Division Opponents in 2015: Washington Nationals

[Benjamin Grimm]

That's one weird monkey. I hope he continues to stick close to the Nationals.

[Frayed Knot]

Nats call up top hitting prospect (SS) Trea Turner.
He was the guy they got as part of the three-team deal last December with SD & TB but couldn't be announced until June as part of the farce of a PTBNL until one full year after his signing.
Prior to the deal he had been the 13th overall pick of the Padres in 2014 (3 picks after Conforto) out of UNC. Reportedly has blinding speed and has been working out at 2B recently.
Probably would have been a top 15 prospect the coming winter (and still could be if he doesn't exceed the AB limit).

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Nice analysis at Grantland.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I have the Brewers-Nationals game on the TV (with the sound off) as I'm reading my book, but I just glanced up and saw the Brewers turn a nice double play. Runners on first and second, the Milwaukee centerfielder makes a nice diving catch and then guns down Werth trying to advance to third.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Nationals are off today, host the Padres for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. This is followed by a three-game series at home against the Marlins over the weekend, and then they travel to St. Louis for a three-game series.

[Edgy MD]

The Nat Daddies have reportedly re-set their rotation to ensure that Max Scherzer faces the Mets twice more going forward.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Bring it on

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy MD wrote: The Nat Daddies have reportedly re-set their rotation to ensure that Max Scherzer faces the Mets twice more going forward.

[Frayed Knot]

Following the post-ASG sweep, Williams + Rizzo took some heat for NOT re-jiggering their rotation so as make the Mets face Scherzer when the Mets did exactly that when we threw the trio of Harvey, deGrom, Syndergaard at them, so I suppose they see this less as desperation than as correcting an earlier mistake.
But, yeah, it's got the whiff of desperation.


Last night's game saw the return of Denard Span and the first time all season that they've had the projected 'starting eight' on the field at the same time.
But mainly what they've had going for them over their mini three-game winning streak (aside from, y'know, facing Milwaukee & Sandy Eggo) has been large two-out hits. Last night it was a 2-out GS from Ryan Zimmerman which broke the game open; on Sunday they got a 2-out/3-RBI 2B from Espinosa and a 2-out/3R HR from Rendon a couple innings later. Nice work if you can get it, but it's tough to count on stuff like that night after night and it's easy to see how a couple of ABs can change a game from one result to another.


The trade for Papelbon 30 days ago now. He's pitched 7 innings for them to date and only 3 of those 7 1-inning appearances were in save situations.
Maybe that deal will prove worthwhile down the stretch at some point but, even though he's pitched reasonably well for them in the short time he's been there, it really hasn't so far as they've been mostly playing games that wind up as blowouts one way or the other: only 3 of their last 19 games have been within 2 runs and all of them losses.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Edgy MD wrote: The Nat Daddies have reportedly re-set their rotation to ensure that Max Scherzer faces the Mets twice more going forward.

The Mets should respond by facing Scherzer with Logan Verrett.

[G-Fafif]

If the first-place Nats led the second-place Mets by 6 1/2 games as September dawned, only a few hardy souls would believe the Mets weren't dead.

The first-place Mets lead the second-place Nats by 6 1/2 games as September dawns. Draw your own conclusions.

[G-Fafif]

Bryce Harper referred to Nats fans showing their Natitude by departing today's game early as "brutal".

He must not have heard that Scott Boras advised them to cap their innings at seven.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

G-Fafif wrote: Bryce Harper referred to Nats fans showing their Natitude by departing today's game early as "brutal". He must not have heard that Scott Boras advised them to cap their innings at seven.

Bad ass!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Long informative Washington Post piece on the fall of the 2015 Nats. Lotsa Mets content. (Third of three-parter on the 2015 Nats).

"In Jonathan Papelbon, Nationals got their closer � and their kiss of death"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/trade-for-jonathan-papelbon-had-disastrous-results-for-the-nationals/2015/09/30/0aef1564-66ee-11e5-8325-a42b5a459b1e_story.html

excerpt:

But inside the Washington clubhouse, the Clippard trade still resonated, a point further emphasized because the Nationals would be competing against their old teammate in a pennant race. Several Nationals couldn�t rectify the idea that the club had traded away Clippard, a reliable eighth-inning pitcher, in part because he was going to make $8.3 million in his final year of arbitration. These players, speaking on the condition of anonymity, believed the financial part of that decision didn�t marry well with the seven-year, $210 million contract given to Scherzer. Now here came Papelbon, who would be guaranteed $11 million for 2016. �We thought we were building a clubhouse here with players who were going to do things the Nationals Way,� one player said. �But then they don�t keep some of those guys, and they bring in others who haven�t come up that way. What does that teach you? How does that breed loyalty?�

On that Saturday morning, Werth arrived at the ballpark and looked at the lineup card posted on a bulletin board that hangs on the wall just outside the main clubhouse. Clint Robinson was penciled into left field, where Werth plays. Rendon was penciled into the leadoff spot, where Werth had been hitting. Werth�s name wasn�t on it. Throughout the season, when everyday players are going to get a day off, the manager typically finds a way to get the message to a player the night before. The player then can do with that information whatever he wants � get in a more rigorous weightlifting session that night, arrive at the ballpark a little later the next day, whatever. More importantly, a player with a day off can mentally decompress and, for once, relax. According to individuals with direct knowledge of the situation, Werth hadn�t received such a message from Williams. This wasn�t the first time, and Werth wasn�t the first veteran to experience what players considered an oversight once, an egregious error beyond that. What might have been a minor blip in a successful season became a boiling point. Incensed, Werth ripped the lineup card off the wall, bellowing that it was going to change. Then, according to several people who were present, he confronted Williams � not just about whether he would play that day but about what most of the clubhouse considered to be a chronic lack of communication with his players. Among the most jarring barbs, from Werth to Williams: �When exactly do you think you lost this team?� The incident was the most visible and vocal in a summer that had devolved into chaos. From the players� point of view, there were several problems with Williams and his leadership; communication was at the forefront. �He doesn�t talk to people in here,� one veteran said late in the year. This manifested itself in ways large and small, and many of the would-be problems ran through Knorr, the bench coach. Such a structure is typical in a major league clubhouse, with a coach used as a sounding board, a go-between, so that little problems don�t get to the manager, that the manager is only presented with major issues.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Ye Gods.

This is just the kind of thing people used to call LOLMetly, ain't it?

[bmfc1]

Bad news for us: the Nationals have dismissed Matt Williams (and the entire coaching staff).

[Benjamin Grimm]

I would have been shocked if they hadn't.

[Edgy MD]

I'm surprised the whole staff went with him.

I think we can assume Wally Backman gets at least an interview. Maybe Willie the Winner too!

[Lefty Specialist]

Supposedly Cal Ripken's in the running. That'd be enormously dumb, so I hope they do it.

The Papelbon- Harper thing was just the icing on the cake. So yeah, it would have been shocking if they HADN'T fired him. Surprised GM Rizzo didn't go with him, but he's got to be on reallllllly thin ice.....

[Guest d'Kong76]

I wouldn't like Wally there. The Nationals have replaced the Braves
as my least-liked divisional opponent.

[Frayed Knot]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Supposedly Cal Ripken's in the running. That'd be enormously dumb, so I hope they do it.

Tough to believe that they'd replace a 1st time manager with another first timer - especially Ripken who's Baltimore's guy more than Washington's but would be almost as tough to fire in Washington.
The thinking is that Rizzo has to pay for an experienced guy ... but who knows.

[Edgy MD]

Experienced dudes:

Big Three:
LaRussa
Torre
Cox

Just Below Big Three:
Charlie Manuel
Leyland (71 and a big smoker historically, so I'd be afraid he die on the field)
Pinella (same)
Johnson (been there)
Ron Gardenhire (hmmmm...)
Ron Washington
Dusty Baker (he's done, right?)
Bobby Valentine

Others:
Bud Black (never saw the appeal)
Willie Randolph (he's won!)
Mike Redmond (come on)
Ryne Sandberg (they've seen him up close!)
Ron Roeneke
Kirk Gibson
Bo Porter
Rick Renteria
Alan Trammell
Jerry Manuel
Dale Sveum
Eric Wedgie
Manny Acta (been there too)
Ozzie Guillen (please!)
Brad Mills
Jim Tracy
Bob Geren
John McLaren
Mike Quade
Jim Riggleman
Trey Hillman
Ken Macha
John Russell
Dave Trembley
Phil Garner
Buddy Bell
Mike Hargrove
Cecil Cooper
Don Wakamatsu

Crazy how few Latinos there are with experience. After Guillen and Acta, who is the next most experienced? Juan Samuel?

[Lefty Specialist]

Gardenhire's intriguing. His experience was constantly retooling when young players got too expensive and left for other teams. But he preaches the 'fundies', as Keith likes to say, and that's one thing the Nats sorely lacked this year.

Even with the clusterf*ck of a manager and all the injuries they had, they still won 83 games. A few judicious moves and they're right back there again. There's plenty of talent on that roster, which is why it was so fun to watch them crash and burn.

[TransMonk]

[fimg=400:z6sq9gl0]https://cbswashington.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/sports-illustrated-cover1.jpg[/fimg:z6sq9gl0]
83 wins after this cover should get everyone fired.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Not 4 nothing but Terry's contract is up in a few weeks too. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they give him a nice retirement bonus, win or lose.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Not an endorsement, but if your listing guys with experience, Grady Little should be on there.

[Edgy MD]

No doubt. I had to go to the bathroom, and then, you know, do some work.

[Edgy MD]

Lee Mazzill!

[Guest d'Kong76]

That never gets old lol

[G-Fafif]

Why do teams dismiss Davey Johnson? It never works out in the end.