the Nats could be spending a bit more right now.

I am in favor of a plan that stresses rebuilding the MLB-ravaged minor league system. I agree that there is no point in immediately investing in monster free agent signings. However, I do think that the Nats could have put more into the current payroll in the interest of fielding a more competitive team right now. This doesn't in any way conflict any of the longterm goals in the Plan; it just shows a little respect for the fans who are supporting the team now.

Cue the Planistas coming in to claim that I want the Learners to spend like the Yankees/Sox/Redskins.

I believe in The Plan but think that Stan and JimBo are screwing it up.

How about Preston Wilson and Junior Spivey? You're the best Barry... I'll miss you at the journal.

"He seemed like an angry man, willing to find fault with everything."

I bet he's even worse in person.

Regarding The Plan;
1. Soriano wouldn't have signed with us no matter what
2. Perez is better than Livo
3. Torii Hunter was never going to sign with us no matter what
4. Lastings Milledge is better than Andrew Jones.
5. Aaron Rowand would sign with us and would have been a huge waste of cash anyway.

Son? Where have you been?

_____________

Posted by: Son of Nats Nut | May 7, 2008 1:27 PM

I like the blogosphere but I think Capitol Punishment's anger issues were screwing it up.

I like the Washington Post but I think Emilio Garcia-Ruiz is screwing it up.

I like Paul LoDuca's defense but I think his facial hair is screwing it up.

I like the new ballpark but I think the lack of knishes on the Sabbath is screwing it up.

I like Capitol Hill but I think Steven is screwing it up.

I like the Redskins but I think Barry Svrluga's feeble attempts at coverage will screw them up.

I would like Coverage is Lacking, but there's something lacking there.

I hate myself.

Why can't we all just get along???

Methinks we were a little premature in awarding Post of the Day to IHW. It was a great post, but I think Ray King's GF just jumped out to a commanding lead.

I'm just sayin'.

Anyone else having trouble submitting questions for the chat?

"I think Ray King's GF just jumped out to a commanding lead."

I like Mpls, but I think John is screwing it up.

I agree. RKGF is now the front runner for the "Post of The Day" if he doesn't screw it up later with a bad post.

RKGF=419+1

"...Matt LeCroy is playing for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the same league."

Man, I liked him! Even though there's no crying in baseball. My friends and I were just talking about going to see a Crabs game (How 'bout dem Crabs, hon!)...I'll have to make it one where they play Lancaster so I can see ol' Matty!

"I like the new ballpark but I think the lack of knishes on the Sabbath is screwing it up."

Thank you, RKGF...that one made me spit my drink out! They are tasty, aren't they?!

One more thing, and I ask this sincerely out of, I guess, ignorance: What is the big attraction to Milledge? I mean, I respect your opinions and you all have almost unanimously praised him, but I haven't seen anything from him but a bad attitiude (see some previous posts about him not greeting the kids from the Boys & Girls Club when taking the field at Nats Park), a mediocre bat (.262 does not a slugger make) and an absolute disaster in the field (too many examples to list here). I'm as patient as the next person, especially with guys like Kearns and Johnson who obviously care and try their guts out, but this guy just looks clueless and doesn't seem to give a damn about it. So again, I ask sincerely and without snarkiness, please tell me what I'm missing.

[And, yes, as a matter of disclosure, I hate LoDuca, too, really miss Schneider, like Church, and think that trade sucked, but that is just my emotional opinion.]

Lay off SoCH. Besides the fact that I like his screen name convention, I also like the fact that we have different viewpoints in here. This is supposed to be a discussion, not an echo chamber. If you don't want to hear dissenting viewpoints, join the Bush administration (sorry for the politics reference, but it fits). I'm still pissed at the Caps blog for chasing off the Flyers fan who actually knew more about hockey than half the Caps posters.

Not sure what you mean by "slugger" knish fan, but Reggie Jackson's career BA was .262. Mike Schmidt's was .267.

Milledge has big talent. What he lacks is instinct. What he needs is the determination and drive to overcome his lack of instinct. Whether or not he has that remains to be seen.

--What is the big attraction to Milledge?

i like milledge. the guy is 23. church is 20, schneider 150. so i like the upside. i think from what ive seen he shows real offensive potential. hes a pretty good 2 strike hitter right now, and he is just a rook. so thats good. i think he has the potential to be a .300 hitter. maybe im overly optimistic. im concerned about his head as much as others. his baserunning and some of his defensive lapses are stra8 out mindboggling--things my kid knows better. so yea thats a concern.
but i just think from what weve seen and he is a rookie and is batting better than any1 else on the team except guzzy so i think we should have some patience with him.
for now im in the tank for lm.

meant church is 29.

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

---

I'm still pissed at the Caps blog for chasing off the Flyers fan who actually knew more about hockey than half the Caps posters.

"If you don't want to hear dissenting viewpoints, join the Bush administration (sorry for the politics reference, but it fits)."

Posted by: Scott in Shaw | May 7, 2008 2:50 PM

___________________________________________

You can always rely on some Liberal Pinhead to post some hate.

Scott in Shaw,

I am an enormous Flyers fan and I said one thing in there one just trying to show a different viewpoint than the only on in that Caps blog and I was crucified. It was scary haha, oh well.

I enjoy the banter here, and am so glad that O's Exec is gone.

It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.
__________________
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

OMG, my vote for post of the day.

CRACKING up, dk.
______________________
when the catcher is reading a magazine and smoking a cigerette at home plate waiting for the runner to arrive, well the 3rd base caoch aint doin his job very well.

Posted by: dk | May 7, 2008 11:34 AM

Posted by: NatsNut | May 7, 2008 11:40 AM

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. 2ND THAT EMOTION!!!
ANYONE GOT A LIGHT?

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

"Steven on the Hill, r.e. your Bowden bashing, please enlighten us: what EXACTLY would you have done differently while managing the Nats between 2005 and now?"

I wouldn't have given up Okha for nothing (even though he's done now, we should have got more for him). Ray King should've been traded instead of being DFA'd.

Okha had to go. He turned his back on me.

Our old friend natscan was also ridiculed on the Caps blog when he posted about some of Huet's more frustrating tendencies when Washington acquired him at the deadline.

I miss natscan, by the way. What's he up to these days?

-----

I am an enormous Flyers fan and I said one thing in there one just trying to show a different viewpoint than the only on in that Caps blog and I was crucified. It was scary haha, oh well.

Achtung, neues post!

In today's chats our beat writers finally seem have noticed something of interest......

Mark Z Says.......Milledge I think is more troubling, because this guy has all the physical gifts to be able to play center field in the majors. He just doesn't seem to have the right instincts -- constantly breaks the wrong way on fly balls, doesn't have awareness for what's around him. I know the Nats are working hard with him on this stuff, but I'm not so sure it's something that can be taught, especially at the big-league level.

Barry Says.....Milledge is simply not a good center fielder. His routes are poor, his instincts are poor, and he even reminds me at times of -- gulp -- Preston Wilson.

Back in April when I tried to point this out the to many of you who never say a Jimbo move you did not like when nuts......Milledge will never "learn to play center field at the age of 23.....by this time you either have instincts or not....simple at that......Nice to see our "baseball experts" in the media are finally taking note....Barry wrote all kinds of words this winter about "his natural position" and "future gold cloves"......but hey ask 231 and the like, what would I know about baseball.

Everyone who is pining for Chruch and cringing at Milledge needs to just hang tight until the end of the season, at least, and really probably two years from now. Church was never able to stay on the field here, and there's no reason to expect he'll turn into an Iron Man in New York. Milledge runs some goofy routes, and long-term he'll probably end up a corner outfielder, but there's no reason to think he can't be more valuable over the next five years than Church will be.

I just want to go on record as being glad that SoCH is here and that he knows a thing or two about baseball and that he can usually take it 3/4 as well as he dishes it out. I also want to state clearly that un the absence of an explicit statement to the contrary, I disagree with his opinions but agree with his opinion of how MLB cored this franchise. And this has no place in a sports discussion but I agree with what I have gathered of his politics, too.

Ok, enough of that. Let's get back to fighting. ;). No really, SF has an excellent synopsis of the factions in here ... And RKGF made me LOL on Metro. Nice work.

AND I got triple new-posted. That's gotta be a record.

Waaay back to the beginning. As later noted Smoker was for Soriano. Burgess was for Jose Guillen.

Here's another one Barry missed. Daryl Thompson traded to the Reds for Kearns, et. al. Now with Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League. Record 2-1. 1.45 ERA in 7 games, all starts. 43.1 innings pitched, 30 hits allowed. 13 runs, 7 earned, 2 homers. Seven walks, 44 strikeouts (what would Chris Needham think about that). Batters are hitting .201 against him. 22 years old from La Plata, MD. And JimBow gives him away. . . Could he yet become the best player involved in the Reds deal? But, Baseball America doesn't even list him among the Reds top 30 prospects!

I know this doesn't really count but what about all of those amazing players and prospects MLB sold when the Nat's were the Expos.

Also could the Nat's play 1 game a year in throwback Expos uniforms, I don't care for canada much but it would be a funny sight.

Church & Schneider for Milledge has been terrible so far.

LoDuca and Estrada can't throw anyone out, which Schneider did easily.

Doesn't anyone realize how much better both Church and Schneider's batting averages would have been in our new park?

I don't recall Church making as many outfield errors as Milledge or Peña.

Lastings Milledge is o-kay, but we paid far too high a price for him. For what we traded the Mets, Milledge ought to be performing like the 2006 Alphonso Soriano.

Svrluga sucks.

I read his accounts of the games and have no earthly idea what happened, how the runs scored, in what inning, who was pitching, etc. I have to read the AP story to get some sense of how the game progressed.

Further, no Post writer should treat his regular Washington Post chat as a platform for selling his wares, yet ole Barry never missed a chance to plug his book on baseball's return to DC.

The guy is a shameless opportunist and a hack who won't be missed.

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