Saturday, July 30, 2011

Disappointing result, encouraging sight

US Presswire photo
Chien-Ming Wang struggled through the first inning but settled down after that.
He stood atop the mound at 7:06 p.m., a big-league hitter stepping to the plate 60 feet and 6 inches from his position, a crowd of 30,114 settling into the ballpark and a throng of media members from his native country chronicling his every move.

Chien-Ming Wang is as stoic a ballplayer as they get, and it's tough to detect what emotions are buried underneath his nondescript exterior. Make no mistake, though. The Taiwanese right-hander was feeling something as he stood there preparing to throw his first pitch in a major-league game in more than two years.

"I was really happy that I can still come back on the mound, and I can still pitch in a game," he said later through translator John Hsu.

If anything, Wang admitted he was thinking too much about the fact he was pitching in the major leagues again and not enough about the actual hitters standing before him. By the time his nerves and emotions were in check, it was too late. He'd allowed the Mets' first
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59 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good report! I was at the game and was impressed by his mound presence--his performance was better than shown by the result. I look forward to seeing his next outing.

Tegwar said...

Congratulations to Chien-Ming Wang who helped show just competing again at this level is quite an accomplishment and is inspiration to many people. I think he will be a different pitcher than before but barring injury he will continue to be a major league ballplayer.

Anonymous8 said...

"Disappointing result, encouraging sight" is a good title though it just seemed the timing was poor for this debut given the losing streak as I don't think Wang earned his spot over kids named Milone and Peacock. Wang's rehab starts in the Minors told us it was going to be rough. He didn't dominate in the Minors which told me this was going to be more symbolic than earned on merit. Don't get me wrong, I love life immitating art and this was a made for Hollywood script, just wish the timing wasn't forced where he either returns to the Majors or has to be released.

If you polled your regular readers Mark, my guess was most would have expected Wang to dig a deep hole which he did. His pitches were mostly up to start the game and it looked like batting practice in the 1st inning. The rest of the game was more encouraging although a 4-0 deficit in the 1st looked insurmountable given the Nationals offensive woes.

In typical of late Nats defense, a costly error complicated the end of his outing with 2 more runs scoring to make it 6-0.

The rest of Wang's performance was encouraging so start #2 will be interesting to watch for progress. Hopefully for start #2 the losing streak will be a distant memory.

Anonymous said...

What is encouraging about throwing BP for 30 minutes before you get 1 out? Words like encouraging, bright future, potential are just words used by this organizatuon to cover up the truth. And the truth is the NATS STINK ON ICE.

sparks said...

Anon 6:43, if you just typed "I'm an immature dope" it would have been quicker.

Gonat said...

There is an old saying "throwing good money after bad". The Nats invested $2 million plus an enormous amount of money in "rehab" in 2010 for Wang and got nothing for it but some goodwill. He was non-tendered at the conclusion of the season and wasn't signed by any team until Rizzo came calling after the Winter Meetings in December with more money. Rizzo re-signed Wang for $1 million plus more money for "rehab" and a $4 million incentive package for 2011.

Do we know how Wang gets paid the $4 million in incentives? Rizzo again has laid his reputation on the line here for a low reward high risk venture with a lot of cash invested. It is so high risk that Wang was rehabbed on the Nationals dime and can walk after the season as a Free Agent where the Nats get NO compensatory picks as Wang will not qualify as a Type A or Type B Free Agent.

Chien-Ming Wang may turn into the CMW of 2006/2007 again in 2012 in someone else's uniform courtesy of the Nationals rehabbing him back to form.

This current feel-good story could turn into the classic bird with the broken wing. You know the one where you find the injured bird and nurse him back to health only to see him fly away one day, and triumphantly return by pooping on your clean car a year later.

Someone recently described Rizzo's job as being able to look into the future and predict what should happen. We all knew this day would come for Chien-Ming Wang, now what?

Anonymous said...

Hey Sparks, go ahead and get yourself two prime seats right behind home plate for CMWs next start. That way you can get a good view of the opponent smashing the ball all over the park.

NatsLady said...

Honestly, I don't see what the hubub is about sacrificing one game of 162 to develop a possible 3 or 4 starter for next year. So a five game losing streak becomes a six game losing streak--that should not be such a big psychological drain on the team that they drop the next eleven (I HOPE!).

In this season, where no one seriously expected contention, why shouldn't you work on development? If Peacock and Milone come up, they will lose games, too. Hey, even St. Stephen lost games.


Yes, Wang could walk, but it's not likely that he will. Let's peer into the future...

1) He's not going to pitch like Doc Halliday for August and September. He'll be on a pitch count and probably an innings limit and he's going to have ups and downs. His stats will be poor. What buyers?

2) There is such a thing as loyalty. Those 6,000 extra fans who came to the park, and the millions in Taiwan have a voice and a stake in this--and they very well know which team supported their man. Wang would fly in their face at his own risk.

mjames said...

This is absurd. The lead story is about some aging resurrection project who pitched. Who cares . The lead story should be we lost again. Write about why we lost -No pitching, hitting and poor fielding.

After 5 to 6 years you would think we would have a rotation comprised of pitchers we had drafted. These resurrection projects have nothing to to do with building a winning team. Give our youngsters a chance . Make them a project. Pitch Dettwiller and Ballester. They as well as Peacock deserve just as much as a chance as Wang. Find out if this kid has it or not. I wish Rizzo would focus on developing his drafted players and drop this aging veteran crap. The Nat's have been doing this since they started and it doesn't work. Spend the momney on the draft. The Wang's, Cora's, Ankiel's are all a waste of money.

I am envious of the Mets . They finally have a GM who plays his younger players instead of trying to fill their roster with so called "Character" veterans.

The Nats are a joke again. Year after year it is the same crap. I don't blame the onwers. This is a baseball problem created by baseball people. The owner's job is to pony up the money to sign all their top draft choices which I hope they do. Rizzo 's job is to draft,develop and play them. Rizzo is not doing this.

dale said...

Echoing mjames comments...

With Gorzelanny spiraling into helplessness, Livan descending into 4 to 6 runs per game outings, and Zimmerman tiring it would seem that the pitching rotation deserves a new casting call. I completely understand the necessity of bringing in Wang to pitch now given the ending of his minor league status, but the blocking of Peacock and Milone is what is bothering me. The real hope for this team lies in the pitchers in the minor leagues, and in the jettisoning of players who don't produce on the major league level.

By now we can certainly agree that this season is lost in terms of being anything other than grooming young players for 2012 and 2013. It is time for Espinosa to switch to shortstop and to send Desmond to Syracuse. Playing Hairston at shortstop adds nothing for the future, while auditioning Antonelli or Lombardozzi at second will start to answer some questions.

And Davey Johnson, sending Gomes into the batter's box against right handed pitching is showing a complete disregard for his statistics. Your pitching staff is imploding, your defense is eroding and you compound all this with some bizarre moves. Go figure.

JaneB said...

It is an awesome feat that CMW got himself back to the pros, given his injury. I truly hope he works out. And if he does, absolutely he signs with us. We would have more Anonomi screaming about how we'd wasted more money, holding him another year, if we had made this year's deal a year longer.

They are who they are. We know there's a real team here because we have seen it work. In 32 hours, we will know who we have left for the year. They players never gave up on that game last night, and that's not true of the team last year.

Some redskin named Arrington was sitting a few rows behind me last night, and I remembered when all we had was that, and bad hockey. And worse basketball. I truly was just plain grateful to have them, even at 8-3, even with nom lead off hitter, uncertain if our middle infield would be our middle infield in three days, despite the way it's been drastically better than any middle infield we've had since we became the Nats. Even with skipper who is doing his best despite losing a step and being without the dugout coaching that really made the difference in May and June.

The Rizzleman Implosion has got to get behind everyone...us, the team, the coaches, everyone. We need to see the good here, and quit focusing on the bad.
GYFNG!

Mickey Vernon said...

Thank God for NatsLady.

Mark'd said...

NatsLady, you usually get it. Did you bother to read what Gonat wrote? Wang is a Free Agent after the season. This is his audition for bigger and better at the expense of the Nats.

Rizzo's ego again is at work here. So what next King Riz?

NatsLady said...

Mark'd, yes, I understand Wang is a free agent. And--? I believe I addressed that issue.

Mark'd said...

NatsLady, you sort of acknowledged it and disregarded it with a feel good "Yes, Wang could walk, but it's not likely that he will. Let's peer into the future.... "

While it is possible he could stay, he didn't agree to an option for 2012 so there is your best clue that he will go to the highest bidder just like in December 2010 when he signed with Rizzo who offered the best deal.

I'm not being a pessimist, rather a realist. I was crushed when Dunn walked for more money after he said he wanted to play 1st base and not DH. That was an eye opener and hope you are right.

Gonat said...

Mark'd said...
I'm not being a pessimist, rather a realist. I was crushed when Dunn walked for more money after he said he wanted to play 1st base and not DH. That was an eye opener and hope you are right.

July 30, 2011 9:51 AM
____________________________

Dunn said this 1 year 3 days ago:

“That’s the reason why I wanted to come here,” Dunn said. “I could have went somewhere that was already winning. Who cares? So what? I want to turn something around and be part of something special".

“The goal is to win, man, and we’re not winning here. But I wouldn’t be doing all this if I didn’t think we were going to be really good, really soon. If that’s the case, ‘Okay, I want out of here.’ I don’t. I know where we’re fixing to get. I know next year how much better we’re going to be. I’ve already been stuck here with 100 losses. I want to win 100 here.”

NatsLady said...

@Mark'd: (smile) I hope so. In addition to the "loyalty factor", there is also

a) nothing stops Rizzo from putting an option out there now that Wang has come through rehab, is there? Unless there is a rule, which could be (I'm not aware of all player-union rules).

b) there is no reason to feel there are going to be a lot of high bidders for Wang. The same considerations that folks here have (why not go for younger guys, why pay lots of $$ for such a risk) apply to other teams too, teams that don't have the sunk investment we have.

I wasn't crushed, however, when Dunn walked. He was fun, but he wanted too much in years, and the team needed to go another direction. Same for Josh-- it was sad to see those Zimm, Josh, and Dunn, clearly good buddies, be broken up, but we are better off and it was pretty clear at the time.

We're all armchair GM's here, and I'm the first to admit I didn't see the Bernie thing coming, yet it's a good move. You can't send HRod down because he would not clear waivers and maybe you can get a bag of beans for him, throw him into a trade. You have to keep the rest of the pitchers at least until the trade deadline and the heat wave pass.

I like Bernie, he's a hustler. But if you are going for a high OBP leadoff outfielder, why not through him into the mix?

NatsLady said...

@Gonat: Yeah, Dunn talked a good game. Sort of sad to recall that.

UnkyD said...

GREAT take, Mark Z!!! Also love the grown-ups posting about the MANY positive aspects this season has featured. Missed most of the game (saw "Cowboys and Aliens".... Two thumbs up!!), but after two long years rehabbing, Wangs butterflies in the first should have surprised no one. Too bad he couldn't have been lucky enough to get pop ups, before he got the ball down...

I'm not getting the apparent assumption by some of you, that Wang goes to some big money bidder, after the season. First, he's unlikely to pitch any complete game shutouts, on a pitch count, and fine tuning his mechanics, do why elite anyone blow him away with anything more than an incentive-laden contract, which is what we will prolly be offering? And why would he be willing to give us preference, given the faith we've shown in him? I will actually be shocked, if he isn't competing for a spot, next year, in Viera.

Now....... GYFNG!!!!!

UnkyD said...

Yeah... That should have been "why WOULD anyone blow him away", and "why WOULDN'T he show us preference?"..... Coffee, please?

Gonat said...

NatsLady said...
@Gonat: Yeah, Dunn talked a good game. Sort of sad to recall that.

July 30, 2011 10:08 AM
_________________________

NatsLady, Dunn said a lot more than that, that quote was just so apres-paux because he said that right before the trade deadline. He did say he didn't want to DH and he would love to stay a Nat. Rizzo offered him 3 years and he walked for 4 year at $14 mill a year to DH. Good riddance to him.

Wang could negotiate to a contract extension before the season ends to forgo becoming a Free Agent that would be as close as you would get to adding an "option" as that ship has sailed.

Here's why there will be other teams bidding for him this time around if he pitches well, he is fixed and serviceable. Very few teams want reclamation projects. It was the same thing with Brandon Webb although he looked further along and by the way is requiring a 2nd rotator cuff surgery and is done for the season.

Very risky business and the Nationals I fear will be the losers in this as we cheer Wang showcasing his talents on the Nats W/L record to resurrect his career.

Hope you are right NatsLady!

Waddu eye no said...

Question about Taiwanese culture:

Is the kind if loyalty shown to Wang from the stands a typical national trait? Something Wang might show to the club that stuck out it's neck for him and gave him a chance?

It's clearly no longer a common trait among Americans in the baseball biz.

gonatsgo said...

Come September you know where you stand -- the season is winding down and you have your call-ups to watch to see what your team's future MIGHT look like. But - we have all of August yet to go and this team is in a really crazy place. I feel that earlier , this team had an identity - pitching, defense, some clutch hitting. I loved the way Bo Porter was handling the baserunning - our bunting was a regular part of the game - can't remember a squeeze in previous year. They were the Kardiac Kids with the one -run games. Now,there does not seem to be any direction. When watching the team, I don't see any confidence or fire. When this manager loses, he starts making all kinds of proclamations - who is his permanent this or that, the line up needs to change, he is mad - he complains endlessly about his bullpen. He has been literally all over the place. If we never know what's going to happen next - what must it be like to be in that clubhouse? Davey yelled at Bo Porter in the dugout on national tv for an error that was his.Things look out of control to me. We have too much time left to concede the season.

Exposremains said...

I'm afraid will overplay his hand and will not be able to trade his vets.

Anonymous8 said...

@Waddu eye no said...
Question about Taiwanese culture:

Is the kind if loyalty shown to Wang from the stands a typical national trait? Something Wang might show to the club that stuck out it's neck for him and gave him a chance?

It's clearly no longer a common trait among Americans in the baseball biz.

July 30, 2011 10:35 AM

While I think loyalty is part of Wang's culture, it used to be that way in America 40+ years ago. Wang's agent is Alan Nero and he was born and bred in America. Capiche?

Wang will be bid out to the highest bidder. At some point the Lerner's are going to catch on to all the mistakes Rizzo has made. Trust me, the list is growing longer by the days and I am talking about the ones that were made when he took over the whole baseball operations side of the business after Kasten left.

I am sure Kasten had decision making in Wang being non-tendered and Rizzo was in charge in December when he resigned Wang.

It made sense for the 2010 season to take a chance and no sense to try it again and face the choice of 1) Bring Wang up to the 25 man when he is not ready 2) DFA him.

Rizzo really is putting himself between a rock and a hard place here. If Wang fails, it is one more nail in Rizzo's coffin after all of his poor decisions. Remember, decisions snowball and Roger Bernadina was a direct casualty of this decision and how much is that young man going to take as a human yo-yo. Word is Roger was really distraught over this. Sure he was 0-17 but look at Espinosa who is stuck in a horrible slump and the on-going saga with Werth.

Just sayin' My 2 cents

Gonat said...

gonatsgo said...
Come September you know where you stand -- the season is winding down and you have your call-ups to watch to see what your team's future MIGHT look like. But - we have all of August yet to go and this team is in a really crazy place. I feel that earlier , this team had an identity - pitching, defense, some clutch hitting. I loved the way Bo Porter was handling the baserunning - our bunting was a regular part of the game - can't remember a squeeze in previous year. They were the Kardiac Kids with the one -run games. Now,there does not seem to be any direction. When watching the team, I don't see any confidence or fire. When this manager loses, he starts making all kinds of proclamations - who is his permanent this or that, the line up needs to change, he is mad - he complains endlessly about his bullpen. He has been literally all over the place. If we never know what's going to happen next - what must it be like to be in that clubhouse? Davey yelled at Bo Porter in the dugout on national tv for an error that was his.Things look out of control to me. We have too much time left to concede the season.

July 30, 2011 10:56 AM
_____________________________

You keep writing that good and people will think we are one and the same!

Go Kardiac Kids!!!!

Exposremains said...

*Rizzo

NatsJack in Florida said...

So "8"... I guess what you are saying is that the "cheap" Lerners are willing to eat 3 years of Rizzo's contract, right?

I, for one, thought that Wang looked good once he got over the opening jitters. If the gun was right, he was hitting 93 with good movement. I don't see alot of bidders at this time, but a couple of quality starts and no shoulder issues could change all that.

He certainly threw better than at anytime I saw him during Extended Spring Training.

Anonymous8 said...

Jack, don't put words in my mouth as I don't think they are "cheap" anymore and yes, I think they got snowed by Bowden and Rizzo is doing the same.

I think the Riggleman move was a master manipulation like a good magician does to make you pick the card he wants you to and Jim fell in the trap because he was so frustrated (Bad Jim by the way). You can agree or not. I am loosing faith quickly in Rizzo and I think Gonatsgo articulated the scenario very well.

Rizzo laid a great plan with pitching, athleticism, and defense and then has stuck to his guns when Rome is tumbling around him. He needed to cut Stairs sooner and had to do the same with some of his relievers. LaRoche carried on too long and Werth is an on-going problem that Rizzo created.

Wang did pitch well after the 1st inning except the point is that he wasn't ready and still may not be going forward. Is this a gamble you take when winning is important for the future of this franchise? Going 82-80 makes a big difference to Free Agents and this season is starting to tilt and slip.

bups said...

Last night was another example of the "the haves" getting richer and the "have nots" getting poorer. While the Nats flounder around trying for two years to rehab a deadbeat over the hill pitcher like Wang, the Phillies pick up 28 year old all star outfielder Hunter Pence for a bag of balls (two Class A prospects who will never be heard from again). The Phillies fill the stands every night to an above capacity level while the Nats try to draw a decent crowd by offering dollar tickets, dollar dogs and dollar parking. MLB is getting just like the NBA. The cream of the crop players, all of them, only will play for the same five or six teams located in cities where the teams are revered and supported. Zimmmerman will probably leave when his time comes, as will Straburg if his comeback is successful, and as will Harper. We will be stuck watching the Rick Ankiels, the Matt Stairs and the Jonny Gomes for all eternity. Enjoy!

CBinDC said...

JERRY HAIRSTON HAS BEEN TRADED TO MILWAUKEE HUH ?????

Harold Reynolds in the middle of demo just read a text from Jerry Hairston say he has been traded

Anonymous said...

Hunter Pence is a way better ballplayer than Jason Werth and he isn't costing the Phillies $126 million. He's 28 and Werth is 32.

Mark'd said...

CBINDC, Please tell us what Rizzo got in return? Jonny Gomes?

Anonymous said...

If that is true about Hairston being traded, that's another dumb deal by Rizzo because Hariston is the only decent bench player the Nats have.

CBinDC said...

Mark'd ----- They are not reporting who they got but Reynolds is saying Hairston wanted out of here .....tired of the culture of losing so much for this year ......wow how much difference a few weeks makes but this team was a house of cards if can fall this far this fast

Mark'd said...

Bups, while I am not as pessimistic on the situation, I think you are spot on with many points with regard to the Pence trade. By the time Houston promotes those guys to AAA, the Phillies will have 2 more NL East crowns and TWO Type A Comp picks when Pence leaves while they still have Domonic Brown who they didn't have to trade and we look forward to SIX more years of Jayson Werth!

Mark'd said...

Komatsu is a decent prospect. Maybe Riz brings up a youngster to take Hairston's place.

NatsJack in Florida said...

"8".... Really didn't mean to put the "cheap" line on you, just for the others that do that.

As for Wang, there really wasn't any other option than to bring him into the mix.

Waiting till September would not have done a thing to change what happened last nite. If, in fact his velocity is at 93, he actually approaches J. Zimm with his sinker. And they HAVE to find out if he really can warrant a contract. He's not going to bring in any huge numbers from other teams so if he has any success, the Nats will have the best opportunity to sign him.

As for Rizzo, This was the third draft that fully has his stamp on it.

His current approach of coveting veterans in the locker room is more towards providing a foundation for the "kids" that will be filtering up over the next two seasons. Lombardozzi, Harper, Peacock, Milhone, with the possibility of a Rendon and Goodwin joining them is where Rizzo's real judgement will be scrutinized.

And as for Davey, this is nothing more than a interim situation that may last till 2013. The past 6 games are a reflection of a starting staff returning to their norm.

Werth will hit when he becomes the secondary piece he's always been and the defense will be OK again, but the overall hitting will be, in the words of a couple of scouts I spoke with in Spring Training, "non existent".

And I still see a 79 - 83 as a finish in the toughest division in baseball as Free Agent worthy.

Mark'd said...

Komatsu was a make-up move by the Brewers after the whole Nyjer for Cutter Dykstra thing and a box of sunflower seeds.

Knoxville Nat said...

Mark'd.......the Brewers just picked up FLop a day or two ago maybe Rizzo is trying to bring him back to DC. (said with tongue in cheek)

Mark'd said...

NatsJack, nobody is questioning Rizzo's scouting and signing the amateurs. It is his Free Agents and Trades that are the worst in baseball with Kenny Williams a close 2nd.

Knoxville, you Got me laughing on that one!

CBinDC said...

I hate to throw more cold ice on a already frozen fan base but to pit of my stomach feeling is that Strasburg may one day soon become that huge trade piece. I was just watching the top 9 trade deals on MLB and it struck me how many bottom feeder teams get one big player and need to trade them for a bunch of players but how so few really get a boost from those players. But they need to since the culture of losing is engrained any thing including trade the big star is the only move you have available ......Oh and hearing Jerry now on MLB and Harold who is no fan of the Nationals (he mentions them like you talk about shower mold) is talking to him........Jerry gave the old young team DA DA DA .....but great to be going to a WINNING TEAM ........notice the winning part

sjm308 said...

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
Oh my god, we are going to lose Zimmerman, Zimmermann, Strasburg, Harper will undoubtedly get hurt and we will never be anything but cannon fodder for the nation of anons and negative Neds.

Whew, glad I got that out. Now, back to reality.

Things are not going well at this point but its still the best team I have seen since they have been back in town.

I can still go to a nice park, watch major league games and see us compete. We don't win as much as I would like but we compete. I am not getting into a hissy fit over this stuff.

Wang was and is a good gamble. Did not cost us all that much and if he can get better I feel certain we will resign him. Those that grumble about him not being ready, they are correct, but guess what? we had to use him or lose him and while I want to see youngsters up sooner than later, I am glad we did not dfa him. If we did this correctly, he will get stronger,and we can bring the youngsters up after this stupid trade deadline is over. Hairston is already gone, this is a good chance to bring up Lombardozzi. If Marquis is traded, bring up Peacock.

I guess we will never stop the negative talk and actually some have made great points while being negative. They certainly have a right and reason to be negative, but I just wonder if we ever get to a point of challenging for the playoffs whether the negative talk will ease. I seriously doubt it.

Sort of what makes this site entertaining.

Go Nats

Oh one more point that actually has not been mentioned (I don't think) our bench coach under Riggleman is probably a little more important to this teams success then people thought. I did not realize what he brought to this team but watching Corrales sit in the dugout and do very little compared to how it was makes me realize that might have been the biggest lose to the team in that debocal(realize spelling is wrong)

John c. said...

I'm guessing the Hairston-Komatsu trade was a great trade if the haters are reduced to calling it a makeup deal.

With Hairston gone I'm guessing that Bixler will be called back up, since he can play IF or OF. It also means that Bernadina will be brought back ASAP because right now the CF position is Ankiel and ... ... ... Werth? Wow, an OF of Nix, Werth and Gomes doesn't have a lot of SPAD, does it? That tells me that the Hairston deal happened in a hurry, because if they saw it coming they wouldn't have sent Bernadina down. That also makes sense because the Brewers paid a pretty big price for two months of Jerry Hairston.

Mark'd said...

Brian Bixler called up.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Mark'd.... that "youngster" could possibly be Bixler who happens to be able to play infield and outfield like Hairston. But I'd much rather see someone else given a chance.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Whoops... there you go,

sjm308 said...

Bixler makes sense and I think he played much more outfield at Syr when he was sent back. They can't bring Bernadina back for a few more days, its one of those rules that I guess makes sense. Even with Bixler, we still don't have a real CF and it truly is the one position where we have absolutely no depth.

NatsJack - your analysis helped once again, thanks. If we reach 79 wins I will be happy.

Still feel we will be looking for a CF in these last few days, and I think other trades are made after the trade deadline.

MarkD' - glad to hear the prospect we got for Hairston is decent - what more can you tell us?

Knoxville Nat said...

So who is this Komatsu guy? Can he play center field and bat lead off?

Mark'd said...

NatsJack, LOL. Totally agree. Perfect time for Marrero to allow Morse to play LF or Lombo.

Mark'd said...

Komatsu has a good eye and takes his walks. Was out in 2009 with an injury. Not much power and has decent speed. More of a corner OF without power. This was who Riz wanted for Nyjer so I like the trade as Hairston wasn't worth much. His comments leaving are disturbing.

John C. said...

FWIW, it's clear the guy can play CF: he's played more than half of his games at AA ball in CF, putting up a 1.000 fielding% with two assists. The rest of his time has been spent in right, so I'm guess he has a decent arm. But it's all guesswork from stats - it's not like I've seen the man play baseball.

Mark'd said...

John, you are correct, plus ARM. Not sure about range. Solid pickup.

UnkyD said...

Deep breath..... of some sweet NatsJack evaluation... Nice hearing from you!!

Smoke me a kipper, boys, I'll be back in time for breakfast said...

Mark'd said...
I like the trade as Hairston wasn't worth much. His comments leaving are disturbing.
July 30, 2011 12:35 PM


What did he say? Link?

NatsLady said...

I'm curious what Jerry said also. He did a good job here, if he had bad feelings he sure didn't show it.

natsfan1a said...

After a quick online search, I've not found any articles containing comments from Hairston re. the trade. There is a comment above that attributes some remarks to a Hairston interview on MLB Network. Not having seen the program, or read any such quotes in a news article, I'm not going to get spun up about it, but if the worst they got is that he said that's it's great to be going to a team that is winning...duh, yeah. The Brewers seem to have a shot this season.

Anonymous said...

The Nats should sign Wang to an incentive laden contract extension today. If Wang won't sign, tell him he won't pitch another inning at any level this season. Good luck auditioning for other teams that way.

Scooter said...

If Wang won't sign, tell him he won't pitch another inning at any level this season.

Wow, now Jim Riggleman is posting here, with his trademark negotiating style. This site really has taken off!

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