Division Opponents in 2015: Washington Nationals

[Guest d'Kong76]

That's pretty f'n duh lookin' hahahaha!

[Edgy MD]

The Nats have place Stephen Strasburg on the DL with neck tightness.

While such a transaction may have been a terrifying report at one point, the Nats (like the Mets) have some built-in starter redundancy, and Strasburg has easily been the least effective starter on the team, and perhaps the least in the league.

[Frayed Knot]

Problem is that their starter depth was already being taxed with Tanner Roark filling in while Fister is on the DL.
Earlier in the year their best pitching prospect (at least the one closest to ready) AJ Cole got a start but got bombed (9 ER in just 2 innings - although that was the game they came back on the Braves to win 13-12) and was immediately sent down. Maybe now he gets a second chance.
Prior to his DL'ing, Strasburg had only made it past the 4th inning once in his previous five starts: 3.0 innings, 3.1, 5.0, 3.2, and 1.0

To add to it all, their biggest problem this past weekend was the pen. Cincy scored 4 in the 8th on Saturday to win by 3, then on Sunday the Reds broke a 2-2 tie with 6 in the 7th.

Also DL'd a couple days back was Jayson Werth (again). This time it seems like his "sore" wrist was actually broken although it took them two weeks to find that out (for those who think non-insta-diagnosis are strictly a NYM problem). Expected to be out until August.

Still nothing definite about Rendon although he's at least playing in rehab games somewhere.

[TransMonk]

With all of the middling teams on the Mets' schedule over the next month, now is the time to strike!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: Aaron Barrett is more patriotic than you. Or at least more patriotic than any of the Phillies. On a beautiful spring night, a children�s choir sang the National anthem, a clear and smooth rendition. The crowd cheered their efforts, and the Phillies and Nationals headed to their dugouts. Barrett, a 27-year-old right-handed reliever, did not move. As is his post-anthem custom, Barrett scanned the opposing dugout, making sure the opponent�s line had dispersed. He held his hat over his heart and kept it there, standing a few feet from the fence in front of the Nationals dugout. What he saw changed the course of pregame history. �I don�t even know how it happened,� Barrett said. �Five of them were out there basically challenging me. I was like, �Great.� I didn�t want to do it. I thought they were going to give up way earlier than that. It turned out to be � well, obviously we are at home, so I thought, �I can�t lose this.� � [fimg=800]https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/files/2015/05/Barrett.jpg&w=1484[/fimg] I'm a little confused as to what the point of doffing your hat is if you're going to wear a backwards batting helmet.

This might be one of the dumbest baseball related things I've ever read. I didn't even know this "standoff" was even a thing. What if oppoinsg players continue to "stand each other off" for 10 or 15 or 20 minutes? Then what? I also think that those spectators who go around policing the national anthem by demanding that total strangers in their vicinity remove their hats are some of the biggest fucking assholes on earth.

[Ceetar]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: This might be one of the dumbest baseball related things I've ever read. I didn't even know this "standoff" was even a thing. What if oppoinsg players continue to "stand each other off" for 10 or 15 or 20 minutes? Then what? I also think that those spectators who go around policing the national anthem by demanding that total strangers in their vicinity remove their hats are some of the biggest fucking assholes on earth.

agreed, except they're not as bad as those that police the 7th inning prayer like I'm supposed to remove my hat for that.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Ceetar wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: This might be one of the dumbest baseball related things I've ever read. I didn't even know this "standoff" was even a thing. What if oppoinsg players continue to "stand each other off" for 10 or 15 or 20 minutes? Then what? I also think that those spectators who go around policing the national anthem by demanding that total strangers in their vicinity remove their hats are some of the biggest fucking assholes on earth. agreed, except they're not as bad as those that police the 7th inning prayer like I'm supposed to remove my hat for that.

What the hell is a seventh inning prayer? There's no praying in baseball.

[Ceetar]

please stand and remove your hats while we pray that god will bless america... Let's even suspend the between innings time limit changes for this.

[Frayed Knot]

The Yanquis have armed Nazis (OK they're not armed, and probably not all of them are certified Nazis either) who prevent any walking around during their (Daily!) 7th inning dog and pony show.
Need to go to the bathroom? -- Tough, wait until next inning. No walking is allowed (or aloud) at this time!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Frayed Knot wrote: The Yanquis have armed Nazis (OK they're not armed, and probably not all of them are certified Nazis either) who prevent any walking around during their (Daily!) 7th inning dog and pony show. Need to go to the bathroom? -- Tough, wait until next inning. No walking is allowed (or aloud) at this time!

I can't believe there's all this insanity going on in baseball stadiums that I know nothing about. I also can't believe that in a city as scrutinized as New York, no one's challenged this Yankee no bathroom rule. What? There hasn't yet been a case of a spectator who peed (or worse) in their pants because the Yankees prevented him from using the rest rooms?

[Ceetar]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: The Yanquis have armed Nazis (OK they're not armed, and probably not all of them are certified Nazis either) who prevent any walking around during their (Daily!) 7th inning dog and pony show. Need to go to the bathroom? -- Tough, wait until next inning. No walking is allowed (or aloud) at this time! I can't believe there's all this insanity going on in baseball stadiums that I know nothing about. I also can't believe that in a city as scrutinized as New York, no one's challenged this Yankee no bathroom rule. What? There hasn't yet been a case of a spectator who peed (or worse) in their pants because the Yankees prevented him from using the rest rooms?

supposedly this is 'better'? at the new stadium.

this guy sued and won in 2008.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/god-bless-america-yankee_n_227173.html

[batmagadanleadoff]

The Yanquis have armed Nazis (OK they're not armed, and probably not all of them are certified Nazis either) who prevent any walking around during their (Daily!) 7th inning dog and pony show. Need to go to the bathroom? -- Tough, wait until next inning. No walking is allowed (or aloud) at this time! I can't believe there's all this insanity going on in baseball stadiums that I know nothing about. I also can't believe that in a city as scrutinized as New York, no one's challenged this Yankee no bathroom rule. What? There hasn't yet been a case of a spectator who peed (or worse) in their pants because the Yankees prevented him from using the rest rooms? supposedly this is 'better'? at the new stadium. this guy sued and won in 2008. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/god-bless-america-yankee_n_227173.html

Good for him. Here's a disturbing quote from that article:

In May 2007, Trost told The New York Times that the practice was inspired by complaints of fans who were upset that spectators were not respectful enough during the playing of "God Bless America."

It's disturbing because, if true, it means that baseball teams, or at least the Yankees, are empowering those same fucking assholes who try to harangue strangers into removing their caps.

[Ceetar]

[youtube:34587j2g]DNbA1bd07hs[/youtube:34587j2g]

Mets aren't as poorly run as the Nationals. They wouldn't shut down Harvey in the playoffs do to some dumb innings limit thing.

[HahnSolo]

Frayed Knot wrote: The Yanquis have armed Nazis (OK they're not armed, and probably not all of them are certified Nazis either) who prevent any walking around during their (Daily!) 7th inning dog and pony show. Need to go to the bathroom? -- Tough, wait until next inning. No walking is allowed (or aloud) at this time!

I went to the new YS for the first time earlier this year (the Harvey start) and for some reason made a concerted effort to look at my section to see if any security and/or ushers were blocking folks from leaving/re-entering their section. And at least in my section people were free to come and go. So I guess the stadium has that going for it.

[Guest d'Kong76]

The one time that I went to a Giants game years ago, the ushers
frowned on people moving around when a batter was up.

[Benjamin Grimm]

They have a "fan etiquette" scoreboard video that is shown before the game in Pittsburgh that, among other things, asks fans not to get up and move around during an at bat. If I remember right, it was called "Don't Be That Guy" and showed us a Goofus-like fan doing everything wrong.

[Lefty Specialist]

d'Kong76 wrote: The one time that I went to a Giants game years ago, the ushers frowned on people moving around when a batter was up.

This is true. The ushers will discourage you moving when a better is up and will let you move between batters. They have an exception called the 'My 5-year-old has to pee' rule which I exercised once. They're more focused on preventing people returning from the concession stands than they are with people getting up out of their seats.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Made an impression on me since I remember... it was a number of year
ago now. He also let us sit in some unoccupied (very nice) seats in the shade
and refused to take a tip.

In NY you offer a guy a twenty and he asks if you have anything larger.

[Frayed Knot]

HahnSolo wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: The Yanquis have armed Nazis (OK they're not armed, and probably not all of them are certified Nazis either) who prevent any walking around during their (Daily!) 7th inning dog and pony show. Need to go to the bathroom? -- Tough, wait until next inning. No walking is allowed (or aloud) at this time! I went to the new YS for the first time earlier this year (the Harvey start) and for some reason made a concerted effort to look at my section to see if any security and/or ushers were blocking folks from leaving/re-entering their section. And at least in my section people were free to come and go. So I guess the stadium has that going for it.

Yeah, I think that lawsuit Ceetar mentions several posts above put an end to that period where they were preventing -- sometimes physically and/or with threats of ejection from the stadium -- people from leaving their seats during the 7th inning stretch "ceremonies".

I much prefer the rules -- or at least the suggestions -- where you're discouraged from walking around During innings. There are several parks where ushers will politely hold fans returning from bathrooms or concessions at the top of the aisles until they're between outs on the field.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: I much prefer the rules -- or at least the suggestions -- where you're discouraged from walking around During innings. There are several parks where ushers will politely hold fans returning from bathrooms or concessions at the top of the aisles until they're between outs on the field.

I prefer them as suggestions, mainly because I prefer situations that don't have ushers at every entrance.

[Frayed Knot]

Nats, desperate for middle relief help, deal a middle infielder -- 24 y/o Tony Renda -- to the Yanx for the recently DFA'd David Carpenter. The Yanx had traded for Carpenter over the winter but couldn't find a spot for him despite the fact that they too have had problems with getting to their end of game guys.


Also from the recently completed Yanx/Nats mini-series: in the midst of his 4th season and 415th game in the majors, Bryce Harper for the first time on Wednesday faced a pitcher younger than him when he batted in the 8th inning against Jacob Lindgren. Lindgren was the Yanx 2nd round draft pick just a year ago and is younger than Harper by 7 months. Harper flied out to LF.

[Frayed Knot]

Ryan Zimmerman to the DL. Plantar Fasciiitis

[Edgy MD]

That can be an annoyingly persistent condition. I wish it on nobody.

Team-wise, he was already having a crap season, possibly related to the ailment. I guess Tyler Moore goes to first and Taylor becomes a full-time outfielder. But Moore has been having a lousy year also.

Uggla?

[G-Fafif]

An unnamed source who is typing this sentence is speculating Matt Williams could be in trouble if the second-place Nats don't pick it up soon.

[Ceetar]

Bryce Harper: "I don�t give a crap what the Mets are doing. Or Dodgers or Giants or Texas or anybody. I know what kind of team we are."

[Edgy MD]

Harper is on fire. Keep that mic on him.

"We saw all three of their horses twice in the matter of two weeks. ... They haven't seen (Max) Scherzer since day one."

Yeah, and they beat him on day one. And contrary to what you claim, they also beat him again on May 1.

The guy is a trip. I get the idea he does nutty mad warrior stuff like putting eyeblack in his jock strap or cutting a scar in his arm for each outfield assist. He's the kind of guy you think is great to have on your team, because he's putting up MVP numbers and setting a high standard, and then he gets hurt and goes to Florida for rehab, and it's the first time all year you aren't miserable, first time you don't dread coming to the park.

[Ceetar]

Mets Ace Zack Godley shut them down today. If only they'd had Scherzer, clearly.

[Frayed Knot]

On the heels of going 3-4 during a homestead vs the Snakes and the Rox, the Nats are starting a nine-game road trip out west: LA, SF, then Colorado again, meaning they'll have to see our scores probably before even taking the field and be forced to react to them. And after tonight's game they'll get Greinke and Kershaw Tuesday & Wednesday.

In the meantime, Scherzer hasn't won either of his last two starts despite having 3-0 and 3-1 lead early on; Drew Storen has suddenly turned into a pumpkin after being switched to the 8th inning (6 runs allowed in the last 2 innings); Harper has HR'd in just one game since mid-July; and there are anonymous grumblings coming out of the clubhouse about Matt Williams.
Werth, Rendon, and Zimmerman are back but it hasn't helped them score. Strasburg is back and had a good outing in his return but that's one in a row for a guy who often has trouble getting to two in a row.

Long way to go still but I like the way this is trending.

[MFS62]

Werth and Desmond, killing the Mets, like always. But tonight they're doing it at Chavez Ravine.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Drew Storen has been pissy ever since Jonathan Papebon arrived, and he's pitched correspondingly awful.

Doug Fister � eighth in Cy Young voting last season � has taken his 4+ ERA to the bullpen and gave up a three run shot to right in his first relief appearance.

Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth are back from their lengthy stays on the DL, but back in name only.

Fans are pissed not only that Papelbon has taken Storen' job, but also that he's taken Fister's number. And hey, hasn't Pap's entire career been one long love affair with the fans?

This is the state of the Nationals, all while the front office is insisting they will not panic. Whatever monkey was on the Mets' back going into the Nationals series, it sure switched backs some time during the series, probably some time as Wilmer Flores was rounding the bases.

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