A few words on the 4th
With 4 games to play before the official 81-game halfway mark, the Nationals remain anchored at the bottom of MLB's 30 teams.
The bullpen once again failed them last night against the Braves. Without getting into specifics, lack of command continues to be the major issue.
At this point, do you blow it up again and try version 3.0? I see where Cleveland just designated Matt Herges for assignment. Yes, he's 39 years old, but his numbers are still fairly decent, and he's not a high dollar investment.
Or, do you reach down to Syracuse for Horacio Ramirez, or give another shot to Jason Bergmann or Saul Rivera?
At 33 games under .500, no singular move is going to accomplish a great deal. It's apparent that the ballclub is undergoing changes, in both personnel and philosophy. I prefer to sit back and enjoy the game for what it is: the most difficult skill set in any professional team sport.
I've lived through many, many, second division finishes in my career as a fan in this area. Not one has made me any less interested. Nobody's good forever, nobody's bad forever. The Nats' day will come, and with the starting rotation they're putting together, likely more sooner than later. As other genuine fans have stated so succinctly, having the Nationals in town sure beats the alternative.
Hey, it's baseball on the 4th of July. What's not to like?
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Categories (click for archive)Phil Wood |
phil,
i waited the 34 years out like yourself. and i agree bad baseball is better than none. but, i think the lerners have over estimated the patience of even the real fans in this town.
we deserve a more respectable representation than this. you dont have to be putrid to rebuild. we do have a number of young arms in the system, but there is NO position players even close to coming up to replace this sad collection we have. unless they move some of these young players or loosen up the pursestrings, i dont see any progress for improvement. ============= You don't see any progress? Gee whiz, the scouts I speak to from other clubs all see a starting rotation that will be envied in a couple of years. Yes, there's a shortage of big league ready position players, but you build a pitching staff first and then you can buy the bats. That's how it's done these days. Are you under the impression that if they start to win in 2011-12 that people won't show up? My goodness, I'm a DC native and I know this area is full of frontrunners. When they start to win it'll be just like the Caps, who you'll recall were much worse at their outset than the Nats are now. The Capitals drew 97% of capacity this past season, and hockey ticket prices are much more than baseball. As for loosening up the pursestrings, please tell me who they could've signed last winter and didn't. They went hard after the biggest name hitter, put in the highest bid and still didn't get him. Should they have pursued Manny Ramirez knowing what you know now about him? Would you sign free agent players who are past their prime just for the sake of spending the money? Look at the lists of available free agents last winter and this coming off-season. There's really not a lot of quality out there.
Phil, I agree completely. Frustrating to watch them *almost* be able to win nearly every game (and then come up short), but it definitely beats the alternative.
If we trade Nick Johnson to the San Fransisco Giants i think this would be an equal trade
Nationals get: Jesus Guzman 1B or Travis Isakawia 1B, Conor Gillapse 3B,2B,utility, and Sergio Romo RHRP
If we trade Nick Johnson to the San Fransisco Giants i think this would be an equal trade
Nationals get: Jesus Guzman 1B or Travis Isakawia 1B, Conor Gillapse 3B,2B,utility, and Sergio Romo RHRP
Giants get: Nick Johnson and a low level prospect
Phil, I agree that having the Nats is better than no baseball at all. Having said that, let me also say that having the Nats is like having no baseball at all. How much longer are the Lerner's going to put up with this? Are they going to become Angelos south? Why spend all that money just to create a public relations disaster? If they don't replace Acta during the break I will give up on them entirely. Baseball fans in the DC area deserve better. =================== Well, be prepared to give up on them entirely, because I don't think a managerial change is in the offing, nor do I think one would make any difference. There a certain short-sightedness to a lot of fans' view of the Nationals, almost as if this is the only season that matters. "Having the Nats is like having no baseball at all"? Please, Dave, i know you're smarter than that. Even though it's likely a 100+ loss club, they're going to draw close to 2 million fans. They're outdrawing the Rays, the defending AL champs, and a few other clubs as well. But, if you give up on them, commit to it. Forever and ever. Don't come back in '11 or '12 when they've got a solid rotation and are far more competitive and say you were just kidding. Be a man of your word.