Like I said earlier, where are these people that keep writing they would trade Michael Morse.
Look at who stepped up today, almost every player and some bigger than others. Morse, Bernadina, Stammen, Brown, Lombo, Zim and with Espi and Flores on defense.
I confess that I thought things just weren't going our way today. So very many contributors today, guys picking other guys up. I love this team - they truly are a team in every sense of the word. Even in their interviews, they will compliment another player for something.
I was totally willing to accept a loss today and a 5-2 roadtrip. As NL said, we were playing with house money on this one. But these guys just don't know how to give up. So many big hits with the game on the line, and Stammen once again showed why he is one of the most valuable pitchers on this team. How many teams have two guys (Stammen/Gorzo) able to go multiple innings in an extra inning game. To use only four pitchers in an 11 inning game on the road with that many runs being scored is just amazing.
Now they have a happy flight, a day off tomorrow, and Strasburg pitching on Tuesday. Who cares if Cliff Lee is our opponent? I like our chances.
"Like I said earlier, where are these people that keep writing they would trade Michael Morse."
Yeah, where are they? I don't read every thread, but I don't recall anyone, at all, who has said that.
Davey seems to have really enjoyed this one. The Nats did not play their best, but the offense pulled one out, today. Hard to believe they were shut out just 2 days ago by the same staff that they blasted for 15 hits, including 3 HRs, and 11 runs, total, today.
Watching baseball being played in Milwaukee is like watching football being played according to arena rules. It seems like a different game. No wonder the Brewers lead the league in HRs. If our guys played there, they would probably have 150 HRs, by now. Even Lombo put one in the upper deck.
Totally agree Ghost. Way too many disadvantages for the wild card teams -- as it should be in my view. Let's win the division and line up our starters the way we want to.
The Braves have been playing very well -- 7-3 in their last ten games. And they've lost a game in the standings. Hahaha. I like our chances of keeping up this pace alot better than theirs.
baseballswami said... This season is one giant amusement park ride. One minute you are high, the next minute your stomach is in your throat. ______________________________
Almost every game is a Kardiac Kids moment. Today's was a thrill with a positive finish. Haven't been too many laughers this year.
To be honest, I was a little disappointed in the Livo inning with bases loaded and the 11th with bases loaded where the Nats weren't able to pile on runs.
That 11-9 lead didn't feel large enough and that leadoff HR by Hart proved that to be true!
I'm 58 years young, an old Senators fan and now a die-hard Nats fan. Every time they fell behind today, I was braced for the loss and beginning to accept defeat. I clearly have no idea how to root for a winner, a great reslient team like this one. But I'm having a lot of fun finding out......!
A friendly quibble from the previous thread. Those of us who follow the prospects obviously aren't solely interested in their progress. Like you, we watch or listen to every Nats game. We're diehard fans of the big club -- that's why we're here.
We're not missing the game. We monitor the prospects because we hope the big league club will be successful this year -- and for years to come.
The bigger question is how many "familiar faces" will be in the stands? I wonder if the Phans travel when their DFL team is 12 under .500 and 16.5 games back?
The Nationals have had their best month in July both in wins and winning percentage and they still have a game in hand. If they win their next game they will have a winning percentage of .692 in July. Not too many team with that winning percentage don't win their division.
I know past performance is not a guarantee for success but a few of the people on the board believe that the end is near with any loss and heaven help us if they lose 4 in a row.
Unless there are a rash of injuries to the pitching staff especially the starters this team will win at least 92 games and that is a worst case scenario.
The Nats have 34 home games left with 27 on the road and the Braves have 30 home games with 31 on the road. We still play the Braves 6 more times. If I had to guess the outcome of those 6 games will have the biggest impact on deciding who will win the East if both teams stay relatively healthy.
Relax enjoy the ride it rarely gets better than this.
Swift Eagle said... The bigger question is how many "familiar faces" will be in the stands? I wonder if the Phans travel when their DFL team is 12 under .500 and 16.5 games back?
Understood Drew...I like to keep an eye on the farm too...but I disagree with those who use "advanced stats" of minor league players who they've never even seen to call for the replacement of established MLB players...it's sort of like when everyone turns into Mel Kiper on draft day, until you see someone play, you're just guessing...
As I understaand it, Victorino and Pierre are free agents after this year. The Phils would have to offer them very big contracts in order to get any compensation for them, so it makes sense they are looking to trade them for something, anything, at the deadline. Pence is arbitration eligible in 2013, so it seems more likely the Phils will try to deal him in the off season if he doesn't fit into there plans for next year. (He made $10.4 million this year.) But that also means that they could something more than prospects for him now if there are contending teams interested in him, since he's not just a rental.
I know I am way ahead here, but... would Bobby C and FP do any post season or is it all national TV at that point? Obviousl, Charlie and the radio guys will do all games.
Mick, your recent re-birth has been inspiring. Well done
I too will be surprised to see the Phillies trade Pence...I think they still want to hope that improved health in 2013 allows them to make one more run with their core guys, including Pence...We'll See
As of tonight, my guess is that only one comes out of the West, SF or LA. Division champs and Wild Cards are any combo of Nats, Braves, Reds and Pirates. This of course will probably change.
In the AL... I'll be honest.. I did not see the A's coming on. Looks like 3 playoff teams in AL west. O's need to solve their relief pitching quickly or they could fade out by mid August
Welcome to the club, BIGNAT33! There is basically not enough bourbon and Maalox left in this ZIP code to get me through the rest of this season. But it's a great ride. A friend from Cleveland remarked to me today that "the baseball season is over" for Tribe fans.
I told him to hop aboard the Nats bandwagon. There's plenty of room, we accept transfers, the beer is cold and the goosebumps are growing.
Usually I hate off days. I am loving having Monday off. I need to recuperate.
Could be a head-to-head matchup and competition between Storen and Mattheus and today Mattheus raised his xFIP significantly. At the beginning of the season Davey said he foresaw 6 relievers in the bullpen. 2 long men and 4 short alternating closer and setup with one primary and one backup to spell the primary team. He's way over that right now with eight soon-to-be nine with the return of CMW.
Burnett stays not just because he is the designated primary setup but also because he is one of three left-handers. Michael Gonzalez made it three I'm not sure Davey would let him go. Clippard's the closer. H-Rod doesn't have any options and is still "rehabbing". Stammen and Gorzo are the long men.
If I had to guess I would say that one of either Storen or Mattheus gets optioned to Syracuse when Tracy is ready since Tracy appears ready batting .467 in AAA right now. He just hit a pinch hit home run.
I don't think they option Brown because he is now performing like a better replacement for Rick Ankiel. Interestingly enough Bernadina is batting well enough to be that big left-handed bat off the bench and he can field! Tracy much less so ...
but Davey keeps saying he needs Tracy so ... he and his left-handed bat would back up LaRoche banishing Morse and Moore permanently to the outfield ... at least for this season. Makes Natslady unhappy but of course she was happy with a losing record and Werth's fielding last season I guess ...
When Werth and Desmond come back then it gets really sticky. Davey will have to option both Tyler Moore and Corey Brown or decide to dispense with another reliever and option either Corey Brown or Tyler Moore. Barring another injury or two.
its almost as if Davey factors injuries into his managing. Keeps guys around knowing it inevitably happens ... who knows? Maybe he has calculated a statistical outcome where he determined a rough frequency of injury occurrences by position. I wouldn't put it past him.
Regarding Hunter Pence: Most Philly phreaks consider that trade of Rubin Amaro Jr. to be possibly his worst as Philly's GM. They gave a bunch in prospects for a guy who has not produced in clutch situations, has been bordering on comically bad in RF and is viewed by many to be the epitome of what's gone wrong. He is basically an okay player, but not a guy that can carry a team. His glove, and general decisions in the OF have been atrocious. At 14 million, I don't know what contender would give much for him.
The Nats are 25-13 in the East which is better than their overall winning percentage. They are also 8-4 against the Braves.
As for who has a chance to make the playoffs in the NL it looks like 7 maybe 8 teams have a realistic chance barring something strange happening like the A's run.
The 7 teams are the National, Red, Giants, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Bucs and maybe the D'Backs.
Don't count the Cardinals out they have the best run differential in baseball and that is an excellent predictor. The Nationals have the 2nd best run differential in the NL and tied for 3rd with Texas in baseball barely trailing the Yankees.
Joe Seamhead, interesting on Pence. I guess for those that watch him daily they have a different take but I don't put much stock in what the fair-weather Philthies fans say as they turn on their own when things aren't going their way.
They have to build their entire outfield. They also lost infielder Polanco to the DL and he would have been traded also.
They are going to be in rebuild mode and Halladay and Lee aren't getting any younger.
Unless the Phillie's pick up a large portion of Pence contract or take almost nothing in return I don't think he will be traded. The Giants are the best fit but they traded a top prospect for Beltran last year and they said they won't do that again.
Peric,
I think your right abut who might get sent down. I think the Nats are going to delay Werth's return as long as they can. Desmond coming back will really cut into Lombo's time on the field and probably seal T Mo's fate.
It will be interesting on who they put on the 25 playoff roster. I think they will try and guess who they will face and Davey's match ups will play into it.
Gonat, how many times has Charly left Lee and Halladay in for 125 pitches, or more the past couple of years? And last week he left Hamels in for 128. This has to part of why Doc and Lee haven't been as effective this year. Mayberry has also been pretty bad. They are in deep do-do up there.
Fox, the conversation will be to Henry and his agent that they think his shoulder is hurting and needs a 15 day DL stint. He will get 2 weeks to rehab and be brought back up on Sept 1st.
What they do to fix him in the off-season is a different story. The Henry saga has been playing out for almost 2 years now.
I quickly went through the Nats remaining schedule and to quote Davey it's not to daunting.
The Nationals have 61 games left and only 22 of them are against teams that have a record of .500 or better.
We are done with the Reds and the Bucs, yea that sounds strange in the same sentence.
We have 7 games with the Cards, 6 with the Braves, 3 with the Dodgers and 3 with the Giants and 3 with the D'Backs. That's it we play the East a lot which we have done well against.
The Braves also have a fairly easy schedule too but have a few more road games. Somehow they are done playing the Cards and we have not played them yet?
Who ever made the schedule hated the A's. In September the get to play 2 series against the Angels, 2 series against Texas, and Detroit and the Yankees on the road. They start the month against Boston and have 3 games with the O's who might be competing for a WC. On the bright side if they get hot they'll waltz into the playoffs.
He is their one and only left-handed power bat right now. Harper hasn't produced power-wise ... but he's only 19 he may not until he gets to his twenties. That's normal and expected.
So, right now left-handed power production looks like its between Adam LaRoche and Corey Brown. The only two with middle of the order power from the left-side other than perhaps switch hitter Danny Espinosa.
They've got plenty on the right side with Zimmerman, Morse, Desmond, Moore, and supposedly Werth but I'm not convinced that Werth is capable and may be past his prime. But with the first four they really need him about as much as they did Xavier Nady.
The left-side gets decidedly pretty weak sans LaRoche. After LaRoche its Harper, Brown and Espinosa. If Brown starts hitting like he was in AAA Syracuse then you have two potent left-handed bats. The real question is will he be given a chance to prove that?
Brown, TyMo and 1 reliever are expendable. I still believe Henry to the DL is a possibility.
I'm not convinced of that. There's a lot of synergy there when they play together. I'd like to see both of them in the lineup together rather than separately. They feed off of each other and especially Brown off of Moore. Not sure it would help Harper much as his AAA numbers were pretty mundane. One can hope.
Because I'm not convinced of that doesn't mean that it won't happen. It seems likely that it probably will until September 1st. Then there will be a battle to see who is best suited to be on the playoff roster. If Davey gives everyone a fair amount of time in the lineup I believe you'll see Moore and Brown make the playoff roster with others left behind.
What they do to fix him in the off-season is a different story. The Henry saga has been playing out for almost 2 years now.
The Garret Mock saga played out longer, 4 or 5 years ... and Henry has already done far more to help this team than Mock ever did. He's worth keeping. He's better than Mike MacDougal and guess who's the veteran depth in AAA right now?
Henry is a keeper. Let them continue to work with him. Davey et al know what they are doing.
It'd be a huge help to sweep the PHilthies as the Braves did and move on to frying the fish now that they are in disarray. They can move into the 30 games above .500 range.
I was thinking back to yesterday's game. Wow, so many highlights. I decided what may have been the play of the game for me was in the bottom of the 11th, Clip had given up the HR, Nyjer Morgan hits a ball that had base hit written all over it, but Espinosa made a great diving stop, a tough throw, and Morse made a great play at first, and Morgan was out by a fraction of a hair. If Espy and Morse don't come through there Nyjer could've made things pretty hairy on Clippard. It was especially sweet because it was Nyjer that got put down.
I'm not Swift Eagle but a friendly response, fwiw: a poster on here (not one of the regulars and I don't recall the moniker) recently opined that "Natheads" had followed the minor league teams as opposed to the big league team during the years of struggle. Obviously, that person was not familiar with the "die-hard" nature of commenters here, who followed the big league team through good times and bad (you being one of the commenters of that type, of course).
Drew said...
A friendly quibble from the previous thread. Those of us who follow the prospects obviously aren't solely interested in their progress. Like you, we watch or listen to every Nats game. We're diehard fans of the big club -- that's why we're here.
We're not missing the game. We monitor the prospects because we hope the big league club will be successful this year -- and for years to come.
Speak for yourself, Unknown. ;-) This Nat-head has paid a lot of (my husband might say too much) attention to the major league club from the start, in good times and in bad. Yeah, sometimes it really [stunk] but I hung in there and followed their fortunes day by day, season by season. Enduring those tough times makes their current situation that much sweeter for me. That said, I'll note that I was more invested in draft picks back in the day, because the future seemed so much brighter than the present.
Thanks for the site recommendation. Looks interesting.
Unknown said...
Just two or three years ago, we Nat-heads paid little attention to the major league club, focusing instead on the talent in the minor leagues. We lived and died over every signing and regularly checked the box scores of all the minor league teams, looking for a glimmer of hope for the future.
Today, I much don't care whether Giolito signs or not. Unless he's a Strasburg reincarnate, I'm not sure we'll even find a place for him in the rotation for at least a few years. I trust Rizzo; if he doesn't sign it's because that was best for the team.
I like to go to sportspyder.com and follow the Nationals because it has every story along with every tweet about the team.
I was checking the Phillies' section a few weeks ago and it's Nationals redux from 2009. While there is some mention of the big club, tweets and stories focus on Joe Blow who went 2-3 with a homer at Double-A and some other guy tearing up the Rookie League.
It's nice--knock on wood--to finally be on the top. July 13, 2012 11:36 AM July 13, 2012 1:47 PM
Hi mick - all I remember about 1967 is that it was one of the Senators better years (only 1969 was better for the expansion team), and there was a wild four team pennant race - White Sox, Tigers, Twins and Red Sox went down to the final weekend. The Senators didn't have the same level of talent, but Gil Hodges got the most out of them for a good part of the season. I don't recall any specific injuries or major slumps at the end of the season, but it was a fun year compared to most. Hondo had his breakout season - something like 36 homers I think.
By Adam Kilgore, Updated: Sunday, July 29, 6:58 PMThe Washington Post
MILWAUKEE — The manager counted more gray hairs, the players rearranged travel plans and everyone else tried to unpack what happened Sunday afternoon at Miller Park. The Washington Nationals trailed by four runs after seven innings and by two after eight. They scrapped. They kept coming. They again found a way to win game that convention dictated they lose, another delirious layer in a season verging on fantasy. -----------------
I copied/pasted this same opening paragraph and sent it to some friends. Adam's gamers are more entertaining, and well-written, all the time. Of course this team is supplying the dramatics to inspire such fine writing.
68 comments:
Wow, unbelievable. I must confess that I figured it was all over when we were down four runs late in the game. Boy was I wrong, thank goodness.
No volume control on the commercials ... arrrrgggh I really hate that.
Brewers Walk a .160 hitter and give up the game winning homer to the clean-up hitter....Sounds like the same gameplan as the Nats 2008-09 bullpen
Sunny, a lot of us figured the same thing. Never take it for granted that they have it won, or lost.
Executive summary: It ain't over 'til it's over, and you never know who might step up.
Have I mentioned lately that I love my Nats? :-)
"The Brewers have lost 21 games being tied or in the lead going into the 8th inning this year."
Saw this in a different blog...Guess I should have seen the comeback coming, but I didn't! I thought it was over too...
"They again found a way to win a game that convention dictated they lose, another delirious layer in a season verging on fantasy."
Adam Kilgore
Like I said earlier, where are these people that keep writing they would trade Michael Morse.
Look at who stepped up today, almost every player and some bigger than others. Morse, Bernadina, Stammen, Brown, Lombo, Zim and with Espi and Flores on defense.
I confess that I thought things just weren't going our way today. So very many contributors today, guys picking other guys up. I love this team - they truly are a team in every sense of the word. Even in their interviews, they will compliment another player for something.
I was totally willing to accept a loss today and a 5-2 roadtrip. As NL said, we were playing with house money on this one. But these guys just don't know how to give up. So many big hits with the game on the line, and Stammen once again showed why he is one of the most valuable pitchers on this team. How many teams have two guys (Stammen/Gorzo) able to go multiple innings in an extra inning game. To use only four pitchers in an 11 inning game on the road with that many runs being scored is just amazing.
Now they have a happy flight, a day off tomorrow, and Strasburg pitching on Tuesday. Who cares if Cliff Lee is our opponent? I like our chances.
Like I said earlier, where are these people that keep writing they would trade Michael Morse.
Natslady who wanted to replace Morse's bat with a bench bat in the form of Jayson Werth.
"Like I said earlier, where are these people that keep writing they would trade Michael Morse."
Yeah, where are they? I don't read every thread, but I don't recall anyone, at all, who has said that.
Davey seems to have really enjoyed this one. The Nats did not play their best, but the offense pulled one out, today. Hard to believe they were shut out just 2 days ago by the same staff that they blasted for 15 hits, including 3 HRs, and 11 runs, total, today.
Watching baseball being played in Milwaukee is like watching football being played according to arena rules. It seems like a different game. No wonder the Brewers lead the league in HRs. If our guys played there, they would probably have 150 HRs, by now. Even Lombo put one in the upper deck.
Sect222, can't accept a loss as Braves are finding ways to win too. Nats can't rely on winning the Wild Card.
Must win the division.
Laddie Blah Blah, there were a couple of posters this past week saying the Nats should sell high and trade Morse for an arm or prospects.
Remember when the Nationals pen was Brewer bad! Good time now!
This season is one giant amusement park ride. One minute you are high, the next minute your stomach is in your throat.
Totally agree Ghost. Way too many disadvantages for the wild card teams -- as it should be in my view. Let's win the division and line up our starters the way we want to.
The Braves have been playing very well -- 7-3 in their last ten games. And they've lost a game in the standings. Hahaha. I like our chances of keeping up this pace alot better than theirs.
baseballswami said...
This season is one giant amusement park ride. One minute you are high, the next minute your stomach is in your throat.
______________________________
Almost every game is a Kardiac Kids moment. Today's was a thrill with a positive finish. Haven't been too many laughers this year.
To be honest, I was a little disappointed in the Livo inning with bases loaded and the 11th with bases loaded where the Nats weren't able to pile on runs.
That 11-9 lead didn't feel large enough and that leadoff HR by Hart proved that to be true!
Section 222, Braves faceoff with the Marlins for 4 games and the Nats have the Phillies for 3 and then Marlins for 4.
Hoping the Nats can pick up a net of 2 games in the standing on the Braves.
Agreed Gonat, the new playoff system favors the Division winners by much more than home field advantage.
The Wild Card playoff is like the tiebreaker game sudden death.
I'm 58 years young, an old Senators fan and now a die-hard Nats fan. Every time they fell behind today, I was braced for the loss and beginning to accept defeat. I clearly have no idea how to root for a winner, a great reslient team like this one. But I'm having a lot of fun finding out......!
I put up some posts on Twitter that the Nats probably won't face some old familiar faces Tuesday against the Philthies.
Word is Victorino will be traded before game time and probably Pierre. They are also mentioning Pence and Blanton. Could Chooch Ruiz be traded?
Gonat, let's hope.
Why in Earth would phils trade Hunter Spence... i saw that too and I am floored by it
BigNat33:
Love the homage to Hondo in your handle.
Swift Eagle:
A friendly quibble from the previous thread. Those of us who follow the prospects obviously aren't solely interested in their progress. Like you, we watch or listen to every Nats game. We're diehard fans of the big club -- that's why we're here.
We're not missing the game. We monitor the prospects because we hope the big league club will be successful this year -- and for years to come.
The bigger question is how many "familiar faces" will be in the stands? I wonder if the Phans travel when their DFL team is 12 under .500 and 16.5 games back?
BIGNAT33, enjoy the ride. This is for real!
Well said BigNat33,
The Nationals have had their best month in July both in wins and winning percentage and they still have a game in hand. If they win their next game they will have a winning percentage of .692 in July. Not too many team with that winning percentage don't win their division.
I know past performance is not a guarantee for success but a few of the people on the board believe that the end is near with any loss and heaven help us if they lose 4 in a row.
Unless there are a rash of injuries to the pitching staff especially the starters this team will win at least 92 games and that is a worst case scenario.
The Nats have 34 home games left with 27 on the road and the Braves have 30 home games with 31 on the road. We still play the Braves 6 more times. If I had to guess the outcome of those 6 games will have the biggest impact on deciding who will win the East if both teams stay relatively healthy.
Relax enjoy the ride it rarely gets better than this.
hey BIGNAT33, love Hondo. maybe you can help me... the 1967 Nats were 55-50, how why did they fall part and finish 75-87?
mick said...
Why in Earth would phils trade Hunter Spence... i saw that too and I am floored by it
July 29, 2012 10:11 PM
___________________________
Hunter Spence, no. Hunter Pence, maybe. Someone is either speculating or someone within the Philthies has leaked it to see what they could get.
Swift Eagle said...
The bigger question is how many "familiar faces" will be in the stands? I wonder if the Phans travel when their DFL team is 12 under .500 and 16.5 games back?
that is a great point, lol
Gonat... that would make sense, because he is a player.
Understood Drew...I like to keep an eye on the farm too...but I disagree with those who use "advanced stats" of minor league players who they've never even seen to call for the replacement of established MLB players...it's sort of like when everyone turns into Mel Kiper on draft day, until you see someone play, you're just guessing...
As I understaand it, Victorino and Pierre are free agents after this year. The Phils would have to offer them very big contracts in order to get any compensation for them, so it makes sense they are looking to trade them for something, anything, at the deadline. Pence is arbitration eligible in 2013, so it seems more likely the Phils will try to deal him in the off season if he doesn't fit into there plans for next year. (He made $10.4 million this year.) But that also means that they could something more than prospects for him now if there are contending teams interested in him, since he's not just a rental.
I know I am way ahead here, but... would Bobby C and FP do any post season or is it all national TV at that point? Obviousl, Charlie and the radio guys will do all games.
Mick, your recent re-birth has been inspiring. Well done
I too will be surprised to see the Phillies trade Pence...I think they still want to hope that improved health in 2013 allows them to make one more run with their core guys, including Pence...We'll See
swift... there's a difference in drinking Miller Light over Coronas, lol
Haha..Mick, if the NI thread is Mayberry, you'll always be our Otis...
lolololo
Cincy won today and is now also 61-40.
The Nats won the season series vs. the Reds 5 games to 2. Just sayin'.
As of tonight, my guess is that only one comes out of the West, SF or LA. Division champs and Wild Cards are any combo of Nats, Braves, Reds and Pirates. This of course will probably change.
Reds are impressive and this is without Votto!
In the AL... I'll be honest.. I did not see the A's coming on. Looks like 3 playoff teams in AL west. O's need to solve their relief pitching quickly or they could fade out by mid August
Welcome to the club, BIGNAT33! There is basically not enough bourbon and Maalox left in this ZIP code to get me through the rest of this season. But it's a great ride. A friend from Cleveland remarked to me today that "the baseball season is over" for Tribe fans.
I told him to hop aboard the Nats bandwagon. There's plenty of room, we accept transfers, the beer is cold and the goosebumps are growing.
Usually I hate off days. I am loving having Monday off. I need to recuperate.
Where did you place the defribulator, MicheleS?
Section 222 wins today's "You never know when this might come in handy" award for this nugget:
Section 222 said...
Cincy won today and is now also 61-40.
The Nats won the season series vs. the Reds 5 games to 2. Just sayin'.
Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...
"the beer is cold..."
where is it??
lol
Could be a head-to-head matchup and competition between Storen and Mattheus and today Mattheus raised his xFIP significantly. At the beginning of the season Davey said he foresaw 6 relievers in the bullpen. 2 long men and 4 short alternating closer and setup with one primary and one backup to spell the primary team. He's way over that right now with eight soon-to-be nine with the return of CMW.
Burnett stays not just because he is the designated primary setup but also because he is one of three left-handers. Michael Gonzalez made it three I'm not sure Davey would let him go. Clippard's the closer. H-Rod doesn't have any options and is still "rehabbing". Stammen and Gorzo are the long men.
If I had to guess I would say that one of either Storen or Mattheus gets optioned to Syracuse when Tracy is ready since Tracy appears ready batting .467 in AAA right now. He just hit a pinch hit home run.
I don't think they option Brown because he is now performing like a better replacement for Rick Ankiel. Interestingly enough Bernadina is batting well enough to be that big left-handed bat off the bench and he can field! Tracy much less so ...
but Davey keeps saying he needs Tracy so ... he and his left-handed bat would back up LaRoche banishing Morse and Moore permanently to the outfield ... at least for this season. Makes Natslady unhappy but of course she was happy with a losing record and Werth's fielding last season I guess ...
When Werth and Desmond come back then it gets really sticky. Davey will have to option both Tyler Moore and Corey Brown or decide to dispense with another reliever and option either Corey Brown or Tyler Moore. Barring another injury or two.
its almost as if Davey factors injuries into his managing. Keeps guys around knowing it inevitably happens ... who knows? Maybe he has calculated a statistical outcome where he determined a rough frequency of injury occurrences by position. I wouldn't put it past him.
Could LaRoche go on 15 day DL?
Regarding Hunter Pence: Most Philly phreaks consider that trade of Rubin Amaro Jr. to be possibly his worst as Philly's GM. They gave a bunch in prospects for a guy who has not produced in clutch situations, has been bordering on comically bad in RF and is viewed by many to be the epitome of what's gone wrong. He is basically an okay player, but not a guy that can carry a team. His glove, and general decisions in the OF have been atrocious. At 14 million, I don't know what contender would give much for him.
The Nats are 25-13 in the East which is better than their overall winning percentage. They are also 8-4 against the Braves.
As for who has a chance to make the playoffs in the NL it looks like 7 maybe 8 teams have a realistic chance barring something strange happening like the A's run.
The 7 teams are the National, Red, Giants, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Bucs and maybe the D'Backs.
Don't count the Cardinals out they have the best run differential in baseball and that is an excellent predictor. The Nationals have the 2nd best run differential in the NL and tied for 3rd with Texas in baseball barely trailing the Yankees.
Joe Seamhead, interesting on Pence. I guess for those that watch him daily they have a different take but I don't put much stock in what the fair-weather Philthies fans say as they turn on their own when things aren't going their way.
They have to build their entire outfield. They also lost infielder Polanco to the DL and he would have been traded also.
They are going to be in rebuild mode and Halladay and Lee aren't getting any younger.
Joe Seamhead,
Unless the Phillie's pick up a large portion of Pence contract or take almost nothing in return I don't think he will be traded. The Giants are the best fit but they traded a top prospect for Beltran last year and they said they won't do that again.
Peric,
I think your right abut who might get sent down. I think the Nats are going to delay Werth's return as long as they can. Desmond coming back will really cut into Lombo's time on the field and probably seal T Mo's fate.
It will be interesting on who they put on the 25 playoff roster. I think they will try and guess who they will face and Davey's match ups will play into it.
Fox, TyMo's fate? By the time Desi is back, it might be time for Rosters to expand.
DeRosa probably stays because he doesn't have options.
Brown, TyMo and 1 reliever are expendable. I still believe Henry to the DL is a possibility.
Gonat, how many times has Charly left Lee and Halladay in for 125 pitches, or more the past couple of years? And last week he left Hamels in for 128. This has to part of why Doc and Lee haven't been as effective this year. Mayberry has also been pretty bad. They are in deep do-do up there.
Gonat,
You might be right I hope Desi makes it back before the end of August. The lack of depth at SS is one of my only true worries.
I think DeRosa is safe at least until Desi comes back because he can play 3rd and supposedly 2nd.
Maybe someone can close the car door accidentally on Henry's none pitching hand. It's a joke, really it's only a joke.
Fox, the conversation will be to Henry and his agent that they think his shoulder is hurting and needs a 15 day DL stint. He will get 2 weeks to rehab and be brought back up on Sept 1st.
What they do to fix him in the off-season is a different story. The Henry saga has been playing out for almost 2 years now.
I quickly went through the Nats remaining schedule and to quote Davey it's not to daunting.
The Nationals have 61 games left and only 22 of them are against teams that have a record of .500 or better.
We are done with the Reds and the Bucs, yea that sounds strange in the same sentence.
We have 7 games with the Cards, 6 with the Braves, 3 with the Dodgers and 3 with the Giants and 3 with the D'Backs. That's it we play the East a lot which we have done well against.
The Braves also have a fairly easy schedule too but have a few more road games. Somehow they are done playing the Cards and we have not played them yet?
Who ever made the schedule hated the A's. In September the get to play 2 series against the Angels, 2 series against Texas, and Detroit and the Yankees on the road. They start the month against Boston and have 3 games with the O's who might be competing for a WC. On the bright side if they get hot they'll waltz into the playoffs.
Could LaRoche go on 15 day DL?
He is their one and only left-handed power bat right now. Harper hasn't produced power-wise ... but he's only 19 he may not until he gets to his twenties. That's normal and expected.
So, right now left-handed power production looks like its between Adam LaRoche and Corey Brown. The only two with middle of the order power from the left-side other than perhaps switch hitter Danny Espinosa.
They've got plenty on the right side with Zimmerman, Morse, Desmond, Moore, and supposedly Werth but I'm not convinced that Werth is capable and may be past his prime. But with the first four they really need him about as much as they did Xavier Nady.
The left-side gets decidedly pretty weak sans LaRoche. After LaRoche its Harper, Brown and Espinosa. If Brown starts hitting like he was in AAA Syracuse then you have two potent left-handed bats. The real question is will he be given a chance to prove that?
Brown, TyMo and 1 reliever are expendable. I still believe Henry to the DL is a possibility.
I'm not convinced of that. There's a lot of synergy there when they play together. I'd like to see both of them in the lineup together rather than separately. They feed off of each other and especially Brown off of Moore. Not sure it would help Harper much as his AAA numbers were pretty mundane. One can hope.
Because I'm not convinced of that doesn't mean that it won't happen. It seems likely that it probably will until September 1st. Then there will be a battle to see who is best suited to be on the playoff roster. If Davey gives everyone a fair amount of time in the lineup I believe you'll see Moore and Brown make the playoff roster with others left behind.
What they do to fix him in the off-season is a different story. The Henry saga has been playing out for almost 2 years now.
The Garret Mock saga played out longer, 4 or 5 years ... and Henry has already done far more to help this team than Mock ever did. He's worth keeping. He's better than Mike MacDougal and guess who's the veteran depth in AAA right now?
Henry is a keeper. Let them continue to work with him. Davey et al know what they are doing.
It'd be a huge help to sweep the PHilthies as the Braves did and move on to frying the fish now that they are in disarray. They can move into the 30 games above .500 range.
deadline-deals-that-really-worked
http://mlb.si.com/2012/07/26/deadline-deals-that-really-worked/?sct=mlb_t11_a0
I was thinking back to yesterday's game. Wow, so many highlights. I decided what may have been the play of the game for me was in the bottom of the 11th, Clip had given up the HR, Nyjer Morgan hits a ball that had base hit written all over it, but Espinosa made a great diving stop, a tough throw, and Morse made a great play at first, and Morgan was out by a fraction of a hair. If Espy and Morse don't come through there Nyjer could've made things pretty hairy on Clippard. It was especially sweet because it was Nyjer that got put down.
play of the game might have been Bernie's home run. That shot kinda brought us back to our feet.
I'm not Swift Eagle but a friendly response, fwiw: a poster on here (not one of the regulars and I don't recall the moniker) recently opined that "Natheads" had followed the minor league teams as opposed to the big league team during the years of struggle. Obviously, that person was not familiar with the "die-hard" nature of commenters here, who followed the big league team through good times and bad (you being one of the commenters of that type, of course).
Drew said...
A friendly quibble from the previous thread. Those of us who follow the prospects obviously aren't solely interested in their progress. Like you, we watch or listen to every Nats game. We're diehard fans of the big club -- that's why we're here.
We're not missing the game. We monitor the prospects because we hope the big league club will be successful this year -- and for years to come.
Okay, found the original post and my response:
natsfan1a said...
Speak for yourself, Unknown. ;-) This Nat-head has paid a lot of (my husband might say too much) attention to the major league club from the start, in good times and in bad. Yeah, sometimes it really [stunk] but I hung in there and followed their fortunes day by day, season by season. Enduring those tough times makes their current situation that much sweeter for me. That said, I'll note that I was more invested in draft picks back in the day, because the future seemed so much brighter than the present.
Thanks for the site recommendation. Looks interesting.
Unknown said...
Just two or three years ago, we Nat-heads paid little attention to the major league club, focusing instead on the talent in the minor leagues. We lived and died over every signing and regularly checked the box scores of all the minor league teams, looking for a glimmer of hope for the future.
Today, I much don't care whether Giolito signs or not. Unless he's a Strasburg reincarnate, I'm not sure we'll even find a place for him in the rotation for at least a few years. I trust Rizzo; if he doesn't sign it's because that was best for the team.
I like to go to sportspyder.com and follow the Nationals because it has every story along with every tweet about the team.
I was checking the Phillies' section a few weeks ago and it's Nationals redux from 2009. While there is some mention of the big club, tweets and stories focus on Joe Blow who went 2-3 with a homer at Double-A and some other guy tearing up the Rookie League.
It's nice--knock on wood--to finally be on the top.
July 13, 2012 11:36 AM
July 13, 2012 1:47 PM
Hi mick - all I remember about 1967 is that it was one of the Senators better years (only 1969 was better for the expansion team), and there was a wild four team pennant race - White Sox, Tigers, Twins and Red Sox went down to the final weekend. The Senators didn't have the same level of talent, but Gil Hodges got the most out of them for a good part of the season. I don't recall any specific injuries or major slumps at the end of the season, but it was a fun year compared to most. Hondo had his breakout season - something like 36 homers I think.
Swift Eagle mentioned:
By Adam Kilgore, Updated: Sunday, July 29, 6:58 PMThe Washington Post
MILWAUKEE — The manager counted more gray hairs, the players rearranged travel plans and everyone else tried to unpack what happened Sunday afternoon at Miller Park. The Washington Nationals trailed by four runs after seven innings and by two after eight. They scrapped. They kept coming. They again found a way to win game that convention dictated they lose, another delirious layer in a season verging on fantasy.
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I copied/pasted this same opening paragraph and sent it to some friends. Adam's gamers are more entertaining, and well-written, all the time. Of course this team is supplying the dramatics to inspire such fine writing.
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