Center Field Gate » washington nationals

Home

About

Contact

Archive for the ‘washington nationals’ Category Zim, Bats Fell Giants Monday, May 2nd, 2011 Jordan Zimmermann finally got the help he needed , as the Washington Nationals rapped out ten hits at Nationals Park yesterday — and the Nats went on to beat the San Francisco Giants, 5-2. The win brought the Anacostia Nine to within one game of .500, with a final game against the Giants coming this evening. Zimmermann scattered six hits over six innings , striking out four and walking only two. Zimmermann was followed by Tyler Clippard, Sean Burnett and Drew Storen, all of whom held the Giants scoreless. The big hits of the day were registered by Jayson Werth ( who went 3-4 ) and Pudge Rodriguez, who stroked a clutch two run single in the 8th inning to give the Nationals some late-inning extra runs. Zimmermann registered his second win against four hard-luck losses, throwing 107 pitches, 69 of them for strikes. Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines : sometimes a slump isn’t just a slump — it’s just the way things are. While Jayson Werth finally seems to be getting on track (and has raised his average to .242), the rest of the Nine continue to struggle. In fact, some of those other sluggers in “The Valley of the Lost Bats” seem to be going the other way. Adam LaRoche always has a slow April, but it’s now May. He’s hitting .189 . Rick Ankiel has shown some life, but he might be right where he’s going to stay — at .230 . Plus: those young bucks, Desmond and Espinosa, are lucky to be hitting better than their weight. The real sluggers on the team: Wilson Ramos . . . and . . . and Laynce Nix . Tags: Jayson Werth , Jordan Zimmermann , Laynce Nix , san francisco giants , washington nationals Posted in Jordan Zimmermann , san francisco giants , Uncategorized , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Gone: Dunn To Sign With White Sox Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 The Chicago White Sox will announce tomorrow that they have signed free agent Adam Dunn . The Washington Nationals’ first baseman has made it clear that he does not want to DH, but his signing with the Pale Hose indicates that he is open to the possibility. His signing leaves the Washington Nationals with a void at first base. The current speculation is that the Nationals will now step up their pursuit of Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Carlos Pena , or perhaps D-Back Adam LaRoche . Of course, it’s always possible that the Nats will decide to use Josh Willingham as their first baseman, or perhaps even Michael Morris — no matter how unlikely those two possibilities may now seem. The departure of Dunn brings an end to the Nationals’ front office debate on whether to keep Dunn because of his bat, or to let him walk because of his defensive liabilities. Chicago’s signing of Dunn is not a complete surprise. The White Sox have always been interested in the slugger, and the Nationals and Pale Hose were involved in intense discussions on Dunn prior to this season’s mid-summer trade deadline. Now — with Dunn walking — the Nationals will receive a supplementary first round pick in the first year player draft and Chicago’s 23rd overall pick in next year’s draft. Dunn, it is reliably reported, will sign a deal with Chicago far in excess of anything that he was offered with the Nationals: four years and $56 million. The Nats were reportedly only willing to offer him a three year contract. The signing of either Pena or LaRoche would be a step-up defensively for the Nationals, though Pena hit an anemic .196 for the Rays, while LaRoche (good around the bag, and with a quick glove), hit .261 — with 25 home runs. Tags: Adam Dunn , chicago white sox , Washington Naitonals Posted in Adam Dunn , chicago white sox , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Maya Steady, Gee Whiz Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 Yunesky Maya is an acquired taste: after a rocky first inning (in which Mets’ first baseman Ike Davis hit one of the longest home runs in the short history of Nationals’ Park), the highly touted Cuban righthander settled down and pitched steadily through the 5th. But (as nearly every print journalist — and Jim Riggleman), said after the Nats lost 4-1 to the Mets , it was too late. Maya gave up three runs in the first and one in the second, and Mets rookie righty Dillon Gee shut down the Nats, pitching a no-hitter until Willie Harris put a dinger into the right field seats. “I gave up four runs. I just wanted to hold them there to give the team a chance to win the game,” Maya said after his first outing in a Nats’ uniform. “I didn’t want them to score any more runs on me. I just felt more comfortable [after] that first inning. I was hitting my spots. When I do well, that’s what I do. I’m ahead of the hitters, and I can do what I want after that.” Despite the shaky start (Maya admitted that he was nervous), Maya’s curve and smarts make him a contender for a spot in the Nats’ starting rotation in 2011. This is good news for Washington G.M. Mike Rizzo, who signed the Cuban veteran to a four year $6 million contract in July . The “book” on Maya is that, while he does not have overwhelming stuff, he is a smart veteran pitcher with enough experience to make an impact on the club — adding a much-needed savvy arm (to go with that of Livan Hernandez and Jason Marquis) to a group of youngsters. And despite the early shakiness, Maya’s Nats’ teammates were impressed with what they saw. Maya’s steady start was the talk of the Nationals’ club house following the game — but the new Cuban finesse artist took a distinct second spot in the headlines to Mets’ rookie Dillon Gee . Gee, a 27th round draft pick of the Mets in 2007 , shut down the Nats — even though, like Maya, he did not have overpowering stuff. But Gee’s mix of pitches was enough to impress Nats’ reserve Willie Harris, whose command of Gee provided the modest Washington crowd with a sigh of relief. “The one thing I noticed was that he was pretty aggressive in the strike zone early,” Harris said following the game. “He was going fastball early, and then he was going to his breaking pitch. Once he started guys off with breaking pitches and got behind in the count, he would come after them with fastballs.” Gee’s arrival is good news for the Mets, who are in desperate need of starting pitching as they attempt to salvage something from a disappointing season. The addition of Gee could be just what the Mets front office ordered — the New Yorkers have few top-notch pitching prospects in their minor league system and have made puzzling mistakes in judging their mound talent ( Oliver Perez ) over the last several years. Gee, as he showed on Tuesday, is the welcome exception. (above: AP photo of Yuniesky Maya; below, Dillon Gee, AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Tags: Dillon Gee , Jim Riggleman , new york mets , washington nationals , Willie Harris , Yunesky Maya Posted in national league east , new york mets , pitching , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Danny Slams Mets Monday, September 6th, 2010 Rookie sensation Danny Espinosa continued his late-season surge through the pitching rotations of the National League, victimizing the New York Mets by going 4-5, with two home runs and six RBIs. The Espinosa attack, which included an inside the pole homer to left field and a grand slam off the facade in right field, led the Nationals to a 13-3 pasting of the Mets . MASN commenter Ray Knight called Espinosa’s Labor Day outing “a career game,” in this, Espinosa’s fifth game in the majors. Espinosa is hitting .563 with three doubles, three home runs, ten RBIs and four runs scored in just five games since being called to the majors on September 1. With their 60th win of the season, the Nationals passed their wins total for the 2009 campaign, which stood at 59. Washington has now won seven of its last 11 games. The Nats recent winning ways have been powered by their work at the plate: the team has scored 74 runs in the last ten games. The game’s other hero was Pudge Rodriguez who, after suffering through a season of puzzling and unpredictable slumps, has batted in seven runs over the last two tilts . The game also resulted in a win for lefty Scott Olsen, who grumbled about being relegated to the bullpen in this morning’s Washington Post . Olsen pitched four solid innings in relief of starter Jordan Zimmermann, taming the Mets’ batting order, while striking out three and walking none. Olsen upped his season total to 4-8, while lowering his ERA to 5.58. Recently recalled Collin Balester pitched the 9th inning, striking out two. But the game was truly “all-Espinosa,” who was rewarded with a curtain call after his grand slam, and a whipped cream pie in the face by Nats John Lannan during his post-game interview. “It was a great day,” Espinosa told reporters after the game. “I had so much fun.” Tags: Danny Espinosa , new york mets , Pudge Rodriguez , Scott Olsen , washington nationals Posted in Danny Espinosa , Ivan Rodriguez , new york mets , Scott Olsen , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Two Of Three From The Ahoys Monday, September 6th, 2010 Ryan Zimmerman accounted for four of the Nats runs with four RBIs, righty Jason Marquis pitched a solid six innings and slugger Adam Dunn hit a long home run into the left field seats as the Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1 on Sunday. The win marked the first time that the Nats had won a road series since May, as the Anacostia Nine took two of three on the road against the Ahoys . “Start-by-start I feel like I’m getting to where I need to be,” Marquis sai following his outing. “Obviously early on I was hurting, and since the surgery I feel like Jason Marquis more day-by-day. The last four starts have been right where I want to be, although I’d like to go a little deeper into games, but I’ve just got to minimize my pitch count and that will happen.” Fear And Trembling In San Diego : You don’t have to listen too closely to hear the concern in the voices of the radio announcers for the San Diego Padres. It was obvious in the bottom of the 9th inning on Sunday, with the Colorado Rockies about to sweep their three game series with the Friars — sending the Pads to their tenth loss in a row . “Well,” color analyst Jerry Coleman said , “the Padres have three outs to turn this thing around. You have to wonder.” The frustration of the broadcast team of “double X 1090” had been growing throughout the game, ever since the Padres had tied the Rockies in the 6th, only to see the Heltons climb back by scoring two in the top of the seventh. “It’s like we’re snake bit,” Coleman said. The Padres skid is their worst since May of 1994 and the worst for a first place team since the 1932 Pirates. “We’re in games,” Padres manger Bud Black explained after Sunday’s loss . “We’re just not generating the big hit, we’re not generating the offense to get us over the top. We’re just not executing the pitch, making the play that changes the course of a game.” If San Diego doesn’t do something soon, they’re in danger of drawing comparisons with the 1969 Cubs, who were in first place in August, but then let the Mets catch them, or the 1964 Phillies — whose late-season collapse remains legion. It’s hard to determine what ails the Pads: there haven’t been any blow-outs during the skid, but the team seems incapable of winning the close ones. In many ways, the Sunday tilt against the Rockies was typical: the pitching was solid (but not solid enough) and the Padres hit (but not exactly when they need to), and the team took the early lead — but couldn’t hold it. With the exception of a 5-0 skunking at the hands of the Phillies back on August 29 and an 11-5 disaster against the Diamondbacks (that started the meltdown) the Friars have been in nearly every game. The Padres’ problem is what we always thought it would be — hitting. The Friars have scored just 23 runs in their ten game skid and have found it nearly impossible to hit with runners in scoring position, plating one run for every five chances. Ryan Ludwick was supposed to help solve the team’s RBI production problems but, after a solid start in his new digs, he just hasn’t done it. The right fielder, who the Padres picked up in a three-way swap with the Cardinals and Indians at the trade deadline, is known for his nose-in-the-dirt play and ability to compete in close games, but he’s hit .194 over the losing streak — a fall-off in production as sudden as it is unexplained. And don’t look now, but young hurler Wade LeBlanc (a solid starter to go with the likes of Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, Jon Garland and Kevin Correia) is in a free-fall. In ten starts since mid-July, LeBlanc has seen his ERA fall from 3.30 to 4.15. Ugh. There’s a bright side, of course. The Padres are still in first place, the team’s starters are still “the best in the West” (and maybe in the entire National League), Bud Black is one of the savviest managers in the majors — and it ain’t over until it’s over. But the Padres have to be worried: they face the surging McCoveys seven times over the next four weeks (including a four game set this coming weekend) and the Rockies seem to have their number, having won 11 of 15 in their last meetings. The Padres face Colorado in a three game set in Denver starting next Monday — having just been swept by them in San Diego. “We’ll be fine — trust me,” Padres’ second sacker David Eckstein said in the midst of this most recent skid. And, you know, maybe he’s right. But in the sprint to the poll, and with the Giants and Rockies in their rear view mirror, the Padres need to start hitting. ( above: Ryan Zimmerman, AP Photo/Keith Srakocic. Below: David Eckstein in San Diego AP Photo/Denis Poroy ) Tags: Adam Dunn , Bud Black , Colorado Rockes , David Eckstein , Jason Marquis , Jon Garland , Mat Latos , pittsburgh pirates , Ryan Ludwick , ryan zimmerman , san diego padres , san francisco giants , washington nationals Posted in Adam Dunn , Jason Marquis , national league west , pitching , ryan zimmerman , san diego padres , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Nats Bats (And Lannan) Scuttle Pirates Sunday, September 5th, 2010 The hitting of Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez and the stellas pitching of John Lannan paced the Washington Nationals to a 9-2 victory over the Pirates at PNC Park on Saturday. Rodriguez led the Nats’ fifteen hit attack , with an opposite field home run, while John Lannan pitched seven complete — giving up only five hits. It was his best outing of the year and solidified his place in the rotation for 2011. “Pudge and I did a great job just mixing it up on both sides of the plate,” Lannan said after the game. “I threw some [four-seam fastballs] inside to righties and some [two-seam fastballs] into lefties. I had my changeup working again, and that’s been the pitch I’ve gone to if I was getting behind hitters. It kept them off-balance a little bit. You get a little more comfortable out there when your team puts up that many runs.” Desmond Makes His Case : Washington Nationals’ rookie shortstop Ian Desmond is making a strong case for being considered as the N.L.’s premier rookie. But two obstacles stand in his way — he makes too many errors (31! — including two last night), and the competition is stiff. The early betting was that Atlanta’s Jason Heyward would win the award, and for a time it looked like he would. Heyward set the baseball world chattering through April and May, but his production fell off through the summer. Still: .282 with 16 home runs (and he’s only 20) could find him shoehorned into the top spot. The betting now seems to be that Buster Posey will get the nod — despite the fact that he started the season late. Tim Dierkes over at MLB Trade Rumors posted a list in April that included all of the good guesses, which included Heyward and Desmond, as well as Florida’s Gaby Sanchez, San Francisco’s Buster Posey, Chicago’s Starlin Castro, Pittsburgh’s Pedro Alvarez, Washington’s Drew Storen (and Stephen Strasburg), and Cincinnati’s Mike Leake. That leaves out Cubbie Tyler Colvin , who’s having a tremendous year — he’s stroked 19 home runs. You can make a strong case for Desmond, who has raised his batting average over the last month from the so-so mid-.260s to .287 — an unforeseen spike that, if it continues, could see the 24-year-old ending the season near .300. And Desmond has unpredicted power, line-driving nine home runs. That number could easily increase in 2011. Desmond’s long-ball potential is a plus for the Nats, who would gladly take a .280 batting average with a handful of home runs each year — but 20? 25? Desmond says that he patterns his play on the model provided by Empire glove man Derek Jeter and his numbers show it. While Jeter seems to be struggling for homers as he ages , the pinstriper once hit 24, a number well within reach of his younger apprentice. But Jeter’s value is his day-in-and-day-out crusade in the middle of the Yankees infield, his ability to play virtually injury free and his steady glove-work. Ah, and he has a .314 lifetime BA — which Desmond might find difficult to equal. Desmond is right to emulate his hero, but he has a long way to go to reach his level (cutting down on the errors would be the way to start). It’s the fielding stats that will likely doom Desmond in any final voting for the Jackie Robinson Award , which means that Giants workhorse Buster Posey will get the nod. It’s hard to argue with that choice — with a .328 batting average, he deserves it. Tags: atlanta braves , Buster Posey , chicago cubs , Drew Storen , Gaby Sanchez , Ian Desmond , Jackie Robinson Award , Jason Heyward , John Lannan , Mike Leake , Pedro Alvarez , Pudge Rodriguez , san francisco giants , Starlin Castro , Tyler Colvin , washington nationals Posted in Ian Desmond , Ivan Rodriguez , John Lannan , national league , san francisco giants , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Espinosa Arrives, But Nats Fall Saturday, September 4th, 2010 Nationals fans got a glimpse of the team’s future double play combination on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, as Danny Espinosa got the starting nod at second base. After spending most of three years in the minors (with stints in Vermont, Potomac, Harrisburg and Syracuse), Espinosa cashed in on his early-September call up by launching his first home run (in the top of the third inning) into the right field seats at PNC Park and turning a seamless double play at a position that he will play well into the future. The Desmond-Espinosa combo is likely to be the opening day up-the-middle defense for the Nats in 2011. Espinosa’s exposure at second base was the only piece of good news for the Nats on Friday night, however, as the Pirates beat up on steady starter Livan Hernandez, touching up the right hander for eight earned runs in just 4.1 innings . Hernandez was philosophical about his outing: “It’s not happening sometimes,” he said. “When it’s not your day, it’s not your day.” Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines : We had plenty of responses from readers on our posting on Albert Pujols and Lou Gehrig, including complaints that we are “N.L.-centric” and that we purposely left out “the one guy who puts Albert to shame.” The reader went on a screed, saying that “Alex Rodriguez has better numbers, plays for a better team, has more awards and plays a more difficult position” than Pujols. “Pujols is a very, very good player,” the reader said. “But he’s no Alex Rodriguez.” So we checked the numbers. Rodriguez has 604 home runs in 17 seasons (Pujols has 401 in ten), has a career BA of .303 (Pujols is at .332), has a career OBP of .387 (Pujols is at .425) and has won three MVPs — the same number as Pujols . Albert doesn’t play for the Empire, but he’s played in two World Series, while Rodriguez has played in one. Pujols lags behind Albert in games played (of course), but all that this means is that Pujols (who’s played in 1530) has about 700 games (Rodriguez has played in 2278) to catch the pride of the Gothams in career home runs — and at this rate (of about 33 per year) he will. By our reckoning (and at the current rate), when Pujols has played in 2200 games, he will have hit just over 610 homers. The reader is right: Alex Rodriguez is a great player. In fact, he’s the second best player in baseball today. Tags: Albert Pujols , Alex Rodriguez , Danny Espinosa , Livan Hernandez , New York Yankees , pittsburgh pirates , St. Louis Cardinals , washington nationals Posted in Baseball Cards , Danny Espinosa , Ian Desmond , New York Yankees , pittsburgh pirates , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Rebuilding With Youth — Or Not Friday, September 3rd, 2010 You know your team is in trouble when the title articles on its official website talk about next year as if it’s already here. So it is with the Pittsburgh Pirates , who are not only mired in last place in the N.L. Central (again) — but contending for honors as the worst team in baseball with the likes of the Birds and Mariners. Hence: “Craving experience, young Bucs welcome Nats,” is actually a stand-in wink and nod to Pirates fans that means “Come to the ballpark — because we actually might be able to beat these guys.” In truth, while Pirates’ pundits go on and on about how the two teams have a lot in common (“two teams that are trying to squeeze some positives out of a marathon season”), Nationals fans can take comfort in the fact that while the Anacostia Nine are bad, they’re not as bad as this year’s version of the Stargells — who are 44-89 . 44-89? That puts the Pittsburgers several games back of the Ripkins for MLB last place honors. It’s not as if Bucs fans don’t know it. Just yesterday, Raise the Jolly Roger (the most acerbic critic of the Pirates’ front office), actually celebrated the Pirates 5-3 loss to the Cubs by noting that “at least they looked like a team that knew what it was doing.” Rum Bunter (a whiz with photoshop), is (if anything), even more outraged; he painfully chronicles the fall of the 2010 Pirates by listing the five reasons they “suck” — and (surprise, surprise) four of the five have to do with pitching. Bucs Dugout, meanwhile, notes that while the Pirates have been terrible, they actually haven’t been terrible enough . Which is to say: being next-to-last in baseball means that they’ve missed out on the very best prospects (including Stephan Strasburg), while picking up talent that hasn’t panned out. So, if you want to look at it this way, being last in baseball this year might be just what the doctor ordered for a team with nowhere to go but up. Doesn’t anyone have anything good to say about this team? Well . . . no. But there is some hope. Pittsburgh’s bloggers are abuzz with talk about Jose Tabata, a hot-hitting left fielder and former prospect in the Yankees organization, which signed him which he was just “16.” Tabata is hitting the cover off the ball , though it took him time to get started: he only arrived in the show in early June, and had trouble stringing together a good run. But now Tabata is the talk of Pittsburgh, and being mentioned in the same breath as other N.L. rookies: Florida’s Gaby Sanchez, Washington’s Ian Desmond, Atlanta’s Jason Heyward, and Chicago duo Tyler Colvin and Starlin Castro. Of course (there’s always an “of course” when it comes to the Pirates), the celebration over the arrival of the young rookie (the “centerpiece” of a trade that sent Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady to the Empire ), could be premature. The rap on Tabata, an apparent leftover from yakkers in the Yankees’ minor league system, is that while the young Venezuelan has oodles and oodles of talent, he was lazy and had a bad attitude. That would have killed any thought of him playing in the Nats organization (Mike Rizzo hates the word “lazy”) but it didn’t matter to rehab specialist and Pirates’ GM Neal Huntington — who ignored the warnings, believing they were overstated. It appears the gamble has worked out. Tabata is now a featured sparkplug in the middle of a play-em-young-or-bust Pittsburgh philosophy. Yet. Yet, at the end of July a correspondent for Bleacher Report cited rumors circulating in Pittsburgh that the young phenom might not actually be that young. That instead of being 22 (his birthday is August 12) he might actually be all of 25 . . . or 26. Or, as BR says: “This is actually very important news as far as the Pirates and Tabata’s future development are concerned. If Tabata turns 22 on August 12th, he’s a hell of prospect, given his past minor performance, even if he isn’t much of a major league left-fielder today. On the other hand, if Tabata turns 25 on August 12th, he isn’t much of a prospect at all.” A controversy? A scandal? Not for Pirates’ GM and resident player therapist Neal Huntington (insert snide comment about Nyjer Morgan here), who responded to the reports by issuing a non-clarification: Huntington said he has documentation showing that Tabata was born when he says he was born (take that!), but that even if the reports are true (ahem) it doesn’t matter . Or more pertinently: “Apart from unfounded speculation, there is nothing to indicate his age any different than reported,” Huntington said . “My point is that while we have reason to doubt his reported age, it is a non-issue to us.” Roughly translated: the only number we care about is the one in the column marked “BA.” Pirates fans would undoubtedly agree, as they have had little to cheer about this year, or last … or the year before that … We can take a closer look tonight, when the Stargells begin a three game set against your Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh. Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines : Letters and cards pored in from all over the globe, as our millions of worldwide readers were justly irritated that they couldn’t get on the site over the last 18 hours or so. Our board of directors (you remember our board of directors — right?) “instructed” (that is, demanded ) that our crack technical team ( and here they are ) clean us up a tad bit, and so they did. It won’t happen again (of course it will, but never mind), but apologies nonetheless. Tags: Jose Tabata , Neal Huntington , pittsburgh pirates , washington nationals , Willie Stargell Posted in national league central , pittsburgh pirates , washington nationals | 1 Comment » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Tony: Flushed Friday, September 3rd, 2010 ESPN is reporting that Major League Baseball has suspended Nyjer Morgan for eight games for three separate incidents : for unnecessarily running into St. Louis catcher Bryan Anderson at home plate during a game in Washington, for directing ” inappropriate comments” towards fans in Florida on August 31 in Florida, and for charging the mound in the top of the 6th inning during that same game. The disciplinary action is in addition to a seven game suspension meted out to Morgan (which he is appealing) for throwing a baseball into the stands during a Nationals’ game at Philadelphia. The Nationals have had no immediate comment on the reported MLB action. The MLB also reportedly handed down a six game suspension to Marlins’ pitcher Chris Volstad, a five game suspension to pitcher Alex Sanabia, a three game suspension to Gaby Sanchez and has fined Marlins’ pitcher Jose Veras. Nationals’ pitcher Doug Slaten was also suspended (for three games), as was skipper Jim Riggleman (two games, with a fine). Nationals’ third base coach Pat Listach was suspended (and fined) for three games, as was Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez (for three games –with a fine). Jim Riggleman will reportedly begin serving his suspension tonight, when the Nationals face off against the Pirates in Pitttsburgh. Tags: Jim Riggleman , Nyjer Morgan , washington nationals Posted in Jim Riggleman , Nyjer Morgan , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Melee In Miami Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 There are lots of Nats’ fans who think that Nyjer Morgan has a screw loose — but his scrum in Miami last night (perhaps, as one reader writes , “he misses hockey”), makes for exciting baseball. And it shows that the Nats (first in war, first in peace and still last in the NL Least) have a bit of life left in them. Nats’ manager Jim Riggleman defended Morgan, particularly after the Marlins took umbrage with his decision to steal second and third with the Nats down ten runs — a no-no that’s considered a cheapy in baseball’s Book of Unwritten Rules. Of course, not everyone agrees with that, in part because no one has ever actually seen the book — but because the “rule” is a bunch of hooey. “My feeling has always been, if you hit somebody, you did what you set out to do,” Nats skipper Jim Riggleman said after the game . “If he decides to run on you, that’s his business. I have no problem with that at all. We decide when we run. The Florida Marlins don’t decide when we run. Nobody decides when we run.” The Miami melee began after, having already been hit once (the result of Nyjer’s decking of the Marlins’ catcher on a play at the plate on Tuesday), Florida starter Chris Volstad threw behind the Nats’ center fielder. Morgan charged the mound and in the ensuing one-on-one (Morgan threw a roundhouse left at Volstad, as both benches emptied), Marlins’ first baseman Gaby Sanchez clothes-lined the Curacao native . “When I saw [Morgan] running out, obviously, he’s not coming out there to talk,” Volstad said. “I was just trying to defend myself and not get hurt. Gaby had my back. The whole team had my back. Everyone was there. It’s just part of the game.” The fight (and Morgan’s decking of Marlins catcher Brett Hayes), resulted in six ejections (Jim Riggleman and reliever Doug Slaten were ejected later in the game — after Slaten plunked cheap-shot artist Gaby Sanchez) and will likely result in suspensions and fines for those most involved. The Marlins say the bad blood between the teams is now behind them (“I know it’s over for me,” Marlins third sacker Wes Helms said . “I hope it is for these other guys”), but there’s bound to be some lingering irritations — the Nats and Marlins play regularly as N.L. East rivals, and neither Morgan nor Sanchez are the forgive-and-forget types. In the wake of the dust-up, Nats’ commentators were quick to criticize Morgan. Mark Zuckerman said we all should have seen this coming, and described Morgan’s behavior over the last two weeks as “sad and predictable.” Ben Goessling , meanwhile, speculates that it’s all but inevitable that the Nats will part with Morgan. Goessling adds, correctly we think, that Morgan brings an energy to the game that the Nats need. FJB says that “Nyjer needs to go” while Dan Steinberg points out that one of Morgan’s less endearing traits is his tendency to jaw with fans. All of that is undoubtedly true: Nyjer Morgan can’t be allowed to carry on a dialogue with fans and Riggleman was right to bench him for purposely and unnecessarily elbowing the Cards catcher here in D.C. last week. And despite Zuckerman’s correct judgment (that we should have seen this coming — and we did), there’s need for a little perspective: it’s no t a given that Morgan’s collision with Hayes was intended to injure (it probably wasn’t) and Nyjer took his medicine when he was hit the first time by Volstad (he had it coming and he knew it — and trotted to first with nary a second thought). But a second attempt to plunk the plucky center fielder is over the line — as Jim Riggleman, holding a single digit and yelling “one time” at the Marlins manager — showed. And Gaby Sanchez’s clotheslining (which brought oohs and ahhs from the Marlins’ clubhouse) of Morgan is not a sign of Sanchez’s fighting prowess, it was a cheap and thuggish blindside shot. Doug Slaten figured that out, and responded. And rightly so. Washingtonians have short memories. Last year nearly everyone (including MASN’s Bob Carpenter and his dearly departed sidekick) were telling us how crappy a player Alberto Gonzalez was — this year we can’t get enough of him. Austin Kearns was the fair-haired boy when he came here from hog heaven , but lost his fans when he snapped a tendon and tried to play through it. Remember? We couldn’t get enough of Nyjer last year, when he was the best Nats player in September and ignited a team that didn’t look like it cared. And while we can roll our eyes at Morgan’s “Tony Plush” put-on, he is (by all accounts) a tough team player who wants to win. Now we’re all calling for his head. And why? Because he did this last week what Pete Rose did his entire career. So — yeah — the Nats will part ways with Nyjer this winter, but they shouldn’t do it before then and they shouldn’t do it because he bangs into opponents while playing the game. They should do it for the right reason: because Roger Bernadina is a better hitter and a better fielder. Give me a break: teams don’t win because they are filled with good citizens, they win because they have good players. Tags: Austin Kearns , Chris Volstad , Florida Marlins , Gaby Sanchez , Jim Riggleman , Nyjer Morgan , washington nationals Posted in Florida Marlins , national league east , Nyjer Morgan , washington nationals | No Comments » Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg Older Entries

Jordan Zimmermann finally got the help he needed , as the Washington Nationals rapped out ten hits at Nationals Park yesterday — and the Nats went on to beat the San Francisco Giants, 5-2. The win brought the Anacostia Nine to within one game of .500, with a final game against the Giants coming this evening.

Zimmermann scattered six hits over six innings , striking out four and walking only two. Zimmermann was followed by Tyler Clippard, Sean Burnett and Drew Storen, all of whom held the Giants scoreless. The big hits of the day were registered by Jayson Werth ( who went 3-4 ) and Pudge Rodriguez, who stroked a clutch two run single in the 8th inning to give the Nationals some late-inning extra runs. Zimmermann registered his second win against four hard-luck losses, throwing 107 pitches, 69 of them for strikes.

Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines : sometimes a slump isn’t just a slump — it’s just the way things are. While Jayson Werth finally seems to be getting on track (and has raised his average to .242), the rest of the Nine continue to struggle. In fact, some of those other sluggers in “The Valley of the Lost Bats” seem to be going the other way.

Adam LaRoche always has a slow April, but it’s now May. He’s hitting .189 . Rick Ankiel has shown some life, but he might be right where he’s going to stay — at .230 . Plus: those young bucks, Desmond and Espinosa, are lucky to be hitting better than their weight. The real sluggers on the team: Wilson Ramos . . . and . . . and Laynce Nix .

Tags: Jayson Werth , Jordan Zimmermann , Laynce Nix , san francisco giants , washington nationals

Posted in Jordan Zimmermann , san francisco giants , Uncategorized , washington nationals | No Comments »

Add this post to Del.icio.us - Digg

The Chicago White Sox will announce tomorrow that they have signed free agent Adam Dunn . The Washington Nationals’ first baseman has made it clear that he does not want to DH, but his signing with the Pale Hose indicates that he is open to the possibility. His signing leaves the Washington Nationals with a void at first base. The current speculation is that the Nationals will now step up their pursuit of Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Carlos Pena , or perhaps D-Back Adam LaRoche . Of course, it’s always possible that the Nats will decide to use Josh Willingham as their first baseman, or perhaps even Michael Morris — no matter how unlikely those two possibilities may now seem. The departure of Dunn brings an end to the Nationals’ front office debate on whether to keep Dunn because of his bat, or to let him walk because of his defensive liabilities. Chicago’s signing of Dunn is not a complete surprise. The White Sox have always been interested in the slugger, and the Nationals and Pale Hose were involved in intense discussions on Dunn prior to this season’s mid-summer trade deadline. Now — with Dunn walking — the Nationals will receive a supplementary first round pick in the first year player draft and Chicago’s 23rd overall pick in next year’s draft. Dunn, it is reliably reported, will sign a deal with Chicago far in excess of anything that he was offered with the Nationals: four years and $56 million. The Nats were reportedly only willing to offer him a three year contract. The signing of either Pena or LaRoche would be a step-up defensively for the Nationals, though Pena hit an anemic .196 for the Rays, while LaRoche (good around the bag, and with a quick glove), hit .261 — with 25 home runs.

Tags: Adam Dunn , chicago white sox , Washington Naitonals

Posted in Adam Dunn , chicago white sox , washington nationals | No Comments »

Yunesky Maya is an acquired taste: after a rocky first inning (in which Mets’ first baseman Ike Davis hit one of the longest home runs in the short history of Nationals’ Park), the highly touted Cuban righthander settled down and pitched steadily through the 5th. But (as nearly every print journalist — and Jim Riggleman), said after the Nats lost 4-1 to the Mets , it was too late. Maya gave up three runs in the first and one in the second, and Mets rookie righty Dillon Gee shut down the Nats, pitching a no-hitter until Willie Harris put a dinger into the right field seats. “I gave up four runs. I just wanted to hold them there to give the team a chance to win the game,” Maya said after his first outing in a Nats’ uniform. “I didn’t want them to score any more runs on me. I just felt more comfortable [after] that first inning. I was hitting my spots. When I do well, that’s what I do. I’m ahead of the hitters, and I can do what I want after that.”

Despite the shaky start (Maya admitted that he was nervous), Maya’s curve and smarts make him a contender for a spot in the Nats’ starting rotation in 2011. This is good news for Washington G.M. Mike Rizzo, who signed the Cuban veteran to a four year $6 million contract in July . The “book” on Maya is that, while he does not have overwhelming stuff, he is a smart veteran pitcher with enough experience to make an impact on the club — adding a much-needed savvy arm (to go with that of Livan Hernandez and Jason Marquis) to a group of youngsters. And despite the early shakiness, Maya’s Nats’ teammates were impressed with what they saw. Maya’s steady start was the talk of the Nationals’ club house following the game — but the new Cuban finesse artist took a distinct second spot in the headlines to Mets’ rookie Dillon Gee .

Gee, a 27th round draft pick of the Mets in 2007 , shut down the Nats — even though, like Maya, he did not have overpowering stuff. But Gee’s mix of pitches was enough to impress Nats’ reserve Willie Harris, whose command of Gee provided the modest Washington crowd with a sigh of relief. “The one thing I noticed was that he was pretty aggressive in the strike zone early,” Harris said following the game. “He was going fastball early, and then he was going to his breaking pitch. Once he started guys off with breaking pitches and got behind in the count, he would come after them with fastballs.” Gee’s arrival is good news for the Mets, who are in desperate need of starting pitching as they attempt to salvage something from a disappointing season. The addition of Gee could be just what the Mets front office ordered — the New Yorkers have few top-notch pitching prospects in their minor league system and have made puzzling mistakes in judging their mound talent ( Oliver Perez ) over the last several years. Gee, as he showed on Tuesday, is the welcome exception.

(above: AP photo of Yuniesky Maya; below, Dillon Gee, AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Tags: Dillon Gee , Jim Riggleman , new york mets , washington nationals , Willie Harris , Yunesky Maya

Posted in national league east , new york mets , pitching , washington nationals | No Comments »

Tags: Danny Espinosa , new york mets , Pudge Rodriguez , Scott Olsen , washington nationals

Posted in Danny Espinosa , Ivan Rodriguez , new york mets , Scott Olsen , washington nationals | No Comments »

Ryan Zimmerman accounted for four of the Nats runs with four RBIs, righty Jason Marquis pitched a solid six innings and slugger Adam Dunn hit a long home run into the left field seats as the Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1 on Sunday. The win marked the first time that the Nats had won a road series since May, as the Anacostia Nine took two of three on the road against the Ahoys . “Start-by-start I feel like I’m getting to where I need to be,” Marquis sai following his outing. “Obviously early on I was hurting, and since the surgery I feel like Jason Marquis more day-by-day. The last four starts have been right where I want to be, although I’d like to go a little deeper into games, but I’ve just got to minimize my pitch count and that will happen.”

Fear And Trembling In San Diego : You don’t have to listen too closely to hear the concern in the voices of the radio announcers for the San Diego Padres. It was obvious in the bottom of the 9th inning on Sunday, with the Colorado Rockies about to sweep their three game series with the Friars — sending the Pads to their tenth loss in a row . “Well,” color analyst Jerry Coleman said , “the Padres have three outs to turn this thing around. You have to wonder.” The frustration of the broadcast team of “double X 1090” had been growing throughout the game, ever since the Padres had tied the Rockies in the 6th, only to see the Heltons climb back by scoring two in the top of the seventh. “It’s like we’re snake bit,” Coleman said. The Padres skid is their worst since May of 1994 and the worst for a first place team since the 1932 Pirates. “We’re in games,” Padres manger Bud Black explained after Sunday’s loss . “We’re just not generating the big hit, we’re not generating the offense to get us over the top. We’re just not executing the pitch, making the play that changes the course of a game.”

If San Diego doesn’t do something soon, they’re in danger of drawing comparisons with the 1969 Cubs, who were in first place in August, but then let the Mets catch them, or the 1964 Phillies — whose late-season collapse remains legion. It’s hard to determine what ails the Pads: there haven’t been any blow-outs during the skid, but the team seems incapable of winning the close ones. In many ways, the Sunday tilt against the Rockies was typical: the pitching was solid (but not solid enough) and the Padres hit (but not exactly when they need to), and the team took the early lead — but couldn’t hold it. With the exception of a 5-0 skunking at the hands of the Phillies back on August 29 and an 11-5 disaster against the Diamondbacks (that started the meltdown) the Friars have been in nearly every game.

The Padres’ problem is what we always thought it would be — hitting. The Friars have scored just 23 runs in their ten game skid and have found it nearly impossible to hit with runners in scoring position, plating one run for every five chances. Ryan Ludwick was supposed to help solve the team’s RBI production problems but, after a solid start in his new digs, he just hasn’t done it. The right fielder, who the Padres picked up in a three-way swap with the Cardinals and Indians at the trade deadline, is known for his nose-in-the-dirt play and ability to compete in close games, but he’s hit .194 over the losing streak — a fall-off in production as sudden as it is unexplained. And don’t look now, but young hurler Wade LeBlanc (a solid starter to go with the likes of Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, Jon Garland and Kevin Correia) is in a free-fall. In ten starts since mid-July, LeBlanc has seen his ERA fall from 3.30 to 4.15. Ugh.

There’s a bright side, of course. The Padres are still in first place, the team’s starters are still “the best in the West” (and maybe in the entire National League), Bud Black is one of the savviest managers in the majors — and it ain’t over until it’s over. But the Padres have to be worried: they face the surging McCoveys seven times over the next four weeks (including a four game set this coming weekend) and the Rockies seem to have their number, having won 11 of 15 in their last meetings. The Padres face Colorado in a three game set in Denver starting next Monday — having just been swept by them in San Diego. “We’ll be fine — trust me,” Padres’ second sacker David Eckstein said in the midst of this most recent skid. And, you know, maybe he’s right. But in the sprint to the poll, and with the Giants and Rockies in their rear view mirror, the Padres need to start hitting.

( above: Ryan Zimmerman, AP Photo/Keith Srakocic. Below: David Eckstein in San Diego AP Photo/Denis Poroy )

Tags: Adam Dunn , Bud Black , Colorado Rockes , David Eckstein , Jason Marquis , Jon Garland , Mat Latos , pittsburgh pirates , Ryan Ludwick , ryan zimmerman , san diego padres , san francisco giants , washington nationals

Posted in Adam Dunn , Jason Marquis , national league west , pitching , ryan zimmerman , san diego padres , washington nationals | No Comments »

The hitting of Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez and the stellas pitching of John Lannan paced the Washington Nationals to a 9-2 victory over the Pirates at PNC Park on Saturday. Rodriguez led the Nats’ fifteen hit attack , with an opposite field home run, while John Lannan pitched seven complete — giving up only five hits. It was his best outing of the year and solidified his place in the rotation for 2011. “Pudge and I did a great job just mixing it up on both sides of the plate,” Lannan said after the game. “I threw some [four-seam fastballs] inside to righties and some [two-seam fastballs] into lefties. I had my changeup working again, and that’s been the pitch I’ve gone to if I was getting behind hitters. It kept them off-balance a little bit. You get a little more comfortable out there when your team puts up that many runs.”

Desmond Makes His Case : Washington Nationals’ rookie shortstop Ian Desmond is making a strong case for being considered as the N.L.’s premier rookie. But two obstacles stand in his way — he makes too many errors (31! — including two last night), and the competition is stiff. The early betting was that Atlanta’s Jason Heyward would win the award, and for a time it looked like he would. Heyward set the baseball world chattering through April and May, but his production fell off through the summer. Still: .282 with 16 home runs (and he’s only 20) could find him shoehorned into the top spot. The betting now seems to be that Buster Posey will get the nod — despite the fact that he started the season late. Tim Dierkes over at MLB Trade Rumors posted a list in April that included all of the good guesses, which included Heyward and Desmond, as well as Florida’s Gaby Sanchez, San Francisco’s Buster Posey, Chicago’s Starlin Castro, Pittsburgh’s Pedro Alvarez, Washington’s Drew Storen (and Stephen Strasburg), and Cincinnati’s Mike Leake. That leaves out Cubbie Tyler Colvin , who’s having a tremendous year — he’s stroked 19 home runs.

You can make a strong case for Desmond, who has raised his batting average over the last month from the so-so mid-.260s to .287 — an unforeseen spike that, if it continues, could see the 24-year-old ending the season near .300. And Desmond has unpredicted power, line-driving nine home runs. That number could easily increase in 2011. Desmond’s long-ball potential is a plus for the Nats, who would gladly take a .280 batting average with a handful of home runs each year — but 20? 25? Desmond says that he patterns his play on the model provided by Empire glove man Derek Jeter and his numbers show it. While Jeter seems to be struggling for homers as he ages , the pinstriper once hit 24, a number well within reach of his younger apprentice. But Jeter’s value is his day-in-and-day-out crusade in the middle of the Yankees infield, his ability to play virtually injury free and his steady glove-work. Ah, and he has a .314 lifetime BA — which Desmond might find difficult to equal. Desmond is right to emulate his hero, but he has a long way to go to reach his level (cutting down on the errors would be the way to start). It’s the fielding stats that will likely doom Desmond in any final voting for the Jackie Robinson Award , which means that Giants workhorse Buster Posey will get the nod. It’s hard to argue with that choice — with a .328 batting average, he deserves it.

Tags: atlanta braves , Buster Posey , chicago cubs , Drew Storen , Gaby Sanchez , Ian Desmond , Jackie Robinson Award , Jason Heyward , John Lannan , Mike Leake , Pedro Alvarez , Pudge Rodriguez , san francisco giants , Starlin Castro , Tyler Colvin , washington nationals

Posted in Ian Desmond , Ivan Rodriguez , John Lannan , national league , san francisco giants , washington nationals | No Comments »

Nationals fans got a glimpse of the team’s future double play combination on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, as Danny Espinosa got the starting nod at second base. After spending most of three years in the minors (with stints in Vermont, Potomac, Harrisburg and Syracuse), Espinosa cashed in on his early-September call up by launching his first home run (in the top of the third inning) into the right field seats at PNC Park and turning a seamless double play at a position that he will play well into the future. The Desmond-Espinosa combo is likely to be the opening day up-the-middle defense for the Nats in 2011. Espinosa’s exposure at second base was the only piece of good news for the Nats on Friday night, however, as the Pirates beat up on steady starter Livan Hernandez, touching up the right hander for eight earned runs in just 4.1 innings . Hernandez was philosophical about his outing: “It’s not happening sometimes,” he said. “When it’s not your day, it’s not your day.”

Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines : We had plenty of responses from readers on our posting on Albert Pujols and Lou Gehrig, including complaints that we are “N.L.-centric” and that we purposely left out “the one guy who puts Albert to shame.” The reader went on a screed, saying that “Alex Rodriguez has better numbers, plays for a better team, has more awards and plays a more difficult position” than Pujols. “Pujols is a very, very good player,” the reader said. “But he’s no Alex Rodriguez.” So we checked the numbers. Rodriguez has 604 home runs in 17 seasons (Pujols has 401 in ten), has a career BA of .303 (Pujols is at .332), has a career OBP of .387 (Pujols is at .425) and has won three MVPs — the same number as Pujols . Albert doesn’t play for the Empire, but he’s played in two World Series, while Rodriguez has played in one. Pujols lags behind Albert in games played (of course), but all that this means is that Pujols (who’s played in 1530) has about 700 games (Rodriguez has played in 2278) to catch the pride of the Gothams in career home runs — and at this rate (of about 33 per year) he will. By our reckoning (and at the current rate), when Pujols has played in 2200 games, he will have hit just over 610 homers. The reader is right: Alex Rodriguez is a great player. In fact, he’s the second best player in baseball today.

Tags: Albert Pujols , Alex Rodriguez , Danny Espinosa , Livan Hernandez , New York Yankees , pittsburgh pirates , St. Louis Cardinals , washington nationals

Posted in Baseball Cards , Danny Espinosa , Ian Desmond , New York Yankees , pittsburgh pirates , washington nationals | No Comments »

You know your team is in trouble when the title articles on its official website talk about next year as if it’s already here. So it is with the Pittsburgh Pirates , who are not only mired in last place in the N.L. Central (again) — but contending for honors as the worst team in baseball with the likes of the Birds and Mariners. Hence: “Craving experience, young Bucs welcome Nats,” is actually a stand-in wink and nod to Pirates fans that means “Come to the ballpark — because we actually might be able to beat these guys.” In truth, while Pirates’ pundits go on and on about how the two teams have a lot in common (“two teams that are trying to squeeze some positives out of a marathon season”), Nationals fans can take comfort in the fact that while the Anacostia Nine are bad, they’re not as bad as this year’s version of the Stargells — who are 44-89 . 44-89? That puts the Pittsburgers several games back of the Ripkins for MLB last place honors.

It’s not as if Bucs fans don’t know it. Just yesterday, Raise the Jolly Roger (the most acerbic critic of the Pirates’ front office), actually celebrated the Pirates 5-3 loss to the Cubs by noting that “at least they looked like a team that knew what it was doing.” Rum Bunter (a whiz with photoshop), is (if anything), even more outraged; he painfully chronicles the fall of the 2010 Pirates by listing the five reasons they “suck” — and (surprise, surprise) four of the five have to do with pitching. Bucs Dugout, meanwhile, notes that while the Pirates have been terrible, they actually haven’t been terrible enough . Which is to say: being next-to-last in baseball means that they’ve missed out on the very best prospects (including Stephan Strasburg), while picking up talent that hasn’t panned out. So, if you want to look at it this way, being last in baseball this year might be just what the doctor ordered for a team with nowhere to go but up.

Doesn’t anyone have anything good to say about this team? Well . . . no. But there is some hope. Pittsburgh’s bloggers are abuzz with talk about Jose Tabata, a hot-hitting left fielder and former prospect in the Yankees organization, which signed him which he was just “16.” Tabata is hitting the cover off the ball , though it took him time to get started: he only arrived in the show in early June, and had trouble stringing together a good run. But now Tabata is the talk of Pittsburgh, and being mentioned in the same breath as other N.L. rookies: Florida’s Gaby Sanchez, Washington’s Ian Desmond, Atlanta’s Jason Heyward, and Chicago duo Tyler Colvin and Starlin Castro. Of course (there’s always an “of course” when it comes to the Pirates), the celebration over the arrival of the young rookie (the “centerpiece” of a trade that sent Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady to the Empire ), could be premature.

The rap on Tabata, an apparent leftover from yakkers in the Yankees’ minor league system, is that while the young Venezuelan has oodles and oodles of talent, he was lazy and had a bad attitude. That would have killed any thought of him playing in the Nats organization (Mike Rizzo hates the word “lazy”) but it didn’t matter to rehab specialist and Pirates’ GM Neal Huntington — who ignored the warnings, believing they were overstated. It appears the gamble has worked out. Tabata is now a featured sparkplug in the middle of a play-em-young-or-bust Pittsburgh philosophy. Yet. Yet, at the end of July a correspondent for Bleacher Report cited rumors circulating in Pittsburgh that the young phenom might not actually be that young. That instead of being 22 (his birthday is August 12) he might actually be all of 25 . . . or 26. Or, as BR says: “This is actually very important news as far as the Pirates and Tabata’s future development are concerned. If Tabata turns 22 on August 12th, he’s a hell of prospect, given his past minor performance, even if he isn’t much of a major league left-fielder today. On the other hand, if Tabata turns 25 on August 12th, he isn’t much of a prospect at all.”

A controversy? A scandal? Not for Pirates’ GM and resident player therapist Neal Huntington (insert snide comment about Nyjer Morgan here), who responded to the reports by issuing a non-clarification: Huntington said he has documentation showing that Tabata was born when he says he was born (take that!), but that even if the reports are true (ahem) it doesn’t matter . Or more pertinently: “Apart from unfounded speculation, there is nothing to indicate his age any different than reported,” Huntington said . “My point is that while we have reason to doubt his reported age, it is a non-issue to us.” Roughly translated: the only number we care about is the one in the column marked “BA.” Pirates fans would undoubtedly agree, as they have had little to cheer about this year, or last … or the year before that …

We can take a closer look tonight, when the Stargells begin a three game set against your Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh.

Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines : Letters and cards pored in from all over the globe, as our millions of worldwide readers were justly irritated that they couldn’t get on the site over the last 18 hours or so. Our board of directors (you remember our board of directors — right?) “instructed” (that is, demanded ) that our crack technical team ( and here they are ) clean us up a tad bit, and so they did. It won’t happen again (of course it will, but never mind), but apologies nonetheless.

Tags: Jose Tabata , Neal Huntington , pittsburgh pirates , washington nationals , Willie Stargell

Posted in national league central , pittsburgh pirates , washington nationals | 1 Comment »

ESPN is reporting that Major League Baseball has suspended Nyjer Morgan for eight games for three separate incidents : for unnecessarily running into St. Louis catcher Bryan Anderson at home plate during a game in Washington, for directing ” inappropriate comments” towards fans in Florida on August 31 in Florida, and for charging the mound in the top of the 6th inning during that same game. The disciplinary action is in addition to a seven game suspension meted out to Morgan (which he is appealing) for throwing a baseball into the stands during a Nationals’ game at Philadelphia. The Nationals have had no immediate comment on the reported MLB action.

The MLB also reportedly handed down a six game suspension to Marlins’ pitcher Chris Volstad, a five game suspension to pitcher Alex Sanabia, a three game suspension to Gaby Sanchez and has fined Marlins’ pitcher Jose Veras. Nationals’ pitcher Doug Slaten was also suspended (for three games), as was skipper Jim Riggleman (two games, with a fine). Nationals’ third base coach Pat Listach was suspended (and fined) for three games, as was Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez (for three games –with a fine). Jim Riggleman will reportedly begin serving his suspension tonight, when the Nationals face off against the Pirates in Pitttsburgh.

Tags: Jim Riggleman , Nyjer Morgan , washington nationals

Posted in Jim Riggleman , Nyjer Morgan , washington nationals | No Comments »

There are lots of Nats’ fans who think that Nyjer Morgan has a screw loose — but his scrum in Miami last night (perhaps, as one reader writes , “he misses hockey”), makes for exciting baseball. And it shows that the Nats (first in war, first in peace and still last in the NL Least) have a bit of life left in them. Nats’ manager Jim Riggleman defended Morgan, particularly after the Marlins took umbrage with his decision to steal second and third with the Nats down ten runs — a no-no that’s considered a cheapy in baseball’s Book of Unwritten Rules. Of course, not everyone agrees with that, in part because no one has ever actually seen the book — but because the “rule” is a bunch of hooey. “My feeling has always been, if you hit somebody, you did what you set out to do,” Nats skipper Jim Riggleman said after the game . “If he decides to run on you, that’s his business. I have no problem with that at all. We decide when we run. The Florida Marlins don’t decide when we run. Nobody decides when we run.”

The Miami melee began after, having already been hit once (the result of Nyjer’s decking of the Marlins’ catcher on a play at the plate on Tuesday), Florida starter Chris Volstad threw behind the Nats’ center fielder. Morgan charged the mound and in the ensuing one-on-one (Morgan threw a roundhouse left at Volstad, as both benches emptied), Marlins’ first baseman Gaby Sanchez clothes-lined the Curacao native . “When I saw [Morgan] running out, obviously, he’s not coming out there to talk,” Volstad said. “I was just trying to defend myself and not get hurt. Gaby had my back. The whole team had my back. Everyone was there. It’s just part of the game.” The fight (and Morgan’s decking of Marlins catcher Brett Hayes), resulted in six ejections (Jim Riggleman and reliever Doug Slaten were ejected later in the game — after Slaten plunked cheap-shot artist Gaby Sanchez) and will likely result in suspensions and fines for those most involved.

The Marlins say the bad blood between the teams is now behind them (“I know it’s over for me,” Marlins third sacker Wes Helms said . “I hope it is for these other guys”), but there’s bound to be some lingering irritations — the Nats and Marlins play regularly as N.L. East rivals, and neither Morgan nor Sanchez are the forgive-and-forget types. In the wake of the dust-up, Nats’ commentators were quick to criticize Morgan. Mark Zuckerman said we all should have seen this coming, and described Morgan’s behavior over the last two weeks as “sad and predictable.” Ben Goessling , meanwhile, speculates that it’s all but inevitable that the Nats will part with Morgan. Goessling adds, correctly we think, that Morgan brings an energy to the game that the Nats need. FJB says that “Nyjer needs to go” while Dan Steinberg points out that one of Morgan’s less endearing traits is his tendency to jaw with fans.

All of that is undoubtedly true: Nyjer Morgan can’t be allowed to carry on a dialogue with fans and Riggleman was right to bench him for purposely and unnecessarily elbowing the Cards catcher here in D.C. last week. And despite Zuckerman’s correct judgment (that we should have seen this coming — and we did), there’s need for a little perspective: it’s no t a given that Morgan’s collision with Hayes was intended to injure (it probably wasn’t) and Nyjer took his medicine when he was hit the first time by Volstad (he had it coming and he knew it — and trotted to first with nary a second thought). But a second attempt to plunk the plucky center fielder is over the line — as Jim Riggleman, holding a single digit and yelling “one time” at the Marlins manager — showed. And Gaby Sanchez’s clotheslining (which brought oohs and ahhs from the Marlins’ clubhouse) of Morgan is not a sign of Sanchez’s fighting prowess, it was a cheap and thuggish blindside shot. Doug Slaten figured that out, and responded. And rightly so.

Washingtonians have short memories. Last year nearly everyone (including MASN’s Bob Carpenter and his dearly departed sidekick) were telling us how crappy a player Alberto Gonzalez was — this year we can’t get enough of him. Austin Kearns was the fair-haired boy when he came here from hog heaven , but lost his fans when he snapped a tendon and tried to play through it. Remember? We couldn’t get enough of Nyjer last year, when he was the best Nats player in September and ignited a team that didn’t look like it cared. And while we can roll our eyes at Morgan’s “Tony Plush” put-on, he is (by all accounts) a tough team player who wants to win. Now we’re all calling for his head. And why? Because he did this last week what Pete Rose did his entire career. So — yeah — the Nats will part ways with Nyjer this winter, but they shouldn’t do it before then and they shouldn’t do it because he bangs into opponents while playing the game. They should do it for the right reason: because Roger Bernadina is a better hitter and a better fielder. Give me a break: teams don’t win because they are filled with good citizens, they win because they have good players.

Tags: Austin Kearns , Chris Volstad , Florida Marlins , Gaby Sanchez , Jim Riggleman , Nyjer Morgan , washington nationals

Posted in Florida Marlins , national league east , Nyjer Morgan , washington nationals | No Comments »

Recent Posts Zim, Bats Fell Giants Gone: Dunn To Sign With White Sox Addie and Jordan Maya Steady, Gee Whiz Danny Slams Mets Two Of Three From The Ahoys Nats Bats (And Lannan) Scuttle Pirates Espinosa Arrives, But Nats Fall Rebuilding With Youth — Or Not Tony: Flushed TBD Baseball Blogs Baseball Daily Digest Baseball Library Baseball Musings Baseball Prospectus Baseball Reference Baseball Think Factory ESPN/MLB Inside The Book MLB Fanhouse MLB Trade Rumors Retrosheet Sports Monarch The Baseball Analysts The Baseball Page The Hardball Times The Sporting News/MLB Baseball Books Ball Four John R. Tunis Moneyball Summer of ’49 The Boys of Summer The Dickson Baseball Dictionary The Universal Baseball Association The Yankee Years Baseball History 19th Century Baseball Atlanta Braves Museum Baseball Almanac Baseball Resources Historic Baseball History of the Game Japanese American Baseball Project Legends of the Game Museum Louisville Slugger Museum Minor League Baseball History MLB History National Baseball Hall of Fame Negro League Baseball Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Nine NLBPA Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum Ted Williams Museum The Babe Ruth Museum The Baseball Archive The Eddie Kranepool Society The History of Baseball The Negro Leagues at MLB The Negro Leagues Baseball Shop The Negro Leagues Website This Day In Baseball History This Day In Baseball History Today In Baseball History Ty Cobb Museum Yogi Berra Museum Blogroll Capitol Punishment Federal Baseball FJB Let Teddy Win! Nationals Buzz Nationals Daily News Nationals Fangirls Nationals Farm Authority Nationals Inquisition Nationals Journal Nationals News Network NationalsFanBoyLooser NATS 320 NATS Triple Play NL East Chatter Phillies Phandom The Nats Blog The Real Dirty Mets Blog Down On The Farm Gulf Coast Nationals Hagerstown Suns Harrisburg Senators The Potomac Nationals The Syracuse Chiefs Vermont Lake Monsters MLB Blogs Amazin’ Avenue Angels Win Athletics Nation AZ Snakepit Baseball Times in Arlington Bay City Ball Bernies Crew Big A Baseball Bleed Cubbie Blue Bleeding Blue and Teal Bless You Boys Boston Dirt Dogs Boston Red Thoughts Braves Blast Brew Crew Ball Bucs Dugout C70 At The Bat Call of the Green Monster Camden Chat Chin Music Comcast Sportsnet Cursed To First DRaysBay Drunk Jays Fans FishStripes Gaslamp Ball Goat Riders of the Apocalypse Halos Heaven Inside the White Sox Jays Nest Let’s Go Tribe Lone Star Ball Mack Avenue Tigers Marlins Today McCovey Chronicles Mets Blog Oriole Magic Over The Monster Over The Monster Phillies Nation Phillies Nation Pinstripe Alley Pittsburgh Lumber Company Purple Row Rays Index Red Reporter Redlegs Rundown River Avenue Blues Royals Authority Royals Review San Diego Spotlight South Side Sox Sox Machine Talking Chop The Astros Dugout The Crawfish Boxes The Cub Reporter The Good Phight The House That Dewey Built The Northside Lounge The View from the Bleachers Tribe Report True Blue LA Twinkie Town Twins Nation Twins Territory Up In The Rockies USS Mariner Venom Strikes Viva El Birdos Yard Barker Nationals Team Links Capitol Punishment Church of Baseball DC Pro Sports Report DC Sports Plus DC Sports Report Federal Baseball FJB Let Teddy Win! Nationals Buzz Nationals Daily News Nationals Farm Authority Nationals Homeplate Nationals Inquisition Nationals Journal Nationals News Network NationalsFanBoyLooser NATS 320 Nats 9 NATS Triple Play The Nats Blog William F. Yurasko The Nats Community Neighborhood Initiative Washington Nationals Dream Foundation ziMS Foundation What Your Mother Threw Away A Cardboard Problem A History of Baseball Cards A Pack A Day Bad Wax Ballcard Mania Baseball Card Blogs Baseball Card Pals Baseball Cards 101 Baseball Legends bdj10’s Topps Baseball Card Blog Beer and Baseball Cards Busting Wax Capewood’s Collections Cardboard Gods Cardboard Junkie Cards in the Attic Dave and Adam’s Dinged Corners Fielder’s Choice Baseball Card Blog Foul Bunt Golden Age Goose Joak Heartbreaking Cards … Indians Baseball Cards Night Owl Cards Phungo Poor Old Baseball Cards Sac Bunt Squeeze Play Cards Stale Gum The Easy Life The Infield Dirt The Topps Heritage Blog Things Done To Cards Treasure Never Buried Vintage Baseball Card Blog Voice of the Collector Wait ‘Til Next Year Waxaholic Wrigley Wax MLB Trade Rumors Get the MLBTradeRumors.com widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox ! Archives May 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008

Recent Posts Zim, Bats Fell Giants Gone: Dunn To Sign With White Sox Addie and Jordan Maya Steady, Gee Whiz Danny Slams Mets Two Of Three From The Ahoys Nats Bats (And Lannan) Scuttle Pirates Espinosa Arrives, But Nats Fall Rebuilding With Youth — Or Not Tony: Flushed

Zim, Bats Fell Giants

Gone: Dunn To Sign With White Sox

Addie and Jordan

Maya Steady, Gee Whiz

Danny Slams Mets

Two Of Three From The Ahoys

Nats Bats (And Lannan) Scuttle Pirates

Espinosa Arrives, But Nats Fall

Rebuilding With Youth — Or Not

Tony: Flushed

TBD

Baseball Blogs Baseball Daily Digest Baseball Library Baseball Musings Baseball Prospectus Baseball Reference Baseball Think Factory ESPN/MLB Inside The Book MLB Fanhouse MLB Trade Rumors Retrosheet Sports Monarch The Baseball Analysts The Baseball Page The Hardball Times The Sporting News/MLB

Baseball Daily Digest

Baseball Library

Baseball Musings

Baseball Prospectus

Baseball Reference

Baseball Think Factory

ESPN/MLB

Inside The Book

MLB Fanhouse

MLB Trade Rumors

Retrosheet

Sports Monarch

The Baseball Analysts

The Baseball Page

The Hardball Times

The Sporting News/MLB

Baseball Books Ball Four John R. Tunis Moneyball Summer of ’49 The Boys of Summer The Dickson Baseball Dictionary The Universal Baseball Association The Yankee Years

Ball Four

John R. Tunis

Moneyball

Summer of ’49

The Boys of Summer

The Dickson Baseball Dictionary

The Universal Baseball Association

The Yankee Years

Baseball History 19th Century Baseball Atlanta Braves Museum Baseball Almanac Baseball Resources Historic Baseball History of the Game Japanese American Baseball Project Legends of the Game Museum Louisville Slugger Museum Minor League Baseball History MLB History National Baseball Hall of Fame Negro League Baseball Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Nine NLBPA Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum Ted Williams Museum The Babe Ruth Museum The Baseball Archive The Eddie Kranepool Society The History of Baseball The Negro Leagues at MLB The Negro Leagues Baseball Shop The Negro Leagues Website This Day In Baseball History This Day In Baseball History Today In Baseball History Ty Cobb Museum Yogi Berra Museum

19th Century Baseball

Atlanta Braves Museum

Baseball Almanac

Baseball Resources

Historic Baseball

History of the Game

Japanese American Baseball Project

Legends of the Game Museum

Louisville Slugger Museum

Minor League Baseball History

MLB History

National Baseball Hall of Fame

Negro League Baseball

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Nine

NLBPA

Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum

Ted Williams Museum

The Babe Ruth Museum

The Baseball Archive

The Eddie Kranepool Society

The History of Baseball

The Negro Leagues at MLB

The Negro Leagues Baseball Shop

The Negro Leagues Website

This Day In Baseball History

Today In Baseball History

Ty Cobb Museum

Yogi Berra Museum

Blogroll Capitol Punishment Federal Baseball FJB Let Teddy Win! Nationals Buzz Nationals Daily News Nationals Fangirls Nationals Farm Authority Nationals Inquisition Nationals Journal Nationals News Network NationalsFanBoyLooser NATS 320 NATS Triple Play NL East Chatter Phillies Phandom The Nats Blog The Real Dirty Mets Blog

Capitol Punishment

Federal Baseball

FJB

Let Teddy Win!

Nationals Buzz

Nationals Daily News

Nationals Fangirls

Nationals Farm Authority

Nationals Inquisition

Nationals Journal

Nationals News Network

NationalsFanBoyLooser

NATS 320

NATS Triple Play

NL East Chatter

Phillies Phandom

The Nats Blog

The Real Dirty Mets Blog

Down On The Farm Gulf Coast Nationals Hagerstown Suns Harrisburg Senators The Potomac Nationals The Syracuse Chiefs Vermont Lake Monsters

Gulf Coast Nationals

Hagerstown Suns

Harrisburg Senators

The Potomac Nationals

The Syracuse Chiefs

Vermont Lake Monsters

MLB Blogs Amazin’ Avenue Angels Win Athletics Nation AZ Snakepit Baseball Times in Arlington Bay City Ball Bernies Crew Big A Baseball Bleed Cubbie Blue Bleeding Blue and Teal Bless You Boys Boston Dirt Dogs Boston Red Thoughts Braves Blast Brew Crew Ball Bucs Dugout C70 At The Bat Call of the Green Monster Camden Chat Chin Music Comcast Sportsnet Cursed To First DRaysBay Drunk Jays Fans FishStripes Gaslamp Ball Goat Riders of the Apocalypse Halos Heaven Inside the White Sox Jays Nest Let’s Go Tribe Lone Star Ball Mack Avenue Tigers Marlins Today McCovey Chronicles Mets Blog Oriole Magic Over The Monster Over The Monster Phillies Nation Phillies Nation Pinstripe Alley Pittsburgh Lumber Company Purple Row Rays Index Red Reporter Redlegs Rundown River Avenue Blues Royals Authority Royals Review San Diego Spotlight South Side Sox Sox Machine Talking Chop The Astros Dugout The Crawfish Boxes The Cub Reporter The Good Phight The House That Dewey Built The Northside Lounge The View from the Bleachers Tribe Report True Blue LA Twinkie Town Twins Nation Twins Territory Up In The Rockies USS Mariner Venom Strikes Viva El Birdos Yard Barker

Amazin’ Avenue

Angels Win

Athletics Nation

AZ Snakepit

Baseball Times in Arlington

Bay City Ball

Bernies Crew

Big A Baseball

Bleed Cubbie Blue

Bleeding Blue and Teal

Bless You Boys

Boston Dirt Dogs

Boston Red Thoughts

Braves Blast

Brew Crew Ball

Bucs Dugout

C70 At The Bat

Call of the Green Monster

Camden Chat

Chin Music

Comcast Sportsnet

Cursed To First

DRaysBay

Drunk Jays Fans

FishStripes

Gaslamp Ball

Goat Riders of the Apocalypse

Halos Heaven

Inside the White Sox

Jays Nest

Let’s Go Tribe

Lone Star Ball

Mack Avenue Tigers

Marlins Today

McCovey Chronicles

Mets Blog

Oriole Magic

Over The Monster

Phillies Nation

Pinstripe Alley

Pittsburgh Lumber Company

Purple Row

Rays Index

Red Reporter

Redlegs Rundown

River Avenue Blues

Royals Authority

Royals Review

San Diego Spotlight

South Side Sox

Sox Machine

Talking Chop

The Astros Dugout

The Crawfish Boxes

The Cub Reporter

The Good Phight

The House That Dewey Built

The Northside Lounge

The View from the Bleachers

Tribe Report

True Blue LA

Twinkie Town

Twins Nation

Twins Territory

Up In The Rockies

USS Mariner

Venom Strikes

Viva El Birdos

Yard Barker

Nationals Team Links Capitol Punishment Church of Baseball DC Pro Sports Report DC Sports Plus DC Sports Report Federal Baseball FJB Let Teddy Win! Nationals Buzz Nationals Daily News Nationals Farm Authority Nationals Homeplate Nationals Inquisition Nationals Journal Nationals News Network NationalsFanBoyLooser NATS 320 Nats 9 NATS Triple Play The Nats Blog William F. Yurasko

Church of Baseball

DC Pro Sports Report

DC Sports Plus

DC Sports Report

Nationals Homeplate

Nats 9

William F. Yurasko

The Nats Community Neighborhood Initiative Washington Nationals Dream Foundation ziMS Foundation

Neighborhood Initiative

Washington Nationals Dream Foundation

ziMS Foundation

What Your Mother Threw Away A Cardboard Problem A History of Baseball Cards A Pack A Day Bad Wax Ballcard Mania Baseball Card Blogs Baseball Card Pals Baseball Cards 101 Baseball Legends bdj10’s Topps Baseball Card Blog Beer and Baseball Cards Busting Wax Capewood’s Collections Cardboard Gods Cardboard Junkie Cards in the Attic Dave and Adam’s Dinged Corners Fielder’s Choice Baseball Card Blog Foul Bunt Golden Age Goose Joak Heartbreaking Cards … Indians Baseball Cards Night Owl Cards Phungo Poor Old Baseball Cards Sac Bunt Squeeze Play Cards Stale Gum The Easy Life The Infield Dirt The Topps Heritage Blog Things Done To Cards Treasure Never Buried Vintage Baseball Card Blog Voice of the Collector Wait ‘Til Next Year Waxaholic Wrigley Wax

A Cardboard Problem

A History of Baseball Cards

A Pack A Day

Bad Wax

Ballcard Mania

Baseball Card Blogs

Baseball Card Pals

Baseball Cards 101

Baseball Legends

bdj10’s Topps Baseball Card Blog

Beer and Baseball Cards

Busting Wax

Capewood’s Collections

Cardboard Gods

Cardboard Junkie

Cards in the Attic

Dave and Adam’s

Dinged Corners

Fielder’s Choice Baseball Card Blog

Foul Bunt

Golden Age

Goose Joak

Heartbreaking Cards …

Indians Baseball Cards

Night Owl Cards

Phungo

Poor Old Baseball Cards

Sac Bunt

Squeeze Play Cards

Stale Gum

The Easy Life

The Infield Dirt

The Topps Heritage Blog

Things Done To Cards

Treasure Never Buried

Vintage Baseball Card Blog

Voice of the Collector

Wait ‘Til Next Year

Waxaholic

Wrigley Wax

MLB Trade Rumors Get the MLBTradeRumors.com widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox !

Archives May 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008

May 2011

December 2010

October 2010

September 2010

August 2010

July 2010

June 2010

May 2010

April 2010

March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

December 2009

November 2009

October 2009

September 2009

August 2009

July 2009

June 2009

May 2009

April 2009

October 2008

September 2008

August 2008

July 2008

June 2008

May 2008

April 2008

March 2008

February 2008

Designed by MIF Design Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS) .