tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post4199105231026184355..comments2024-02-15T05:42:18.307-05:00Comments on Nats Insider: Elijah Dukes releasedMark Zuckermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13525315258889435961noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-59634579747243494002010-03-19T13:34:19.159-04:002010-03-19T13:34:19.159-04:00Not to mention Livan Hernandez the likely 4th or 5...Not to mention Livan Hernandez the likely 4th or 5th starter? Get your head out of Baseball prospectus.pericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-9752034949454431312010-03-19T13:33:13.688-04:002010-03-19T13:33:13.688-04:00Dear Mr. Anoymous Baseball Prospectus:
"“He’...Dear Mr. Anoymous Baseball Prospectus:<br /><br />"“He’s not an overpowering guy, but he’s a professional pitcher and he’s earned the right to get up here and see if he can do it against major league hitters,”<br /><br />Don't look now but you've just described third starter Scott Olsen and Matt Chico. Don't give up your day job, or your anonymous handle fool.pericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-44145239014400876022010-03-17T17:45:49.303-04:002010-03-17T17:45:49.303-04:00somebody tell manny acta. hell, the indians alread...somebody tell manny acta. hell, the indians already have (shudder) austin kearns in camp!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-82548248009213520552010-03-17T17:02:22.911-04:002010-03-17T17:02:22.911-04:00Interesting piece by Rob Neyer re: Dukes.
http://...Interesting piece by Rob Neyer re: Dukes.<br /><br />http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/2772/how-history-will-consider-nats-dukesHabsProfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-85938942367557373362010-03-17T16:12:58.581-04:002010-03-17T16:12:58.581-04:00Sad Sad & Shocking This is more of the same BS...Sad Sad & Shocking This is more of the same BS from management, Why wait so long to cut the guy? Rest assured the true story will come out. They cut him and get nothing!!!!!!! UnbeliveableAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-68909799990484507402010-03-17T15:54:48.871-04:002010-03-17T15:54:48.871-04:00@ peric, I never made those comments. You have me...@ peric, I never made those comments. You have me confused with someone else.<br /><br />But since you want to talk about J.D. Martin, let's talk about him. J.D.'s scouting report says, "Martin is described as “a strike-thrower with a below average fastball who lives off of his change-up.” His “fastball clocks in the high-80s, at best, but he locates it well while mixing in a cutter and changeup.” According to Steve McCatty, the Nationals pitching coach who also coached Martin at Syracuse, “he just located everything… In the sixth, seventh innings, he’d be at 65 pitches.”"<br /><br />If you remember last year's debacle of a MLB team, the Nationals needed a SP for Olsen and they turned to Martin. "“He’s not an overpowering guy, but he’s a professional pitcher and he’s earned the right to get up here and see if he can do it against major league hitters,” Riggleman told the Nationals’ official Web site." That's not a real ringing endorsement and his stats bear it out, his ERA was a 4.44 and his FIP was a 5.67. In fact his value was a -2.2, which means that he was 2.2 wins worse than a comparable replacement pitcher. So you were right that what, the Nationals needed a warm body to pitch them innings and he delivered on that need? And he was better than their other bad options? My God man, I wouldn't quit your day job and become Nostradamus quite yet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-31099299983263858392010-03-17T15:22:04.242-04:002010-03-17T15:22:04.242-04:00The Nationals' offense was middle of the pack ...The Nationals' offense was middle of the pack last year in the NL.<br /><br />I don't see how they can match that production again this year. <br /><br />Dunn's average will regress. Harris is not going to have another career year. The drop off from Nick Johnson to whoever is the 3rd OF, let's say Desmond, is huge. IRod can't be worse than Bard, but he won't be much better. Zimmerman may improve, but Guzman will not. I like Morgan, but he's not going for .351/.396 for an entire season. <br /><br />Even if Marquis, Lannan, and Wang pitch as hoped, for the #4 and #5 spots, the best case scenario is still "not completely useless." Bullpen is a mess.<br /><br />That's a long way of saying, who is the projected # 1 for 2011?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-58685629026707206972010-03-17T15:13:27.308-04:002010-03-17T15:13:27.308-04:00Read between the lines and give the Nationals (Mik...Read between the lines and give the Nationals (Mike Rizzo)some credit. There is obviously something going on behind the scenes. The Nationals showed some class and opted to not air any of ED's dirty laundry for the world to see. Let the National Inquirer dig into the dirty laundry. Revelling in someone else's problems is pretty desperate entertainment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-67445815929606190852010-03-17T15:13:15.197-04:002010-03-17T15:13:15.197-04:00I see shades of Ian Desmond playing RF all over th...I see shades of Ian Desmond playing RF all over this deal. Maybe they'll just switch Guzman to RF instead (that was sarcasm folks).Spike94wlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-91337428310427085062010-03-17T14:56:29.782-04:002010-03-17T14:56:29.782-04:00We'll see "Mr. Anonymous". There is ...We'll see "Mr. Anonymous". There is a reason they advanced Holder to Potomac so quickly. Karns does have those problems but unlike Cabrera who was in love with the radar gun he may be teachable. If they can change those thing? Karns still has 2 major league ready pitches which is more than just anyone else in the entire system has.<br /><br />But gee I was right about Martin, it must chafe your bum eh? When he pitched the Nats were 10-5. He finished 5-3 dude. HAH! AAAA is what<br />you called him. We'll see. And the same for Morse. He's too big to play shortstop can't hit in the majors isn't that what you said last year. HAH.<br /><br />Dude continue to read the baseball prospectus so that I can continue to humiliate you at will ... ~evil laugh~ Holder is a tough kid and a leader he will learn to pitch to win or die trying. That you can take to the bank.pericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-60040464557804318022010-03-17T14:39:43.978-04:002010-03-17T14:39:43.978-04:00SpringfieldFan speaks for me.
"Best of luc...SpringfieldFan speaks for me. <br /> "Best of luck to you, Elijah. We're rooting for<br /> you as you move forward in your life. I'm <br /> sorry you weren't able to succeed here."<br />His story might have equaled Da Meat's.Jim Websterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03118806861264253607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-81563468232208958432010-03-17T14:31:13.984-04:002010-03-17T14:31:13.984-04:00See @peric, there you go again.
Trevor Holder h...See @peric, there you go again. <br /><br />Trevor Holder has been hit pretty hard in the minors. A combined ERA of 6.97 in A ball and a combined WHIP of 1.79 does not seem to paint him as an "elite" prospect, especially at age 22.<br /><br />Nathan Karns has bad mechanics and poor command. You know who throws 97 with bad command, Daniel Cabrerra. Calling him the next Strasburg is at the least eager and at the most obnoxious. One thing is certain, Karns is no SURE thing. <br /><br />Being right about the Nats putting a soft tossing right hander into a lousy rotation last year is nothing special. Isn't that what you right about? The fact they needed a warm body in their rotation?<br /><br />Being a starting shortstop does not make you gifted. For instance Yuniesky Betancourt, he's a "starting" shortstop that has a title and is universally panned as not being good at the position.<br /><br />I like Mike Morse's bat. I haven't seen any scouting report calling him athletic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-27404922355281038662010-03-17T14:15:30.368-04:002010-03-17T14:15:30.368-04:00The other day (game on MASN) the 1st base umpire r...The other day (game on MASN) the 1st base umpire rung up Dukes on a third strike appeal. Dukes was angry. He was chewing gum or something and looked at the ump and spit the gum directly at him. I think this was the last straw.Mr. NATuralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07141821148803701231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-81490665068485721522010-03-17T13:41:05.326-04:002010-03-17T13:41:05.326-04:00Marquis 1.0 4 5 5 2 1 0.
Guess the Dukes release...Marquis 1.0 4 5 5 2 1 0.<br /><br />Guess the Dukes release has him all shook up too.alexvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16607068733172426326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-78857518393968616642010-03-17T13:38:46.100-04:002010-03-17T13:38:46.100-04:00... where's DaMeat when we need him?
Go Nats!...... where's DaMeat when we need him?<br /><br />Go Nats!!natscan reduxitnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-30346848287122059302010-03-17T13:31:08.040-04:002010-03-17T13:31:08.040-04:00sbrent- after the last 2 years, no level of incomp...sbrent- after the last 2 years, no level of incompetence would surprise me. This team has lost all benefit of the doubt with me.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06585304213621604104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-60492593825967605002010-03-17T13:23:59.171-04:002010-03-17T13:23:59.171-04:00BTW, Mister Anonymous ... I said that Willie Harri...BTW, Mister Anonymous ... I said that Willie Harris wants to be a regular and he wants to play second base. I read that here on this blog ... sheesh ....pericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-51518387284290736952010-03-17T13:15:41.309-04:002010-03-17T13:15:41.309-04:00I keep thinking of Nats320 stating many times sinc...I keep thinking of Nats320 stating many times since 2008 that Dukes was a 5 tool player. <br /><br />I saw one tool that was amazing. The man has a gun for a arm. I never saw the other 4 tools working at the same time.<br /><br />Dukes did show that he can be a RBI guy and clutch which is why I thought he would be a important Right Fielder for the Nats in 2010 if his fielding improved and baserunning.<br /><br />Question to Mark- can you reach out to his Agent or directly to Dukes for his side of the story?Steve M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-80781822820974675032010-03-17T13:12:21.451-04:002010-03-17T13:12:21.451-04:00Here is Ben Goessling's take:
"UPDATE AT...Here is Ben Goessling's take:<br /><br />"UPDATE AT 12:36 P.M.: We've done the run of interviews with Mike Rizzo, Jim Riggleman and Justin Maxwell (one possible replacement), and from those interviews, as well as discussions with other team officials, here's my synopsis of what happened: The Nationals felt Dukes wasn't hitting and wasn't going to finalize adjustments to his swing to recognize off-speed pitches anytime before the season. He wasn't well-liked in the clubhouse, according to sources. Maxwell said there were "distractions" with Dukes in the past, though he wouldn't elaborate on what those were, and Rizzo said the Nationals will be a more "cohesive, united group" without Dukes. His WARP last year was -0.1, meaning he was actually slightly worse than the readily-available replacement. The Nationals took all that into account and tried to trade him. When they couldn't, they concluded a change of scenery would be best for Dukes, and he couldn't help their organization any further. So they cut him.<br /><br />Rizzo said "no singular incident" contributed to Dukes being released, a statement echoed by team president Stan Kasten in a statement. Kasten also said people who think otherwise "don't know what they're talking about" -- a tacit rebuke of former general manager Jim Bowden, now an analyst for XM and Fox Sports who tweeted this morning Dukes had been cut because of his "latest incident" and the Nationals enacted their "zero tolerance" policy with the outfielder, who had a history of legal troubles before he came to the Nationals.<br /><br />But when the Nationals took everything into account, they felt they would gain more from platooning a combination of players in right field and removing Dukes from their clubhouse than they would by keeping him in the lineup. If that doesn't work, it's possible they could pursue a player like free agent Jermaine Dye, though Rizzo said this morning the Nationals have not discussed Dye internally.<br /><br />For now, though, they're confident enough in what they have to think it's a better combination, on the field and in the clubhouse, than Dukes would be."pericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-5961024247808621552010-03-17T13:11:33.637-04:002010-03-17T13:11:33.637-04:00Gee I never said that Holder is a "future ace...Gee I never said that Holder is a "future ace", nor that Morse is a good fielder at shortstop Mr. Anonymous. Remembering that last year **I** was right about JD Martin, right about Mike Morse? AND THIS SPRING right about Aaron Thompson. Unlike Sue Dinem I don't believe everything the baseball prospectus has to say. <br /><br />What I did say is that Morse DID manage to win the job AND did start in the major leagues at shortstop. Holder has good stuff and throws strikes according to his scouting reports. He could be a good starter and is not a "soft tosser" He has major league command of 3 pitches. Nathan Karns throws a 97 MPH fastball. Quick Mr. Anonymous name any new young prospect that throws a 97 MPH fastball? Ding, ding, ding yes Steven Strasburg. He could be the real "sleeper" in the bunch.<br /><br />I believe that Morse CAN play right or left field adequately enough for this team. I also believe he will put up better offensive numbers than Dukes. He was way better than Dukes in Syracuse and in the majors. And I said he is athletic.pericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-75406750612029130642010-03-17T12:59:40.479-04:002010-03-17T12:59:40.479-04:00Sasskuash, I think the answer is that NO ONE ELSE ...Sasskuash, I think the answer is that NO ONE ELSE WANTED HIM. i don't think the club could possibly be so stupid as to take nothing for Dukes when they could have gotten something. The answer is, no such offer was available, which means in effect he didn't have any value in professional baseball. <br /><br />While this is a surprise, I take it as a good sign that the team is willing to cut its losses and start fresh, rather then continue with a wishing/hoping/praying strategy for a player who's had plenty of time and chances to get it together, and has never managed consistently to do it.sbrentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-87087024731553554942010-03-17T12:57:18.697-04:002010-03-17T12:57:18.697-04:00What a surprise! Seems that another Jim Bowden ex...What a surprise! Seems that another Jim Bowden experiment has been ended, perhaps inclusively. I would have liked seeing more of Elijah, but the strong suggestion that the team was neither impressed with his off-season preparation nor his club-house demeanor suggests that Rizzo (and others) want a different personality on the field. If that's the plan, I'm ready. Not interested in Dye; don't think W. Harris is a long-term answer; please don't put Dunn back in left . . . Carl in 309.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-8489341366860196412010-03-17T12:55:22.456-04:002010-03-17T12:55:22.456-04:00peric, where do you get your ideas? From an outsi...peric, where do you get your ideas? From an outside persepctive, you seem to make a lot of things up. For example, Holder is a future Ace, Morse is a good fielding SS (career UZR at -27 over 57 games), Willie harris should be a regular, and on and on. Does your stuff come from anyone reputable or are you just throwing things out there?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-22435988195678233682010-03-17T12:54:32.039-04:002010-03-17T12:54:32.039-04:00Riggleman said it many times that the clubhouse wo...Riggleman said it many times that the clubhouse would be better off and more cohesive with Dukes gone. He obviously didn't mesh well with the other players and probably had few friends on the team.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-13283612857173995372010-03-17T12:54:15.257-04:002010-03-17T12:54:15.257-04:00Now that Rizzo's quote about the clubhouse bei...Now that Rizzo's quote about the clubhouse being more unified is out there, this is obviously an unacceptable combo of poor performance, lack of work and attitude. I like that our GM doesn't tolerate that.<br /><br />Now, about Willie. I love that guy and want him on our team. But why is anyone talking about him playing everyday at any position?? Here are his career numbers over NINE big league seasons - 246/331/351. Those are not even good numbers for a back up, at any position. But, they are fine for a back up who plays almost every position and well.<br /><br />Again, I love Willie, but unfortunately, he is a well documented poor hitter. I'm sorry but that is the fact. <br /><br />Morse, Bernadina or Maxwell are all better options in RF because they are all young enough to still have upside.Avarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15070310253296287000noreply@blogger.com