A lot of things went wrong last year and they still won 86 games. With Doug Fister, full-time Anthony Rendon, and Jeremy Blevins this team is better on paper. Meanwhile the injury bug has bit the Braves with Medlen and Beachy. Everything is set-up for this team to win the division and compete for the pennant. But after 2013, I think there has been a check on expectation as both a team and a fan base. That being said, this might be the best team that we see in Washington in a while.

Some questions I have going into the season:

-How healthy can this team be? Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Wilson Ramos, Ryan Zimmerman, and Jayson worth are key players who all have had "injury prone" labels attached to them at some point in the recent past.

-Can Doug Fister be the healthy ground ball machine that we traded for?

-Will Adam LaRoche be jettisoned for a better 1B? He's 34 years old, coming off a season in which he looked kind of old and very average. There are several options here. Go out and get somebody on the trade market. Move Zimmerman over and shuffle cards in the infield. Which leads to...

-Will Ryan Zimmerman's yips get worse? The elite defensive 3B that we all knew and loved 5 years ago is dead. After an embarrassing first month, he was tolerable at the corner. But by 2015, he'll flip sides on the infield. Will it be earlier?

-Can Danny Espinosa regain his strike zone? The number one thing that went wrong in 2013 was Espinosa. He's never going to hit .275 but he walked enough and carried a little pop to make him a relatively valuable bat (just don't tell 90% of the fan base that). But the strike out machine that couldn't buy a walk has been relegated to defensive stud off the bench. It's entirely possible that he's the best defensive SS in the organization. If somebody gets hurt in the infield, he'll be the first guy in to plug the hole. Can he look like the 3 win player he was in 2011-2012?

-Who's going to make the jump to hyperspace? Strasburg, Harper, and Jordan Zimmermann have all been tossed out for potential hardware this year. They're all entering their prime. Will any of these guys have that transcendent season?

More out there, I suppose, but no time for pontificating. Opening Day is upon us.

Go Nats.

I'm listening to 1067 the fan hype then a mug

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2311416&mesg_id=2311416&page=

CIA was posting about Jose Guillen when literally nobody else cared

*not to say CIA is a washed up veteran, though

span, zim, werth, ramos, harper, desmond, ALR, Rendon, Stras...

Is there something about Gee that led to this, or is this Matt Williams take on solving the issue of not having a #2 hitter?

Ramos' power did seem to be wasted batting 7th or 8th.

span, rendon, zimmerman, harper, werth, ramos, desmond, larouche


does it really matter?

is it me or does Stras always seem very emotionally wound up to start games?

like he always is off thru 3 innings...then settles down to cruise


does it really matter?

come out tense, get rocked early, then approach double-digit Ks from the 2nd on.

94 wins
NL E crown
dont see us getting past StL tho

i think fister isnt going to pan out

i see the surprise of the season being rendon (HTOWN!)

lotta folks have bryce as the nl mvp i think he sees that trout money & wants in, i cant go there yet

NLCS @ mininum tho


does it really matter?

94 wins, division title

Stephen Strasburg NL Cy Young

does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://i.imgur.com/2slpbEo.jpg

does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

So there goes that one.

Good game though.

does it really matter?

does it really matter?

yeah its the Mets.

yeah its only been 2 games.

yeah zimmerman & bryce arent

but everyone else?

im JUSSSSSTTT saying.

this wknd series w/ ATL will tell the tale for real tho


does it really matter?

Espinosa has looked good in 3 plate appearances this year. Based on this, it's clear to me that he is all the way back to his 2012 form and maybe better. I was the only one supporting him in the 2013 season thread, so I am basking in this moment. I may even wear my Espinosa jersey to the park tomorrow.

Note: Just how I serious I was in this post is subject to change depending on how well Danny Espinosa plays over the next 7 months.

Maybe he'll pitch the home opener on Friday now. I know that I'd rather see that.

For selfish reasons and because I'd rather the bullpen not be overworked by Game 4. I also believe that Matt Williams bullpen usage will be dull, conservative, and wrong.

I have no reason for this, other than his mentors are Dusty Baker and Kirk Gibson, but I don't think he'll ever use his closer in the 9th inning of a tie game on the road. And other such "conventions".

divisional sweeps are always important. Williams is either trying to show his "imprint" with the lineups, or not shackled to a certain card all the time -- probably both. can't argue with 35 hits and 7.3 runs per game, tho.

good to see Span start well at the plate.

yes...game 6 of a 182 game schedule

but if the braves come in on opening weekend and sweep us? @ home?

those old mental hangups and ghosts will be back

1067 the fan is gonna start that is stras/harp overrated talk

etc

we need this today


does it really matter?

the mental blocks and unforced errors. none of the big names stepping up to be "that guy" when it gets tight. home park non-advantage.

Nats have to avoid the sweep here and take the next series in Atlanta to prevent this cloud from hovering over them.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10748667/ryan-zimmerman-washington-nationals-play-some-first-base-due-arthritic-shoulder?ex_cid=espnapi_public

1) why didnt they KNOW this coming out of spring training? he should have started out @ 1st.

2) who will play 3rd? espinoza? rendon?

3) larouche is like damn man im only hitting the cover off the ball & yall wanna take my damn job. smh. what happens to him?

4) im more concerned that bryce needed a "mental day off"....after 6 damn games.

Rendon played 3rd in college, so he can slide in there when zim rests or plays first.

But, sounds like they've figured out a throwing motion that might give him some confidence.

The lineup is so deep and balanced with laroche in it, they should keep him around as long as possible.

>The lineup is so deep and balanced with laroche in it, they
>should keep him around as long as possible.

LaRoche is a lefty, Espinosa hits better from the left side. There are lots of games in AL parks. I would love to see Matt Williams get creative with his platoon splits and rest days.

A lot of prospect writers thought he never should have been moved to secondbase anyhow, given his history of ankle problems.

Whether or not it's the Nats' plan at the moment, he should end up there sooner or later.

Last year, at times it felt like 3 run leads were insurmountable.

Maybe Bryce Harper's upper decker will be enough to get him bumped up to 6th in the line-up tomorrow. It's not like he's second on the team in OPS since he was called up, 21 years old, and healthy...

MAYBE.

just...MAYBE. this is a different mental make up having team

not sold. not sure. but maybe.

i was VERY ethusiastic to see zimmerman handling 3rd like a boss tho

they've proven that they have a tendency to become headcases if faced with enough adversity. So far, they appear to possess the mental makeup that many teams lack.

As an aside, I've been to the ballpark 3 times already this year and can't recommend their gameday experience enough. I love it there. If you haven't been, GO.

to see em play the cards on the 19th

well hit a game prolly 3-4 times this season

these are on my dime not the company tickets so you know its real


does it really matter?

im not saying it means ANYTHING.

but it is truth.

Looking forward to this series in Atlanta. I heard way too many people acting like the Braves owned the Nationals after they took 2 of 3 over the weekend. Sure Washington was 6-13 against Atlanta last year, but before that, here are the year by year records:

2012: 10-8 (Washington Wins-Losses)
2011: 9-9
2010: 10-8
2009: 8-10
2008: 12-6
2007: 7-11
2006: 8-10
2005: 9-10

73-72

One bad year.

Team can right that ship starting tomorrow and destroy that lazy narrative.

destroy em

2 of 3...@ LEAST.

show that bullpen hasnt gotten into their heads

take it out of the bullpens hands, jump on their starter hard so they dont even wanna trot kimbrels ass out there

does it really matter?

Washington had always played well against Atlanta, even when the former was awful. hell, Nats have had much more trouble with the Marlins within the division.

but the new narrative is real until proven otherwise. they've nutted up in every Atlanta series since being crowned league favorites.

...

i got crablegs & yeungling on deck, abt to get on patrol in these skreets...watch the game @ aleros or something aka get it in

to those abt to make it do what it does: salute


does it really matter?

Teheren is gonna go headhunting against Bryce & its gonna be ON


does it really matter?

the time for platitudes is gone; this team is just mentally incapable of playing with Atlanta, period

>the time for platitudes is gone; this team is just mentally
>incapable of playing with Atlanta, period

They're just another good team. I ain't scared.

That being said, I've been crunching the numbers and if the Nationals can just continue to sweep every other NL East team, I'm pretty sure they can win the division without beating the Braves.

ATL simply owns us

until we beat them on any level that remotely matters...we arent going to win shit

*shrug*


does it really matter?

is a trite platitude in it's own way...but more apt than the "it's a long season" / "it'll break our way next series" ones we've been telling ourselves for a year.

the sad part is Atlanta hasn't even been playing well outside the two Washington series. you've got bums like B.J. Upton doubling their season hit total in three days, while the Nats' stars all go MIA.

Im ready to just chalk up a 0 for ATL record this year & clean up on the Mets, Marlins & Stros of the world

w/ Zim out for a month and a half and then needing @ least 2-3 weeks to get back into the swing of things...pretty disappointing wknd all around

*not* looking forward to the jerkwaters on 1067 tomorrow


does it really matter?

I thought them sending LaRouche a few weeks ago was a fluke, but its starting to look like a serious hole in his staff's approach.

Hand and Slowey aren't the greatest challenge, but a huge difference in the way he's swinging the bat compared to the last season and a half. any offense from him is vital with Rendon covering for Zimmerman.

2013 was about hoping Chad Tracy ran into one, knowing Roger Bernadina & Tyler Moore were going to regress, and wondering how many different positions Lombardozzi would start at.

2014 is all about Kevin Frandsen making it work. Danny Espinosa being 2012 Danny Espinosa. Tyler Moore bounce back. This version of Nate McLouth would have been probably the first or second guy off last year's bench.

Losing Zimmerman for two months can be absorbed by this team. Ramos is a really tough loss, but if everyone else stays healthy for the next couple of months and Fister steps in like he's capable of, I think the team will be alright.

temporarily

does it really matter?

if i didnt know better i'd think there was some beef in the clubhouse because dude gets no love

The more likely scenario is that he just gets shellacked early in games on a pretty common basis and it just tenses guys up

every time


does it really matter?

get to him early and you've got him. He's a self-admitted headcase.

In 4 starts he's given up a .396 BABIP and 16.7% HR/FB. Those are really fluky and will go down.

His 4 seam velocity is down a little early (~94) but the velocity on his 2 seam, change-up, and curve ball are all right where they have been.

His contact % and contact % inside the zone are actually a touch lower. His first strike % numbers are good relative to his career. His swinging strike numbers are actually up, which is reflected by his unsustainably high K/9. Walks are up a little, but not unreasonable.

It really just seems like a lot of bad luck on his fastball. I don't see anything alarming. This isn't Tim Lincecum losing 5 mph dropping below a 90 mph average.

On a fucking ground ball back to the pitcher.

He's nursing a sore quad in which he's missed a little time for. He missed significant time last year for hustle related issues. I am perfectly fine with trusting Harper to play hard at this point. Oh and meanwhile, his spot came up in the 9th when a hit could have tied the game up.

I hope this isn't some old-school "right way to play the game" shit that is going to be an issue going forward. Williams sat and watched the manager run the best player out of town in Arizona for not playing the game the way that the manager played. Pray he wasn't taking notes.

And does Matt really want to open that "right way to play the game" box with that PED rap sheet?

Harp...no hustle?

The fuck? He's finally producing! What else Williams want from the kid?


does it really matter?

He's Dusty Baker on strategy and Kirk Gibson on player relations.

Against average to bad pitching..we will clean up

Against good to great pitching...we will get hulled.

Almost at .500

*sigh*


does it really matter?

Zimmerman finally pitched well yesterday, the defense falls through. Harper breaks out of a slump and gets hot, he's promptly benched on some little league shit and we lose by one run. The essential pieces are so clearly all there, but the instances of them all syncing is few and far between. And that's ESPECIALLY true if they're playing a class club.

Last yr or even worse in the bad old days they'd have folded up like a card table...gone 3-1 or been swept

Good to see Bryce shaking off the public chastisement and maintaining his hot streak with the bat as well

Overall...not bad


does it really matter?

A lot of stuff to like on this team over last year's right now.

The bullpen is better. Detwiler is solid in a long relief role and it gives us another lefty arm off the bench. Blevins looks like he's competently filling in the void that Sean Burnett left after 2012 as the short relief lefty specialist. Blake Treinen could do for this team what Trevor Rosenthal did for the Cardinals. Drew Storen looks a lot like his old self. Clippard has struggled early, but that's about it. The relief pitchign has given up 19 runs in 63.1 IP. Can't ask for anything better. They've kept us in games and allowed the offense to come back when the team was down early.

The bench is better. Frandsen has ably replaced Lombardozzi. Espinosa is back to 2011-2012 form when the world (except me) wanted to cut him outright last year. Off the bench before today's game, the team is .277/.382/.426 line in 55 PA. That will no doubt regress, as it's actually higher than the starters' line, but last year the subs' line was .207/.264./351. There's just more talent among the position players.

Hitting has been about what it should be, with LaRoche's start being a nice surprise. Injuries are what they are. Ramos really hurt. If he can come back and stay healthy, it'll be fine. Zimmerman coming back with create a bit of a quagmire which I cannot trust Matt Williams to manage, but I suppose the team will cross that bridge when it comes to it.

The starting pitching has been the outlier thus far. Strasburg has been a bit unlucky. Fister hasn't toed the rubber yet. Zimmermann had one bad outing in Miami. Gio is where he should be. Roark and Jordan have done roughly what you'd expect.

And then there's the manager...I'll leave that alone for the moment.

All in all, I feel pretty good three weeks into the season. . 11-8 right now. 1.5 behind the Braves. One game ahead of the 2013 Nationals. 3 games behind the 2012 team.

ATL & STL have consistently pulled our cards

therefore pujols will always be a bum


does it really matter?

first start back for Zimmermann after TJ, I believe

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10853575/bryce-harper-washington-nationals-torn-thumb-ligament

smh.

lets just tread water til we get some modicum of full strength then make a big push thru the end of the year

braves cant win EVERY game...can they

?

That thumb injury is usually not the kind of thing that you jump right back in with. Usually saps your power for like a full year. But hey, Bryce hustled really hard into the bag.

Dude is on track to get that RG3 treatment - going from over to underrated, criticized for overexposure, and labeled as injury prone.

Hoped harp would have learned from the knee issue, but he is still young. At somepoint you have to dislike missing months from each season and do what it takes to stay healthy.

The team is deep though. ramos and zim will be back soon. Lets see Nate step up and keep things steady at .500.

He buried him in the batting order, which was universally met with derision. But in baseball, you still hit. You can't double team a guy, or hand-off the ball. Harper has been the Nationals second best hitter since his came up, only Werth has better numbers. That is true no matter where he hits in the line-up.

harper's play didnt justify him hitting 6th or 7th, but he apparently doesnt listen (like with not running out that grounder) he doesnt take safety seriously, and his temper/self control need improvement.

Davey enabled some or all of this and matt is going in a different direction. I dont know if this strategy will work, but i dont mind the attempt.

to run w/ abandon & hit, and be who he is...a giant mega star.

we have the white barry bonds & matt williams wants him to be andy van slyke

fuck all that. this kid could be good for a long long time. seems like "teaching him a lesson" by making him bat lower in the order when he's producing like he has been is dumb


does it really matter?

>we have the white barry bonds & matt williams wants him to be
>andy van slyke

>apparently doesnt listen (like with not running out that
>grounder) he doesnt take safety seriously

flying down the first base line on a gimmie ground-out is the opposite of taking your safety seriously. Harper's problem is that he *already doesn't* like missing months at a time, which is why he tried to play through last year's knee injury...to ill effect.

couldn't have been more excited about him "sliding" to Washington in the draft at the time. the future is here right now.

11 Games, 26 Plate Appearances: .565/.577/1.000

Also of note:

2013 Danny Espinosa:

158 AB 25 H 9 2B 3 HR 4 BB 3 HBP 1 SB .158/.193/.272

2014 Danny Espinosa

80 AB 23 H 5 2B 1 3B 3 HR 3 HBP 3 SB .288/.341/.488

He's basically equaled his entire offensive output of last year in half of the playing time.

Braves lost two to the Fish. The ghost of Catfish Hunter appears to have ceased possessing Aaron Harang's body.

Nats won two against the Stros. Working through injuries.

Only two back.

Meanwhile, the Mets?

They right up there with us

at least Atlanta is on a losing streak

That's really bad.

Tough series at home facing Greinke, Kershaw, and prodigal son Dan Haren. That win today would have been nice.

Ramos should be back this week though. Fister debuts Friday.

Zimmerman is still looking like a month away. And I'm wondering how effective Bryce Harper will be once he comes back after the All-Star break.

Reserves are still doing well. LoBaton was about as good as he possibly could have been. Ramos should be a huge shot in the arm though.

considering copping some tkts to this dodgers series to see Puig in person as well


does it really matter?

two of three was needed before heading to Oakland. Stras has a 9.00 ERA in the first inning this year (career: 3.95 ERA), although nobody has scored on him in the third, fourth or sixth frames.

I never imagined we'd be in a position where I was worried about Nate McLouth's health, but that's kind of the way it is.

The NL West is looking really strong at the moment. Too early to sweat the Wild Card spots but it's not difficult to imagine 3 playoff teams coming out of that division if Colorado can scrap together some pitching.

4 good starting pitchers, a solid bull pen, and a decent line-up with the potential to become a good line-up if everyone is healthy at the same time.

That feels like a playoff team. Defense and injuries are the major hang-ups thus far.

they were on the lower scale of mediocre last season, and have bounced back nicely (currently the third-best reliever ERA in MLB). Storen has his head on right and is dominating. Blevins is who we thought he was, filling in the lefty black hole from 2013. Stammen is steady long relief. Clippard looking better. Barrett has balls.

obviously Soriano is going to give up a run this season, but the arms are set up nicely for late comebacks and the long haul.

>obviously Soriano is going to give up a run this season, but
>the arms are set up nicely for late comebacks and the long
>haul.

58 last season, 12 so far this season. About the same usage rate. If he hits 120, there's a $14 million option that kicks in. After today, he's on pace for 116. Meaning that if the team goes on to win something like 95 games, he could flirt with that number by the end.

I always thought that it was a weird thing to tie a bonus to, as if it's close, the team can control whether or not you get in there. Regardless, I could see him getting a few extra days rest in September to "make sure he's fresh for October".

Everything worked like it was designed to for once

Ouch.


does it really matter?

awful series for Washington nonetheless. props to Roark, however -- he outpitched the A's ace and should've gotten the team a critical second game victory.

Remember when Harper got dropped to 7th because he had a bad week? Well Denard Span has a .286 OBP and has batted lead-off every day he's been in the line-up.

Matt Williams is doing that bat where so-and-so is "our guy". Denard is out "lead-off guy", so he will hit lead-off. See also Dusty Baker and his entire line-up.

So gio, Bryce, Zimmerman and larouche

Sucks


does it really matter?

Ryan Zimmerman has been taking a lot of balls in LF. It sounds like there's a plan in place to give him a shot out there before Bryce comes eventually comes back.

Man if we can just hang on til our guns get back in shape...we got a legit shot

-Freeman is a stud but Uggla is a black hole of offensive output at this point
-The Uptons cancel each other out.
-Heyward will probably start hitting but Gattis has been punching above his weight
-Chris Johnson is regressing to the mean after a career 2013
-Simmons might improve but that bench is weak.

Great defense and awesome pitching to be had in Atlanta, but they have 3-4 quality bats in their entire line-up.

The Nationals have 3 quality bats on the DL right now.

I imagine that it will still be a dog fight, but I think the Nationals are better when they're healthy.

i mean...we need our horses back. BAD. but...oh well. despite this latest slide...we're still within shouting distance

hope dies hard i guess


does it really matter?

The biggest difference is that the Braves aren't as good. So instead of missing the playoffs by 5 games in the wildcard, we'll miss it by 5 games in the division.

Fister is having a good day though.

May
Rendon: .169
Espinosa: .123
Ramos: .208
Frandsen: .200
Moore: .222
McLouth: .170

He's too good of a hitter to slump like this.

Ramos is trying to play himself into shape, won't see his power til mid summer if he doesn't get hurt again, dude is a chipped ball magnet. Constantly getting dinged.

Those other cats are JV options anyway, i doubt any other than Espinosa would compete for starts on other teams they were bound to regress to the mean (damn sports analytics got me talking their lingo)




does it really matter?

>Those other cats are JV options anyway, i doubt any other than
>Espinosa would compete for starts on other teams they were
>bound to regress to the mean (damn sports analytics got me
>talking their lingo)

Starts in May:

Rendon: 22
Espinosa: 19
Ramos: 14
McLouth: 14
Moore: 12
Frandsen: 10

Bullpen has been great though.

ERA: 2.09 (1st)
FIP: 3.00 (2nd)
HR/9: 0.5 (2nd)
BAA: .217 (2nd)
IP: 163.1 (3rd)
LOB%: 80.5% (4th)
BB/9: 8.7% (8th)
K%: 23.6% (6th)
IBB: 2 (15th)

Cutting out laroche's bat and glove just cuz of zims wild throws always seemed odd. Something needed to happen... but to me this seems like a better option.

it reintroduces the problem of not having a leadoff hitter, when span gets bumped for harper, but you could argue statistically that we dont have a lead off hitter anyway...

and as often as this team's hitters get injured you need 6 guys that could hit 3,4,5 or 6 just to get thru august.



----------
"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache…He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

Zimmerman in left is cool, but then where does Bryce field when he comes back

Hell of a problem to have


does it really matter?

I'd love to see more fluidity in the line-up, similar to what the A's do. Where guys get lots of rest and RH batters hit against LHP more and vice versa. I think there is opportunity there. At least until somebody else gets hurt.

>At least until somebody else gets hurt.

J. Werth looked like he took a seemingly unnecessary slide toward the RF wall on an uncatchable foul ball yesterday and got up stretching his hand/wrist... maybe he didnt want to risk injury by running into the wall, but either way it was a bad look.

----------
"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache…He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

1.5 out for the wild card

seems hard to believe

the whole world is @ .500 tho


does it really matter?

back in front of nice home crowds, pounding the ball, while getting two out of three (and another valiant effort by Roark in the loss).

Fister has been an absolute stud since Oakland, Rendon is heating up again, LaRoche is back and Zimmerman soon to follow...good feelings coming up.

I really enjoy watching the Philadelphia fan base lose...anything.

Eagles, flyers, phillies. Whatever.

Let's sweep.


does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://tinyurl.com/qz8zep5

im just saying


does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://tinyurl.com/qz8zep5

this bodes really well for us...if we can somehow someway manage to stay healthy


does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://tinyurl.com/qz8zep5

the As are @ a retarded +128 which HAS to be some kind of record

but 2nd & 3rd are within shouting distance

team is sloooooowly....sloooooowly coming together

and i didnt put 2 and 2 together but Scott Boras is defn part of the reason why...caught this article in the latest Washingtonian (hell yeah i get the washingtonian you can never have enough Top 10 DC getaways! type articles in your life)

http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/baseballs-best-lobbyist/

and not so well against the Cardinals, so this series is big.

Yeah, this is one of those where if the Nats were to pull out a sweep, media hype people will call them the favorite in the NL again. Nevermind that they were under .500 a week ago.

dont look now but...we rounding into shape!

i dunno what we gotta do to put some distance between us & ATL/MIA tho

seems like the nl e title is gonna be a dogfight down to the wire...some deserving squad wont even make the 'offs

as it should be...i dont like everybody getting to go.

you might be good...but the playoffs are to decide whose best. you wanna have a shot @ a title? you must be elite as a baseline. im ok w/ that


does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://tinyurl.com/qz8zep5

that's another depressing part about the 2012 NLDS.

Please miss me with the cysing about your ohhhh so dope a level seats five rows behind the braves dugout. It's disgusting I'm angry I'm upset. Don't push it.

I mean...bottom line until we at least .500 against the A or StL....it's not real

If we don't at least split with the braves right now?

Ugly on 1067 the fan

#ijs

Evan Gattis is blacked out right now and Heyward is coming around. La Stella might actually be the anti-Dan Uggla. But fuck it. Their pitching is faltering and they are having trouble bridging the gap to Kimbrel. We're playing well. We got this. Let the media call it a turning point or whatever it is. We're better. It'll show eventually.

the cold, cold reality is that Fredi Idiot Savant Gonzalez and his troops are now 20-7 against the Nationals since...I don't even want to remember how long. Atlanta would *literally* win 120 games if their schedule was nothing but alternating series with Washington.

the new plan is to be eight games up at the start of September (accounting for the possible six-game sweep in the last two Atlanta series), push Atlanta and St. Louis into the wild card game and hope that half the winner’s lineup is suspended for the NLDS after a ninth-inning team brawl.

i mean...while im glad we @ LEAST made it interesting...we lost.

& we prolly exhausted our bullpen in the process.

best we can do is a split.

they are simply in our heads now. shit im not even on the team & the braves are in MY head. so i know they in the teams head


does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://tinyurl.com/qz8zep5

I think that long ass 16+ inning game last week really screwed the rotation up for real

Also...wtf is wrong with stras? Dudes body language is perpetual bad


does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://tinyurl.com/qz8zep5

2 of 3 against the Brewers (who I'm not scared of), then lose the next series at Wrigley. fog and 14-inning game didn't help tho, as mentioned.

Stras getting lit up a day after using the entire bullpen was a huge letdown.

fk it.

it's bizarre for me to write, but as long as Zimmerman isn't a complete liability at third on defense, this is still the best line-up.

I know Harper likes center but he'll get hurt again covering all that ground. Espinosa still has his glove, but also has the worst OPS of any qualified second baseman and strikes out once every three at-bats.

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good. lets do it again tonight.

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"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache…He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

Score was 3-2, I believe. Harper was up. Runners at the corners. He got a bad called strike...and went down swinging. Killed the rally we had going

Next inning...stras walks a guy and basically gives up a run like immd. Game was pretty much over then

I'm beginning to wonder if maybe this is the ceiling for stras

And Harper has taken a full step back in development

Shits annoying

Add zimmermans hurt again and...*sigh*


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>And Harper has taken a full step back in development

He's really looked great in the last week. Lots of hits, some power, some walks. Just had a bad game against a tough match-up with DeRosa. Matt Williams hates him though and refuses to let him shine. I'm only half-joking at this point. Benches him against lefties. Buries him in the 6 spot.

Strasburg however I'm utterly baffled by. It's clear he's a head case, and if you give him just a little bit of adversity for instance something like, say, altitude...he's gonna use it to take himself out of it from jump

i dunno.

i dont see this team having what it takes...to win a chip.

lack of leadership?

like...who is the clubhouse leader? who is gonna be that kevin millar guy for us?

hope im wrong but...

bryce is too young.
werth too old.
zimmerman too brittle
stras is too mentally brittle
larouche is in a contract yr & will undoubtedly regress to the mean next yr hopefully for someone else
span...no.
desmond? maybe.
ramos is too brittle.
espinoza might get demoted.

like...we need that. imo

Primarily because of the pitching. In what world is Stephen Strasburg probably your WORST starter??? So long as this staff and bullpen stay healthy we have a chance on any given night.

They have the best record in the NL as well as the best run differential. I think the biggest obstacle to winning a title would be that there are better teams in the AL, but outside of the Dodgers with Kershaw on the mound, I'd put the Nationals up against anybody right now.

And I swear that Strasburg is about to go on a run. That .353 BABIP and 12.7% HR/FB are going to come down. The men on base stuff, the home/away stuff, I really think it's just sample size noise. He's mostly having a big problem with fastballs inside the zone. At the same time, he's leading the NL in strike outs and he's one of only 8 pitchers in the league to have started 22 games so far this year. He's been durable and he's still missing bats. The discrepancy between RA/9 and FIP says that he should get some breaks. He's set to make a road start against Atlanta to open that series on Friday, August 8. That'll be a big one. Between the standings, the road, and not much success in that park, I think that's the one where he'll turn the corner and lay people will say, "Finally".

He's set to make a road
>start against Atlanta to open that series on Friday, August 8.

theres a HUGE chance he will shit the bed. comes time where you gotta call a spade a spade

there's no evidence he's up for being the no.1 ace, at least on this staff.

What if there's a slight drizzle Friday night? He'll give up to dingers on the first inning.

What if it's crazy humid? 5 earned runs and he exits in the fourth.

This is the sort of shit we've come to expect from the guy. And THAT'S FINE, HE'S VERY GOOD.

But he's not what he was advertised as. At least not yet.

In 2012, he was actually better on the road, but the last two seasons his line looks like this:

At home 2013-14:

In 27 starts, he has an 11-6 record and he's thrown 178 IP. Basically averaging 6.2 innings per starts.

On a rate basis in those starts he has:

2.12 ERA
10.61 K/9
1.57 BB/9
7.18 H/9
.66 HR/9

The list of pitchers with better overall numbers than that is as follows:

Clayton Kershaw
(That's it)

On the road 2013-2014:

In 25 starts, he has a 4-11 record and he's thrown 142.1 IP. Basically averaging 5.2 innings per start. On a rate basis on those starts, he has:

4.74 ERA
9.11 K/9
3.5 BB/9
8.66 H/9
1.07 HR/9

That's basically Aaron Harang

So his surface numbers at home are elite, Cy Young shit. His numbers on the road are pretty average. He isn't pitching in an extreme pitchers park. So I am not really sure why there is such a sharp divide. I am not at a point that I am willing to believe that he boards the team plane Felix Hernandez and leaves the team plane Felix Doubront.

His batting average on balls in play is .353. That is extreme. The last two years it was .263 and .311. .353 is crazy. You literally have to go back to 2008 to find one qualified starter in either league who is within 9 points of that. This year, he is having the worst luck on balls in play out of the last 1000 qualified starters in baseball.

That shit has got to get better. And I am betting it gets better soon.

>What if there's a slight drizzle Friday night? He'll give up
>to dingers on the first inning.
>
>What if it's crazy humid? 5 earned runs and he exits in the
>fourth.
>
>This is the sort of shit we've come to expect from the guy.
>And THAT'S FINE, HE'S VERY GOOD.
>
>But he's not what he was advertised as. At least not yet.

He isnt kershaw, but he is damn good. the hype machine and his debut performance made it impossible to satisfy fans unless he was the best in the league. unfortunately for him, he seems to lose is the least respectable ways. like, he doesnt just have a random night off. it really was the error behind him when the inning should have ended that spoils an otherwise dominant performance.

>but outside of
>the Dodgers with Kershaw on the mound, I'd put the Nationals
>up against anybody right now.

San Francisco or Milwaukee, advantage us
St. Louis or Atlanta; we're screwed until proven otherwise

facing Pittsburgh should be to our advantage, but I hesitate because McCutchen has like a .750 BA against Washington and could win a short series by himself

they are capable of any type of performance and none would be surprising. Outscore the marlins 30-3 in a three game sweep. doable. Lose a 6-0 lead in soul crushing fashion and spiral into a 3 game losing streak. also doable.

He's set to make a road
>start against Atlanta to open that series on Friday, August 8.
>That'll be a big one. Between the standings, the road, and not
>much success in that park, I think that's the one where he'll
>turn the corner and lay people will say, "Finally".

Oh well.

i was staring @ my phone agog like...yo.

this cant be happening

i had to LOL

not hitting the panic button but it IS emblematic of season (career?) long issues

injuries.
unnecessary "hustle" (ban this word from the english language forever)
resulting in more outs. inning killers. injuries.
defensive lapses.
etc

hate to say it...but the Braves dont do this. Cards dont. Those top of the line always in contention year in year out franchises DONT make these simple mental errors...this consistently. they dont.

oh well.


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props to Rizzo for pulling a throwaway trade four years ago that will be a division-difference maker.

* Rendon, Roark and Fister

If you're Matt Williams and the playoffs start tomorrow AND you know there would be no media blowback from your decision, what's your staff order?

Honestly?

Anything that doesn't start with Fister I'm looking sideways at

I'd go

Fister
JZ
Stras
Gio

I suppose Roark moves to the bullpen, though I wouldn't like it. Given his consistency and mental toughness, I might right today even rather take Roark into the playoffs than Stras. Though Stras did pitch well in Miami the other night prior to the meltdown, it's at such a feast-or-famine point with him now.

I had lunch with a few of the Nats reporters last month and this topic came up. Everybody had a different answer to the question, but they predicted that Roark would move to the pen because he is a legitimate team-first guy and 3 of the other guys would pout and/or make a fuss about it. The fact he has bullpen experience makes it easier to justify the move.

I think your order is pretty solid. If the series starts at home, I'd be inclined start Strasburg based on how well he has pitched at home.

these were anonymous comments, cant find the blog post. the 3rd starter in this group is really not a negative statement, but it is telling. I wonder if he would reach his potential if he had less pressure on him. I understand he's been unlucky this year, but this years performance fits in with the narrative of his career - great but not exceptional due to inconsistency.

re: Gio, his FIP is 3.18. Some of his struggles last night and previously are due to sub par defense.

Fister has a .269 BABIP and 3.89 FIP; JZimm has a .327 and .283 respectively. by the numbers, i might start jzimm first and order it so that strassy avoids potential series deciding games. One way would be to hide strassy between zim and fister so that if he melts down, there is a stopper pitching behind him.


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"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache…He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

Over the last couple years, I think that it's easy to argue Zimm over Stras. Fister and Roark have had great years. Gio's baller 2012 feels like a diatant memory now. Stras just kind of does his thing under the microscope.

He's not a particularly likeable guy, based on talking to others. Not a dick or anything like that. Just kind of aloof. Between that, being arguably the greatest pitching prospect of all-time, the Shutdown, and his workload being so heavily monitored, he needs to be a world beater to get people off his back rather than merely good. Similar in some ways to Harper, except he kind of is a dick.

Things can change quickly though.

he is not gonna let either stras or harper be paid great but not HOF money. They are gonna negotiate like they are kershaw and trout. Which will get them more money, but make it harder for them to actually become kershaw and trout.

some guys will respond to the pressure by performing better (e.g. Kobe). Others (often times introverts like stras) do not respond that way. Their motivation and turmoil are all internal and they just need time and space to work through that stuff without extra pressure.

My biggest fear is that both of those guys will hit free agency as undervalued because their surface numbers are merely good and they failed to live up to impossible expectations. DC will say fuck 'em and then they both go out to other clubs and all those great peripherals click and their true talent is actualized in a way that is obvious to everybody. Resulting in all kinds of hardware, while the Nationals tread water and Boswell furiously tries to convince the world that some other scrubs in the system are going to be better than those guys ever were because RBIs and Wins.

It's like if Billy from First Avenue fired The Revolution for the girl group and then Prince drops Purple Rain somewhere else.

he wants to play in a big-name market, at which point his talent and acumen will finally marry.

and he argued a great and blunt point: Bryce Harper is just a dumb jock.

If he gets pitched to low and outside he reaches, if he gets pitched to above the belly button he swings high, he runs into walls, ignores base coach signals, and does/has done a host of other just plain dumb shit to impede his progress and hurt himself.

Now I think he still has all of the physical tools, but is my boss right?

That age lends to the worst combination of unrealized talent, entitlement, sense of immortality and general stupidity.

If he were 25/26 and still didnt get it, i'd be worried.

But as others have pointed out, Harper never got the chance to work out these issues in the minors and even when he was making mistakes down there they were sensationalized.

btw, i suspect that his dumb comments about zimmerman and span were agent driven since he and espinosa are both boras clients. I am not sure he's getting good advice right now.



----------
"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache…He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

Through Age 21 seasons:

Bryce Harper - 307 Games .270/.351/.464 (.354 wOBA)
Miguel Cabrera - 247 Games .285/.352/.497 (.362 wOBA)

a cabrera-like harper and rendon is gonna be a monster middle of the order in 2-3 years.

you can trade for pitching at the deadline if you need it.

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"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache…He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

Zimmermann has never had much success against St. Louis (6.04 ERA / 47 IP) and Los Angeles (5.61 ERA / 26 IP). I'd bump Strasburg over him in both series.

dude has been on FIRE


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Not now

and got a little "will to win" pep talk from ol' Matty. credit is due.

Over the course of this 29 game on-base streak where he's clocking a .375/.462/.411 line (including 10/10 in SB), he's raised his totals for the year to .294/.352/.395.

His career line over 7 years? .284./.351/.388.

He basically had to catch fire to settle into his career averages and be more or less what we traded a guy who is a Top 50 prospect for.

(both replies are draped in non-obvious sarcasm)

Which is good because LaRoche was the least productive hitter in all of baseball for the month of July. He's also slugging .287 on the year against LHP. But Williams is all about giving Harper the day off against Hamels.

They called Souza up and had him taking grounders at 1B. Maybe somebody noticed LaRoche got old.

1-3 in the order is just about perfect though.If Harper's wrist strengrh comes back, slot him 4th. Healthy Zimmerman 5th. Bring on the world.

>But Williams is all about giving
>Harper the day off against Hamels.

Sit them. Keep them as far away as possible from any on-the-job learning. That's like managing 101.

...work and shit.

but it's August and less than 1/3 of the season remains. i still ain't been to a game all season. i just don't have the time.

haven't really been boxscore bobbyin' it either. am i not interested anymore? of course i am! but i'm not as excited as i once was about the team. some of y'all posts for this season come across that way too.

i guess this version of the Nats brings about so much uncertainty...indifference. if they won 40+ or lost 40+ the rest of the season, i wouldn't be surprised.

but i'mma be optimistic. no more excuses. we have 5 solid - tho' Strasburg is maddeningly inconsistent (he's the only starter where the team isn't above .500 when he pitches) - starting pitchers. our offense can feast on the better teams and crawl through a famine on the weaker teams.

but they're in first by 3.5 games after being down by as many as 4. still can't beat the Braves or the Marlins. but they can battle through injuries and remain more than competitive during the season.

i just don't know what to make of this team. will Zimmerman return to 3B? has Harper taken a major step BACK in his development? was Tyler Clippard really the only player who got the all-star nod for a division leading team? Soriano blew a 4-run lead in the 9th...WTF? that $126M for Werth don't look so bad in hindsight now does it (we talkin' THIS season)?

man...

the final 1/3 of the season should be interesting. i'll be watching!

i remember when nyjer morgan was not just my fav player but the best they had not named zimmerman

i missed most of the chad cordero years, but look back fondly on when willie harris was a contributor and they spent team resources trying to squeeze production out of lastings millidge and elijah dukes.

Sharon martis, jason bergmann, and luis atilano hold a special place in the terrible nats pitcher pantheon for me as i really learned what bad baseball looked like from them.

I think livo should be honored with one relief appearance per year just to see how long he can continue to get outs with 65mph pitches and gumption.

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per the AP: "In 14 career starts against Atlanta, Strasburg is 3-5 with a 4.04 ERA, his highest ERA against any team he's faced more than three times."

tide has to turn sometime... maybe tomorrow is the day.

reeling Braves. Nationals with their biggest division lead in what seems like (or is) two seasons. huge opportunity for both sides this weekend.

Sigh.

mentally & emotionally fragile space cadet who is prolly the quietest most aloof guy in the clubhouse...incredible stuff...but has weak control & when he gets down early (which is usually) he gets in his own way & makes more mistakes etc etc


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Harper must feel like an ass everytime he looks over @ him

i wonder what their relationship is like


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i think they are good. plus, what it look like for span to catch feelings off a 21 yo kid rambling.


----------
"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache…He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

Am I missing anything else in that summary?

i think this team feels worse than it is because so many of the team's best players are inconsistent (stras/gio) or underachieving/unavailable due to injury (Zman, harper, ramos).

but a number of guys are exceeding expectations or growing faster than expected (rendon, span, roark) and keeping the team playing at a high level.

if they could put it all together, they would be dominant. as is, they should still do some damage in the playoffs and the team's depth is a sign of how well rizzo put it all together.

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>if they could put it all together, they would be dominant. as
>is, they should still do some damage in the playoffs and the
>team's depth is a sign of how well rizzo put it all together.

Those Giants were like the 3rd or 4th best team in the NL, but they got hot at the right time, got some breaks and won the World Series. Get into the playoffs, crazy shit happens all the time. Just hope it happens for your team and not to your team.

This Nationals team is better than that Giants team.

bottom line.

im not mad @ him for scuffing the braves logo in their house. its racist as shit anyway. scuff that shit.

but if you wanna be this legend the media says you have the potential to be?

you got to deliver in these big spots. cant be goign 0-4 w/ 2 strikeouts in these shits.

i mean...cmon.

that said...keep doing your thing. but know that if you dont start delivering these old fly by night as "fans" around here gonna turn on your ass.

#ijs

lefty and trying to show up the fans = rough at-bats.

I think the thumb is not 100% and it's throwing off his swing a little. And then shit just compounds. He is still getting on base. Of course then he's running into outs, but baby steps...

Spans streak is over but i LIKE this kid Taylor!


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credit where credit is due. Mets arent good, but stras was dominant on the road, the nats were missing werth and zimmerman and got it done.

harper is getting his power back.

braves lost again.

lots to enjoy tonight.

y gracias Doyers

NO JINX
NO JINX
NO JINX

NO JINX!

but im just saying

dc v. bmore?

its possible


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I-95 links a lot of places. Technically, the Marlins/Yankees 2003 World Series and the Phillies/Yankees 2009 World Series were both I-95 World Series.

pseudo-road games in the playoffs would not be a good look.

long time houston sports guy...& been on the Nats bandwagon since day 1

and i got to tell yall...i WAY more enjoy rooting for a team that consistently wins...not just puts the 'best team on paper' out there...but wins

i had to really unplug from the NFL last season because the Texans shat the bed so hard and it was honestly fucking up my real life. like i'd be watching em...hitting f5 on my comp on ESPN trying to see wtf was going on...& see theyd thrown ANOTHER pick 6...& i'd like scream on my kids more, didnt feel like being bothered for the rest of the day, etc

now?

im mellow. calm.

anxiety is starting to ratchet up a lil now that football is back on & the texans are sucking me back in but...the nats have really helped. seriously.

im gonna shake Rizzos hand for this one day


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Lifelong Skins fan, but I'm 27 - so they've SUCKED my entire life.

Meanwhile the Nats are legitimate world championship contenders AND they're mostly drama-free.

Gio and Stras throwing 15 combined innings with one run allowed this series was much needed.

With the 10 game winning streak 10 years ago. Somebody wrote that the only guy from that team still in the league is Marlon Byrd. What a long strange trip it's been.

Somebody called in Phil Wood's post game show and complained that the team wasn't winning these games by enough runs. I think that means that the team has arrived when people are hating on stupid shit and complaining about 10 game winning streaks.

9 ER in last 5 games, and 7 ERs were from that one ATL outing.

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"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache…He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

no matter the score

#fatboypost

but im saying

anytime they score over 6 i believe? hit mickey d's for the free 6 piece.

mmmm


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I always liked both of em, wish them well, altho I'm glad we are doing better without em


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Said it before but as I get older I really enjoy the pace of baseball.

I dunno, football is like hyper violent and there's so many moving parts and shit going on, you have to be focused even to watch seems like

Basketball to a degree is similar tho not as bad

With baseball it's like the games take so long and the season is so long you can stop watching, and pick back up like no problem

If you miss a half of a football game hella shit might have happened

Miss half of a baseball game...it's still 3-2

But yeah on Puig...dude is a specimen (mo homo) I haven't watched anything but highlights I wanna see what he can do for myself


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Good Gio coming back. late game moxie still in full effect. NL East the rest of the way for the division and homefield...let's not get swept by the Phillies again and step on Atlanta's heads some more.

...2 of 3 in each just might put us 9 games up.

Phillies are in full spoiler mode tho'. Braves fightin' for their playoff lives. ain't gonna be easy, but this team doesn't back down.

Fister and Roark are hitting a little wall.

----------
"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache�He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

D. Fister (12-6) M. Minor (6-9)
J. Zimmermann (10-5) E. Santana (14-7)
S. Strasburg (11-10) A. Harang (10-10

Lets get this done.

The magic number is nice and all, but we need that #1 seed. We need home games for Stras and to avoid Kershaw if at all possible.

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"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache�He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

for good reason, but i wanted a sweep...

----------
"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache�He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

somewhere in the 300s...but there


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seventh inning vacation for Soriano while Storen (who's been great this year) is the closer as postseason nears?

hmmm....

Needs to come through in October, but what a beautiful tale this is already.

He went against the grain and drafted a collegiate RP #10 overall and then refused to trade Storen after he struggled. Glad Storen is taking advantage of his second opportunity.

Storen was drafted more for the fact he was going to sign for less than the recommended slot bonus, clearing more room to ante up for Strasburg (ie Boras). Storen ended up taking about 25 percent less bonus money than the previous players who were selected at #10.

either way, kudos.

If I had a Bill & Ted phone booth though, I'd go back and tell them to go ahead and make a reach pick for Mike Trout that year with #10.

They got another series left in LA as well.

That last playoff spot is going to be a war of attrition in the NL.

this fool raided bonds pantry & got whats left of the cream n clear


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He's going to be 35. Two of his last four years were bad to meh. The other two were good to great. Is that worth a $15 million dice roll? If everybody is healthy, there is the same kind of a log jam next year that Zimmerman's injury has hid.

The Span option is a no-brainer.
The Soriano option is close to a no-brainer.

The LaRoche option? Tough call.

Over the last 4 seasons, he's made:

2011 - $7 million
2012 - $8 million
2013 - $10 million
2014 - $12 million

According to Fangraphs, who convert wins to dollars at a market rate, he's been worth:

2011 - $0
2012 - $15 million
2013 - $2.7 million
2014 - $9.4 million (and counting)

So they got decent value out of the contract. What are the odds that next year looks like 2013 v. 2014? I don't think it's an easy answer. That money could go to somebody else's long term extension. He's lost a step in the field. But I still think he'd be a productive hitter, but $15 million would make him the second highest paid position player behind Werth.

they'll definitely take on the $15 million if there's an afterglow.

if not...well, they still might, but there'll be a lot more to the decision at that point.

and derivative.

to the extreme.

seems like we could & should come up w/ something more...unique?

this shit is nothing but the Jets cheer.

they broke it out last game i went to & its like...really, nerds? this is the best we could do?

cmon man.

come. on.

beat ATL in ATL tho. Sori shat the bed...but whatever

its just really nice to watch a well put together team...perform.

whatever Rizzo gets offered by the Yankees to replace Cashman this offseason? Lerners should match it & add $1


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its just going around the clubhouse.

dodgers looking dysfunctional in the clubhouse

the dream of a 95/295/parkway series is alive and looking better every day

life is good





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im also concerned w/ flying back & forth against the dodgers

just...general feeling of unease now.

im not used to winning & gotta find something to gripe abt. its kinda how im built


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"To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache�He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit." Justin Tuck on RG3

im not actually watching the game, because im pretty sure anything i actually watch jinxing who im rooting for. just go w/ it. but im hitting f5 on espn like a motherfucker

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Damn son...feels good


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By my count, there 17 people that if healthy, would be absolutely impossible to leave off. There is no combination of other players that could substitute for them.

Mortal Locks (17):

C - Wilson Ramos
C - Jose Lobaton (S)
1B - Adam LaRoche (L)
2B - Asdrubal Cabrera (S)
SS - Ian Desmond
3B - Anthony Rendon
3B/LF/1B - Ryan Zimmerman
OF - Bryce Harper (L)
OF - Denard Span (L)
OF - Jayson Werth

SP - Stephen Strasburg
SP - Jordan Zimmermann
SP - Doug Fister

RP - Tyler Clippard
RP - Drew Storen
RP - Aaron Barrett
RP - Matt Thornton (L)

...And The Rest:

Position Players (Pick 2 or 3)

C - Sandy Leon
1B/2B/3B/LF - Kevin Frandsen
2B/SS - Danny Espinosa (S)
1B/LF/RF - Tyler Moore
LF - Scott Hairston
LF/RF - Nate Schierholtz (L)
OF - Michael Taylor
OF - Stephen Souza
OF - Jeff Kobernus

Pitchers (Pick 5 or 6)

SP - Tanner Roark (Can be moved to bullpen for playoffs)
SP - Gio Gonzalez (L) (Can be moved to bullpen for playoffs but probably won't be happy about it)

RP - Rafael Soriano
RP - Ross Detwiler (L)
RP - Xavier Cedeno (L)
RP - Craig Stammen
RP - Jerry Blevins (L)
RP - Blake Treinen
RP - Ryan Mattheus

There are a lot of factors going towards it. Gio has had better past performance, better strikeout stuff, only left-handed starter, has pitched better lately, peripherals are close to career norms suggesting some bad luck at work especially with runners on, bigger contract, "playoff experience", etc...

Meanwhile Roark is by all accounts a team first guy who also has experience coming out of the bullpen. Also they have been priming the pump with that "matched his career high in innings" talk earlier in the month.

But that said, it is a decision that has to be made. The team is going to take a guy who is 5th in the league in RA9-WAR behind Kershaw, Cuueto, Wainwright, and Hamels and tell him that they'd prefer he throw less innings when games matter more.

I think the concern over Roark's innings is valid. mostly though, Gio should start because I'm not sure he'd even be useful out of the pen -- his number of horrible first innings doesn't instill confidence if he had to come into a high-leverage spot.

Roark would immediately become the best long man in the pen in case there was an emergency or the pen needed him to eat a loss.

...and that's why I want him in the bullpen. You have to leave Strasburg because of the upside, and Gio deserves the start based on experience alone. But those two are prone for a 4 runs in 3 innings early shellacking and Roark is just the kind of guy I would want to call upon to put those sorts of fires out.

our B team

like...not a single starter on the field...our JV team.

out here blanking these clowns. in their house. going for the sweep. day after we clinched & celebrated on their diamond.

im laughing. HEARTILY

only thing better then me winning is my enemy losing.


does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://i.imgur.com/2slpbEo.jpg

jinxed.

its...uncanny.

for real.


does it really matter?

vote for bin: http://i.imgur.com/2slpbEo.jpg

...no luck at all.

times have changed. i remember when i could walk up on game day and get a great seat. now? success changes everything.

i've never been a season ticket holder. work is too hectic that it wouldn't make sense for any kind of plan. sh*t...only made it to 1 game this season!

but somehow, i'mma get tix to a playoff game. i'm not trynna take out a mortgage to do it either. maybe i'm doin' something wrong.

anybody got/gettin' playoff tix?

I'm not a fan of how they do the tickets for the playoffs but they have an inelastic demand so they can do whatever they want.

They allow season ticket holders to buy up to like 8 additional seats, then they have the "Insider Sale" which is just a clusterfuck lottery.

At the moment, there are 15,000 playoff tickets for the NLDS just on StubHub and they haven't even gone on sale to the general public yet.

Part of this is also having a stadium that only holds 40,000 (plus like an additional 5k standing room).

...that's gonna be much WORSE than what happened today.

i'm not trynna go through the hassle. if i conveniently come across a pair of reasonable tix, i'll probably get 'em. if not, then i'll be watching 'em at home.

i was there for the last home game at RFK...was there for Stras' debut vs. the Pirates...was there when they clinched the division in 2012. i have yet to go to a playoff game.

that's gonna change tho'...

Fuck that I'm going. I dunno how just yet. Or when. Or which game. But yeah.

And you guys interested in going in on some season tix next yr?

I got a couple guys who'd chip in. Let's say at least four. Split between 16 ppl? It wouldn't be but like..$200. Good seats. Everyone could go to at least 4 games? Know what I mean Vern?


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

Was a little worried that resting regulars might give the Dodgers room to catch us, but the nats rotation is holding it down while the LA's pitching is faltering.

The giants are my second favorite team for the next three days...

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ticketing/postseason.jsp

i cant see it ever being that serious.

oh well grand opening grand closing

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11570401/the-revival-baseball-beltway

i dunno how i feel abt the "face of the nats" being krauthammer or whatever but...yeah


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

favorite Nat for awhile now...loved watching him pitch ever since his MLB debut in front of 100 people. well deserved history.

couldn't ask for a better September: Gio and Strasburg dealing, lineup as healthy as it's been since opening day, and home field. bring on whoever.

Really exciting.

I'm gonna try to hit a playoff game I can't imagine the atmosphere

God forbid there really is a parkway series


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

If we don't make the World Series, and especially if we don't get out of the first round, I'm gonna take this hard.

This is BY FAR the most clear cut contender I've ever had out of the Caps, Nats, Wizards, and Skins. Though I thought that about the 09/10 Caps too...

HOLLA AT ME!

i fully plan to lie for the rest of my life & claim being @ the game & will buy a clippard bobblehead on some SEE! shit

so yeah. help me lie.

if you dont want it? get @ me


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

Just wanted to say that...lol.




I Grew Up On Booty Shake...We Did Not Know No Betta Thangs...

www.soundcloud.com/djnategeezie/the-fellas-a-tribute-to-the-guy-group

(please don't go five please don't go five)

welp. is what it is. this wont be easy & whoever the winner of cards/dodgers wont be easy either

but thats what makes it worthwhile

lets rock.


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

now, i know y'all remember when the Nats were throwin' SHIT LOADS of $$$$$$$$$$ at Teixeira and Fielder. but LaRoche? man he's been an absolute BARGAIN!!! especially after he got healthy after his first season.

let's look at 'em all over the past 4 seasons:

LaRoche batting: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/larocad01.shtml#2011-2014-sum:batting_standard
Total salary: $37 million

Teixeira batting: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teixema01.shtml#2011-2014-sum:batting_standard
Total salary: $90.6 million

Fielder batting: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fieldpr01.shtml#2011-2014-sum:batting_standard
Total salary: $85.5 million

aside from the power edge, LaRoche holds up pretty well offensively. he does strike out a bit more than the other two. defensively, he's better than Fielder, but not quite Teixeira level.

the brilliance (or luck if you wanna call it that) of Mike Rizzo is that the Nats have a $15 million mutual option with LaRoche for next season while Teixeira has 2 yrs @ $45M and Fielder has 6 yrs @ $156M!!!

pretty good deal for the Nats.

Game 1, NLDS

That's what I thought. We're cool.

No talking just action. Going down 2-0 is unthinkable


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

thank god for 2 bag tony or we wouldnt have any offense


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

That move is going to be second guessed for all eternity if they lose

dude threw his first walk, matt williams didnt go out to ask him how he felt, can he do it & really get a feel for where he was...he just pulled him.

storen comes in, ice cold in a high pressure situation...and we know what happens when those 2 variables take place


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

He couldn't hit that outside corner (even though I though at least 2 of those balls were good; not sure what the ump saw), and one pitch was a bit high on the walk, but other than that, he was dealing out there.

in fact, im sure the Nats will go to SF & lose there too.

we're done.

#nojinx


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

This should have been over a long time ago Matt....

Storen chokes again. offense can't execute simple baseball to save their season. and I have no idea WTF Span is doing out there.

Zimmerman has one out to go, with one man on base. Of wasn't like he was losing control, he just didn't hit the corner (or the ump was tripping). Add to the fact he just threw a compete game a week ago, and you let him get that out, or you pull him in the 8th. Not with 1 out to go.

Now, had Drew got the out, none of this would matter. So, he has to take some of the blame for this. But Williams has to take the brunt of this one

Go Orioles.....

but fuck it -- Storen is the "closer", and he can't get one damn out in the bottom of the ninth? regardless of how well Zimmermann was pitching, a playoff team is going to need their best reliever to shut the door a few times. and Storen continues to fail spectacularly at it.

Pitching staff did their jobs. The offense went dead at the worst possible time...williams and storen get some heat but they shouldn't even be in that position. Span, harper, larouche, Ramos, etc going 0 for everything is unacceptable

Can they win 3 straight? I guess its possible. But highly doubtful. Even after all that they only lost by 1 run in both games.

Williams has to get them focused. Th DC media and fan base are falling off the bandwagon in droves... Perfect time for nobody believes in us but us kinda sermon in the locker room

fuck that. i still believe.

we can win 3 straight, first 2 in their house.

they did it in 2012. we can do it now.

ZIMMERMAN! we believe in you man

SPAN! i know you can get it going

Harp!...same thing

cmon yall!

*loud ridiculous clapping*


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

I've got Verizon

So, who starts next game? Gio? Looking forward, if they do pull off Game 4, do you put STRAUSE back out there?

If we get there...gio is not lights out altho he's been kicking ass lately

Stras is a head case and will give up 5 runs in the first inning of a potential game 5




does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

I'd start Zimmermann for game five. he's given up four earned runs in his last 23.2 IP against San Francisco. Stras was fine in game one (lots of seeing eye stuff, and that LaRoche gamble did not work) so I wouldn't have a problem with him starting, but Zimmermann is the Nats' best pitcher.

does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

Not sure who goes for Game 4, but they better get it done. Glad to see they didn't give up after that marathon loss

hopefully this makes him better...but I won't be excited to see him enter another game.

Now they just got to bring it back tomorrow.

Regardless what happens the next 2 games, is that what the Nats should be looking for on the offseason? Anybody in the farm possibly can do the trick?

So I guess I think we're going to win the series.

We're better. We're way better.

i still believe, came this far may as well ride on out

thats not cool @ all.

it'd be different if MLB was like NFL network it comes with the basic shit...but its not. least not for my cable system

i was mad as shit last nite


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

I'm...disappointed. Not quite as heartbroken as 2012...but damn man. So close.

We should have won this series. Really should have.

I have zero desire to watch a Giants/cards Nlcs. Nope. I can't roll with the O's...but whoever wins out from O's/Royals is already infinitely better then whoever comes out the NL

Bryce has arrived

Matt got out managed. Period. His decisions had detrimental impact on the game especially the head scratcher last night. Ugh.

What needs to be done?

Where's zim going? Larouche wants to get paid...where and how? Gio...year older next year. We got some questions needing answers.

Overall...I'm proud of em still. Future looks bright...but I must admit...this stings.

Oh well...see you guys next year

had he shown a lick of offense, his defensive value might have still meant something. but his value as a lefty hitter and defensive glove mean nothing when you lose a series like this.

they needed zimm's bat... which leads us to matt williams. his strategy of making no changes at all to the lineup or bullpen roles was his rookie stance. it will be interesting to see if/how that evolves. i dont blame him for leaning on storen who had proven to be lights out. but now there is a lot of evidence that he cant handle pressure. It would have been nice to see clippard get a shot and would be nice for him to get a shot as closer next year.

big daps to stras, rendon, and harper for succeeding in the playoffs, being the stars that they are and not wilting like the rest of the position players. I assume part of matt's growth will involve moving harper up in the lineup now than he's shown himself to be ready for the limelight.

Fister and JZimm are men amongst boys.

like you said, this doesnt sting as much as 2012. with everyone in baseball picking us to win, the jinx was on. and boswell has been harping for weeks on the luck factor when it comes to the playoffs. anything can happen in 5 games. apparently an entire 3-4-5 can hit a cold streak for 4 games.

"OHHH i doubt we will ever make it they are chokers, losers, quitters, etc"

cmon people.

this franchise has been outstanding for almost 3 yrs. its just that other franchises are better right now. we were dead even in runs scored for the series. we made bonehead errors. it sucks but a lot of teams wont ever have this run of success. look @ KC, or PGH or Bmore...you have to suffer in baseball for a while.

sometimes a long while

itll be ok


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

Bats totally disappeared all series and questionable manager's decisions. It ended up being which team was going to make a mistake first. Unfortunately the Nats were on the wrong side of that equation.

I don't think they need to blow up the roster or make huge sweeping changes. A bit of tinkering, for sure, but I couldn't say what right now, as the loss is still fresh and most comments would be reactionary more than well thought out.

whole series felt desperate when your lineup can barely get a hit. at least San Francisco was putting base-runners on.

tough to see how a lot of the veterans performed, but that's baseball.

Apparently, he only has to serve 5 days. Does MLB even pay attention to this stuff suspension-wise?

Grant and Danny were talking about it like it was nothing to drive twice the speed limit...

http://natsinsider.com/2014/12/05/werth-guilty-of-reckless-driving-sentenced-to-10-days-in-jail/

A Fairfax County judge found Jayson Werth guilty Friday of reckless driving and sentenced the Nationals right fielder to 10 days in jail.

Werth was pulled over by a Virginia State Trooper on the morning of July 6, clocked at 105 mph in his Porsche on a 55-mph stretch of the Capital Beltway approaching the George Washington Parkway, according to NBC Washington.

No tickets, you get a court date. And going that fast, he's spending some time behind bars

anybody got insider?

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/post?id=3153


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

He was a stud.

Rizzo's trades are getting kind of crazy at this point. Fister, Gio, Ramos, Roark, and Span all acquired via trade. That's 20% of a division winning roster. I feel like the Gio trade was pretty much even. Alex Meyer could still be a stud. Otherwise, he has done really well. This trade is looking like another point in his favor.

no hardware to show for it but i mean im ok w/ rizzo running for mayor @ this point


does it really matter?

for all my fans who keep my name in their mouth: http://i.imgur.com/v2xNOpS.jpg

i am type nervous about this season. Its been 20+ years since a team of mine was so good that the regular season was almost totally irrelevant.

They've embarrassed themselves (relative to expectations) for three years. Yet despite obvious flaws the media and vegas have us as the team to beat in MLB.

Scherzer aint worth nuthin if we can't score 3+ runs when it matters.

>i am type nervous about this season. Its been 20+ years since
>a team of mine was so good that the regular season was almost
>totally irrelevant.
>
>They've embarrassed themselves (relative to expectations) for
>three years. Yet despite obvious flaws the media and vegas
>have us as the team to beat in MLB.
>
>Scherzer aint worth nuthin if we can't score 3+ runs when it
>matters.

The bullpen is good. The line-up is really good. The rotation has the potential to be historic. I guess the team defense is slightly above average? Who can you pick ahead of them? By the odds, the Dodgers are the only ones within shouting distance.

They've won more games than anybody in baseball over the last three years and the consensus is that they just got better. Of course they're going to be heavy favorites. I want to believe that the disappointment of missing the playoffs as favorites in 2013 will keep the team in check, but it's mostly just wishful thinking. The reality is, a one week Andrew McCutchen blackout in October could bounce them in a 5 game series. I'm at peace with this.

I mean, in those 4 games in the 2015 NLDS, the Giants scored 9 runs and the Nationals scored 9 runs. Over 45 innings. It's not like either team was setting the world on fire. They did beat Madison Bumgarner, which was apparently really hard to do in October last year.

It's baseball. The best team doesn't always win. At this point, the 2010s Nationals could still be the 1970s Royals or the 1970s Reds.