I posted previously about the Presidents Race at Washington Nationals games. Apparently there is a running joke that Teddy Roosevelt never wins the race. Something always happens, and he ends up losing, even when he's ahead by quite a bit. Well, he almost made it, and then this happened...
You never know when the Kool-Aid man is going to show up out of nowhere.
Showing posts with label Nationals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nationals. Show all posts
Storen Smarter than the Average Player
Drew Storen, pitcher for the Washington Nationals, will be attending classes at Stanford once the season is over... which, for the Nationals, was actually some time in late June. Storen is working on his degree in product design from the school's mechanical engineering department, realizes that baseball is only temporary. He knows that his chances of earning a comfortable lifestyle are not great, especially given the fact that he plays on the Nationals.
In the same article, I learned that MLB is not well-known for its college degrees. In fact, in a survey done by the Wall Street Journal, only 26 MLB players and managers have four-year college degrees. I'm actually surprised by this.
In the same article, I learned that MLB is not well-known for its college degrees. In fact, in a survey done by the Wall Street Journal, only 26 MLB players and managers have four-year college degrees. I'm actually surprised by this.
Best Promotion Ever!
As I delve into the world of hyperbole, this is easily the best promotion of all time. The Washington Nationals are offering two free season tickets with the purchase of two. That's right, you and your 3 buddies can get season tickets to see the Washington Nationals and split it up at half the regular price. Isn't that a deal!!!
...it's a sign to Nationals fans that there is no hope for next season. After all, Strasburg is already shut down for most of the season. Harper is going to spend the year in the Minors. Adam Dunn probably won't be back next season. Nyger Morgan will be spending half the season in anger management with Dr. Buddy Rydell. Ryan Zimmerman is bound to have another good season that goes unnoticed. And Top Chef will not be returning for another concession stand challenge. Pack it in, Nationals fans. We'll see you in 2012.
Or...
...it's a sign to Nationals fans that there is no hope for next season. After all, Strasburg is already shut down for most of the season. Harper is going to spend the year in the Minors. Adam Dunn probably won't be back next season. Nyger Morgan will be spending half the season in anger management with Dr. Buddy Rydell. Ryan Zimmerman is bound to have another good season that goes unnoticed. And Top Chef will not be returning for another concession stand challenge. Pack it in, Nationals fans. We'll see you in 2012.
Nyger Morgan Has Issues
It's been a rough week for Nationals OF Nyger Morgan. He has been involved in more than a couple of dust-ups so far against the competition. It all began on Saturday against the Cardinals when Morgan should have scored from first on a double down the right field line. Watch the video here.
Morgan is clearly upset that he is called out, but if you watch the replay, Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson is easily two feet away from the plate, when Morgan intentionally initiates contact... so much so that he actually missed the plate. He is called out because his teammates touched him while he was still a "live" runner, i.e. before he scored; you can't do that. Allegedly, Morgan was upset that Nationals manager Jim Riggleman had him eighth in the lineup. Riggleman apologized for the incident and benched Morgan for the following game. Morgan later said, "I kind of grazed [Anderson] which wasn't, in my eyes, intentional." Go ahead and watch that play again. If Morgan had grazed Anderson, you wouldn't see the shoving motion, and Anderson wouldn't have fallen forward and dropped his glove.
This brings us to Tuesday's game in Miami against the Marlins. Morgan once again failed to slide into home, and opted to barrel through the Marlins catcher. Brett Hayes, the Marlins catcher, held on to the ball and Morgan was called out on the play, and the Marlins won in the bottom half of the 10th inning. However, it was not without its price. Hayes separated his shoulder on the play and is done for the year.
And, now, Wednesday's game. Apparently the Marlins were still pretty upset with Morgan because they hit him with a pitch in the fourth inning. In a 14-3 game, Morgan took first on the HBP, then proceeded to steal 2nd and 3rd - the first thing that he actually did right in this series of events. The Marlins apparently took exception to Morgan stealing these bases in a blowout. Personally, I don't see what the issue is. We saw two 9 run comebacks just last week; you play hard and try to win the game. If a Marlins player had been the one stealing the bases, then it would be a different story, but if you're down by 11, you do all you can to get your team back into the game. In response to the stolen bases, Marlins starter Chris Volstad threw behind Morgan in his next AB, which lead to this...
You can't blame Morgan for being upset about being thrown at a second time. What you can blame him for is his reaction to the incident. These are grown men, playing in a professional league; not children playing at the sandlot, but it was pretty difficult to tell the difference.
This is usually the part where I would my some dry, sarcastic remark, but I don't think I'm going to do that today. There's nothing funny about baseball players failing to be a role model for the kids who play the sport. Watch the LLWS. You see a bunch of kids just playing the game and having a great time. That's what this sport is all about - fun and the love of the game.
Morgan is clearly upset that he is called out, but if you watch the replay, Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson is easily two feet away from the plate, when Morgan intentionally initiates contact... so much so that he actually missed the plate. He is called out because his teammates touched him while he was still a "live" runner, i.e. before he scored; you can't do that. Allegedly, Morgan was upset that Nationals manager Jim Riggleman had him eighth in the lineup. Riggleman apologized for the incident and benched Morgan for the following game. Morgan later said, "I kind of grazed [Anderson] which wasn't, in my eyes, intentional." Go ahead and watch that play again. If Morgan had grazed Anderson, you wouldn't see the shoving motion, and Anderson wouldn't have fallen forward and dropped his glove.
This brings us to Tuesday's game in Miami against the Marlins. Morgan once again failed to slide into home, and opted to barrel through the Marlins catcher. Brett Hayes, the Marlins catcher, held on to the ball and Morgan was called out on the play, and the Marlins won in the bottom half of the 10th inning. However, it was not without its price. Hayes separated his shoulder on the play and is done for the year.
And, now, Wednesday's game. Apparently the Marlins were still pretty upset with Morgan because they hit him with a pitch in the fourth inning. In a 14-3 game, Morgan took first on the HBP, then proceeded to steal 2nd and 3rd - the first thing that he actually did right in this series of events. The Marlins apparently took exception to Morgan stealing these bases in a blowout. Personally, I don't see what the issue is. We saw two 9 run comebacks just last week; you play hard and try to win the game. If a Marlins player had been the one stealing the bases, then it would be a different story, but if you're down by 11, you do all you can to get your team back into the game. In response to the stolen bases, Marlins starter Chris Volstad threw behind Morgan in his next AB, which lead to this...
You can't blame Morgan for being upset about being thrown at a second time. What you can blame him for is his reaction to the incident. These are grown men, playing in a professional league; not children playing at the sandlot, but it was pretty difficult to tell the difference.
This is usually the part where I would my some dry, sarcastic remark, but I don't think I'm going to do that today. There's nothing funny about baseball players failing to be a role model for the kids who play the sport. Watch the LLWS. You see a bunch of kids just playing the game and having a great time. That's what this sport is all about - fun and the love of the game.
Strasburg Can't Suck It Up, Dibs
In response to Rob Dibble's relentless badgering about playing through the pain, Stephen Strasburg is going to be shut down for the rest of the season.... and most of 2011, with Tommy John surgery. Turns out that strained flexor tendon is a lot worse than initially thought. That cry you heard in Washington, D.C. was not the petty arguments going back and forth across the aisle on Capitol Hill, it was both of the Nationals' fans realizing that 2010 and 2011 would be wasted years.... again....
Pretty soon, we may be seeing Strasburg on the Mark Prior/Kip Wells comeback trail.
Pretty soon, we may be seeing Strasburg on the Mark Prior/Kip Wells comeback trail.
Dibs Hates Strasburg
Rob Dibble, former MLB pitcher and current talking head on MLB Network Radio, blasted Steven Strasburg for skipping a start following a twinge in his throwing arm. In case you haven't heard....
During the fifth inning of a game against the Phillies, Strasburg threw a pitch and afterwards was seen shaking his throwing arm. Turns out, he strained the flexor tendon in his right arm - not a serious injury (he was seen playing catch with teammates the next day), but not something that you take lightly with a man who you are paying $14 billion dollars per pitch.
Now that you have the back story, click here and check out Deadspin's Barry Petchesky's point-counterpoint article. Great stuff.
On This Date...
On This Date... is going to be a sporadic segment here on BLB. It will involve a little bit of history for fans of the greatest game on earth. I cannot guarantee that all of the history will be accurate, but it sure will be fun!
For our first On This Date, how 'bout we turn the Way Back Machine to August 26, 2008.
The Washington Nationals got on the mascot racing bandwagon in a way that would only work in Washington, D.C..... and maybe North Dakota... with the giant head Presidential Race!
In the inaugural race, Teddy Roosevelt comes out ahead of the pack, but you may notice that he is wearing a do-rag a la Manny Ramirez (who was in the stadium that day as the Nationals hosted the Dodgers). The rest is... well... Teddy being Teddy.
For our first On This Date, how 'bout we turn the Way Back Machine to August 26, 2008.
The Washington Nationals got on the mascot racing bandwagon in a way that would only work in Washington, D.C..... and maybe North Dakota... with the giant head Presidential Race!
In the inaugural race, Teddy Roosevelt comes out ahead of the pack, but you may notice that he is wearing a do-rag a la Manny Ramirez (who was in the stadium that day as the Nationals hosted the Dodgers). The rest is... well... Teddy being Teddy.
Harper Enrolls in School
Bryce Harper, the #1 overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Washington Nationals is showing exactly why he has a future in baseball... and not much else.
Harper still hasn't been signed by the Nationals, and has apparently enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada for the fall. I don't know if this is supposed to be some sort of negotiating ploy to show that he does indeed have other options, but, let's be honest, if you really had other options, Mr. Harper, you wouldn't have enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada. You would have gone somewhere, you know, like Cal State Fullerton, USC, University of Alaska Juneau, not the College of Southern Nevada. Just sign your stupid contract and report to the minors.
Harper still hasn't been signed by the Nationals, and has apparently enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada for the fall. I don't know if this is supposed to be some sort of negotiating ploy to show that he does indeed have other options, but, let's be honest, if you really had other options, Mr. Harper, you wouldn't have enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada. You would have gone somewhere, you know, like Cal State Fullerton, USC, University of Alaska Juneau, not the College of Southern Nevada. Just sign your stupid contract and report to the minors.
Ankiel/Farnsworth Could Teach Dunn Something
Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth were traded to the Braves at the deadline, and according to a report by Mark Bowman on MLB.com, they "gladly welcomes the opportunity to spend the next two months playing meaningful games with the Braves."
As one tweet put it - the Braves were falling in line with the "You Break It, You Buy It" philosophy by picking up Ankiel who lost his control as a pitcher in the 2000 NLDS against the Braves. More importantly, however, buried deep within this "no-duh" opening sentence is a point to which Adam Dunn should pay close attention.
If you'll remember, Dunn is mildly upset that the Nationals have yet to offer him a contract extension this season, even though, apparently, his camp made an initial offer during spring training. I think what he fails to realize is that by signing a contract extension, he is contractually obligated to play in Washington on the Nationals - a place that has not seen, nor will see, significant baseball in the last two months of the season for several years.
Of course, if he does sign a contract extension, he could be a major topic of discussion every season when the end of July rolls around. Hmmmm.... maybe he IS a genius!
As one tweet put it - the Braves were falling in line with the "You Break It, You Buy It" philosophy by picking up Ankiel who lost his control as a pitcher in the 2000 NLDS against the Braves. More importantly, however, buried deep within this "no-duh" opening sentence is a point to which Adam Dunn should pay close attention.
If you'll remember, Dunn is mildly upset that the Nationals have yet to offer him a contract extension this season, even though, apparently, his camp made an initial offer during spring training. I think what he fails to realize is that by signing a contract extension, he is contractually obligated to play in Washington on the Nationals - a place that has not seen, nor will see, significant baseball in the last two months of the season for several years.
Of course, if he does sign a contract extension, he could be a major topic of discussion every season when the end of July rolls around. Hmmmm.... maybe he IS a genius!
Orioles Like the Free Baseball
Here's a fun statistical oddity for you to share around the water cooler tomorrow morning. The Baltimore Orioles have a .700 winning percentage when their games go longer than 9 innings. That's right, the Orioles are 7-3 in games that are decided in extra innings this season... and 30-63 overall.
In fact, their winning percentage as a whole this season is .323 (as of 2pm EST on Wednesday). It is almost the exact inverse of their winning percentage in extra inning games.
Perhaps what may surprise you the most is that they are also 15-13 in games decided by one run. In other words, the Orioles are 30 runs allowed away from being 15-88 on the season. That's bad. That's really bad.
In other fun team stats, the Royals are actually the best extra-inning team in baseball with a 7-2 record. The Reds are the only other teams with 7 extra inning wins. And, in case you were wondering, Florida (1-5) and Washington (1-6) are the worst extra inning teams.
That is all.
In fact, their winning percentage as a whole this season is .323 (as of 2pm EST on Wednesday). It is almost the exact inverse of their winning percentage in extra inning games.
Perhaps what may surprise you the most is that they are also 15-13 in games decided by one run. In other words, the Orioles are 30 runs allowed away from being 15-88 on the season. That's bad. That's really bad.
In other fun team stats, the Royals are actually the best extra-inning team in baseball with a 7-2 record. The Reds are the only other teams with 7 extra inning wins. And, in case you were wondering, Florida (1-5) and Washington (1-6) are the worst extra inning teams.
That is all.
Dunn Losing Interest in Washington?
Apparently, Adam Dunn is becoming frustrated by a lack of urgency from the Washington Nationals to work out an extension that would keep him with the team beyond this season.
Okay, let me get this straight. Dunn doesn't have a long-term contract that will require him to continue playing for the Washington Nationals, and he's frustrated by it? Maybe he just doesn't understand how this works.
Okay, Mr. Dunn, if you have a long-term contract, that means that you continue playing in Washington D.C., as a baseball player, for a longer period of time than just the end of this season. I don't see how this is a bad thing.
Strasburg Sucks
In his second game as a major league pitcher for the Washington Nationals, highly touted phenom Stephen Strasburg sucked, but still managed to get the win. Just a few days after 14 K's and no walks against the Pirates, Strasburg was forced to face slightly less pathetic competition in the Cleveland Indians... slightly less pathetic. And the results were not as stellar.
Strasburg left with a 6-1 lead, but the bases were loaded, and he walked 5 of the last 12 batters he faced. Strasburg also managed to give up a solo shot to Travis Hafner. *Side news flash* Travis Hafner still plays major league baseball for the Indians. *End of side news flash*
Strasburg has officially been declared a "stopper" for his gutsy effort against the Indians to stop a 2 game losing streak. Of course, let's not forget... THE NATIONALS SCORED 9 RUNS!!!! Generally speaking, if you score 9 runs, you're going to win, regardless of who is on the mound. Nevertheless, let's not let the facts get in the way of the truth. Truth is, Strasburg is Gibson, Koufax, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson all rolled into one Cy Young winning machine. We are at the beginning of history. Strasburg will win 14 straight Cy Young awards in 12 seasons, strike out 439,250 helpless batters and have a lifetime ERA of 0.03. At least that's what we should believe from all the press.
Strasburg left with a 6-1 lead, but the bases were loaded, and he walked 5 of the last 12 batters he faced. Strasburg also managed to give up a solo shot to Travis Hafner. *Side news flash* Travis Hafner still plays major league baseball for the Indians. *End of side news flash*
Strasburg has officially been declared a "stopper" for his gutsy effort against the Indians to stop a 2 game losing streak. Of course, let's not forget... THE NATIONALS SCORED 9 RUNS!!!! Generally speaking, if you score 9 runs, you're going to win, regardless of who is on the mound. Nevertheless, let's not let the facts get in the way of the truth. Truth is, Strasburg is Gibson, Koufax, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson all rolled into one Cy Young winning machine. We are at the beginning of history. Strasburg will win 14 straight Cy Young awards in 12 seasons, strike out 439,250 helpless batters and have a lifetime ERA of 0.03. At least that's what we should believe from all the press.
MLB Draft - #1 Pick Edition
Because the Washington Nationals knew they only had a week to be in the news, they made a big splash this week. On the week when last year's #1 pick in the draft made his debut, the Nationals selected Bryce Harper from the College of Southern Nevada with this year's #1 pick. That's right, the Nationals were the worst team in baseball for two years in a row. In a league that includes the Royals, Pirates and Padres, that is pretty impressive.
Harper is currently a catcher but will make the shift to right field in order to "fast track" him to the Majors. Because, as Adam Dunn has proven throughout his career, you don't have to be skilled to play in the outfield; you just have to hit the ball a long way. Legends already abound regarding Harper's ability to hit the ball 6,263 feet, pick off runners with his laser-rocket arm, score from first on a bunt and how if HE were there, he would consume the English with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse. Finally, as you can see from the picture below, Harper does cry because of his emotions, he cries tears of oil to help save the environment.
Harper is currently a catcher but will make the shift to right field in order to "fast track" him to the Majors. Because, as Adam Dunn has proven throughout his career, you don't have to be skilled to play in the outfield; you just have to hit the ball a long way. Legends already abound regarding Harper's ability to hit the ball 6,263 feet, pick off runners with his laser-rocket arm, score from first on a bunt and how if HE were there, he would consume the English with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse. Finally, as you can see from the picture below, Harper does cry because of his emotions, he cries tears of oil to help save the environment.
Bryce Harper after being asked to do his Hoff impersonation
Strasburg Debut
Stephen Strasburg is making his Major League debut tonight, nearly one year after the Nationals picked him #1 overall out of San Diego State. People haven't been this curious as to how a guy is going to pitch since Jim Abbott made his debut for the California Angels in 1989. When asked about rushing the young prospect to the majors, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said*, "Let's face it - we're the Nationals. We don't exactly have a window of opportunity here. In fact, all the windows in our offices have bars on them so employees aren't tempted to jump out. We figure that in a few years, this kid is going to jump ship and head to the Yankees, but not before bleeding us dry during his arbitration years. Our best bet at this point is to capitalize on his popularity before people actually see him pitch with the defense that we throw out there with him each night."
Pitching coach, Steve McCatty said*, "We have a plan in place for Strasburg, and have had it since day one. We're going to rush him to the majors, and wear out his arm before he has a chance to bail on us. We decided that pitting him against the Pirates would be his best shot since he can't pitch against us."
The Pittsburgh Pirates, widely regarded as a major league affiliate to good teams, were completely oblivious to the fact that they were going to be on national television for Strasburg's debut. When asked, a team spokesman said*, "What's that mean?"
*These may or may not have been the exact words used.
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