Friday, August 26, 2005
Nationals done? According to Mike Wise, they are; White is probable pitcher for Saturday's game
It is all over now, according to Mike Wise's newest column.
"Frank Robinson's club was merely something for the summer." After they lost to those very poor playing Reds, "it is time to finally let them go."
Wise acknowledges that the team is only 2 1/2 games back of the Wild Card leader with 35 games to play, but notes that the Nationals are "a light-hitting club with a wafer-thin starting rotation that has been stuck in the same malaise since the all-star break."
This season seemingly over, what to do? Look to next year and "ask three seminal questions that will help new ownership build a pennant-contending club a year from now:"
1 - Robinson - should he return? - Wise - Yes.
2 - Bowden - should he return? - Wise - No. Because of the team he built (and the players he let go).
3 - Guzman isn't going anywhere due to his salary, "how can the organization get him to hit?"
Um, apparently it's all Rick Shorts fault because he took Guzman's extra baseball bats. "Guzman needs to demand that good wood back. Now."
Ok, so you didn't have an answer, but blame Rick Short?
Marlon Byrd was supposed to be promoted when Church went on the DL. Church is now on the DL, but I do not see Byrd's name on the transactions page as being promoted. Byrd is still on the New Orleans roster according to the Minor League website (and specifically the New Orleans roster) and according to the Nationals website.
Boswell - did he retire? His last column on Washington Post.com is from August 5th and is about Sam Perlozzo. His last Nationals column was from August 4th and about having a Nationals team at all is better than none at all, even if it is slumping. Maybe there isn't anything else to say, but nothing on any subject since August 5th?
Mark Zuckerman: "Nats facing a 'gut check'" - As they sit around wondering whether to catch the playoff games on television while they lounge around a bar somewhere, the Nationals will think back on their season and realize that they really should have won those games against teams like the Reds.
"These are the clubs you have to win ballgames against," manager Frank Robinson said. "And I don't mean one ballgame. I'm talking about at least two ballgames."
Had they won four of those six games instead of one, the Nationals now would lead the National League wild-card race instead of trailing the Philadelphia Phillies by 21/2 games. They certainly wouldn't be in sole possession of fifth place, where they sat before the New York Mets' late game in Arizona.
The Mets won 3-1 and the Nationals are, in fact, in sole possession of that fifth place.
Nice how the team never is out of it, how if they just pick up the pace, win 2 lose 1 instead of win 1 lose 2 they will magically be back in control, magically back into a plausible playoff team -
"It's going to be a gut check for this team," outfielder Brad Wilkerson said. "It's going to be one of these series where you cash it in or bounce back and show some heart and play some good baseball. We have to come out with a better attitude, take it to teams and not wait until late in the game. We have to come out with a sense of urgency right from the get-go."
Sure has been a lot of series where some Nationals player or coach noted that it was make-or break time . . . One of these days, the players will find themselves outside looking in when the playoffs roll around and they will realize, oops, that was that.
There was no sense of urgency in the Nationals' dugout yesterday.
. . .
The Nationals had better start doing it soon. If not for the equally maddening struggles of every team in the wild-card race, they might well be out of contention by now. Somehow, though, they remain in the running with 35 games to go. And that seems to be the only thing keeping the club from imploding.
"Nobody's grabbed the bull by the horns and run away with it yet," Bennett said. "There's five teams left, and it's pretty much in the air for the five of us."
Just for fun, let's check the minors -
AAA- New Orleans - 60-71 and in last place in the American South division.
AA - Harrisburg - 59-73 and in last place in the Southern division.
A - Potomac - 27-32 and in 3rd place in the four team Northern division.
A - Vermont - 21-41 and in last place in the Stedler division.
A - Savannah - 25-33 and in last place in the Southern division.
R - Gulf Coast - 22-32 and in last place in the South division.
Well, that was inspiring. Nationals major league team down to it's rookie team are all in last place except that Potomac team, and their trying hard to keep from falling into that spot.
Yahoo.com's preview of tonights game.
Oh, right, don't forget that game tonight where the St. Louis Cardinals will play the Washington Nationals . . . Loaiza vs. Suppan, and White is listed as the probable starter for Saturday against Mark Mulder. Oh, good, first career major league start (apparently) and it will be against 15-6, 3.76 era, Mark Mulder. Good luck fellow.
Scouting Report:
Mulder has been a different pitcher during the day than when starting night games. He is 14-1 with a 1.90 ERA at night but 1-5 with a 7.57 ERA in day games. The Cardinals have won 10 of the last 11 games he has started. He allowed onlt one run on three hits in eight innings in a 3-1 defeat of Pittsburgh in his last outing Monday.
White, who has Major League experience with the Red Sox and Mariners, is 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA for Triple-A New Orleans. White has never started in the big leagues. Ryan Drese was supposed to make this start, but he is on the disabled list because of a small tear in his labrum.
Oh, and apparently that's a 1:20 game, not a 1:05 game.
Well, I always have football to fall back on, right, when the team doesn't make the playoffs?
Um, right. Redskins. Those Nationals better win three in a row!
Can't rely on my college football team. They went and won the I-AA championship, so their games are basically sold out now for the 2005 season. Just like the Nationals, can't catch their games on the television set.
Just less than two weeks before its Sept. 3 season-opener with Lock Haven, JMU easily has surpassed its previous record for season ticket sales, and the Family Weekend sellout is the earliest sellout in the football program’s history.
"Frank Robinson's club was merely something for the summer." After they lost to those very poor playing Reds, "it is time to finally let them go."
Wise acknowledges that the team is only 2 1/2 games back of the Wild Card leader with 35 games to play, but notes that the Nationals are "a light-hitting club with a wafer-thin starting rotation that has been stuck in the same malaise since the all-star break."
This season seemingly over, what to do? Look to next year and "ask three seminal questions that will help new ownership build a pennant-contending club a year from now:"
1 - Robinson - should he return? - Wise - Yes.
2 - Bowden - should he return? - Wise - No. Because of the team he built (and the players he let go).
3 - Guzman isn't going anywhere due to his salary, "how can the organization get him to hit?"
Um, apparently it's all Rick Shorts fault because he took Guzman's extra baseball bats. "Guzman needs to demand that good wood back. Now."
Ok, so you didn't have an answer, but blame Rick Short?
Marlon Byrd was supposed to be promoted when Church went on the DL. Church is now on the DL, but I do not see Byrd's name on the transactions page as being promoted. Byrd is still on the New Orleans roster according to the Minor League website (and specifically the New Orleans roster) and according to the Nationals website.
Boswell - did he retire? His last column on Washington Post.com is from August 5th and is about Sam Perlozzo. His last Nationals column was from August 4th and about having a Nationals team at all is better than none at all, even if it is slumping. Maybe there isn't anything else to say, but nothing on any subject since August 5th?
Mark Zuckerman: "Nats facing a 'gut check'" - As they sit around wondering whether to catch the playoff games on television while they lounge around a bar somewhere, the Nationals will think back on their season and realize that they really should have won those games against teams like the Reds.
"These are the clubs you have to win ballgames against," manager Frank Robinson said. "And I don't mean one ballgame. I'm talking about at least two ballgames."
Had they won four of those six games instead of one, the Nationals now would lead the National League wild-card race instead of trailing the Philadelphia Phillies by 21/2 games. They certainly wouldn't be in sole possession of fifth place, where they sat before the New York Mets' late game in Arizona.
The Mets won 3-1 and the Nationals are, in fact, in sole possession of that fifth place.
Nice how the team never is out of it, how if they just pick up the pace, win 2 lose 1 instead of win 1 lose 2 they will magically be back in control, magically back into a plausible playoff team -
"It's going to be a gut check for this team," outfielder Brad Wilkerson said. "It's going to be one of these series where you cash it in or bounce back and show some heart and play some good baseball. We have to come out with a better attitude, take it to teams and not wait until late in the game. We have to come out with a sense of urgency right from the get-go."
Sure has been a lot of series where some Nationals player or coach noted that it was make-or break time . . . One of these days, the players will find themselves outside looking in when the playoffs roll around and they will realize, oops, that was that.
There was no sense of urgency in the Nationals' dugout yesterday.
. . .
The Nationals had better start doing it soon. If not for the equally maddening struggles of every team in the wild-card race, they might well be out of contention by now. Somehow, though, they remain in the running with 35 games to go. And that seems to be the only thing keeping the club from imploding.
"Nobody's grabbed the bull by the horns and run away with it yet," Bennett said. "There's five teams left, and it's pretty much in the air for the five of us."
Just for fun, let's check the minors -
AAA- New Orleans - 60-71 and in last place in the American South division.
AA - Harrisburg - 59-73 and in last place in the Southern division.
A - Potomac - 27-32 and in 3rd place in the four team Northern division.
A - Vermont - 21-41 and in last place in the Stedler division.
A - Savannah - 25-33 and in last place in the Southern division.
R - Gulf Coast - 22-32 and in last place in the South division.
Well, that was inspiring. Nationals major league team down to it's rookie team are all in last place except that Potomac team, and their trying hard to keep from falling into that spot.
Yahoo.com's preview of tonights game.
Oh, right, don't forget that game tonight where the St. Louis Cardinals will play the Washington Nationals . . . Loaiza vs. Suppan, and White is listed as the probable starter for Saturday against Mark Mulder. Oh, good, first career major league start (apparently) and it will be against 15-6, 3.76 era, Mark Mulder. Good luck fellow.
Scouting Report:
Mulder has been a different pitcher during the day than when starting night games. He is 14-1 with a 1.90 ERA at night but 1-5 with a 7.57 ERA in day games. The Cardinals have won 10 of the last 11 games he has started. He allowed onlt one run on three hits in eight innings in a 3-1 defeat of Pittsburgh in his last outing Monday.
White, who has Major League experience with the Red Sox and Mariners, is 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA for Triple-A New Orleans. White has never started in the big leagues. Ryan Drese was supposed to make this start, but he is on the disabled list because of a small tear in his labrum.
Oh, and apparently that's a 1:20 game, not a 1:05 game.
Well, I always have football to fall back on, right, when the team doesn't make the playoffs?
Um, right. Redskins. Those Nationals better win three in a row!
Can't rely on my college football team. They went and won the I-AA championship, so their games are basically sold out now for the 2005 season. Just like the Nationals, can't catch their games on the television set.
Just less than two weeks before its Sept. 3 season-opener with Lock Haven, JMU easily has surpassed its previous record for season ticket sales, and the Family Weekend sellout is the earliest sellout in the football program’s history.
Comments:
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I think you should change the name of your site. The Nats are in a dogfight with five teams, none of which has pulled away from the others. I would think a fan should be rooting for the team to win, hoping, however slim the hope, that they will come out all right in the end. Not linking people to the imbecile Mike Wise. Here were are at the end of the Labor Day Weekend, and I don't see that it's clear they're out of the race.
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# posted by 
: Monday, September 05, 2005 9:17:00 PM
: Monday, September 05, 2005 9:17:00 PM << Home
