Tough times in NatsTown
Hello NatsTown,
After playing better baseball during our West Coast trip, we've had a grueling week at home.
We faced The Phillies (who had been struggling themselves) and dropped four games in three days, in one of the most tiresome weekends that we have endured so far.
There's nothing worse than a doubleheader on a Saturday with a day game on Sunday....But no excuses, since they were exposed to the same scheduling.
Our struggles holding the lead continue. The toughest part about it is that every one of them has struggled, except for Villone, as of late. We started with some young guys back there; it didn't work. Then we went older, and the veteran guys are struggling too.
The main thing has been our inability to pound the strike zone and pitch ahead in the count. There is no defense for walks, wild pitches or hit batsmen. And walks will kill you at anytime, but mostly late in the game, as the margin for error gets smaller and smaller.
We have tried every approach with them, and my pitching coach, whom I trust with any type of pitching staff, keeps working day and night trying to figure this out.
We have made some moves trying to improve the bullpen - we are adding Bergmann to the mix after he pitched well in Syracuse, giving us eight relievers. We have moved Cabrera back there trying to relax him and keep him working on some mechanical issues while building his confidence back.
Pretty soon we could see some more new faces from Syracuse. Hey, we owe it to our team and our fans - It needs to get better.
Our offense continues to be very productive. Game after game these guys grind it out, put together quality at bats and end up scoring enough runs to win ball games. Some people worry about our bullpen frustrating our hitters, but I can't see that happening. We have lots of high character guys in our line-up and they are always pushing each other.
We have some new faces in our rotation. Detwiler made a nice debut against The Pirates, and Stammen is about to make his, also against the Pirates.
With Olsen's injury and Cabrera's move to the pen, it gives us a chance to see these young guys. I wish them the best!
We're continually working, preaching, teaching, praying and doing whatever it takes to get back to winning Nats baseball...
So long NatsTown, and remember, hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier.
-MA
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Categories (click for archive)MASNblogs | Manny Acta |
Manny --
I'm curious as to rationale of bringing up Stammen and not JD Martin? Stammen seems to be more of a contact pitcher and I wouldn't want to subject Stammen to the way this defense has been playing. Martin is a little older, a little more experience in the minors and has a better chance of striking out batters (and has better control). Don't get me wrong, I applaud the move to give some of our younger pitchers a shot, but was wondering why Stammen and not Martin (and will we ever see JD up at Nats Park this year)?
Also, Ella, Cathy and I will be at the game Friday night. Hope we get a chance to say Hi (I know Ella is looking forward to it!).
Good luck. Hope some of these moves work out for you!
Manny,
How about just put faith in hard work. This team needs infield/outfield EVERY DAY....Every Single Day....just like the Reds in the mid 70's....get back to hard work and stop giving the team the benifit of the doubt...they need to earn a day off now have it handed to them.
How about not letting the hot starter throw more than 84 pictches. What were you suprised that the Pen lost the lead? We are paying top dollar as season ticket holders for this garbage night after night. I can not even give my tickets away except to Philly fans. That is just not right....manage each game to win....please, that is what my ticket money is going to pay your salary.
JayB- You pay your money and you take your chances. The team is rebuilding and it's very unsportsmanlike to kick a team when it's down. A little charity wouldn't hurt here. You don't think Manny and his crew aren't bothered by this? I don't like the performance lately myself, but I am a serious, true 'Nats fan and it isn't a matter of you being 'reimbursed' by the team winning. Try a little kindness and understanding!
Kindness and understanding is what has lead to this mess.....that was 2007....it is 2009 and time has run out on a team that still leads the NL in errors and can not hit a cut off man to save a game or their lives. That is on Acta.
Manny -- Why is Joel Hanrahan the closer? I'm a season ticket holder there night after night and last night I predicted the results of the game the minute I saw Joel warming up. I even predicted his wild pitch. I'm not Kreskin. He just continues to do the same things to fail game after game but yet you keep running him out there. Anyone who has watched the team with any regularity this year knows what's going to happen. I don't want to bash the guy, Joel is a very nice kid, but he's consistent only in his ineffectiveness and if it comes to the point that I, just as a fan, know what's coming, its very sad. Could you please explain your reasoning behind keeping Joel in the closer role?
Thanks,
Ray
Did you get mad when Hernandez missed the ball at first? I was watching the clip and you were emotionless.
I was up in my seats - enraged...and even moreso as I watched him just stand there.
I know you're not working with the talent of contender, but what do you do to get the most out of your players? Just curious.
It sure seems that we are limited for this season as far as personel changes go toward improving our bullpen. Nearly every team has an issue with their bullpen and an addition from another team will not come cheaply, and does it make sense for a team at our stage of building to make a big sacrifice to bring in help for this year? I've heard of the idea of "coaching to win the last game of the season". That is, doing now what is best for the long term prospects of the team. It seems like a smart way to go, yet it is painful when we are going through what we are going through now. At the same time, the Nats are trying to build a strong following here in their new city/home. Losing does not help. To me, it seems our best option is to improve the performance of what we have on hand. It will most likely involve more than mechanics, but really getting inside the heads of our players and re-programming, if you will. They all try their hardest, no doubt, so that is likely not the problem, but their present confidence level/ mental state, could possibly be adjusted.
Manny,
Last night at the post game press conference you missed the point of several questions. The question that was asked was have these players learned to lose and have these players learned from you that losing is exceptable. You talked about the hitting and runs but the questions was about the EXTREME POOR DEFENSE....not the hitting. THIS IS THE WORST DEFENSE AGAIN IN THE NL....It is time to do something different....not more of the same. That is the definition of stupitiyt....Take a full infield and outfield everyday for two weeks. A 20 min work session before BP is a joke and so is having a coach hit weak ground balls during BP...They are not making the throws...same in the OF during BP....YOU WONDER WHY WE CAN NOT MAKE PLAYS....we do not practice making plays...we take some ground ball each day....that is not MAKING PLAYS!
Manny,
My son and I are still holding up our end here in Front Royal, in the Blue Ridge. We are happy about tonight's win, but also about the dignified way that the players keep their spirits up during tough times. This is a good team and a good bunch of men. You don't have to worry about somebody turning up positive on a drug test. One thing the Nationals can say is that we are clean as a team. Its a good example for John Paul. As for people who say you should do this or that, we are happy to see OUR Manny "being Manny." I have a question about Hernandez not seeing the ball in the game the other day. Is that something that indicates a need for something to be worked on in practice or is it just a bad break? Ultimately, you know, its a game and things happen that you can't control--that's what makes the game fun. We need more breaks to go our way, and I hope we get them.
God bless you Manny,
John and John Paul Janaro
It was great to see Stammen's first big-league start tonight as well as a win for the team. Loved how he was throwing strikes from the get-go. Hope that this is the start of a winning streak for our Nats.
Hi Manny -- why did you take Adam Dunn out of the game after he hit his grand slam? Was it for defense? Ronnie Belliard isn't even really a first baseman, and made a number of gaffes over there last year, so it didn't really seem like a defensive upgrade to me. Plus, with our bullpen struggling the way it has been, it seemed scary to take out our best power hitter with six outs left to get. Also, from a fan perspective, it would have been a nice moment to have been able to cheer Adam as he came back onto the field, and would have been a nice moment for Adam too.
I'm glad it worked out yesterday, but I wish Adam Dunn was playing the whole game every day instead of being removed every time we take the lead.
Thanks,
Ray
Instead of going hard on the pitchers, why don't you take a look at the pitching coach?
Pitchers do whatever the pitching coach says.
Find someone better than him. Cabrera was much better with the Orioles. He got much worse when he went to the Nats...why...because the pitching coach!
Manny,
Why didn't you come out to get an explanation on the reversal of the call in last nights game? Also, why didn't you come out to find out what Colome did to balk? I know you don't like to argue and act like some other managers do, but you need to come out of the dugout and defend your players, get clarrification and discuss calls. Sometimes you need to get thrown out. Arguing is part of the strategy of the game. Your passivity does not show well. I know you care, but you complain about a call during the press conference, but you didn't even go out there to get an explanation of they changed the call. That isn't arguring a call it is just getting a clarification. Call up Buck Showalter and ask him about the art of arguring. You both are very similar and I think you are going to make a great manager. You are a great guy, but you need to show some intensity sometimes and show the players and fans that you have their back.
Manny,
What have you done to earn this job? If you were owner of this club would you expect more from your manager?
Manny - Would you please answer the Nats fans questions? I've gone ahead and pulled out the questions the other posters have had. Hopefully you will give them respect and answer some of their questions. Thank you.
1.) Could you please explain your reasoning behind keeping Joel in the closer role? (ray)
2.) Did you get mad when Hernandez missed the ball at first? (Willie)
3.) what do you do to get the most out of your players? (Willie)
4.) why did you take Adam Dunn out of the game after he hit his grand slam? Was it for defense? (Ray)
5.) Instead of going hard on the pitchers, why don't you take a look at the pitching coach? (Pam and Luis)
6.) Why didn't you come out to get an explanation on the reversal of the call in last nights game? Also, why didn't you come out to find out what Colome did to balk? (Brian R.)
MANNY!
The grass was cut kinda funny? That was just plain poor fundemental foot work......bend your knees, keep moving on the balls of your feet, two hands down and keep you eyes on the ball.....we learn that in little league MANNY!
What are you doing here?
JayB,
What are YOU doing here? Enough of the piling on already!!!
The Grass was cut kinda funny.......tells you all you need to know about why this team is the worst in baseball again!
So JayB, you'd prefer that Manny come right out and bad mouth his players? Manny said the grass was cut funny and it took a different bounce but that he still should have gotten it. He said he booted it. What else do you want? I personally prefer the manager not to throw his players under the bus in public. The question should be "Manny, did you go to town on Hernandez in the clubhouse? Do you yell at the players when there are no reporters/public around?"