Friday, May 31, 2013
VIDEOS: Rehashing the Beltways Series
There was no shortage of topics to discuss last night on "The Baseball Show," with the Battle of the Beltways wrapping up and plenty of subjects and decisions to dissect, analyze and debate.
Here are several segments from the show, with Chick Hernandez — filling in for the under-the-weather Rob Carlin — and Jim Duqeutte joining me on set. In the first clip above, we pick the most significant moment of the series and discuss the growing rivalry between the Nationals and Orioles.
In the second clip below, we delve into the great Bryce Harper vs. Manny Machado debate and also rank our top five position players under 25 in MLB. After that, we recap Tuesday's matchup of rookie right-handers Nate Karns and Kevin Gausman. And finally, we look at Adam LaRoche's stunning turnaround from a disastrous April to an overwhelming May.
Enjoy...
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52 comments:
I want to see some changes. At least one guy coming up from the minors, hopefully two (Moore and Espi going down).
Rehashing the Beltways Series
oh let's not
^What he said.
I concur on not rehashing. It wouldn't be so bad if we were talking about teams that are playing at similar levels, but right now The Nats got trounced by a much better team. And for our fans, we got trumped by political BS and were forced to endure, yet again, a Beltway Series of horrible television announcing bias.
Let this series go. Focus on the next defensive chance, PA, or next pitch (or post).
Here is something for Wonk, who likes oddities.
The Cards were leading the Royals 2-1 at the end of the 8th inning. For reasons known only to himself, Methany put Mitchell Boggs in and the Royals scored 3 runs, and had the bases loaded. At that point the heavens opened and Joe West--despite protests from the Cardinals--had the teams sit out a FOUR HOUR rain delay. The Royals won the game in front of 200 people at 3:14 a.m.
That same umpiring crew is in Chicago for the Cubs day game!
That's funny NL. Serves Country Joe right.
Worth a read:
http://mlb.si.com/2013/05/31/washington-nationals-stuck-at-500/
Harp vs Machado - I'll take Harp for $1,000, Alex.
Nats should have at least split but we didnt... They won the battle this time.. We'll have an opportunity again next year... Hopefully, we will be running on all cylinders and not having 4 automatic outs in the line up... But I dont see how this is a rivarly... We are just close in location. I dont pay attention or care enough for the O's... but I cant stand Angelos...
In other news, I hope we see a line up like:
Span
Lombo
Harp
Zimm
LaRoche
Desi
Zook
Bernadina
SS
and if Harp cant go...
Span
Bernadina
Zimm
LaRoche
Desi
Lombo
Zook
Kobernus
SS
222, West did the right thing. No good deed goes unpunished... Obviously they missed the flight to Chicago, so they took a limo. It's about a six hour drive, though if you pushed it and didn't stop you could make it in five.
I keep wondering about the crowd for the second game. You are telling me Tillman is a big draw whereas Freddy Garcia isn't? Or did a lot of Nats fan have a bad experience at Camden Yards (or hear about one) and not show?
If we had won the game on Wednesday then we would have taken 2 of 3 from the Phils and split with a very hot Orioles team. That's one game different from what happened. Expectations of a dream season are driving the bitter disappointment . This team lacks a spark without Bryce on the field -- the heart , and it lacks resolve without Jayson on the field-- the soul. If you ask me, with the inconsistency of play, we are lucky to be at .500. This can improve as long as everyone wakes up from the shock of how things have gone and starts playing in the real world. It is what it is now. Deal with it, suck it up and either step up or quit.
This is the second time this season that a game had just ended when I got up. Weird.
I had hoped for 2-1 vs Fillies and a split w/ Ballmer. It won't be every series that you get six runs and your best pitcher and best reliever impode and the next night your Dan Haren pitches well but Freddy Garcia pitches better.
I was sitting at home looking at the DirecTv logo for about 10 minutes after the game, kinda dumb founded that Haren pitched such a darn good game... and we lost...
NJ--Nats fans went for the free T-shirts? You would think they'd have better fashion sense.
The Fillies released Chad Durbin.
NatsLady,
You are exactly right. I think that what the injuries have done is completely remove our margin for error. While we pounded Tillman on Tuesday there is reason to feel that with Harper et. al we would have done even more damage and maybe we survive a sub par performance by JZimm.
With Tracy on the bench maybe someone else is able to bring in these 2 precious runs early in yesterday's game and the whole dynamic changes. The Braves have had key people out this year as well (Mc.Cann and Heyward) but look at what they are getting from Gaddis, Chris Johnson, Ramiro Pena, Schafer. Who would have thunk it?
Posted in the other thread:
The 2012 Tigers were a sub-.500 team from May 17-July 5. That's almost two months they spent under .500. They played 46 games in a row under .500 Could you imagine how frustrated they and their fans were? How badly they were underperforming?
They made the World Series. We can too.
Whoever thought of that idea to combine the broadcasting should be fired...
The night the Nats won, you could tell Bordomick was pissed and was reaching... Every time a Nat player did well, he would try to say to an extent that it was becuz the O's player messed up... Im like dude just shut up...
People like to complain about FP and Carp a lot but I am so glad we get them back tonight....
That SI article is nice and blunt. Good stuff. I find this a little confusing, though:
"Zimmerman...made a few waves when he remarked regarding [season outcome] projections, 'How did that [model] work out for them the last couple of years? Not very well, right?…That’s why nerds shouldn’t do that stuff.' But even if such models are as over his head — for the record, Washington’s odds were estimated at an NL East-leading 62.9 percent prior to Opening Day — the reality is that the Nationals have to play much better to avoid ranking among this year’s more crushing disappointments."
This appears to say such models are over Zim's head, but then illustrate's that Zim's exactly right by pointing out that the Nats have gone from having 62.9% chance of making the postseason to a 34.4% chance.
I'll just assume I'm misreading the point rather. Surely that disconnect wouldn't be that far over SI's head, would it? ;)
Sorry, I forgot the "/sarcasm" on my T-shirt post.
Yes injuries have hurt the Nats... But the big difference of course is the goon squad... last year, they were able to come in and it not be such a big drop off... this year, they kinda... well stink...
I've become a big fan of the irony/sarcasm mark (؟) myself...
All is not rosy in Natstown right now. Ok. Is your life always a cakewalk? I can just smell the character growing by the game!!
Eric I think Zimmerman is saying that last year the model was wrong, because the team did well & surely it wouldn't have predicted that.
Moreover, I think the writter is just saying that now it harder to make they playoff at .500 after 54 games than at the start of the season when your 0-0 (with a 162 left to play rather than 108 now).
Hopefully we can finish the month of May 15-13...
Everyone is looking for the perfect words and the big answer. Keep searching and working and fighting. I will always support an honest effort.
This was noted in the MLB preview.
This weekend's three-game series will conclude a rough 32-game stretch for the Nats that included just 10 home games. Washington is 14-15 so far during that span.
NatsLady said...
At that point the heavens opened and Joe West--despite protests from the Cardinals--had the teams sit out a FOUR HOUR rain delay. The Royals won the game in front of 200 people at 3:14 a.m.
Since we're in a re-hashing mood: anybody recall when the Nationals were playing the Phillies and the Phillies had a chance to get in as a wild card? First pitch was at 12:15 or so. I can't even remember who won-think it was the Phillies, but they were so exhausted by the ordeal that they lost 3 straight and got bounced from the playoffs. 200 people there. 199 Phillies fans and 1 Nats fan.....It was still worth it-not having to drive to Baltimore.
"NatsJack in Florida said...
NatsLady....I saw plenty of red hats and shirts in the stands last nite on TV....it's just that those buffoons at the Baltimore MASN didn't focus on many of them."
I was at the game last night, so I saw areas the TV cameras didn't focus on. There really weren't all that many Nats fans there, especially compared with the numbers that showed up in previous years when the games were on the weekend. Traffic probably had a lot to do with the low representation from the red side. I left my house in Falls Church at 3:30, met up with a couple friends on the MD side of the river and headed up to Baltimore. We got there just in time for first pitch. Bumper to bumper traffic the whole way.
FWIW, I was also at the Tuesday night game at Nationals Park. Orioles fans represented in far greater numbers at that game than Nats fans did in Baltimore last night.
"Eric I think Zimmerman is saying that last year the model was wrong, because the team did well & surely it wouldn't have predicted that."
This still doesn't show that the models aren't "over his head," if that's what SI writer was trying to say.
Anyway, yes, obviously it's harder to win now than at the beginning of the season, but that's mostly because at the beginning of the season EVERYONE is at .500 and we don't have to catch up with anyone else.
In any case, I do think those models become more accurate as the season goes on (as they also converge with what's obvious on the surface), but it would be interesting to know what odds it gave the sub-.500 Tigers at this same time last year. And, what were the odds for them in mid-September?
It just seems meaningless to me overall.
"FWIW, I was also at the Tuesday night game at Nationals Park. Orioles fans represented in far greater numbers at that game than Nats fans did in Baltimore last night."
This isn't surprising. There are tons of decades-long Os fans in the DC metro area. I doubt there are many new Nats fans in and around Baltimore.
Sounds like next year will be their last in Viera:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2013/05/31/nationals-ask-brevard-county-to-break-space-coast-stadium-lease/
Exactly, Eric. Comparison of Os fans in DC vs. Nats fans in Baltimore means nothing because of the history. It's a silly comparison.
Here's a comparison that's worth something:
The 27-27 Washington Nationals, who are in their ninth year of existence and have never won a playoff series, draw about 6,500 more fans per game than the 30-24 Baltimore Orioles, who are in their 59th year of existence and have won three World Series.
Interesting...
Davey said he was gonna make some changes... but Espi is still in the line up...
however, TMoore has been replaced by Lombo...
Yeah, saw that.
Denard Span CF, Steve Lombardozzi LF, Ryan Zimmerman 3B, Adam LaRoche
1B, Ian Desmond SS, Roger Bernadina RF, Danny Espinosa 2B, Kurt Suzuki
C, (Stephen Strasburg P)
No Harper either, apparently. Surprising.
"Exactly, Eric. Comparison of Os fans in DC vs. Nats fans in Baltimore means nothing because of the history. It's a silly comparison."
No more silly than people like NatsJack who don't live in either DC or Baltimore making stuff up just to cast Baltimore in a negative light. Orioles fans represent, and by and large they're good people. There are always a few bad apples in the barrel, just as there are unpleasant Nats fans as well. The Baltimore fanbase is nowhere close to Philly levels of boorishness. Anyone who's ever been to Camden Yards knows that.
Eric, the reason Nats fans are not at Crammen Yards is because they get treated like garbage there. I can attest to that back to back nights. Bmore hates The Nats and don't let anybody tell you different
Bryce still not playing. OK. We'll have to manage.
No point in rushing Harp back... He needs to make sure he is 100... Any word on Werth as last I heard was that he was still around 60%....
Google MLB attendance 2013. Nats are 9th Bmore 18th. When Washington didn't have baseball everyone rooted for the Orioles. When Bmore didn't have football did they root for the Redskins? NO WAY. So frankly everybody who's a Baltimore fan of any kind can go stuff it.
I wonder if CAPS FAN attended either games in Bmore this week wearing Nats gear. I bet not
Secret wasian man said...
When Washington didn't have baseball everyone rooted for the Orioles.
====
Sorry, my friend, thats not true... Ive never rooted for Bmore.. My first ever baseball game was the Yanks and O's at Yanks park back in the 90s... I rooted for the Yanks becuz most of my fam like them...
NatsLady wrote: "...the next night your Dan Haren pitches well but Freddy Garcia pitches better."
------------------
I understand this wasn't the primary point of your post, but I just want to note that it's debatable which pitcher was 'better' last night. Yes, Freddy Garcia threw a three-hit shutout, but he was pitching against the 12th best offense in the NL (in terms of runs/game), the NL's worst team OPS, and a line-up that included four -- count 'em four -- players hitting below .165 when the game started. Dan Haren was pitching against the second best offense in the AL and a line-up that included five players hitting over .300, the AL's top HR hitter, and the AL's highest team SLG%. Yes, Mr. Garcia won the game, but given the hitters each pitcher was facing, I'm not sure how much better -- if at all -- his performance was than Mr. Haren's.
Caps fan I see you were at the game last evening. My apologies. I sure hope you were treated better than my family was. TWO NIGHTS
"Eric, the reason Nats fans are not at Crammen Yards is because they get treated like garbage there. I can attest to that back to back nights. Bmore hates The Nats and don't let anybody tell you different"
I was there Wednesday (in Nats gear) and I had a very pleasant experience. The people I was meeting were late, so I was walking to my seats when Zim made that great barehanded play in the bottom of the first. A group of Os fans saw it and one said, "WOW! That was a great play!" as I yelled, "Hell yeah!"
I turned and apologized for rubbing it in and he was like, "dude, don't be sorry, that was a fantastic play."
This isn't to play down what happened to your son, though. That's just flat wrong, and I commend you on your self restraint in going to the authorities rather than engaging with the jacka**. I kid you not when I saw your story had me imagining all kinds of things I would've done if that had been one of my sons ;).
Mrs b my point is Baltimore hates DC. When Bmore was absent of football they rooted for anybody but the Redskins. That's hatred
Not necessarily. The Redskins have not exactly been a model franchise in several important ways. That's not a shot at people who root for them, of course, but there are perfectly reasonable reasons not to that don't involve hating DC.
Thanks Eric. No it's not really Bmore. I too enjoyed myself with Os fans mostly family types. I just wonder about young men out on a week night getting drunk. Do these guys not work. Trash is trash and it can be anywhere. As a Redskins ticket holder I see the same types of behavior. What's disturbing is its usually young men and women smashed out of there minds. Go nats.
Moore has recently hit in five games in a row, has RBI and has gone yard. He is the one sitting.
Of course, it is just possible there are other reasons. I've never had a problem in OPACY, or Philly, for that matter, and I root enthusiastically for the Nats.
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