Sunday, April 1, 2012

Nats vs. Cardinals - 4/1/12

File photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Gio Gonzalez makes yet another start at Roger Dean Stadium this afternoon.
Since it's looking more and more like both Michael Morse and Rick Ankiel will open the season on the DL, the lineup Davey Johnson has put together for today's exhibition against the Cardinals might well be the same one we see Thursday in Chicago.

The outfield alignment: Mark DeRosa in left, Jayson Werth in center, Xavier Nady in right. Perhaps the only change would be Roger Bernadina in center, with Werth in right and Nady bumped to the bench, since the Cubs will be sending right-hander Ryan Dempster to the mound on Opening Day. But today's lineup still is pretty close to the one the Nationals should field come Thursday.

Gio Gonzalez, meanwhile, makes one final start in Jupiter today. Incredibly, it's his fourth start at Roger Dean Stadium, his third against the Cardinals. As was the case with Stephen Strasburg yesterday, Gonzalez won't go all-out and will be pulled after only 60-70 pitches.

I'm no longer down in Florida. Flew back to D.C. last night so I can spend a couple of days with the wife and baby before hitting the road again. So no updates forthcoming. Enjoy the game and the conversation...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter
Gametime: 1:05 p.m.
TV: None
Radio: Cardinals feed via MLB Gameday Audio, XM 186
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, Wind 8 mph LF to RF
STARTING LINEUPS
NATIONALS
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
3B Ryan Zimmerman
CF Jayson Werth
LF Mark DeRosa
1B Adam LaRoche
RF Xavier Nady
C Wilson Ramos
P Gio Gonzalez

CARDINALS
2B Tyler Greene
RF Carlos Beltran
LF Matt Holliday
3B David Freese
C Yadier Molina
1B Matt Carpenter
CF Shane Robinson
SS Rafael Furcal
P Jaime Garcia

169 comments:

Mark'd said...

Great, Cardinals radio dopes again.

DWS said...

Mark'd said...

Great, Cardinals radio dopes again.

Ditto, still one day closer...

Anonymous said...

We have had the ability to listen to multiple radio teams and other TV guys. Charlie and Dave are amazing!

Anonymous said...

Looks like Nady has made this team. Both he and DeRosa are remarkable stories. A month ago no one, absolutely no one, would have dreamed that either would be in the starting lineup opening day, but that could happen, with both men.

Laddie_Blah_Blah

Anon 503 said...

Davey has been vocal and explicit in wanting DeRosa on his bench since last fall, so that's no surprise, but then again, Laynce Nix was last year's "Where'd HE Come From?" winner, so here's hoping X-man works out at least as well. (As opposed to last year's "Is HE Still Here??" winner, Matt Stairs.)

Anonymous said...

How is it that we have few major league outfielders, that we are starting an almost embarrassing outfield to begin the season,and yet a guy from our organization (Komatsu)
has made the team for the world champions (yes, I know Morse is injured and Harper is coming sometime later). Couldn't this have come out better to begin the season? Is this just another "developmental" season, or are we trying to actually win something?

Anonymous said...

And what JayB said in an earlier thread is correct. The pitching is here now; it may not be in 2013,so it seems a now-existing opportunity is being squandered. With the well-known mechanical questions surrounding Stras, Storen, and Gio (google pitching mechanics and these names), you simply cannot assume that all of them will be healthy in coming years, and I would wager that the will not all be so.

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...

Lots of strikeouts in our lineup. Only one missing is the Big Dunn-key. But ALR is a worthy 125 K replacement. I am worried about scoring.

Anonymous said...

Why on earth would anyone think Bernadina will play center ahead of Werth? Bernadina is a terrible center fielder. He may start in left or right, though.

Anonymous said...

Desi amd Espi are gonna kill this club at the plate. No idea why Davey sees that 1-2 as playoff quality.

bdrube said...

Desi and Espi are 1-2 because there are no other candidates. Lombardozzi is as green as a rookie gets. He needs to prove he can hit at the MLB level in the regular season before they'll consider benching one of the other two as starters.

Anon1a said...

Love the Sofa King!

Enjoy getting reacquainted with the wife and kid, Mark, and be ready to get after it at Wrigley.

natsfan1a said...

Speaking of 503 issues, just turned up a (non-Insider related) blog post via a quick web search. Perhaps it may speak to the origins of the issue on this blog as well.

Anon1a said...

Dang, I forgot to wear my Anon cloak.

Section 222 said...

As was the case with Stephen Strasburg yesterday, Gonzalez won't tgo all-out and will be pulled after only 60-70 pitches.

I understand the 60-70 pitches concept, but are the starters really "not going all out"? What exactly does that mean? Do they really cut back on their velocity or how hard they try to command their pitches?

Our lineup without Morse isn't going to scare anyone that's for sure. The very concept of Werth as a cleanup hitter is kind of scary. But it's not like there's much of a difference between Nady and Ankiel at the plate. And DeRosa could be the feel good surprise of the year.

So that Pretty Frickin' Bueno is a great idea for a t-shirt, but $31.99?? Dear Skreened, I don't appreciate businesses who take advantage of Nats fans like that. Lower the price to $15 or even $20 and I might buy one.

Anonymous said...

Komatso was a rule five pick and he has to make the 25 man or he would have to be returned to the Nationals. They had no choice but to put him there.

NatsNow said...

20 minutes until Gameday. Even though he's probably still drunk from yesterday, Mike Shannon is busy getting trashed before the broadcast starts. Here are some good examples of his finest work: http://arachnerd.wordpress.com/mike-shannon-quotes/

Cwj said...

Sec 222- Good question about "not going all out".
It probably means something like: "no pressure, just get your work in and don't get injured".

#4 said...

We are now officially at the point where we divide into Kool-aid drinkers and Chicken Littles. Put me in the Kool-aid camp. It amazes me how high a standard some of you are holding this team to. You are criticizing them for starting Derosa and Nady in the OF when three players Morse, Ankiel, and Bernadina are hurt. Additionally they have been light in the OF knowing Harper will be in DC at some point. This is just one example of the insanity. It's certainly better than Nook Logan, Lastings Milledge, and Elijah Dukes.

Are they a 100 win team? No. 85 wins though is very doable with a shot at contending. They won 80 last year and have a much better rotation, a better bullpen, a better bench, a full year of Ryan Zimmerman, and a full year of Adam LaRoche. I think that should be worth 5-10 wins.

natsfan1a said...

Yeah, I'm not inclined to fork over that much either.

So that Pretty Frickin' Bueno is a great idea for a t-shirt, but $31.99?? Dear Skreened, I don't appreciate businesses who take advantage of Nats fans like that. Lower the price to $15 or even $20 and I might buy one.

Cwj said...

#4- Yeah put me in the Kool-Aid camp as well.
I'm thinking 87-75 this season, and 90+ in 2013.

I think the Marlins are overrated, the Braves probably similar to the Nats, the Mets are bad, and this will be Philly's last year of winning the division.

natsfan1a said...

I've only heard a few Cards broadcasts (with Mr. Shannon at the mic), but I will note that having hoisted a few is not the only thing that might cause slurred speech (e.g., stroke, speech impediment, what have you).

Cwj said...

Natsfan- Slurred speech?

natsfan1a said...

I'm in the Glass Half-Full camp myself (in fact, I'm one of the camp counselors ;-)).

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:34

"How is it that we have few major league outfielders, that we are starting an almost embarrassing outfield to begin the season,and yet a guy from our organization (Komatsu) has made the team for the world champions (yes, I know Morse is injured and Harper is coming sometime later). Couldn't this have come out better to begin the season? Is this just another "developmental" season, or are we trying to actually win something?"

Huh? We also have Ankiel, Morse, Bernadina (all current major leaguers) plus Harper, Brown, Goodwin, Taylor, Perez and Hood in the minors. I would not take a 25-year-old slap hitter like Komatsu for any of them, and certainly not for DeRosa or Nady, both proven "major leaguers," while Komatsu hit .234 for our minor league team last year. Nady is hitting .400 for us against ST "major league" pitching and is a former "major league" All-Star, and DeRosa is hitting well over .400 with a spectacular OBP to go along with it.

If the Cards want to keep Komatsu they must name him to their 25-man roster, or send him back to us. He belongs in the minors until he proves that he has "major league" ability, and that is where we would send him if he comes back, which could very well happen before the end of the season.

Just because he is on their roster does not mean that he has demonstrated "major league" ability. He hasn't, while Nady and DeRosa most definitively have, in spades. Davey would laugh at the idea that he would be better off with Komatsu than with either Nady or DeRosa, and with good reason.

The WaPo's Kilgore reported this morning that the young Nats hitters, like Spinner and Desi, crowd around DeRosa's locker talking hitting with an experienced "major league" pro who has proven his mettle. If Komatsue were in our locker room, he would be one of the guys doing the listening, too.

Your comment is ridiculous.

Laddie_Blah_Blah

natsfan1a said...

Cwj, there were comments about the broadcaster's slurred speech in yesterday's game thread, which I read after the fact (having been out all afternoon yesterday).

Cwj said...

Oh ok thanks Natsfan.
That's interesting. I didn't hear the broadcasters, but who knows they may have been drunk.
I remember Phil Wood mentioning how broadcasters and beat writers used to get sloshed during games :-)

Tim said...

#4, Pass the kool-aid.

NatsLady said...

The Marlins are playing the Yanks in Marlins Park. Gonna watch while I listen to our game.

Cwj said...

I'd like to see what the rest of you guys think the Nats record will be. Just for fun, though one of us may hit the mark. :-)

#4 has them at 85-77, I have them at 87-75

Harry Caray said...

Did somebody call me?

I remember Phil Wood mentioning how broadcasters and beat writers used to get sloshed during games :-)

natsfan1a said...

In addition to not taking on armchair GM duties, I don't do predictions, so no numbers for me. :-)

Ben said...

I'm not gonna lie, I am almost excited to hear how sloshed Shannon is today. I wonder if he will be talking about the audio/ sound room again....

NatsLady said...

Good National Anthem at the Marlins game. Not sure who the guy is. They allowed 25K in today, and 30K tomorrow, for gearing up. They showed the roof closing, it's pretty cool.

natsfan1a said...

Keep us posted on the HR "feature," NatsLady.

natsfan1a said...

Keep us posted on the HR "feature," NatsLady.

NatsLady said...

They have big windows with sort of Venetian blinds that look out on the Miami skyline. So it's light even though the roof is closed.

natsfan1a said...

Ralph Kiner (Mets) had a bout with Bell's palsy that affected his speech, for example. I'm just saying. (Okay, I'll stop now.)

natsfan1a said...

Crud, that link re-set to the first item in the slide show. Here's a better one.

natsfan1a said...

Dang, that GameDay graphic embedded video commercial is annoying.

Anyhoo, Gio has a 1-2-3 inning (GO, K, K). (In the top of the inning, the Nats went FO, GO, 1B, GO).

natsfan1a said...

Nats in the 2nd: 1B, FO, GIDP.

natsfan1a said...

Nats in the 2nd: 1B, FO, GIDP.

Cwj said...

Natsfan- I understand :-) I don't do the GM thing either, but I love doing my own little projections just because I like stats.

NatsLady- Yeah I'm watching the Miami-Yankees game as well.
I like the look of those windows behind the outfield.
Pretty nice looking stadium, aside from that silly thing in center field.

DWS said...

Must say the announcers are a little more on the ball today.

natsfan1a said...

No problem, Cwj. I always give that disclaimer in prediction threads.

Bottom of the 2nd: FO, K, K.

(I think Shannon just forgot how many K's Gio had.)

natsfan1a said...

Pretty funny about the truck giveaway. The fans were cheering about it, but turned out it was Wainwright's truck (courtesy of Berkman). Pretty good April Fools' joke. :-)

Cwj said...

The 503 error is occurring more than usual today.

natsfan1a said...

haha, Gio with a base hit!

NatsLady said...

Gio got a single???? I thought he couldn't hit?

Cwj said...

So Gio has 4 Ks through 2 innings? Nice!
I'll have to double check, but I think he's leading the team in strikeouts this spring.

natsfan1a said...

No joke: GO, 1B (Gio), DP.

NatsLady said...

Yes, I have gotten 503 a dozen times so far. No homers in the Marlins game.

Cwj said...

He must have taken Mitch Williams' advice about closing your eyes and swinging as hard as you can :)

natsfan1a said...

Me, too, on the 503. On Gio, maybe they had him watch some video of Livo swinging the lumber. :-)

natsfan1a said...

Broadcaster mentions how Gio has been dealing the 0-2 counts since the 1st inning.

NatNow said...

Marlins hit a homerun, but they didn't show the monstrosity illuminated fruit hat come to life :(

NatsLady said...

Sanchez with a dinger but they either didn't light up the machine or they just didn't show it. Boo. CC not looking like his usual greatness.

Cwj said...

NatNow- "Monstrosity" haha that's definitely an apt description alright :)

natsfan1a said...

Geez, why even have a fancy schmancy HR feature if you aren't going to show it? :-)

Bottom of the 3rd: GO, GO*, K.

*Evidently a nice pick by LaRoche.

NatsNow said...

Marlins are apparently waiting until the season starts before they fire up the Ricky Martin stage.

Cwj said...

NatsLady- Yeah I like Sabathia. He's a good guy too.

natsfan1a said...

I liked "fruit hat," too. The Carmen Miranda Memorial HR Feature.

Anon in Florida said...

Someone forgot to plug in Carmen Miranda's hat in left CF in the new Marlins Stadium.

natsfan1a said...

I liked "fruit hat," too. The Carmen Miranda Memorial HR Feature.

Cwj said...

It really is ridiculous looking. Also odd how the outfield wall curves around it.

NatsNow said...

I'll take the sub horn any day of week.

natsfan1a said...

First 1-2-3 inning for Garcia: GO (Espi's second bounce-out to short), GO, K.

Me, too, on the sub horn, which I didn't like at first.

Rabbit said...

The cost of a baseball game..$100.
The cost of Werth pulling a hamstring..priceless.

natsfan1a said...

Huh?

natsfan1a said...

Back to back doubles to start the inning and the Cards draw first blood. Gio rebounds with a FO and two K's. It's 1-0 Cards after 4.

natsfan1a said...

Er, make that FO, K, FO.

Bottom of the 2nd: FO, K, K.

Cwj said...

Rabbit- Werth got injured???

Cwj said...

Thanks for the play by play Natsfan :)

natsfan1a said...

Nats in top of 5th: K, LO, 1B, FO.

natsfan1a said...

No problem, Cwj. I figure it could be of interest to people who can't listen on GameDay and read the thread after the fact.

I'm not aware of any Werth injury.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Cwj....At Bat 11 still has Werth in CF.

natsfan1a said...

Seeing as how Mark isn't there to do updates.

NatsLady said...

Jeez, it was all over MLB.com that the Nats named Stras their opening day starter. Where has this guy been?

Cwj said...

Ok, glad about Werth. Was worried there for a second.
I guess Rabbit was just having a laugh.
April Fool's Day and all...

One of my favorite days when I was a kid :-)

Cwj said...

Natslady- Yeah sounds like MLB.com is a little behind in the times.
Wasn't that announced like 2 weeks ago?

natsfan1a said...

Gio walks the leadoff hitter but no problem, as the next guy lines into a DP. Then there's a single and, just to mix it up a bit, another K. Sounds like Gorz may come in for him next inning. PFB for Gio.

NatsLady said...

Marlins D not looking great, now. Outfielder misjudged a fly at the fence, and Reyes for some reason missed a ground ball throw.

Cwj said...

Go Gio!
I guess he didn't listen to Davey about holding back, and decided to bring his A game :)

natsfan1a said...

Gio's line: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 0 HR.

NatsLady said...

MLB.com wasn't behind, it had Stras as Opening Day starter as their headline. Apparently this Cards announcer doesn't read MLB.com.

Cwj said...

Gio has become one of my favorite Nats.
Seems like he is always smiling and happy.

NatsLady said...

HR by Espy!!!! Gio won't lose the game!!

MicheleS said...

So maybe it is the Batters Eye ;-)

natsfan1a said...

News bulletin, Danny Espinosa has just hit a HR to tie the game.

Cwj said...

Natslady- Oh ok, sorry I thought you were talking about something else.

Cwj said...

Go Espinosa! Prove the haters wrong!

natsfan1a said...

To fill in the rest of the top of the 6th: GO (Flores PH for Gio), K, HR (atta way, Danny), GO.

I really like Gio's personality, too.

Cwj said...

Or "doubters", I should say. "Haters" is a bit to strong a word :)

Cwj said...

Sounds like the game is flying by pretty quickly.

Another reason I like the NL better than the AL, the games are faster.

NatsNow said...

NatsLady said...

"MLB.com wasn't behind, it had Stras as Opening Day starter as their headline. Apparently this Cards announcer doesn't read MLB.com."

This is the same guy who called Brad Lidge Strasburg multiple times in the 9th inning of yesterday's game.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Spinner!

Laddie_Blah_Blah

Rabbit said...

Come on guys...I was just playing around with the Master Card commercial; remember the one???!! Werth really frustrates me. Somebody say it will be OK!

NatsJack in Florida said...

Espinosa is a much better hitter when batting right handed. It's a real struggle from the left side.

natsfan1a said...

Bottom of 6th for Gorzy: LO, GO, GO.

natsfan1a said...

I got the commercial, but not the theme of injury to one of our own. But that's just me.

NatsLady said...

Rabbit, it will be OK. Really.

And if CMW comes back soon, our rotation is REALLY SCARY!

natsfan1a said...

For Marte: GO, K, BB (atta way, Adam), LO.

btw, Komatsu now in LF.

NatsLady said...

NatsNow, yes, I heard that, too. Maybe Lidge and Stras look alike? Maybe Stras is the only pitcher he's heard of.

natsfan1a said...

Bottom of the 7th for Gorzy: LO, GO, LO.

NatsLady said...

Well, they didn't set off the Carmen Miranda machine for a Yankees HR either. Now, what kind of hospitality is that?

natsfan1a said...

Top of the 8th for Salas: GO, GO, FO.

Sounds like it's H-Rod for the bottom of the inning.

natsfan1a said...

I think that's quite inhospitable on the part of the Fish.

natsfan1a said...

btw, that was 2 perfect IP for Gorzy.

Erik said...

Well, hopefully our rotation will produce 5 guys with sub 3.00 ERA because the way this team hits we are going to have to shut teams out twice a week to have a chance to win games. Watching the O's on TV, and we only have 2 position players that would even start on THAT team and 1 of those is hurt.

Anonymous said...

Nick Johnson just hit a homer for the O's and he didn't get injured rounding the bases.

sm13 said...

Erik, not sure what O's team you're watching, maybe a replay from 83? I'll take my chances at Nats Park. You can spend the season at Camden and we'll check back at the end of the season and see who has more fun.

NatsLady said...

Well, Henry keeping his ERA perfecto. PFB!

natsfan1a said...

Still 1-1 after H-Rod's bottom of the 8th: 1B, sac bunt, K, K (leaving Komatsu in the on-deck circle).

natsfan1a said...

Gio and H-Rod, both PFB today. :-)

MicheleS said...

1A.. don't forget Gorzo too.. PFB!

MicheleS said...

Go Danny! Go Danny!

MicheleS said...

All Right Danny!!! Scored the run!

Nattydread said...

DeRosa comes through. The Bench?

NatsLady said...

Boy, you could hear that fan, "That was a terrible call, Blue!" (Umpires wearing blue.)

MicheleS said...

Oh.. By the way.. Drinking Koolaid (and hoping that I don't end up on the Bourbon and Maalox)

NatsLady said...

Tried to get Henry's jersey last year, but they only had Pudge in the store. Hope that will be rectified this year.

natsfan1a said...

Nats up by one after the top of the 9th: 1B (Espi, from the left), K (backwards, for "Lambardozzi"), 1B, 1B, K, GO.

That heckling fan was funny.

natsfan1a said...

Good point. :-)

MicheleS said...

1A.. don't forget Gorzo too.. PFB!
April 01, 2012 3:06 PM

MicheleS said...

Anybody seen Clipp lately? I can't recall him pitching recently.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Sm13....Eric's post doesn't warrant a response. It was just plain silly.

MicheleS said...

Has anyone seen or heard from Clipp lately? I can't recall if he has pitched in the last couple of days.

sm13 said...

You are correct Natsjack. I should a known better.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Michele S...Clip had a solid 2 innings against the Tigers Thursday night.

Erik said...

What a bunch of "homers"-SM13 and NJ. I never said the Orioles were a better team!!! But, please tell me who would start over Reynolds at 1B, Roberts, Hardy, Wieters, Jones, and Markakis. And no, Werth is not better than Markakis or Jones.

JaneB said...

NatsFan1a says:
Gio and H-Rod, both PFB today. :-)

Espy too! I would buy the PFB shirt, too, but not at that price. Soon we will need a NatsInsider shirt that contains BeastMode, GYFNG, Hitterish, Gulp! Bang!, B25GN, and Gorse Hacking. Probably other things I've lost rack of.

NatsLady said...

Good on Ryan Matteus getting out of that one. Hope he has nerves of steel like that in real life (er, real season).

MicheleS said...

Erik, I think the only one I would take is Jones. Is Roberts playing? I hope so, he has had such a rough couple of years with the concussions.

natsfan1a said...

Eventful bottom of the inning for Mattheus (BB, K, K, 1B, K), but he holds on and the Nats win, 2-1.

NatsLady said...

MicheleS, Clipp pitched two perfect innings Friday against the Tigers.

natsfan1a said...

Um, *Nats* Insider = we're supposed to be "homers" for the Nats. We're fans, not broadcasters, so it's okay to root, root, root for the home team. :-)

NatsLady said...

OK, folks, FWIW, that's a win. Laundry time.

DWS said...

Watching the Yankees Marlins game as I check in on the Nats...good win BTW. The monstrosity according to the Miami announcers is a "sculpture" and David Sampson says it will not "light up" until the regular season.
Sorry if this was already mentioned.

MicheleS said...

NJ.. Thanks for the info on Clipp.. Forgot about that game (short term memory sucks)

natsfan1a said...

Line for Mattheus: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 HR.

He gets and save and H-Rod the (curly) W.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Jones is the only Bird everyday player I'd want off that team.

natsfan1a said...

I hear you MicheleS. Who are we playing this afternoon, again? Oh, um, never mind.

MicheleS said...

NJ.. Thanks for the info on Clipp.. Forgot about that game (short term memory sucks)
April 01, 2012 3:30 PM

sm13 said...

Nice way to finish out the Florida schedule. Good to see Gio close out strong. Can't wait to see him at the home opener. Gi-O, Gi-O!

bdrube said...

@Erik - "And no, Werth is not better than Markakis or Jones."

WRONG - Werth's WAR each of the last three years has been higher than Markakis and Jones for each of those years. And yes, that includes 2011.

natsfan1a said...

I'd take Jones, too, btw. Rizzo, make it happen. Cue the music, me and Mr. Jones, we got a thing going on...

natsfan1a said...

sm13, I think they're at the Red Sox, in FL, tomorrow, then the exhibition vs. the Sox at Nats Park on Tuesday.

natsfan1a said...

But I'm with you on the Gi-O chants! (Maybe we should do that whenever somebody grounds out against him. For K's it would be K-O, of course.)

Positively Half St. said...

If Corey Brown could have an epiphany like MPH, then we will have won the Willingham trade in a walk-off. I am pretty happy about it now, as it is.

+1/2St.

sm13 said...

1a - right again

NatsLady said...

We have to get a PFB chant going. Totally bewilder the opponents.

Cwj said...

Natsfan- I think you're on to something,
K-O Gonzalez :) I like that one.

Bdrube- Werth also topped Markakis in defensive runs saved.
Somehow Markakis won a gold glove in right field, but finished a distant 12th in the Fielding Bible Awards.
I was actually shocked when I looked it up. But Markakis is apparently vastly overrated defensively.

natsfan1a said...

That would be good, NatsLady. :-)

Joe Seamhead said...

I credit Johnson for the change that happened to H-Rod late last season. All of a sudden gone was the guy that came out hoping to throw strikes, and on came a guy that looked cool & confident. Many on this board wanted to throw Henry under the bus after two months,repeatedly throwing out the phrase "Rizzo fail." I'm not ready to say that he'll be Fireman of the Year yet, but I certainly wouldn't go back on the Willingham trade, if I could, either. I also would not be surprised to see Corey Brown making serious contributions before long. As to Danny Espinosa, I see a guy that goes on streaks and they go from horrid to torrid. He'll get hot. I'm not in the Desi hate camp either, but the sand is flowing out of his hourglass. I still stick to my earlier prediction: Davey Johnson will be the NL Manager of the Year. Spike the kool-aid and pass it on over to me, my friends!

Erik said...

BDRUBE-Looking at the player rater averages of 5 different baseball websites, Jones is 15 spots higher (OF alone) and Markakis is 10 spots higher. WAR is a meaningless statistic. If you want to go by WAR, then Robert Andino was better than Ryan Howard, Nelson Cruz, and Eric Hosmer. Bottom line is that Markakis hits .295 vs.264 (career averages) averages more RBI and Runs Scored, and is just now entering his prime. And Markakis is a Gold Glover. And he makes $7 million less per year. And he didn't hit .232 last year. And he doesnt' strike out 170 times per year. And he didn't get to hit behind Utley and Howard. And he doesn't stand in the OF with his hands on his knees for entire AB's. Watch him out there one day. Nice Ready Position!!! Good example for the little leaguers out there. Maybe if he was ready more often he wouldn't have to slide and miss balls by a few feet so often. Sorry for the rant. I love the Nats, but I just can't stand Werth, and it's not because of his batting average. Just think how much better they would be with another $126 million to spare.

JaneB said...

NatsLady, good idea on the PFB chant!

Anonymous said...

Troll Alert!!

Reminder. DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS

Gonat said...

NatsJack in Florida said...
Espinosa is a much better hitter when batting right handed. It's a real struggle from the left side.

April 01, 2012 2:33 PM
____________________________

Agreed. I am also in with those saying batting him 2nd RH and 7th LH.

MPHRod handled that the leadoff hit well. Very impressive.

Bernadina back from bereavement and delivers in a 0-2 count with a single.

Gio Gonzalez seemed masterful today. A couple of pulled doubles past 3rd and nothing else.

natsfan1a said...

Thanks for the HR "sculpture" scouting report, DWS, as nobody had mentioned that it was not yet in regular season form. :-)

DWS said...

Watching the Yankees Marlins game as I check in on the Nats...good win BTW. The monstrosity according to the Miami announcers is a "sculpture" and David Sampson says it will not "light up" until the regular season.
Sorry if this was already mentioned.
April 01, 2012 3:30 PM

SonnyG10 said...

26 Million for Werth, 100 Million to transform Nats image to other free agents. :)

Gonat said...

Julio Teheran's Spring went down the tubes finishing with a 9.37 ERA. I think his only highlight of the Spring was striking out Bryce Harper.

Tommy Hanson becomes the Braves fill-in #1 with Tim Hudson on the shelf.

Anonymous said...

One of the disappointments in today's game was Lombardozzi in the 9th. Espinosa started the inning with a single and Lombo had to lay down the bunt and couldn't and struck out.

This may have meant nothing with Lombo or you have to wonder how he does in the more stressful "clutch" moments. It is something to keep and eye on to see how Lombo does in the clutch.

realdealnats said...

Looks like last week's suicide watch has been cancelled. Too much ST time on everyone's hands. Pitching is deep. Super deep. IMO it can withstand a number of arrows of outrageous fortune.

CWJ--With the possibility of fielder I thought 90 wins but am glad we it worked out as it did given the details. I told a friend a month ago 86 wins. During "The Suicide Watch of the Dead Arms" week, I mentioned 84 here. I'll stick with that. I'd be disappointed under 84.

If De Rosa or Corey Brown--or especially Harper--is a Story--it could go as high as 90, but I'm not counting on that. Especially with unforeseen injuries to position players. Put me down for 84, and I'll happily buy you a beer when they get to 87. After that it's a shot per win I guess!

In the spirit of kicks and fun, I predicted the first five games here a week or so ago. I got us at 3-0 coming out of the gate and at 3-2 after the first five. For me, Harper is as good a touchstone as any to account for every win over .500. If he rakes, we approach 90. If he hits .267 like many rookie greats in the making, we're a few over.

Next year: keep the starting rotation together but hopefully Det has forced his way to #5. And get that left handed big bat at 1B. When Rendon forces his way into the starting lineup, then we are truly a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully this year...we steal a WS. Why not? Who knows which team Lady Luck will favor. And Davey's got them loosey goosey and, I'm hoping, ready to open them up to some luck.

realdealnats said...

Looks like last week's suicide watch has been cancelled. Too much ST time on everyone's hands. Pitching is deep. Super deep. IMO it can withstand a number of arrows of outrageous fortune.

CWJ--With the possibility of fielder I thought 90 wins but am glad we it worked out as it did given the details. I told a friend a month ago 86 wins. During "The Suicide Watch of the Dead Arms" week, I mentioned 84 here. I'll stick with that. I'd be disappointed under 84.

If De Rosa or Corey Brown--or especially Harper--is a Story--it could go as high as 90, but I'm not counting on that. Especially with unforeseen injuries to position players. Put me down for 84, and I'll happily buy you a beer when they get to 87. After that it's a shot per win I guess!

In the spirit of kicks and fun, I predicted the first five games here a week or so ago. I got us at 3-0 coming out of the gate and at 3-2 after the first five. For me, Harper is as good a touchstone as any to account for every win over .500. If he rakes, we approach 90. If he hits .267 like many rookie greats in the making, we're a few over.

Next year: keep the starting rotation together but hopefully Det has forced his way to #5. And get that left handed big bat at 1B. When Rendon forces his way into the starting lineup, then we are truly a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully this year...we steal a WS. Why not? Who knows which team Lady Luck will favor. And Davey's got them loosey goosey and, I'm hoping, ready to open them up to some luck.

Soul Possession, PFB Sofa said...

Eric is not a troll. He's arguing on the merits. We have real trolls, and he's not one of them.

Anonymous said...

Nats 92 wins, 70 losses.

Corky

Anonymous said...

Espinosa is a much better hitter when batting right handed. It's a real struggle from the left side.

He gets 1000 at bats in the majors then they ask him to not to switch hit if it doesn't seem like he is getting it.

Anonymous said...

If Corey Brown could have an epiphany like MPH, then we will have won the Willingham trade in a walk-off.

He'll be better this year ... there will be some good chemistry in that lineup. Where that will lead? Who knows?

Anonymous said...

Eric is not a troll. He's arguing on the merits. We have real trolls, and he's not one of them.

Perspective is everything as ObiWan told Luke. Sec 3 may be a Troll from one perspective.

sjm308 said...

Erik might not be a troll but he is dreaming if he thinks more then two of the current O's would help us. Roberts has not played an inning in ST. You can't be serious about Reynolds at any position with his strike outs and errors. I do like Wieters but I am fine with our two young catchers so that is a wash. Jones is superior to anyone we have on our roster in CF so that is your one win. Werth did not have a good year statistically, but we went from 69 wins to 80 and he was one reason for that even with his poor stats. It's a tough call but I think I would take Werth over Markakis. The bottom line is the O's are headed toward 15 straight years of losing while we have a legitimate chance at 85 wins or more. It was never mentioned but is there even ONE pitcher you would take from the O's top 12 to replace any of our top 15? I don't think so.

Cwj said...

Thanks for your predictions Realdeal and Corky!
So far Insiders have the Nats finishing:
85-77, 87-75, 84-78, 92-70.
Not bad at all :)

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