Thursday, April 26, 2012

A rare chance to breathe easy

Associated Press photo
Adam LaRoche went 3-for-4 in last night's 7-2 victory in San Diego.
You'll have to forgive just about everyone who was inside the Nationals dugout late during last night's game showing off their pearly whites. They certainly haven't had many opportunities this season to smile wide while games were still underway.

Of their 13 previous victories, six had come by just one run, two had come by two runs, three had come by three runs and two had come by four runs.

Thus, a 7-2 dismantling of the Padres was welcome relief for a Nationals club that to date had experienced nothing but tense baseball through the season's first three weeks.

They needed this one, they really did. That may sound strange when you consider this is a 14-4 ballclub we're talking about, owners of the NL's best record. But all those tense, low-scoring, down-to-the-wire wins take their toll, both physically and mentally.

Just about every at-bat taken and every pitch thrown by a member of the Nationals this season has come in high-leverage situations. Sure, it's great practice for a young team that aspires to play in the highest of leverage games this fall. But you need a laugher every once in a while to break things up and give yourself a chance to breathe easy.

So Davey Johnson could thank Jordan Zimmermann (six innings of one-run ball), Adam LaRoche (3-for-4, RBI), Wilson Ramos (2-for-5, two RBI) and Tom Gorzelanny (the rare, three-inning save) for giving his blood pressure a much-needed night off.

And thus, a season that has already included some remarkable feats from a club that isn't used to accomplishing such things, added a couple new items to the checklist.

-- The Nationals have now played six series, and they've won all six.

-- Until Zimmermann surrendered a solo homer to Orlando Hudson in the fifth, the starting rotation had completed 26 consecutive scoreless innings (a new Nationals record).

-- At 14-4, they've now matched the best 18-game start to any season in Washington baseball history. The only other club in 79 years of D.C. baseball to open 14-4? The 1932 Senators, who wound up 93-61 (14 games behind the Yankees in the AL).

(For the record, that 1932 team lost its 19th game. Thus a victory in tonight's series finale at Petco Park would ensure the first-ever 15-4 record in the long -- and mostly sad -- annals of Washington baseball.)

Yes, we're entering uncharted waters here, folks. The Nationals are 10 games over .500 for the first time since July 26, 2005, and there doesn't appear to be any end in sight.

Strange times indeed. And, at least for one night, reason to sit back and smile for a change.

213 comments:

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Dryw Loves the Nats said...

I could just sit and read the stats over and over. I've watched (or been at or listened to) the games, I've read the stats mounting daily, and I still find it hard to believe. "Bordering on the absurd" from yesterday's headline is exactly right--but what a beautiful, joyous absurdity it is! Sweep today??

Holden Baroque said...

Good year to be working on a book on the team.

Positively Half St. said...

It would be great to go into the LA series with a 3-0 start to the road trip. Even though the Braves showed that the Dodgers can be had, it is not going to be easy to win that series.

+1/2St.

djinFl. said...

PFB when the reality is better than the koolaid.

Theophilus T. S. said...

Zimmermann -- Good as ever. LaRoche -- MVP so far. Ankiel -- showing unaccustomed signs of consistency. Ramos -- beginning to hit in the clutch. Lombardozzi -- might be able to play 3B after all (though that last throw to LaRoche showed why they are paying Adam the big bucks -- and why he's worth it, and why next year's option is starting to look like a no-brainer). Gorzellany -- doing exactly what they want him to do, and keeping his cool. Desmond -- two BB; not that they were important to the outcome but at least he was able to do it. Espinosa -- warming up slowly.

Much to like.

MicheleS said...

If this is a dream, don't wake me up!

It was good to see Espi get 2 hits on his Bday in front of the family. Has Desi ever gotten two walks in 1 game? JZ and Gorzy getting an RBI each? Who are these guys? Seriously, I feel like we have entered an alternate universe. I would love a sweep today, I think EJax would love to redeem himself after that last outing, especially since Gorzy did yesterday.

LoveDaNats said...

This is the most fun I've ever had as a Nats fan! OK, that Zim walkoff against the Phils a couple summers ago was PFB. I love the chemistry. I love the way they don't give up. Imagine what this team will be with Zim healthy again, Morse and Storen back and Harper waiting in the wings. So pumped! Love this team!

MurrayTheRed said...

I love this team!

Remember all this is Rizzo's doings, don't forget all the less than nice things said about him, the Lerners, and us(the Washington fans).

I love this team!!

Gonat said...

MicheleS said...
If this is a dream, don't wake me up!

It was good to see Espi get 2 hits on his Bday in front of the family. Has Desi ever gotten two walks in 1 game? JZ and Gorzy getting an RBI each? Who are these guys? Seriously, I feel like we have entered an alternate universe. I would love a sweep today, I think EJax would love to redeem himself after that last outing, especially since Gorzy did yesterday.

April 26, 2012 7:52 AM
_________________________________

Shame is the casual sports fans around DC have no idea. The radio coverage is RG3, the Draft, the Caps playoffs, the Wizards winning streak

Gonat said...

Edwin vs Edinson tonight and tomorrow night is the Dodgers series as Ross Detwiler brings his 0.56 vs. Cy Young Kershaw and his 1.61 ERA.

Saturday is Stras vs. Billingsley and Sunday is Gio vs. Capuano then a day-off on Monday.

Section 222 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SCNatsFan said...

Another stellar outing by the staff. Lets hope Zim is just out fora short stretch and continue the Nats train rolling.

Gonat said...

Tweet of the night and I removed 2 letters from his curse word:

@AngryCapsFan: I have people on my timeline talking about the #Nats right now? Are you f$%king kidding me?

Section 222 said...

Last night was too good to be true -- A west coast game that was over before 10 pm, and an easy win. Very glad that Gorzo was able to close the game out, get the 3 inning save and give the rest of the bullpen the night off. PFB.

What else can you say about Zimmermann, the silent assassin. Not only did he pitch spectacularly, he got an RBI hit. My favorite humorous moment, though, was when Carp was extolling Znn's bunting prowess just as he was popping up into a DP. Oops.

Here's hoping that the Padres' visit to 33 K Street is as unsuccessful as their trip to 27 K Street was last night. That unit block of K Street is scary!

Anonymous said...

After losing 9-3 to the Astros last September 10th, the Nationals' record stood at 66-77. They then finished the season with a 14-4 run, leaving their final record at 80-81. Of that 14-4 run, people said it didn't mean anything because it was September, rosters were expanded, the teams they beat were either out of the race or resting for the playoffs, yadda yadda yadda.

Now the Nationals have started the season with a 14-4 run and people say it doesn't mean anything because it's early, they've only been beating bad teams, this good pitching can't possibly be sustained (although, strangely, the same people who say that have no problem saying that the subpar hitting will absolutely be sustained), their record in one run games is bound to even out eventually, yadda yadda yadda.

So my question is this: At what point does a 14-4 run mean something?

Holden Baroque said...

My favorite humorous moment, though, was when Carp was extolling Znn's bunting prowess just as he was popping up into a DP. Oops.

222, that was the park's fault.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Nice matchups coming up. EJax has to be good Edwin tonight.

Detwiler/Kershaw is really Det vs the Dodgers lineup and neutraluzing Matt Kemp and the Nats taking advantage of the Dodgers bullpen.

Again, Nats have to take care of business tonight.

Holden Baroque said...

String-of-Hexidecimals, it's not that it doesn't mean anything--it means they are off to a great, PFB start, but that is all it is--a start. They have won 10 more than they lost, which is a nice running start into the harder parts of the season, when the rest of the league's hitting catches up to the pitching, including the Nats's pitching.

What do you want it to mean?

UnkyD said...

Poster from Digitopolis:

Right now, Baby!!!!

natsfan1a said...

LoveDa, I'm definitely loving this ride but I did have a PFB time in 2005, too. That year will always have a special place in my heart, because it's the year I fell in love with my Nats. Maybe this year will have a special place as the year that they loved me back, as in Fever Pitch. :-)

Anonymous said...

The National's top 4 starters' ERAs this morning:

Detwiler 0.54
Strasburg 1.08
Zimmermann 1.33
Gonzalez 1.52

Unworldly!

Holden Baroque said...

So my question is this: At what point does a 14-4 run mean something?

But to answer your question: THIS is when it means something.

alm said...

This is awesome. Love watching this team. Just bought tickets for next Friday - Hope there are no more rain-outs so that I see Stras.

This run is great but it hasn't YET topped the 10 game win streak in early 2005. I had full STs then and attended every one of them. Close but not there yet.

natsfan1a said...

See also this

Section 3, My PFB Sofa said...

So my question is this: At what point does a 14-4 run mean something?

But to answer your question: THIS is when it means something.
April 26, 2012 8:53 AM

MicheleS said...

See also this

SCNatsFan said...

I think 14-4 right now is huge; while it doesn't guarantee anything you have to think of the panic if we were 4-14. Right or wrong the guys on the team know they can win, something this team has never known; its always been potential.

Joe Seamhead said...

I'm more then a little frustrated with overall indifference being shown by the press, both nationally, and locally, along with local residents. I guess it will take a playoff/World Series appearance to get some respect and appreciation. Certainly a big time home run hitting star would help, too. Calling Mr. Harper and Mr. Taylor.The time to step it up is fast approaching! My two biggest hopes for the immediate future are that we continue winning, and for the Stadium to be filled with mostly Nat's fans May 4th, 5th, and 6th.

MicheleS said...

JoeS.. agree with you on the media. I do see some tides changing in that area. I think national baseball writers are definetly taking notice and the MLB Network guys love us. ESPN will never have great coverage (b/c it's not the NFL), although I watched BBTN last night and apparantly Nats Fans were getting a little Salty on twitter about the lack of coverage. Our local media - we have our awesome host to thank, plus Amanda, Kilgore, Boz (who is funny on twitter),the new guy at MASN, etc. Sports talk radio will be years behind because A) it's not the NFL, or B) they are bandwagon fans and don't care unless you are playing in the Playoffs (see Caps coverage)

NatsLady said...

Wish to commend Jayson Werth for his first-pitch ground-ball out in the top of the 9th. Leading 7-1, get your pitcher off the basepaths! That's one that won't show up in his batting average, but I'd rate it a "sacrifice."

Game story for the Chiefs win. Lannan gave up 5 (4 earned) in 7 innings, but Mark Teahen and Jason Michaels both hit grand slams, so Lannan got the win. Harper 1 for 3 and got caught stealing.

Two grand slams lead Chiefs past Red Wings

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120425&content_id=29672254&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&sid=t552

NatsLady said...

Sorry, I think it was top of the 8th. Great fun watching Gorzy get that long save...

JamesFan said...

The importance of high velocity pitchers who throw strike and athletic defense. If this keeps up, the next statue at the main entrance should be one of Rizzo.

jeeves said...

Hopefully, Jackson will bring his Dr. Jekyl persona to the fore. Mr. Hyde has been dominate too many times. Four of his last five outings have been very poor, at least for an inning or two. Obviously, I'm counting spring training which overall was not good for the flamethrower. That one good outing, on the other hand, was a sight to behold. We want more of those, Edwin.

Anonymous said...

"If this keeps up, the next statue at the main entrance should be one of Rizzo."

How many Tommy Bahama shirts should his statue be wearing?

NatsLady said...

Attendance? Your first place Ballmer team, on a fine 70 degree evening?

Weather: 70 degrees, clear.
Wind: 6 mph, Out to RF.
T: 2:24.
Att: 10,415.

Oh, they stayed home to watch their hockey team in the playoffs? Oh, right, that's what happened.

Free Dontrelle Willis...Literally

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/free-dontrelle-willis-literally/

natsfan1a said...

Yeah, it's nice that Danny Espinosa turned 25 this week and all, but a former Senator just turned 101. Happy birthday, Mr. Marrero.

Anonymous said...

What it means is that .500 ball from here on is 91 wins. That's playoffs.

NatsLady said...

oooh, just heard great stats on Gio: he is the first pitcher since 1918 to have 3 starts of 6 innings or more with no runs allowed and 2 or fewer hits. Career best K-rate, career-best ground-ball rate, career-best walk rate. "A legitamate break-through pitcher for this year."

--from MLB.com Fantasy 411

alm said...

I had 87 wins as a prediction and when (not if) we get some hitting - Zim, Morse and Harper - looks like we will go beyond that.
GO NATS!

NatsLady said...

OTOH, the on the same podcast they are not liking Milone as much, long-term, with a fast-ball that tops out at 89 MPH. He is in a pitcher-friendly home park, but his next start is in the Fenway Flamatorium.

JaneB said...

Yikes. What happened to Dontrelle? he was so good...what went wrong?

But I digress. Because what a wonderful morning for DC sports. Though my sport, of course, is the One True Sport.

My favorite comment of the day is this:

djinFl. said...
PFB when the reality is better than the koolaid.

A DC Wonk said...

Re: the press

Shame is the casual sports fans around DC have no idea. The radio coverage is RG3, the Draft, the Caps playoffs, the Wizards winning streak

and

I'm more then a little frustrated with overall indifference being shown by the press, both nationally, and locally, along with local residents. I guess it will take a playoff/World Series appearance to get some respect and appreciation.

Yes -- the press is frustrating. However, the Nats really haven't earned anything yet. The Caps are in the playoffs; RG3 is a very exciting player; etc.

Toward the end of June -- if the Nats are still playing great -- when there is no NHL, NFL, NBA news -- the Nats will have the PR stage to itself. If they do well then, then the press will take notice, crowds will start to swell, and things will really change.

But -- all we have to show right now to the general-just-barely-paying-attention public, is "we're off to a fast start." And, for folks who do not understand just how awesome the Nats pitching staff is, most of them probably thing the Nats are just on a lucky streak, and will soon fall flat (as in the latter half of 2005).

In the meantime, let's keep racking up those wins. I trust the essential fairness of life in this area: if the Nats are still deserving of "top of the sports page" and "leading of the sports segment" in June, I believe it will happen.

NatsLady said...

Josh Willingham on a hot streak going out for a couple of days on paternity leave. Congrats to the Hammer on both!!!

Exposremains said...

one thing they are doing different is that they are winning when they play bad teams which was not the case in previous years. Lets see what they can do against good teams.

A DC Wonk said...

Speaking of attendance: Nat's home attendance per game is up 5,384 over last year after 10 home games -- which is the fourth largest increase in MLB.

NatsNut said...

I know it's weird, but I'm actually *glad* that we're not getting too much media attention yet. I'm loving this ride, but I'm still half holding my breath.

My hope is to get at least round or two through the NL East, plus the AL East later this year, and if we're still in a good (read: winning/dominating) position, THEN unleash the media hounds.

peric said...

As I said if by some mechanism the Nats do make the playoffs this bullpen and starting rotation is built to win those short season games.

And that sec3 is what you learn from this particular 14-4 record. The problem is there is another team with the same record using the exact same mechanism and they were in the playoffs and world series just last year.

Section 222 said...

Once the dispute is resolved, someone should pick up Willis as a pinch hitter. Last year in 31 AB he had 12 hits, including 3 doubles, 1 triple, and a homer. His OPS was 1.032!

Can he play LF?

natsfan1a said...

I believe that Texas is .5 game ahead of the Nats. Los Angeles is 1.5 back.

natsfan1a said...

I always liked Dontrelle.

blovy8 said...

Section 222, maybe Ankiel can convince Dontrelle to try it.

Nats1924 said...

it kinda of bothers me when people refer to the DC baseball team prior to the 1954 season as the Senators.

Mark - If I'm not mistaken, weren't we officially the Nationals till the 1950's or so?

NatsLady said...

Bobby V. up there in Boston instilling confidence in his players again. Apparently he filled out an published his lineup under the assumption that Liam Hendricks is a lefty. Ooops! One of the players questions it so he comes out with a revised lineup and the BoSox win... not a fireable offense, but, say wha? No internet in your office? No stat books?

Anonymous said...

Please, don't wake me!!

Nats1924 said...

Ha, I was going to say Fenway might actually not have internet but I just noticed this was a Sox rad game.

Exposremains said...

harper in LF today, has he ever played there?

m20832 said...

Toward the end of June -- if the Nats are still playing great -- when there is no NHL, NFL, NBA news -- the Nats will have the PR stage to itself. If they do well then, then the press will take notice, crowds will start to swell, and things will really change.


Unfortunately, Skins have OTA's. The press has to, just has to cover those with RG111 coming!

The three games against the Dodgers will be a real measure of where our Nats are. I Luv them Nats though and it's been just wonderful compared to the last few seasons.

GYFNG!!!!

A DC Wonk said...

Down on the farm:

From Kilgore

For AA Harrisburg: "Daniel Rosenbaum allowed no runs in seven innings on three hits and two walks, striking out two. He lowered his season ERA to 0.94."

Potomac only managed two hits, getting shut out.

But Hagerstown ... get this: they left 16 men on base! But they still managed to score 24(!) runs in a 24-2 victory. (Matthew Skole walked 5 times -- in 8 at bats).

Anonymous said...

It is incredible. I subscribe to the WP's e-mails and today, in the sports section it spoke about Ward (totally understandable) and the next item is about the ORIOLES!!!!
The Nats are 14-4 and this city's "newspaper of record" still thinks the city has no MLB team of its own! And DC Wonk hopes that when there is nothing else to talk about they will talk about the Nationals? No wonder Angelos behaves as if he still owns the rights to DC. I can only hope that the arbitration process will right the ship a little. And then perhaps he can ask the Washington Post to help pay the bill!

A DC Wonk said...

(err. . . I meant: walked 5 times -- in 8 plate appearances).

NatsLady said...

Yeah, the RedSox were in Minn where they did sweep but two of the three were squeakers.

And on the sad side, Aubrey Huff is on the 15-day DL for anxiety-disorder.

Aubrey Huff seeks anxiety treatment - 15-day DL


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/25/MNSQ1O9A0F.DTL

Anonymous said...

"it kinda of bothers me when people refer to the DC baseball team prior to the 1954 season as the Senators.

Mark - If I'm not mistaken, weren't we officially the Nationals till the 1950's or so?"

It's often said that the names Senators and Nationals were used interchangeably during that time. A search of the Hall of Fame online uniform database shows that in 1905 and 1906 the team's home jerseys displayed "NATIONALS". In 1907 they had a block "W", and in 1908 they had "WASHINGTON". After that, either nothing or a block "W" appeared on the front of the team's home uniform every year until 1959, when a script "Senators" appeared. Thus the team never played a game after 1906 with "Nationals" on its jerseys.

NatsLady said...

Yes, Boz on Twitter is funny:
The Nats pitchers, for now, look like they wouldn't care if the lineup was Des, Espinosa, Tracy, Nady, Flores, Lombo, Bernadina and Davey.

Also, apparently Boz is a Davey fan:

Gorz "took one for the team" last wk. So Davey let him hit (up 6-1); he gets RBI hit, then a 3 IP save. You manage PEOPLE, not "players."

You can see all of his Tweets if you do this but he was into the Caps, mostly.

https://twitter.com/#!/ThomasBoswellWP

Gonat said...

Paul 66 said...
It is incredible. I subscribe to the WP's e-mails and today, in the sports section it spoke about Ward (totally understandable) and the next item is about the ORIOLES!!!!
The Nats are 14-4 and this city's "newspaper of record" still thinks the city has no MLB team of its own! And DC Wonk hopes that when there is nothing else to talk about they will talk about the Nationals? No wonder Angelos behaves as if he still owns the rights to DC. I can only hope that the arbitration process will right the ship a little. And then perhaps he can ask the Washington Post to help pay the bill!

April 26, 2012 11:38 AM
_______________________________

Yep, I don't necessarily agree with DC Wonk. It is Redskins 24/7 and this bandwagon obsession with the Caps is the entree du jour and I don't have a clue about how the Whorioles get more than a blip on the WP radar.

Yesterday's paper copy of the Post though did have the Nats front and center on the front of the Sports Page....only problem was that it had a photo that didn't catch my eye as "Nats" and I missed the article 1st time through as I was searching.

NatsLady said...

Interesting, VERY positive article in Sports Illustrated about how Rizzo built up the farm system enough to get Gio (among other items.)

How the Washington Nationals became baseball's sleeping giant

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ben_reiter/04/26/washington.nationals/index.html

Scott from Burke said...

417b620e-8e2f-11e1-b06f-000bcdca4d7a said...people said it didn't mean anything because it was September...Now the Nationals have started the season with a 14-4 run and people say it doesn't..

Who exactly are these "people" I want NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS!! The executives thought Star Wars wouldn't do well so they gave George Lucas the rights to all the little toys...that made him a billionaire...If you get upset at what "these people" said yoou'll go insane...the only thing worse is writing posts quoting "these people"..one of my favorite Letterman jokes is when he asked who are the proverbial "They"..and he held up a picture of, and announced the answer as, the Van Patten family. Classic.

Holden Baroque said...

Sec3.....do you know this mystery team that has the same 14-4 record as the Nats? I can't find them listed in the standings.

Lessee, the Rangers are 15-4, so if you spell "15" with a 4, that works. I'm still wondering where my post about "what you learn from that" went. Don't recall one. But honestly, I lost interest in that one a long time ago.

natsfan1a said...

Thanks, NatsLady. Nice find.

Holden Baroque said...

Senators/Nationals nickname for the team
Wikipedia, FWIW

Anonymous said...

"Who exactly are these "people" I want NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS!! The executives thought Star Wars wouldn't do well so they gave George Lucas the rights to all the little toys...that made him a billionaire...If you get upset at what "these people" said yoou'll go insane..."

Sounds like you're already there.

NatsLady said...

Navy Nats, re: the bobblehead for my friend. Sorry, I just saw your post, been busy the last couple of days and just now catching up.

She is not what I'd call a "friend" as I only met her the day before through work and gave her a ride to the game, haven't heard from her since. I'll leave a voice message for her about the bobblehead.

sm13 said...

I love looking at the N.L. East standings, it warms my heart to see the Fish and Phils at the bottom.....

Section 222 said...

So this seems like the right time to raise a potential cloud, with Detwiler's next start a day away and reports that Wang expected to throw 65 pitches in Potomac on Saturday. I'm a little worried about what happens when he's ready to come back.

The Wang and Storen injuries had unanticipated consequences -- with Detwiler moving into the rotation and pitching out of this world, and Stammen making the club. This created some really interesting symmetry on our pitching staff -- 3 RH and 2 LH starters, as opposed to 4 and 1. And a RH and LH long reliever, who Davey has arranged masterfully to use on days when an opposite handed starter pitches. (For example, Stammen started the 7th after Gio's start the other night, Gorzo pitched the last 3 innings after Znn.) And Detwiler is a 5th power arm in the rotation. (And leads the league in ERA right now.)

The symmetry goes away if Wang comes back to the rotation. We'll have four RH starters. Det and Gorzo, both lefties will be in long relief. Stammen is likely to head to 'Cuse. I hope of course that it all works out, and we're about a month away from this situation, anything can happen, blah blah blah. But the pitching staff has been so incredible so far that I kind of hate to see it change.

Anonymous said...

natsfan1a said...
LoveDa, I'm definitely loving this ride but I did have a PFB time in 2005, too. That year will always have a special place in my heart, because it's the year I fell in love with my Nats. Maybe this year will have a special place as the year that they loved me back, as in Fever Pitch. :-)

April 26, 2012 8:52 AM

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

I fell in Love with the Nats in 1969. And yes they were the Nats. Except it was their nickname not their actual name in those days. ;)
LETS GO NATS!

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

sm13 said...
I love looking at the N.L. East standings, it warms my heart to see the Fish and Phils at the bottom.....

April 26, 2012 1:06 PM


It sure is nice although the Braves are doing well themselves and the Phillies strung together some nice games even with Cliff Lee on the shelf.

The Braves travel back to Atlanta and get the Pirates over the weekend and the Phillies get the Cubs.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Ever wonder where Jason Bergmann is playing? Nats Prospects found him:

http://nationalsprospects.com/2012/04/ex-nats-in-the-indys-atlantic-league-edition-2/

Scott from Burke said...

I went to some games in '05..they were fun. Cordero was amazing...and Schneider was so popular..he threw out a runner leading off 3rd in Chicago..that was the best...and players who left their cars at RFK on road trips got their cars broken into..TWICE...not a good selling point for bringing in free agents..

TimDz said...

222...With Davey and Rizzo in charge, I have confidence that they will work it out. By the time Wang returns, it wouldnt surprise me if Ross tweaks something and ends up on the DL.

This way, Wang makes a few apperances in the rotation (possibly as a showcase) and then gets traded when he is eligible for a trade. I think either Wang or Ejax gets traded by the deadline.

Another (albeit less likey...I hope) scenario is that the Nats sell high on Ross (young and under team control for a few more years) and get big bat. I think that would be a mistake unless we could get a Gio-like return in prospects (like we gave Oakland).

Either way, it is a good problem to have...

Gonat said...

Ghost Of Steve M. said...
sm13 said...
I love looking at the N.L. East standings, it warms my heart to see the Fish and Phils at the bottom.....

April 26, 2012 1:06 PM

It sure is nice although the Braves are doing well themselves and the Phillies strung together some nice games even with Cliff Lee on the shelf.

The Braves travel back to Atlanta and get the Pirates over the weekend and the Phillies get the Cubs.

April 26, 2012 1:12 PM
___________________________

The Nats can only take care of what they can take care of which is beat their current opponents and that's what they are doing. They can't control what happens in the Dodgers/Braves game.

Eventually they will have some head-to-head games against ATL and PHI and the Nats will have to win those series.

This is how the playoff teams get to the playoffs.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Gonat, well said.

Section 222 said...

TimDz - Good thoughts, and I agree it's a good problem to have. I'm skeptical that Wang would bring much in a trade without more successful starts, nor do I think that Rizzo is going to want to give him up for Cutter Dykstra given all the Nats have invested in him. And Det is pitching way too well to stash him on the DL with an imaginary tweak. He seems to have a very high ceiling but probably needs to have a full season of success before he'll bring even half the bounty of prospects that Gio did. So I dont think a trade of either of them is the likely solution. Jackson has too big a salary to trade, and I sure can't see the Nats eating it.

It's a tough situation and I'll be fascinated to see how it works out. I just hope it doesn't mess with that great intangible chemistry that the pitching staff seems to have right now.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

TimDz said...
222...With Davey and Rizzo in charge, I have confidence that they will work it out. By the time Wang returns, it wouldnt surprise me if Ross tweaks something and ends up on the DL.

This way, Wang makes a few apperances in the rotation (possibly as a showcase) and then gets traded when he is eligible for a trade. I think either Wang or Ejax gets traded by the deadline.

Another (albeit less likey...I hope) scenario is that the Nats sell high on Ross (young and under team control for a few more years) and get big bat. I think that would be a mistake unless we could get a Gio-like return in prospects (like we gave Oakland).

Either way, it is a good problem to have...

April 26, 2012 1:27 PM


TimDz, Detwiler is #1 for starters in ERA in the Majors although he doesn't meet the innings requirement as of today to be in the leaders rankings.

I think this time Winning will take precedence over showcasing a player. Why take out the hot hand in Detwiler? Wang may end up in the bullpen and the rotation stays "as is" if everyone keeps pitching well.

We are a long way from the trade deadline. Who knows how it ends up, just enjoying the ride.

Diz said...

Is anyone shocked by this? From Kilgore on Nats Journal.

Did the Team Doctor sleep at a Holiday Inn Express?

Zimmerman received a cortisone shot Saturday, the day the Nationals scratched him shortly before a win over the Marlins. Zimmerman felt no relief, though, because the team doctor that administered the shot, “missed the spot,” Johnson said.

Must have received their degree from the Baltimore Inner Harbor School of Hairstyling.

sm13 said...

I am on board with Gonat. I'm just enjoying the moment. If we weren't 14-4, it wouldn't be so much fun.

Scott from Burke said...

That will start to smell

Diz said...

I can see the interview with the team doctor going something like this:

Kilgore: "So, you injected Zim's shoulder with Cortisone on Saturday?"

Team Doc: "Yeah"

Kilgore: "Zim says he isn't feeling any better."

Team Doc: "Yeah, I accidently put the shot in the wrong shoulder. What are the odds? Ha Ha"

Kilgore: "Uh, that would be 50/50."

Team Doc: "Yeah, right! Never was really good at math."

NatsLady said...

NJ, thanks for info. I will change games--had the Giants/Reds game on and I don't hate either team. I don't hate the Mets either, so I wouldn't mind them sweeping the Fish.

TimDz said...

Ghost...Good points one and all.
I agree that trading Det would not be a good thing (was more just lookking at possible options) and, as 222 so accurately said,

"Det is pitching way too well to stash him on the DL with an imaginary tweak. He seems to have a very high ceiling but probably needs to have a full season of success before he'll bring even half the bounty of prospects that Gio did."

Not so sure about Wang in the bullpen, but who knows? I definately agree with not taking the hot hand out of the rotation.

And place me FIRMLY in the "enjoying the ride" camp...

It's a PFB time to be a Nats fan (and we have all EARNED this over the past few years)

NatsLady said...

Diz--you get Post of the Day from me!!!

natsfan1a said...

I might have done so as well, had I lived in the area at that time, which I didn't. :-)

Frediemac said...

I fell in Love with the Nats in 1969. And yes they were the Nats. Except it was their nickname not their actual name in those days. ;)
LETS GO NATS!
April 26, 2012 1:09 PM

NatsLady said...

Mets game--Sanchez just sent one into the, er, well, I can't describe it as a crowd... OK, into the coffee-klatch of people in the stands. Game tied.

Tcostant said...

Sad.

http://www.fleaflicker.com/mlb/news-item?newsId=24018

Snivius said...

I was enamored with the Nats from Day 1 based on the "underdog" factor, because MLB tried to kill the franchise for a time. It reminded me of the movie Major League, with the evil owner-ette punished the players with a grueling regimen (ohhh.. like playing "home" games in Puerto Rico) stood to gain from the team going down in flames.

Then they became very tough to love, when they stunk, and it seemed the owners were no less malignant than the Margaret Whitten character in the movie.

Now I get to love the Nats because they're
GOOD, and they no longer have punks on the team.

Enjoying this ride while I can!

Sniv

Tcostant said...

Ballpark Beer Pricing:

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11507257/1/10-most-expensive-beers-in-baseball.html

JaneB said...

Enjoying this ride while I can!

Sniv

Sniv, what I learned, coming up in the world as a Mets fan, is that once you fall in love, you fall in love. And you can enjoy the ride anyway (even if you find it so bumpy even bourbon and maalox can't help). You enjoy it, because they are YOUR guys.

Of course, I was a two timer on the Mets in 2005, and then switched allegiances altogether soon thereafter, so...

GYFNG! (And thanks for these fun links, guys. And Lady.)

A DC Wonk said...

Jason Werth's dream (or nightmare? or near-miss?)

Tennessee baseball player breaks own car windshield with game-winning homer

JaneB said...

Ghost if SteveM...Jesse English is playing with Jason Bergmann. Didn't he used to be ours, too? And Ramon Castro sods familiar, too....

NatsLady said...

Chiefs won the first game of their double-header in extras. Corey Brown and Jason Michaels homered. Harper 1 for 3 with a walk, now hitting .243. Playing LF he had a throwing error (didn't see it, but they will have archive video for the game).

Chiefs vs. Redwings Box Score

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2012_04_26_syraaa_rocaaa_1

NatsLady said...

Maybe peric or Wonk or someone can explain to me how to read this, but I think it says the Nats are favored to win tonight.

MLB odds

http://matchups.nbcsports.msnbc.com/MLB/odds/index.html

Nats1924 said...

k, thanks for the Nationals/Senators feedback.

Go Dubya's!!!!!!!

Gonat said...

Everyone has 4 starts except EJax and Det. We all knew that JZim and Stras were going to be studs.

We needed to make sure Gio translated well from the "wide" Oakland stadium to Nats Park and NL style baseball. It didn't start well but the last 3 starts have been legendary.

EJax's complete game start was one of the best pitched games in Nats history however his 1st and 3rd starts were far from good.

Ross Detwiler has put together 16 innings of great baseball in terms of ERA. His 2nd start had 4 unearned runs in that bad ump call at 1st which was ruled a throwing error but he still gave up that Grand Slam and if the official scorer changed that call from error to hit, then Detwiler's ERA would be toast. Depending on how you judge that performance is how you judge Detwiler overall. His start on Friday will be what we need to see.

Clearly the Nats have 3 Aces in Stras/Gio/JZim. EJax has been inconsistent. Detwiler has to continue like he did his last start and get some 7 inning games in as he is averaging 5 1/3 innings so far.

Tcostant said...

And the clock is ticking on our rotation, CMW has a rehab start in Potomic on Saturday. After that start, he will need to be on the major league roster within 30 days. I can see they putting the $11M man or CMW in the pen, so that means Ross Detwiler head to the pen as a spot starter until needed. He sure made this hard!

Tcostant said...

I meant to write I "CAN'T" see...

Scott from Burke said...

on cnnsi.com..rise of the nats..people are saying: the Nats rock

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ben_reiter/04/26/washington.nationals/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t13_a0

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JaneB, I think Jesse English was a reliever for Jim Riggleman to start the season and was sent down quickly.

NatsLady said...

Fundamentals, Mets people. Kearns should have been out, would have been out with a good tag.

Scott from Burke said...

Ross Detwiler head to the pen as a spot starter until needed. He sure made this hard!

6 man rotation? that keeps strasburg pitching deeper into the season..and if there's an injury they don't miss a beat..but it wouold mean too much wear and tear on the bullpen? perhaps they take away a position player?

NatsLady said...

Davey is NOT going to a 13-man pitching staff, he's been adamant about that. He doesn't even like a 12-man staff.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Gonat, good point on Detwiler. 4 more runs over 16 innings pushes his ERA over 2.00 .

Big test for him is the Dodgers on Friday.

lls45 said...

sm13, it warms my hear too to see the Marlins at the bottom of the NL East. May they stay there for the rest of the season.

NatsLady said...

OK, Marlins got hosed on that one. Tie goes to the runner, right? Reyes hits into a 3-6-3 DP and the run doesn't score...

Scott from Burke said...

How does Davey like shelving his Ace on September 1 because he reached his innings limit with the playoffs in front of him?

Tcostant said...

Nady Lady -

This means the Nats are a slight favorite. For example, you would need to bet $113 to win $100 on a Nats win. Compare that with Tigers/Seatle game, where you would need to bet $185 on the Tigers to win a $100. Hope this explains that.

Scott - No way on the 6 man rotation; Rizzo has stated publicly that won't happen.

NatsLady said...

Actually, replay shows it wasn't even a tie, Reyes beat the throw. His reaction is priceless, rolling his eyes for at least a minute, but not a word to the ump.

Mets announcers criticizing ump and bad decision by the first basemen (to try for double-play rather than throwing home)--even when it benefited their own team.

MicheleS said...

SFB.. The 6 man rotation was shot down numerous times by Rizzo. either yesterday or the day before he specifically said there will be no change in the way Strasburg pitches (no skips, tweeks, whatever) because Stras is a creature of habit and they don't want to mess with him.

Scott from Burke said...

yeah, but Davey publicly announced lannan was his 5th starter...sometimes people change their minds..and a 6 man rotation is not unprecedented..if Detwiler keeps rolling and Wang does great in his rehab starts they would only have two choices, a trade or a 6 man rotation..you don't take astarter who is pitching great and put him inthe bullpen because you have too many starters...THAT would be unprecedented

MicheleS said...

Good link NatsLady on the SI article. Love me some GIO!

Scott from Burke said...

Mets announcers criticizing ump and bad decision by the first basemen (to try for double-play rather than throwing home)--even when it benefited their own team.

Now THAT'S good, professional announcing

NatsLady said...

Tconstant-- Still not totally understanding it. You layout $113, and you get back what, if the Nats win?

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Detwiler is making the most of his Wally Pipp opportunity circa 2012. If he pitches a few more gems, he joins Strasburg, Gio and JZim in a quartet of Aces.

EJax needs to right his ship tonight. The pressure is on.

Nothing is a given with Wang. If Livo can be a reliever than I suppose maybe Wang can also. First thing is Wang has to rehab well and by the time he is ready to come back, each starter will have 9 to 10 starts to judge them by and the season will be 1/4 completed.

MicheleS said...

SFB.. Det's been in the bullpen and a 6 man rotation would mess with the other pitchers routines, not just Stras, but GIO, JZ, and EJAX as well. They are not going to do that. And LannEn was Davey's 5th Starter until Det beat him out for the job. And as we can see that worked out.

Scott from Burke said...

You don't lay out $113..everythingis based on $100 wagers...i assume you don't teach math

MicheleS said...

Ghost good point. Wang or EJax can go to the Pen (not that I think they would do that - but it a can be an option).

Also, When are Wang and EJax trade bait? After May 31? Not sure we do that since Stras will be shut down

MicheleS said...

Favorite quote from the SI Article:

Strasburg agrees that Harper is on the cusp, and will fit in seamlessly. "Harp's a good guy, and in a lot of ways, we're a lot alike," he says, in his rapid monotone. "He's the type of player that wants to go out there and not just beat people, but kick the crap out of them. So do I, absolutely."

Scott from Burke said...

One thing that is certain is Wang cannot pitch in relief..because of all his surgeries he needs many warm up pitches to get warmed up..he is definitely a guy you keep on routine and hope for the best...that injury he sustained in spring training trying to cover first...look up injury prone and there's a picture of wang

Anonymous said...

"TimDz, Detwiler is #1 for starters in ERA in the Majors although he doesn't meet the innings requirement as of today to be in the leaders rankings."

Small sample size. If those four runs Detwiler gave up on the grand slam in the first inning against the Reds had not been scored as unearned runs, his ERA now would be 5.06. And he's the one who put two of those three baserunners on and served up the grand slam ball to Ludwick.

NatsLady said...

Dumping Lannan in AAA as a viable ML pitcher making $5mil had to be pretty close to unprecedented. I can't figure this one out, and I'm glad I'm not Rizzo and I'm glad there's a month to figure it out.

As far as Stras and his "routine," I pretty much believe that. They didn't bump anyone so Stras could pitch in San Diego or in LA against Kershaw. Also, a 6-man rotation means disturbing not only Stras' routine but that of the other pitchers.

It's not only routine, it's morale--once you mess with the rotation--barring injury--you open up a real can of worms. Detwiler pitching well and the team on the roll means however much the team might have resented Lannan getting sent down, they are ok with the result. But I doubt they've forgotten; you have to be fair to people unless there is a clear reason for messing with their heads.

Tcostant said...

Everything is based off $100.

you win $100; so if in Vegas you purchased a ticket for $113 and if you win it will pay $213 total ($100 win + the return of your orginal bet).

In my Tigers example above, you would bet $185 and a winning ticket would pay $285 ($100 win + the return of your orginal bet).

If your team losses, your orginial bet is gone, so you could loss $113 in the Nationals example or $185 on a Tigers bet.

So the Tigers are a big favorite (you need to lay almost twice as much money to win $100) vs. the Nationals are a slight favorite (you need to lay just a little over $100 to win $100)

Clear as mud?

NatsLady said...

Scott from Burke, actually, I do have a bachelor's degree in math, and took many graduate courses, and I still don't understand it. Do you bet $100 or $113? And what is your return?

Scott from Burke said...

the routine is constantly messed with anyway..rain outs, off days, doubleheaders..all star break...no skipped starts, just go with six until one of the peripheral startes (Jax, Det, Wang) messes up 3 or 4 times in a row...or you make a trade

MicheleS said...

Before we get out of hand here on the rotation, take this thought away:

How cool is it that we are even DISCUSSING a 6th Starting Pitcher - one that would be a #3/4 on any other staff? Remember just a few short years ago, the Cattle Calls in spring training (I am sure NatsJack suffered watching those craptastic pitchers in Viera) and that a guy who was our OPENING DAY starter, not once, but TWICE is riding buses for Cuse? Seriously, I am giddign with this.

Tcostant said...

For bet $113.

If you win you get $213 ($100 win + the return of your orginal bet).

If you loss, you get zero and therefore loss $113

NatsLady said...

Tconstant. Thanks, got it! Probably too late to bet against the Tigers at this point, though. Looks like they have a chance to get swept by the M's...

Scott from Burke said...

Take $100 from your left pocket and put it in your right pocket..you lose nothing. For more information see Art Schlichter.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

MicheleS, you put a big smile on my face with that quote. The better pitchers have to be nasty competitive guys on the mound. Stras and JZim have that mentality.

NatsLady said...

I remember reading during the Lannan discussion that Wang had pitched out of the bullpen at some point in his career. Maybe someone can check on that.

Gotta work, thanks for info on betting. Seems counterintuitive they way they post it with the negative numbers and basing it on $100 bets, they should just post odds like horseracing...

Scott from Burke said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MicheleS said...

Ghost.. I think Gio is that way, too. He just smilles at you when he is carving you up. Did you see how he reacted when he walked two guys the other day? He didn't give up runs, beared down and got out of the inning, but was ticked off that he gave up the walks. He was muttering to himself when he walked off the mound.

TimDz said...

Scott from Burke said...
You don't lay out $113..everythingis based on $100 wagers...i assume you don't teach math
____________________

Not that NatsLady needs to be defended, but your reply was a bit of overkill and, imho, pretty mean spirited.

There are lots of folks that don't understand the betting/wagering system. It doesn't mean they don't understand math.

Scott from Burke said...

there are only two baseball teams..there are usually 8-12 horses in a race..odds are scattered on all the differenet scenarios (win, place, show) Totally different

Scott from Burke said...

It WAS mean spirited, you're right...

Scott from Burke said...

BTW I cannot read a racing form..i get one of those $2 tip sheets and bet (and lose) accordingly

Anonymous said...

Anybody that thinks Strasburg is going to get shut down after 160 IP if they are in a pennant race is sorely mistaken. Not going to happen!!! Nobody in the organization has ever mentioned 160 IP limit and I seriously doubt they are going to give up a chance to make the playoffs and even win a World Series because of some mythical concern about an extra 20-30 innings pitched. As long as he looks strong out there on the mound, he will be out there on the mound.

Eugene in Oregon said...

Anyone else watching the Marlins self-destruct in NY?

Eugene in Oregon said...

Bell (Marlins closer): Four straight walks, then gave up a game-winning hit to the Neuwenheis. Wonderful.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Another Heath Bell choke. Was listening on WFAN

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Rays with a Walkoff also VIA the HR

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Heath Bell 0-3

peric said...

How does Davey like shelving his Ace on September 1 because he reached his innings limit with the playoffs in front of him?

Honestly neither nor Stras likes it but both knew well in advance it was going to happen. And Davey planned for it. Its why he wanted Wang back and had the big competition in ST between Wang, Lannan, and Detwiler. It's also why he wanted two long relief/starters stretched out for his use in the bullpen?

And given that they could even risk trading Wang or EJax given the way Daniel Rosenbaum is pitching. He's going to be up in Syracuse just like Peacock before too long. He is a Milone-like pitcher ... and everyone can now see how valuable he was. You could do worse than making Rosenbaum, a lefty, your #5 starter.

The Nats are covered. No, it won't be the same as having Stras in the rotation. But they have plenty of good arms to back him up.

Tcostant said...

I agree that odds such as horse racing would be easier. One major difference between betting baseball and the ponies. In horse racing if you bet a 2:1 horse and the odds change to 5:2 at post time, you get the final odds (5:2 in this case). When betting baseball, you get the odds you bet at the time of the bet, so if the odds changed your still locked in.

peric said...

Anybody that thinks Strasburg is going to get shut down after 160 IP if they are in a pennant race is sorely mistaken. Not going to happen!!! Nobody in the organization has ever mentioned 160 IP limit

Its going to happen dude sorry to disappoint you its why the Nats have a fifth, sixth, seventh, and even an eight starter. If you think it isn't you're the one who is out to lunch and not following what Rizzo keeps telling you. There is no innings limit per game. No restriction on an AllStar appearance. But the limit is between 160 and 170 innings just like with JZimmnn.

alm said...

Jane B,
Me to, longtime Mets fan until 05.
I often think about the similarity between Benitez and MPHRod. Control is the key.

Grew up in NJ and went against the grain and liked the Mets not Stankies. As a Mets fan in the late 80s and early 90s was part of the invading hord at the Vet.

Enjoyed the Mets RFK pre-season games in that late 80s era, remember one where Sid was on the mound and it snowed and they called the game after 4 1/2.

GO NATS

MicheleS said...

F&I, somewhere on the interwebs there is a link (check WaPO with the Sports Bog) to a radio intervew given in the last week by Rizzo. Without going all bold on you, Rizzo says Stras is not on a pitch limit, but there is an innings limit (no number given) and when Rizzo thinks he will be shut down, Stras will be shut down. He goes into more on it, but you get the jist.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

MicheleS, when the Nats were looking at trading for Gio, Rizzo remarked how he had a competitive temper. I haven't seen it yet but I'm sure its there.

JZim's other nickname is the Silent Assassin and it fits him perfectly.

Anonymous said...

Peric-There has never been an innings limit (per Mike Rizzo) and if you honestly think they are going to shut him down with 2 weeks left in the season if he is still throwing bullets...you are crazy!!! He won't pitch 230 innings, but 190 or so is well within range considering he is on cruise control in 75% of those innings. That would be 32 starts at 6 innings/start.

Scooter said...

This is totally a side point, probably not worth mentioning. But if all Detwiler's runs were earned, his ERA would be 2.81 -- not 5.XX, and certainly not "toast." Worse than it is now, yes, but still darn good.

The point was worth bringing up, though, Gonat. Especially this early, a few unearned runs can really skew things.

MicheleS said...

NJ.. love watching the Fish lose! Swept by the Mets? Really?? That rotting smell in Miami is going to be really strong!!!!

Anonymous said...

Michele-That was my point. Rizzo has not given an IP limit and probably has yet to determine what that would even be at this point. He flatly stated that 160 innings was purely a media creation.

MicheleS said...

F&I, here is the link

Rizzo on Stras

MicheleS said...

F&I.. yes, but Rizzo says, We will shut him down just like they did with Jordan. He is not going to put that arm in any jeapardy. Plus Boras would kill him if he did.

Gonat said...

NatsJack in Florida said...
Just like there won't be a 6 man rotation, count on it, Strasburg gets shut down at 160 innings.

April 26, 2012 4:11 PM
_______________________________

Rizzo did an interview yesterday and said there will NOT be a 6 man rotation when Wang is available.

He back-tracked slightly on the 160 inning limit to say they will judge number of pitches as well and the type of outings he has as he approaches the 160 inning limit where it will be around 160 innings give or take.

Maybe he ends up at 168 innings or maybe 158 innings or maybe exactly 160. He clearly said he will be shutdown before the post-season.

Rizzo said there is a bigger picture here which is the future of a young pitcher and he isn't going to jeopardize his future.

Lets face it, this will only change if the Nats need him for the September push however I don't see it going much past 160.

Eugene in Oregon said...

Last year's "media creation' had Zimmermann at a 160-inning limit. If I recall correctly, he ended up pitching 160 and 1/3. Coincidence? I think not.

Gonat said...

Brandon Inge released by the Tigers.

Gonat said...

Interesting. “We’re going to control his innings at the end, and when I feel he’s had enough innings, we’re gonna shut him down. So there’s no limit per game for Davey, there’s no innings limit per game for Davey. We’re gonna treat him like a normal, young 23-year old starter. And when I feel he’s had enough innings and enough pitches thrown, then I’m gonna pull the plug on him and we’re gonna rest him, like we did with Jordan Zimmermann.”

Dick Pennock said...

I think that while 3b Zimmerman (one-n) is out, we can fill in for him by using Zimmermann (two-n's) at 3b on days he is not pitching. He really came through in the clutch yesterday!

For an answer to the question of whether the team was called the Senators or the Nationals before they moved to Minnesota, Baseball-Reference says "The Senators were officialy the Washington Nationals from 1905-1955, but the fans never recognized them as such."

MicheleS said...

a Nats Article in the New Yorker. Slightly Snarky, but gives the interesting history.

Seriously, Clark Griffin, what a terd. Bob Short, not much better.

New Yorker Article

Sunderland said...

Today, Rizzo is saying 160 innings is a media creation. I think the media thinks otherwise. Plenty of media outlets, including Mark Z and others, were there on Feb 20 when Rizzo spoke about shutting Strasburg down at 160 innings.

"VIERA, Fla. -- If there were still any lingering questions about the Nationals' plan for Stephen Strasburg in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery, general manager Mike Rizzo put those to rest this morning.

Rizzo made it clear the club will not deviate from its original plan to have Strasburg open the season on schedule, pitch every fifth day and then be shut down once he reaches his limit of roughly 160 innings.

"There's not going to be a whole lot of tinkering going on," Rizzo said. "We're going to run him out there until his innings are done, and then stop him from pitching."

Full Link
http://www.natsinsider.com/2012/02/rizzo-no-tweaks-to-strasburgs-schedule.html

Sunderland said...

NatsJack, the most Strasburg has ever pitched is 123 innings. Plus 20% = 148 innings. I agree that the target is in the range of 148 to 160.

natsfan1a said...

Some good points on fact-checking fails are made in the comments section of the New Yorker article. (No, it wasn't me. :-))

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

It is the media that keeps mentioning 160 innings and Mike Rizzo generally gives the same answer. It's like "asked and answered" and the Kilgore interview opened the door to where it appeared that it is on Rizzo based on "When I feel he's had enough innings, we're going to shut him down".

sjm308 said...

I think this wealth of starting pitching will continue to pay dividends throughout the season but more toward the end. Peric, Michelle & NatsJack are all on the same page here that SS will not be pitching meaningful innings in Oct. BUT, Gio, Jordan, Edwin, Ross and Chien Ming WILL which is why this team was built for not just 2013 but this year as well.

I remember when the Rays brought up David Price and there was all kinds of clammering for him to start but they stayed with the plan and threw him out of the pen for his first two years and now look at him. It won't kill Ross to go back to the pen for a couple of months. SS will get shut down and Ross will come back into the rotation.

It won't be Jackson or Wang in the pen, neither is suited but Ross is young, has done it before and will hopefully go with the right attitude.

NatsJack, I had promised not to lump you with Peric but now that everyone has a name, you have to agree that you both are basically saying the same thing about SS and his innings limit and also the 6 man rotation. Maybe great minds do think alike??

Go Nats!!

NatsLady said...

Yes, and the problem is not shutting Stras down for the last week of the season or not. Stras gets shut down at approx the beginning of Sept. That means he is shut down for a month before playoffs start--he would have to go through an entire program like spring training again, and "rehab starts" --- where? The minor-league season is over at that point.

Stras gets shut down end of Aug-early Sept and he stays shut down. We don't know the exact number of innings, but I say 162 at least so he qualifies for awards.

MicheleS said...

1A.. Totally thought the same thing on the Gibson/Bell/Leonard. What a dope, not knowing the history, home opener at Chicago, etc.

sjm308 said...

MichelleS: Since I started rooting in the late 40's, my level of bad thoughts for the Griffith's is much higher then that of Mr. Short but I believe that Bob Short was a much nastier person and never ever thought about keeping this club in DC. At least Clark had his father's legacy to consider and did try to work with the DC gov't. before leaving. Losing both teams absolutely crushed me but the original team was far worse. We might have been sorry but they were my hero's growing up and you could actually see that there was a pretty good club being built. That proved to be true in Minnesota. Now, its our turn!!!

Go Nats!!

JD said...

NatsJack,

'while the # 160 is, according to Rizzo, is a media invention, all one has to do is determine the most # of innings ever pitched in one season for Stras then add 20%, his limit will be that or 160 plus or minus, whichever is greater.'

That's exactly right. You mess with a young pitcher and you end up with Mark Fydrich, Frank Tannana, Bobby Witt etc. No one in the industry does this any more.

sm13 said...

I'm with Rizzo on the innings/pitches/or whatever limit on Stras. If we were an aging team like the Phil's or a lucky team like the Padres 2 years ago then you go for broke. But, we're neither. Were a team whose playoff window is just opening. Treat Stras with an abundance of caution and we'll all get a chance to share his Cy Youngs and World Series rings. Abuse him and risk losing him to injury..It's not a sure thing, but it is the right thing.

Faraz Shaikh said...

sm13, you mean Giants?

anyways, intend to stay awake and 'watch' the game here.

alexva said...

NatsLady "I say 162 at least so he qualifies for awards" - winner winner chicken dinner!

They tried to get JZimm to this number last year but he faltered in his last start. They weren't going to start him another game.

sjm308 said...

The more you look at what Rizzo has done, the more you are impressed. The pitching depth at all levels is solid even with trading 3 excellent prospects. We have not even seen Purke yet and I think there is another stud down in Fla. although his name escapes me right now.

The other thing that has been accomplished, although it is not showing yet is that we will start to see position players in the near future. We had the great catching depth but when you look at Marrero, Moore, Rendon, Skole, Taylor, Goodwin etc etc you have to be even more excited. I left off Perez and probably another 3 or 4 but its a nice situation to have.

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...

@MicheleS: Thanks for the New Yorker link. I just fell in love with this line of the Nats in first place: "This is a novel and fragile situation."

Perfect!

Plus, the Bob Short line was great.

NatsLady said...

Honestly, I am getting SO tired of outside commentators (I mean non-Nats fans), so called baseball "experts," butting into Rizzo's business with Stras' shutdown, 6-man rotation, etc. etc., and then we rehash it over and over again in here.

You would think after they had to eat crow about Detwiler/Lannan and the Gio trade (I know both are still playing out but I have seen plenty of commentary "crow" on both subjects)-- you would think they would just shut up and let Rizzo and Davey go about their business. But how would they earn a living??????

NatsLady said...

alexava, we discussed this last year and concluded that because the Nats only played 161 games last year JZ could have qualified. No one was completely sure because we got into "what does 'scheduled' mean--y'know, like Clinton and "IS."

JD said...

NatsJack,

When I said no one does this anymore I misspoke:

Seattle - Felix Hernandez - 190 innings at the age of 20 and has been increasing since (now 26) - I worry about him.

Seattle - Michael Pineda 139 innings at the age of 21 and then 171 innings at the age of 22 - out for the year with a shoulder injury.

Scott from Burke said...

Mark Fidrych stepped in a hole shagging flies

That's exactly right. You mess with a young pitcher and you end up with Mark Fydrich...

sm13 said...

FS - I did mean the Padres, specifically scrapping their plan to limit Matt Latos. They rode him all through September and lost the division on the last day. Latos paid for that abuse last year. The jury is out on whether he can bounce back this year. And, Latos was not coming off TJ surgery.

MicheleS said...

Question: Has any of the New STH's gotten their Red Carpet Rewards Card? I seriously need mine for the discount at the team store (when it re-opens). I need a Gio shirsey, and ALR shirsey, and i am sure i can find a ton of other stuff to buy.

Section 222 said...

I agree there won't be a 6 man rotation and Stras will be shut down somewhere around 160 innings. That seems pretty clear from everything Rizzo has said so far. So come early September, there will be a spot for Detwiler or Lannan or Gorzalanny or Stammen or Rosenbaum or whoever it makes most sense to slot into the rotation at that point.

The question remains, what do you do with Detwiler when Wang returns, assuming all the other starters stay healthy, and who do you send down to make room for Wang on the 25 man? Rizzo hasn't said anything about it and I'm interested in what some of the folks here think the answer should be, especially those who are so quick to answer questions by simply quoting what Rizzo or Davey have said or suggested

Here's my suggestion, which is not a prediction since I have no idea what they will do, and besides, an injury might upend everything -- (1) Send Mattheus down. Stammen has really shown outstanding stuff and has versatility to pitch more than one inning, which is a good thing to have. (2) Put Detwiler in the pen, but try to keep him stretched out and fresh, and motivated by finding a spot start for him every 10 days or so -- may in place of someone who's showing signs of wear or has a nagging injury that doesn't require a DL stint, or give everyone an extra day's rest during a long stretch of consecutive games. I guess you could call that a 5.5 man rotation but the point is to give Detwiler some regular starting work as well as LOOGY and one inning work when needed.

Anonymous said...

First of all, 20 extra innings is hardly abusing a pitcher when no evidence whatsoever exists that these extra innings will increase the chances for an injury. Roger Clemens went from 98 IP as a 22 year old to 254 IP as a 23 year old. I just don't think 180-190 IP is out of the realm of possibility. We can all agree to disagree. I predict he will be pitching through the end of September. Anybody care to start a pool??? Put me down for 188 IP!!!

Sunderland said...

Wow NatsLady,I'm surprised you're not letting this one go. J Zimm did not qualify last year. The season was scheduled at 162 games. He pitched less than 162 innings. Open and shut.

Rule 10.22(b) Comment: For example, if a Major League schedules 162 games for each club, 162
innings qualify a pitcher for a pitching championship. A pitcher with 161⅔ innings would not qualify.

A DC Wonk said...

I seriously doubt they are going to give up a chance to make the playoffs and even win a World Series because of some mythical concern....

Well I suppose that's the difference between immaturity (I want it now!) and maturity.

So, here's the choice:

1. Use Stras all season and into October, in the hope of winning the big enchilada, but increasing the odds that he'll blow out his arm again and have short career

2. Cut Stras off at approx 160 IP or so, no matter what, so as to increase the odds that he has a long career here, along with all the other young pitchers, young players, and a developing Bryce Harper, to try to build a dynasty here.

I'm glad mature-minded folk are in charge of making that decision.

NatsLady said...

I have not gotten my card, but take your opening day ticket. They can use that to the bar code and you will get your discount. Takes a bit longer but they will do it for you. Same for tickets at the box office.

Section 222 said...

Natslady -- We did discuss it last year and I think you suggested that Rizzo was a genius in cancelling that Dodgers game because it allowwed Znn to qualify. But the rule is clear -- 162 innings is the minimum becuase that's how many games are scheduled at the beginning of the year.

MicheleS said...

Thanks NatsLady! I will do that when I go to the games next week. Hopefully the big store will be open.

Section 222 said...

MichelleS -- I called my STH rep about the RCR Card and a few days later I got an email saying I could pick my card at ticket services. Have you asked your rep about it?

Gonat said...

NatsJack in Florida said...
Peric and I agree on alot of stuff. I'm a sycophant snd he's a self proclaimed genius.

April 26, 2012 4:59 PM
____________________________

NatsJack, if you were a true sycophant, shouldn't you have kissed up to me in Spring Training? ;-) Seriously though, I would expect you and Peric to be on the same page occassionaly. Until this week, I didn't even know who Peric was on here. I think I have agreed with him once so far.

MicheleS said...

222.. Thanks, I called and got the "It will be going out soon" answer. Hmm.. will try again and see what they say.

NatsLady said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Section 222 said...

Incidentally, I thought they should have let Znn pitch an inning in relief in September in order to qualify for the leaderboards. Would that have ruined his career? But I guess they are really serious about shutting those recovering TJ guys down.

NatsLady said...

Well, I don't recall saying Rizzo was a genius for cancelling and NOT RESCHEDULING the game. The weather and the travel did that.

There were, in the end, only 161 scheduled games. However, it was felt that if JZ were close to winning an award and the Nats had played all their originally scheduled games that JZ would pitch an inning out of the bullpen. That was not my suggestion, my idea was to shoot that down by saying it was unnecessary because of the above. I still think the rule is somewhat ambiguous, but also that if Stras is anywhere close to 160 innings, they will make sure he pitches 162.

It was observed at the time that fangraphs considered him "qualified" and Baseball Reference didn't (or vice-versa), further adding to the "confusion."

I doubt it matters unless it is an issue for arbitraion. I'm done now on this subject.

Gonat said...

Bryce Harper back up to .250 and his 3rd RBI of the season which came w/ a single with RISP.

Tyler Moore played LF in the 2nd game of the doubleheader.

natscan reduxit said...

"Yes, we're entering uncharted waters here, folks. "

... for fans, these uncharted waters are a toss-up between a daily dream come true, and a blood pressure raising adventure into God knows what.

... but for the ink-stained wretches presented with an opportunity of a lifetime, that of recording for posterity something which has never gone before, these times must be the most exciting and terrorizing of whole careers. I'm just glad we have Mark Z allowing us to tag along.

Go Mark! Go Nats!!

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