tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post3386906452288983217..comments2024-02-15T05:42:18.307-05:00Comments on Nats Insider: Debating the Dukes decisionMark Zuckermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13525315258889435961noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-49274980351306803542010-03-18T16:00:07.052-04:002010-03-18T16:00:07.052-04:00Anonymous @3:41 PM: Seriously? Have you not read D...Anonymous @3:41 PM: Seriously? Have you not read Dukes's offensive stats? Mark and all the other scribes have laid out in clear detail the fact that Dukes did not contribute to the Nats' offense, despite his "potential."<br /><br />How can you say the release of Dukes is a sign that the offense is "heading south"?Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07243007019646325480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-76222098586939702662010-03-18T15:55:04.168-04:002010-03-18T15:55:04.168-04:00Marquis=Fail
Capps=Fail
Dukes move= Fail
Rizzo=?...Marquis=Fail<br />Capps=Fail<br />Dukes move= Fail<br /><br /> Rizzo=?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-5845172309536988082010-03-18T15:41:12.929-04:002010-03-18T15:41:12.929-04:00With Nick and his .400 OBP gone and now Dukes gone...With Nick and his .400 OBP gone and now Dukes gone, the offense is rapidly heading south. Combine that with lousy pitching and we have the ingredients for another 100 loss season.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-79637385583495074262010-03-18T15:37:16.652-04:002010-03-18T15:37:16.652-04:00Chemistry is important on a team but it helps to h...Chemistry is important on a team but it helps to have talent too. The problem is there isn't much talent beyond Zimmerman and Strasberg.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10436790141290595669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-90379444696702726292010-03-18T10:49:28.419-04:002010-03-18T10:49:28.419-04:00Someone posted here that "if anyone follows t...Someone posted here that "if anyone follows the Nats, they'd know the true story behind his release." What's the true story?6thandDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14976874208784325222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-74864715094231613472010-03-18T10:24:59.370-04:002010-03-18T10:24:59.370-04:00... thank you, alexva , for your post of 6:11, las...... thank you, alexva , for your post of 6:11, last evening. One of the best things about baseball ,over any of the other pro sports, is its fans who exhibit thoughtful, reasonable and caring attitudes to all facets of the game. I can tell you one would have to look far and wide to find that generosity in much of the mainstream of life. Thank you.natscan reduxitnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-4856926712712182122010-03-18T10:08:50.493-04:002010-03-18T10:08:50.493-04:00Ok Dukes is gone, now how much more time will they...Ok Dukes is gone, now how much more time will they give Willingham? I know the situation is in no way the same, but other than that three week hot spell last year he has not done much. I had hopes of seeing young guys with high potential in right and left. I was dissapointed to hear early on that it was going to be Willianghm and Dukes out there.320R2S15https://www.blogger.com/profile/10072406797380875600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-120326316616094362010-03-18T10:05:04.428-04:002010-03-18T10:05:04.428-04:00Anybody consider putting Willy Taveras in right fi...Anybody consider putting Willy Taveras in right field? <br /><br />He had a pretty good game yesterday and the guy is a speed demon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-12393849581003247312010-03-18T10:04:04.601-04:002010-03-18T10:04:04.601-04:00Can Bryce Harper play right field?Can Bryce Harper play right field?Petehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09384921987341840149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-77463220891355170262010-03-18T09:41:54.236-04:002010-03-18T09:41:54.236-04:00"Yes, MOST clubs don't dump their probabl..."Yes, MOST clubs don't dump their probable right fielder three weeks before Opening Day. But the Nats aren't most teams right now. They're a club that lost more than 100 games the last two straight years WITH Dukes."<br /><br />Which is why, if they were going to dump him, or were even considering dumping him, they should have brought in another real outfielder in the offseason. Now, it's another year of amateur time and heading towards a third 100 loss season.<br /><br />"The Nats more than any team can afford to experiment right now and try to start fresh."<br /><br />Not sure I agree with you on that, but in any case, experimenting and starting fresh would entail putting someone in RF who the Nats think can be a solid piece of a future contending team. None of the mentioned internal candidates come close to that mark. Also, if the Nats are truly employing this approach, Desmond would be their starting SS.CoverageisLackinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289871778773312200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-90519336341030548292010-03-18T09:34:49.068-04:002010-03-18T09:34:49.068-04:00Occam's Razor: the simplest solution/explanati...Occam's Razor: the simplest solution/explanation is probably the most likely.<br /><br />I think Mark just laid out a very understandable explanation that's been amplified by others in this comment thread. (Thanks, Pedro G., for example.)<br /><br />The simplest explanation is not as fascinating as a scenario of palace intrigue, but it's the most probable. Dukes was just not getting it done, and returning to camp unprepared was just the last straw.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07243007019646325480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-20605216728793973722010-03-18T09:31:14.259-04:002010-03-18T09:31:14.259-04:00Mark - Is there any way that this is a case of in...Mark - Is there any way that this is a case of internal corporate badmouthing, brownnosing and jockeying for positions as the outfield was crowded with too many guys for too few spots?<br /><br />My point is simply could someone have trumped up some bull about Dukes saying he was a distraction to get rid of him. Now there is one less guy in the outfield.<br /><br />This quote in that AP article rubs me the wrong way:<i><br /><br />"I was pretty surprised," Maxwell said. "I had no idea. I saw him this morning eating breakfast. I never had any problems with Elijah. But in terms of the team standpoint, I guess there were other things being said and done and some of it was a distraction to us. I think we'll be better for it, and I just wish him luck in the future."</i>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-56652050519862996432010-03-18T09:23:23.560-04:002010-03-18T09:23:23.560-04:00This was such a good piece I made a point to rerea...This was such a good piece I made a point to reread it this morning and check out the comments. Again, those bemoaning the Dukes move are deluded. Yes, MOST clubs don't dump their probable right fielder three weeks before Opening Day. But the Nats aren't most teams right now. They're a club that lost more than 100 games the last two straight years WITH Dukes. <br /><br />Factor in the fact that their real future begins very soon with the additions of Strasburg and Storen. Just a few months away at most. The Nats more than any team can afford to experiment right now and try to start fresh. They saw all they would ever get from Elijah and it just wasn't enough. There was no point sending him down because he wouldn't have liked it and it wouldn't have helped those teams having Dukes around. And he apparently was impossible to trade. <br /><br />The Nats right now represent the end of the road for guys who are given one last chance in the Bigs. That's just the way it is. Ask Wily Mo. Ask Nook Logan. Ask dozens of guys whose names are fading quickly from memory. Add Elijah Dukes to that list. He may get invited to another camp but it would be shocking to see him in a MLB uniform on Opening Day. <br /><br />If Dukes still wants to play and he remains focused on that, there's always the Atlantic League. If that potential ever really kicks in for real, an MLB contract is easy to write.<br /><br />One more thing--Jim Bowden as a journalist has equaled his skills as a GM. Unfortunately he just won't fade from memory.Pedro G.http://twitter.com/Pedro_Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-4314297718850462122010-03-18T09:23:02.241-04:002010-03-18T09:23:02.241-04:00How come Roger Bernadina is not being mentioned as...How come Roger Bernadina is not being mentioned as a candidate for the RF position? Having his speed at the bottom of the lineup with Morgan and Guzman right behind him could help Riggleman manufacture a few more runs.Mairtinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-83170746852948687562010-03-18T09:05:32.304-04:002010-03-18T09:05:32.304-04:00Here are all the quotes from Dukes:
http://www.g...Here are all the quotes from Dukes: <br /><br />http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gi9e8_7hokRlLcW-IWKLelx7hD2QD9EGK63O1Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-37969588724268346722010-03-18T08:58:24.832-04:002010-03-18T08:58:24.832-04:00TBC, that might explain cutting him one particular...TBC, that might explain cutting him one particular day, vs another particular day. But really, that's beside the point. Teams don't just cut their starting right fielder in Spring Training, whatever the day might be. Especially when they have no legitimate backup plan in place. Well, at least, well-run teams don't.CoverageisLackinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289871778773312200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-24204929969559790382010-03-18T08:38:03.321-04:002010-03-18T08:38:03.321-04:00TBC - That could have been the motivation. Will w...TBC - That could have been the motivation. Will we ever know? Probably not. <br /><br />I listened to the audio reel that Mark sent out and the Rizzo tape was interesting when a reporter asked Rizzo about a supposed Maxwell quote that Dukes was a "distraction". Rizzo replied back to the reporter that if Maxwell said that then ask Maxwell what he meant.<br /><br />Interesting, plus the Rizzo repeated assertion that it was "NO SINGULAR INCIDENT"! Well does that mean it was MULTIPLE?<br /><br />All in all, I don't believe he was a Rizzo type of guy and that added to his demise. You know when you are liked by your superiors.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-65112157973708083502010-03-18T07:54:20.635-04:002010-03-18T07:54:20.635-04:00The egregious precipitating incident that triggere...The egregious precipitating incident that triggered Dukes's release yesterday:<br /><br /><i>Wednesday was the last day the Nationals could put him on waivers and pay him 30 days' termination pay at the minor league rate of his split contract instead of 45 days at the major league rate. So he is owed a little under $41,000, instead of about $109,000, which he would have been due had he been released later in spring training.</i><br /><br />Simple as that. So why didn't they just release him in January? Because they thought there was a chance he might show up at spring training and show that he'd made the changes to his game that they wanted him to over the winter. Of course his failure to complete the season in the Dominican did not bode well for that, but they had to at least give him the chance to show them he'd changed before cutting him loose. Sadly for him, he didn't change a thing.TBChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16985413477143165605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-92081219603894020152010-03-18T05:58:23.590-04:002010-03-18T05:58:23.590-04:00Great post as usual Mark. Now, what are the odds ...Great post as usual Mark. Now, what are the odds that the Nationals use the same logic in eating the 8 mil and getting rid of Guzman? Slim or None?Chimpanzee Ragehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02218705673999349605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-90696421826656853752010-03-18T00:28:34.252-04:002010-03-18T00:28:34.252-04:00Great piece Mark. Many thanks. I have to agree wi...Great piece Mark. Many thanks. I have to agree with CiL though. All the concerns about Dukes' performance were there at the end of last season, in which he seriously regressed at the plate and on the base paths and all the "clubhouse chemistry" stuff, which I think is highly overrated, but appears to matter alot to Rizzo, had already happened. Yet he came to camp as the undisputed and already annointed opening day starter in RF. Everyone says ST doesn't really matter, that it's about getting ready to play the season, and yet, for Dukes, it apparently really did matter because otherwise he should have been cut long ago, leaving a lot more time to find a replacement. So something happened here, either off the field, or on, and we still don't really know what it was. Maybe it wasn't a single incident, but it has to be more than his lackluster performance or poor contribution to clubhouse chemistry last year. Otherwise, we'd have a much better option for RF than mix and match Morse/Harris/Maxwell. <br /><br />Surely they did Dukes a favor by releasing him rather than keeping him on the bench or optioning him to Syracuse. I don't quite understand from the team's point of view why they did that, but I'm not going to complain about it because I'd love to see Dukes reach his potential somewhere.<br /><br />By the way, how come no one is talking about Bernadina for the RF starting spot?Section 222https://www.blogger.com/profile/17106128453333996193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-2066724970356344552010-03-17T23:52:59.665-04:002010-03-17T23:52:59.665-04:00Please allow me to add to the praise on this posti...Please allow me to add to the praise on this posting. It's a great perspective because you've been in the clubhouse every day. I think it is a very candid and fair take on things, without crossing any lines. I wonder if the club would be sort of relieved that you said it, you know, because they can't without looking mean. <br /><br />I'm sad that Dukes hadn't quite "gotten it" like I thought he had, but this explains a lot. I still wish him the best.NatsNuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17010461380057520589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-24544898368593690282010-03-17T23:49:45.171-04:002010-03-17T23:49:45.171-04:00got your postcard mark...classygot your postcard mark...classyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-90852587639840308122010-03-17T23:42:14.755-04:002010-03-17T23:42:14.755-04:00I am very disappointed, I liked Elijah!
I once sa...I am very disappointed, I liked Elijah!<br /><br />I once saw Elijah throw a ball from near the warning track to home plate, for a strike! Every time he was at bat I would yell "Give it a ride, Elijah". During an autograph signing session I asked him if he could hear me, he lit up with a big smile and said "Oh, yea"<br /><br />I am glad for one thing, that his being let go is for performance, and not for some kind of club house incident. <br /><br />I hope he can handle losing his job, and that he lands on his feet. I wish him the best. Perhaps he learns more from this, then anything else, and comes back to baseball somewhere.<br /><br />Mark - Are you going to continue into the regular season? If so, I'll make another contribution near the end of spring training. I love your experiment here, and think it's the best. No disrespect to Adam, I like him too.MurrayTheRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09285342173135778691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-84301729671058138482010-03-17T23:40:41.489-04:002010-03-17T23:40:41.489-04:00This is a nice analysis, Mark, thanks.
But it see...This is a nice analysis, Mark, thanks.<br /><br />But it seems to me like this is an explanation of why the Nats would have released Dukes in January. On the other hand, releasing your starting right fielder less than 3 weeks before Opening Day is simply asinine. Unless there was an egregious precipitating incident, which you and your colleagues are reporting that there was not.<br /><br />It's amazing to me that the Nats are treating yet another season as if winning does not matter. There's no difference between their open tryouts for starting pitching a few years ago, and the half-assed way they are treating shortstop and now right field this year. This organization still does not have its act together. Sad.CoverageisLackinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289871778773312200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-36128195268610193592010-03-17T23:18:29.037-04:002010-03-17T23:18:29.037-04:00Real nice summary about Elijah Dukes release Mark!...Real nice summary about Elijah Dukes release Mark! Everyone else has praised you much more eloquently than I can so I'll let their words do the job for me now. Really good job!! Off topic but please see if you can ask Stan Kasten about a spooky little off field topic!!! (Twilight Zone Big Brother scary!!!) This link was posted on the Nats message board an hour ago. Please read!!! http://econtricks.blogspot.com/2010/03/washington-nationals-are-spying-on-me.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com