Division Foes 2012: The Nats

[Frayed Knot]

In addition to the steal of home he hit a dunker over SS and legged it into a double.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

He's done that 2 or 3 times already, plus an outfield assist (shoulda been two, but for Ramos' wimpy hands) and a couple of crash-into-walls plays.

He kinda feels like Dykstra and Strawberry put together.

[Edgy MD]

Wow. That's a lot of prison time in his future.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Could be. THAT'S PART OF THE FUN!

[metirish]

Kinda like that Hamels didn't trot out the usual tripe when asked if hitting Harper was intentional....


[code:1d8iqpcr]I was trying to hit him. I'm not going to deny it. It's something I grew up watching. That's what happened. I'm just trying to continue the old baseball. Some people get away from it. I remember when I was a rookie, the strike zone was really, really small and you didn't say anything. That's the way baseball is. Sometimes the league is protecting certain players. It's that old-school prestigious way of baseball.

"I'm not going to injure a guy. They're probably not going to like me for it but I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't trying to do it. I think they understood the message and they threw it right back. That's the way, and I respect it. They can say whatever they want."[/code:1d8iqpcr]

He could have gone with the "just trying to pitch inside yyybbb", of course he'll probably get suspended now.

[metirish]

How about Heath Bell losing his closer role "temporarily" ?

that didn't take long, jeeze

[Edgy MD]

Good to see the Phils wasting their emotional energy on the Werthless Nats.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Good to see the Phils wasting their emotional energy on the Werthless Nats.

hah.

well the Nats are expending plenty of energy back at them. Maybe they'll all be worn down and go 8-20 in September.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ted Berg has been exposing Hamels' phony tough-guy act ever since he made remarks about the Mets years ago with one of the best tweets ever written this morning.

Ted Berg ? @OGTedBerg Old-school baseball tough guy Cole Hamels listens to Lifehouse, loves the Twilight books, and carries his dog in a bag.

[metirish]

Funny ,

Rizzo called him "fake tough" today......

[Ceetar]

[Benjamin Grimm]

Doesn't he know that dogs are supposed to be strapped to the roof of the car?

Get with the Romney program, or get out of America! That's what I say!

[metirish]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Doesn't he know that dogs are supposed to be strapped to the roof of the car? Get with the Romney program, or get out of America! That's what I say!

dying

[bmfc1]

Bryce Harper continues to show that old-school fire that the locals love so much by injuring himself:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/bryce-harpers-bloody-eye-injury-photos-and-jokes/2012/05/12/gIQAH68nKU_blog.html

[bmfc1]

Wilson Ramos out with a torn ACL. Nationals fans are questioning their trainers... can you imagine such a thing?

[Frayed Knot]

bmfc1 wrote: Wilson Ramos out with a torn ACL.

Wow! He was just chasing a passed ball.
Jesus Flores into action now.

On the other hand, it's not like it can hurt their offense THAT much. They won another 2-1 game last night (1 of the runs via a Ramos HR before the injury)

[Edgy MD]

Maybe Pudge gets a call after all.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Forget standings, Strasburg will be shut down Joel Sherman The Mets had pitch-count guidelines for Johan Santana, then the lefty began to throw his no-hitter on June 1 and, well, so much for the plans. The Mets infamously had never had a no-hitter. They were in the midst of an unexpectedly positive season. There was a fan base ready to storm Citi Field if Santana were removed. Thus, the emotions of the moment served as an avalanche to wipe out pre-planned, post-shoulder-surgery logic. Manager Terry Collins let Santana throw a career-high 134 pitches. And if you think that was a difficult choice, then just wait for potentially the most seismic decision of 2012, when the Nationals shut down their ace, Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg, like Santana, is coming off surgery (Tommy John). But he is just 23. The lack of a no-hitter pales in comparison to not reaching the playoffs in three decades. The Nationals last appeared in the postseason in 1981, when they were the Expos. Now the moons have aligned for the franchise. The Phillies are down. Bryce Harper is an insta-star. But the Nats are in first place mainly due to an elite rotation in which Strasburg is honoring the otherworldly expectations for him. The Yankees will miss the fireballer this weekend because Strasburg goes tonight against Toronto. He is 7-1 with a 2.41 ERA. In 71 innings, he has struck out 92, walked 19 and yielded 55 hits. And here is the item that just might matter most � Strasburg�s season is about half over. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has vowed no matter Washington�s standing, Strasburg will be shut down before the end of the season. The expectation is about 160 innings because that was roughly the limit for teammate Jordan Zimmermann (1611?3) last year coming off Tommy John surgery. Rizzo won�t say the number. Actually, he doesn�t want to say much on the subject because it is such a tinderbox, and he knows it is going to explode further later this season. When we talked by phone yesterday and the topic was broached, Rizzo said, �Joel, you are killing me.� Then he promised, �This is the last time I am discussing this with any member of the media. It is well-chronicled. It is not changing.� Strasburg threw 68 innings as a rookie before his elbow broke and 24 innings late last year just to get back on the mound. �To ask [strasburg] to throw 200 innings now [off those previous totals], that is not a prudent way to do business with a 23-year-old, top-of-the-rotation starter we plan to have for a long time,� Rizzo said. �[shutting him down] is going to be painful, and we are going to take grief. But I will not shy away from it. I am the caretaker of this organization for the long haul.� Rizzo said there are no plans to artificially restrict Strasburg before then � skip starts, go to a six-man rotation � to assure he can pitch in September and October. �We don�t want to gimmick this thing up,� Rizzo said. Translation: Strasburg is going to become a controversial bystander in about eight weeks, renewing debate if pitchers are babied too much these days and whether Rizzo has taken the Nationals� best chance ever to win and flushed it by being overly cautious. �The situation hasn�t changed, and it won�t matter where we are in the standings,� Rizzo said. �[Making the call to shut Strasburg down] is not about guts. It is the right thing to do.�

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/forget_standings_strasburg_will_KT6cNUN2pHDEnnORtXVyhP#ixzz1xglEdbzs

[Edgy MD]

I guess I have to admire managers and GMs. Most of them act like that. "I am the caretaker of this organization for the long haul." Even though there's too often no place for them beyond the short haul.

[Fman99]

Forget standings, Strasburg will be shut down Joel Sherman The Mets had pitch-count guidelines for Johan Santana, then the lefty began to throw his no-hitter on June 1 and, well, so much for the plans. The Mets infamously had never had a no-hitter. They were in the midst of an unexpectedly positive season. There was a fan base ready to storm Citi Field if Santana were removed. Thus, the emotions of the moment served as an avalanche to wipe out pre-planned, post-shoulder-surgery logic. Manager Terry Collins let Santana throw a career-high 134 pitches. And if you think that was a difficult choice, then just wait for potentially the most seismic decision of 2012, when the Nationals shut down their ace, Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg, like Santana, is coming off surgery (Tommy John). But he is just 23. The lack of a no-hitter pales in comparison to not reaching the playoffs in three decades. The Nationals last appeared in the postseason in 1981, when they were the Expos. Now the moons have aligned for the franchise. The Phillies are down. Bryce Harper is an insta-star. But the Nats are in first place mainly due to an elite rotation in which Strasburg is honoring the otherworldly expectations for him. The Yankees will miss the fireballer this weekend because Strasburg goes tonight against Toronto. He is 7-1 with a 2.41 ERA. In 71 innings, he has struck out 92, walked 19 and yielded 55 hits. And here is the item that just might matter most � Strasburg�s season is about half over. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has vowed no matter Washington�s standing, Strasburg will be shut down before the end of the season. The expectation is about 160 innings because that was roughly the limit for teammate Jordan Zimmermann (1611?3) last year coming off Tommy John surgery. Rizzo won�t say the number. Actually, he doesn�t want to say much on the subject because it is such a tinderbox, and he knows it is going to explode further later this season. When we talked by phone yesterday and the topic was broached, Rizzo said, �Joel, you are killing me.� Then he promised, �This is the last time I am discussing this with any member of the media. It is well-chronicled. It is not changing.� Strasburg threw 68 innings as a rookie before his elbow broke and 24 innings late last year just to get back on the mound. �To ask [strasburg] to throw 200 innings now [off those previous totals], that is not a prudent way to do business with a 23-year-old, top-of-the-rotation starter we plan to have for a long time,� Rizzo said. �[shutting him down] is going to be painful, and we are going to take grief. But I will not shy away from it. I am the caretaker of this organization for the long haul.� Rizzo said there are no plans to artificially restrict Strasburg before then � skip starts, go to a six-man rotation � to assure he can pitch in September and October. �We don�t want to gimmick this thing up,� Rizzo said. Translation: Strasburg is going to become a controversial bystander in about eight weeks, renewing debate if pitchers are babied too much these days and whether Rizzo has taken the Nationals� best chance ever to win and flushed it by being overly cautious. �The situation hasn�t changed, and it won�t matter where we are in the standings,� Rizzo said. �[Making the call to shut Strasburg down] is not about guts. It is the right thing to do.� Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/forget_standings_strasburg_will_KT6cNUN2pHDEnnORtXVyhP#ixzz1xglEdbzs

I'll believe it when it happens. More likely is some "phantom injury" that they can blame it on. I can't imagine a scenario where he's throwing darts in August and September and they pull him from the rotation.

[metsmarathon]

why not hold him out of april games instead of september games?

give him an extended spring training, some easy minor league assignments, and you get to hold an extended tryout for the 5th spot in the rotation.

[Edgy MD]

A little late to play that card, but yeah.

[TransMonk]

Will the Nats hold him out of the All-Star Game? There's an inning saved.

[Ceetar]

TransMonk wrote: Will the Nats hold him out of the All-Star Game? There's an inning saved.

Probably 'shut him down' around it though. can steal a whole start off that way.

[Frayed Knot]

If I were the Nats I'd move Strasberg to a once a week schedule or something like that to keep him from reaching their self-imposed innings limit.
Makes more sense to me than simply ending his season in late August or whenever.




Meanwhile, that team just can't do anything wrong lately.
Adam LaRoche has been super-hot after missing the entire season in 2011, but was hurt today so he was replaced with rookie Tyler Moore -- who promptly hit two HRs (the first two of his career).

In short, their pitching has NOT cooled down, their bats are heating up, Morse is back, Lidge is now back, and Storen should be back soon.

Edited June 13, 2012 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, i hear you on the weekly start thing. Heck, make him always pitch Friday night, or always pitch Sunday if he prefers.

I'm curious to see Davey Johnson handle this, but I imagine he's a lot more willing to roll over for upper management than he was in his heyday.

[Ceetar]

Funny, winning one of three from them is starting to feel like an accomplishment. Hopefully they've cooled off by mid-July, post-ASG, the next time the Mets face them.

[Ceetar]

Josh Lewin wrote: How do I discern between the Washington Nationals logo&the Walgreen's logo? Every time I'm at NationalsPark I have an urge2buy dental floss.

[bmfc1]

This weekend, we have to root for the MFYs. (Sigh.)

[Frayed Knot]

bmfc1 wrote: This weekend, we have to root for the MFYs. (Sigh.)

Either Bryce Harper's favorite team will win ... or the Nats will.