I have this new theory.
It's that no one reads these things anymore, and therefore no one posts anymore - if you think I haven't written in a long time, you should check out some friends' blogs.
So for that reason only, I ask of you - post a message, send an email, let me know if you actually read this or not - I don't want to be posting random thoughts for no one to look at.
thanks!
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Nats Ownership News?
Straight from Jayson Stark’s “rumblings and grumblings” on ESPN.com, here’s some Nats Ownership news. I’d link to it, but you gotta be an Insider, kids.
“Major League Baseball will finally get moving next week on finding the Nationals an owner. MLB has set the end of May as the deadline for the nine known bidders to submit their bids.
So how did baseball get around the continuing uncertainty about the future of the new regional sports network which will theoretically air both Orioles and Nationals games?
Groups were instructed to make one bid with the assumption that the network will get off the ground as scheduled – and one based on the possibility it won't exist at all.”
Hopefully this news might get the team to hit again. Probably not. On this I defer to Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post – “ Right now, if you rolled a bowling ball through the on-deck circle, Brad Wilkerson would run over and swing at it. And, if there were men on base, he'd probably miss.”
From Nationals Pride
“Major League Baseball will finally get moving next week on finding the Nationals an owner. MLB has set the end of May as the deadline for the nine known bidders to submit their bids.
So how did baseball get around the continuing uncertainty about the future of the new regional sports network which will theoretically air both Orioles and Nationals games?
Groups were instructed to make one bid with the assumption that the network will get off the ground as scheduled – and one based on the possibility it won't exist at all.”
Hopefully this news might get the team to hit again. Probably not. On this I defer to Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post – “ Right now, if you rolled a bowling ball through the on-deck circle, Brad Wilkerson would run over and swing at it. And, if there were men on base, he'd probably miss.”
From Nationals Pride
Monday, May 16, 2005
Trade Central
Well, the trade for a centerfielder discussed in my last column has finally occurred. Not whom we suspected it would be, however – Endy Chavez to the Phils for Marlon Byrd. Though I was surprised, I like this trade for several reasons:
We keep the speed Chavez had.
We get a potentially better bat – someone with the ability to muscle a few if needed.
An experienced, true centerfielder.
This gives the Nats the ability to play Wilkerson in left, his true position, and have a speedy CF to track down balls alongside him. With the loss of Termel Sledge to a hammy injury, this will allow Ryan Church to back up at any side of the field and let Perennial Prospect Jeffrey Hammonds go elsewhere. Also, if Byrd can get used to waiting in pitches and working the count (something Chavez seemed allergic too) he could lead off, allowing Wilkerson to move back and be the RBI machine he can be deeper in a lineup.
Below follows a scouting report from our friends at ESPN.
“Although the Phillies projected Byrd as a potential power hitter, his bat seems to have slowed since his breakthrough season at Double-A in 2001. While fast enough to beat out slow rollers and strong enough to muscle the ball over the infield when jammed, he doesn't work pitchers well and doesn't make the kind of consistent, solid contact that is needed to play regularly. Byrd can track down flyballs over his head or into the gaps. But he has lost his aggressiveness on the bases, attempting only four steals last season despite good speed. He has an average arm.”
From Nationals Pride
We keep the speed Chavez had.
We get a potentially better bat – someone with the ability to muscle a few if needed.
An experienced, true centerfielder.
This gives the Nats the ability to play Wilkerson in left, his true position, and have a speedy CF to track down balls alongside him. With the loss of Termel Sledge to a hammy injury, this will allow Ryan Church to back up at any side of the field and let Perennial Prospect Jeffrey Hammonds go elsewhere. Also, if Byrd can get used to waiting in pitches and working the count (something Chavez seemed allergic too) he could lead off, allowing Wilkerson to move back and be the RBI machine he can be deeper in a lineup.
Below follows a scouting report from our friends at ESPN.
“Although the Phillies projected Byrd as a potential power hitter, his bat seems to have slowed since his breakthrough season at Double-A in 2001. While fast enough to beat out slow rollers and strong enough to muscle the ball over the infield when jammed, he doesn't work pitchers well and doesn't make the kind of consistent, solid contact that is needed to play regularly. Byrd can track down flyballs over his head or into the gaps. But he has lost his aggressiveness on the bases, attempting only four steals last season despite good speed. He has an average arm.”
From Nationals Pride
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Truth and Rumors... Back Again
Last time it was about the GM, this time it’s about… Centerfield. The new Nats rumor swirling around has them trading for Preston Wilson. Granted, the rumors don’t have any consensus on who the Nats would be giving up, but the usual suspects are named – Tomo Okha and Zach Day.
My take? Iffy. I know that Wilkerson is not a natural centerfielder and that we need a true center man but I don’t think that, if we are going to give up one of our two best trade baits it should be for a guy hitting .240 so far in the hitting confines of Coors Field. .240 there is like .210 here, and that’s just not acceptable. Plus, aside from Ryan Church being a true centerfielder and developing well for a younger guy, the Nats would have to have the Rocks pay all of the 12 million owed to Wilson for this season… something I doubt they’d be willing to do.
If I was Jim Bowden, I’d hang on to Okha, Day and Endy Chavez for a bit longer and deal them for a better hitting centerfielder who might come on the market. June and July will be more fertile trading time, and there are bad teams who need pitching that would get us a better CF than Wilson – even Kansas City’s David Dejesus is younger than Wilson with better stats… and lord knows the Royals need the help right now.
And before you go jumping all over me on the Nats budget – Bud Selig said today that they plan to have the team sold buy mid-summer, but even if they didn’t, the Nats would have the flexibility to add payroll if they were in the race by mid-summer. They stay close now and they’ll be fine in July.
From Nationals Pride
My take? Iffy. I know that Wilkerson is not a natural centerfielder and that we need a true center man but I don’t think that, if we are going to give up one of our two best trade baits it should be for a guy hitting .240 so far in the hitting confines of Coors Field. .240 there is like .210 here, and that’s just not acceptable. Plus, aside from Ryan Church being a true centerfielder and developing well for a younger guy, the Nats would have to have the Rocks pay all of the 12 million owed to Wilson for this season… something I doubt they’d be willing to do.
If I was Jim Bowden, I’d hang on to Okha, Day and Endy Chavez for a bit longer and deal them for a better hitting centerfielder who might come on the market. June and July will be more fertile trading time, and there are bad teams who need pitching that would get us a better CF than Wilson – even Kansas City’s David Dejesus is younger than Wilson with better stats… and lord knows the Royals need the help right now.
And before you go jumping all over me on the Nats budget – Bud Selig said today that they plan to have the team sold buy mid-summer, but even if they didn’t, the Nats would have the flexibility to add payroll if they were in the race by mid-summer. They stay close now and they’ll be fine in July.
From Nationals Pride
Monday, May 02, 2005
Beat the Mets, Beat the Mets
Yes, I know, with the Nats taking 2 of 3 from the Mets at home I should be discussing the team. With Eischen out 12 weeks with a broken arm, I should be discussing the team.
Am I going to discuss the team? Later. Right now I am going to discuss tarp. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, those of you in attendance Saturday night (I mean you, BKKE – I saw you leading the cheers) saw one of the funniest uses of tarp in a stadium… EVER. Going out for the 2nd rain delay (after which, they called the game) the grounds crew made a poor fold of the tarp… that lead to 45 minutes of wet and wild hi-jinx that made RFK look like a giant Slip n’ Slide. The poor guys had to enlist the help of food vendors, parking attendant, and the janitorial crew to get the tarp unfurled and placed over the field. A few fans even tried to help, which led to them being escorted off the field to the chants of “let them go, let them go”. I had almost as much fun watching the “National Tarp Pull” (as stated by the scoreboard) as I did the rest of the game.
OK, on to the team. 2 of 3 from the Mets is good. Losing Eischen is bad. That makes, for my count, 3 of the bullpen down (add in Horgan and Tucker). Eischen is easily the wizened old man of the pen, and losing his experience and steady left arm is hard. Plus, there is now no left hander in the ‘pen, let alone a proven one. Look for the Nats to be scouring the MLB unemployed for the lefty, as I don’t think they have one in AAA that’s ready for the NL east’s batters.
Downside? We may slip a few games farther back of the fish. Upside? Eischen was leading MLB relievers in innings pitched, so the rest will get him fresh for the August/September push. Let’s hope we’ll be able to make it to August and still be close.
Am I going to discuss the team? Later. Right now I am going to discuss tarp. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, those of you in attendance Saturday night (I mean you, BKKE – I saw you leading the cheers) saw one of the funniest uses of tarp in a stadium… EVER. Going out for the 2nd rain delay (after which, they called the game) the grounds crew made a poor fold of the tarp… that lead to 45 minutes of wet and wild hi-jinx that made RFK look like a giant Slip n’ Slide. The poor guys had to enlist the help of food vendors, parking attendant, and the janitorial crew to get the tarp unfurled and placed over the field. A few fans even tried to help, which led to them being escorted off the field to the chants of “let them go, let them go”. I had almost as much fun watching the “National Tarp Pull” (as stated by the scoreboard) as I did the rest of the game.
OK, on to the team. 2 of 3 from the Mets is good. Losing Eischen is bad. That makes, for my count, 3 of the bullpen down (add in Horgan and Tucker). Eischen is easily the wizened old man of the pen, and losing his experience and steady left arm is hard. Plus, there is now no left hander in the ‘pen, let alone a proven one. Look for the Nats to be scouring the MLB unemployed for the lefty, as I don’t think they have one in AAA that’s ready for the NL east’s batters.
Downside? We may slip a few games farther back of the fish. Upside? Eischen was leading MLB relievers in innings pitched, so the rest will get him fresh for the August/September push. Let’s hope we’ll be able to make it to August and still be close.
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