bmfc1

Ichiro Suzuki is now a MFY.

Frayed Knot wrote: So, inspired by bmfc's (now standard) rant about Nationals' broadcaster Bob Carpenter Excuse me FK? I don't recall "ranting" about Carpenter in any other KTEs (definitely in IGTs and via Twitter). But let's say I did... I didn't ask to do this KTE. I was all but ordered to do it ("Just write about the Nats, man.") and so I did, being a good team player. You want a rant, here's a rant: Who died and made you arbiter of the KTEs? Given that I: a) didn't want to do it and knocked it out in 45 minutes, I thought it was DAMN good.

[u:p9lbarmh]Nationals:[/u:p9lbarmh] 1. Steve Lombardozzi, 2B 2. Bryce Harper, RF 3. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B 4. Michael Morse, LF 5. Adam LaRoche, 1B 6. Danny Espinosa, SS 7. Roger Bernadina, CF 8. Sandy Leon, C 9. Jordan Zimmermann, SP

"It wasn't an issue until I told you about it and now it's not an issue. Look at me!"

The 1st place Washington Nationals (55-39, 3 � in front of Atlanta) come to Citi Field for 3 games against the under .500 (47-48) New York Mets. The Mets are 8 � games behind Washington and are now in 7th place in the Wild Card standings, 5 games out of the 2d Wild Card spot. In other words, a lot of Mets will be looking over their shoulders waiting to see if they are traded before the July 30th deadline. The Mets are only 3-6 against the Nationals this season. The Nationals are missing Ian Desmond who went on the DL on Sunday. That means that Danny Espinosa moves to SS and Steve Lombardozzi plays 2B. While the Mets were playing 3 horrible games against the Dodgers, the Nationals split four games against the Braves. On Friday, the Nationals lead the Braves 9-0 but blew the lead and lost 11-10. The Nationals TV announcers are horrible. Bob Carpenter might be the worst TV play-by-play guy in baseball and that includes Ken Harrelson. The color guy is F.P. (�Mitchell Report�) Santangelo who is the worst kind of color announcer: he knows little about the game and cheers incessantly for the home team. Fortunately for the locals, the radio team is excellent. New Yorkers know Charlie Slowes from his Fordham days and Mets fans were aware of him from his time with Tidewater. Here�s a good article on them (make sure you read the part about his time with Tampa): http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/for-washington-nationals-radio-team-dave-jageler-and-charlie-slowes-baseballs-in-the-air/2012/07/05/gJQAB9FYPW_story.html Let�s look at the match-ups for the series: Monday, 7:10: Jordan Zimmermann (RHP, 7-6, 2.35, 1.09) v. Chris Young (RHP, 2-4, 4.11, 1.37). Zimmermann has 17 quality starts in 19 outings this season, including nine in a row. He hasn't allowed a run in his last two starts (I didn�t write the last two sentences but can�t remember where I stole them from). This was the same match-up as last Wednesday (Zimmermann, 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 H; Young, 6 IP, 2 ER). That was the game blown by Terry �Short McBunty� Collins who left ex-Met Miguel Batista in the game to face Lombardozzi when Edgin was warming up in the bullpen. Lombardozzi is a switch-hitter but his numbers show that he�s much better against RHPs so the obvious move was to bring in the LHP... obvious to everyone but Collins. Batista gave up a 2-run double and the Mets lost by a run. I will miss this game as I am co-hosting comedy night at Fire Station No. 1 in downtown Silver Spring, MD. Showtime is 7:30 and it�s free. Stop by if you�re in the area. Tuesday, 7:10: Gio Gonzalez (LHP, 12-5, 3.32, 1.14) v. R.A. Dickey (RHP, 13-1, 2.84). This was supposed to be a great pitching duel last Thursday but Gonzalez was rocked for 6 ER in only 3 ? with Wright and Ike homering off the All-Star. Dickey hung around for 7 ? because he was concerned that the bullpen would blow the easy win. �I�d rather throw 150 pitches then leave it up to those guys�, said Dickey who quickly added �no disrespect intended.� Wednesday, 12:10: Stephen Strasburg, (RHP, 10-4, 2.85, 1.15) v. Jeremy Hefner (RHP, 1-3, 5.85, 1.36). Oy. What are the Mets chances in this one? Strasburg didn�t pitch very well on Saturday, going 5 ? , 4 ER, 8 H. Hefner started against WSH on June 6 and pitched a respectable 6 IP, giving up 3 ER. Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell said during that game that Hefner threw �slop� (this was tweeted by a Mets reporter). Boswell should know about slop as he lost his fastball 20 years ago. The writer who gave us the phrase �time begins on opening day� now writes from his knees about his beloved Nationals. He has become an embarrassment. Here's more slop from Bowell, from today: Perhaps no quality is more valuable in baseball�s long season than the ability to take a punch. The only way to learn to endure injuries, slumps and losses (such as Friday�s) that defy belief is actually to experience, then surmount them. Individually, players learn patience and develop a deep belief that, given time, their talent will speak and their critics will fall silent. As a team, the habit of defiant resiliency, which is much of what athletic �character� really is, gets born. I could have picked almost any other paragraph in this column as an example of over-writing but I will spare you. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/nationals-are-getting-tough-through-adversity/2012/07/22/gJQAfkQ92W_story.html A certainty for Wednesday are comments from the hard-working beat writers about the early start. The poor babies will have to be at the ballpark by 9 and then have to fly to Arizona after the game. I hope they survive the ordeal.

Edgy just cheated death. I don't want to disappoint him.

Well since you asked so nicely, I'll bang out something.

I have the Mets @ WSH in August and Edgy just did last week's series. Unless Edgy wants to do it, this one's gonna have to be a group. If I did it, it would only be me ranting about TC and Sandy.

Harvey is real and not a figment of our imagination. Get a nap, it's a 9:40 start.

I smell something... (that was too easy).

Dimuro is even worse than Angel Hernandez and CB Bucknor!

Edgy--two years ago, I was sitting in the same section you were and I saw a guy a section to the left get hit in the eye with a foul ball. I'm glad you're OK.

LWFS--I feel badly for you. This is a great example of the Crypt Keeper not giving a damn about the fans. He'd say, or at least his press people would say for him, that he's giving more fans a better game to watch by allowing ESPN to make this late selection. If you were allowed to return or exchange the tickets, I wouldn't argue but you're not, you looked forward to it, and you got screwed. And I'm sorry.

You know the conflict you feel when one of your favorite shows, like Mad Men or Breaking Bad, is on at the same time as the Mets? Well, that will happen again on August 12 as ESPN has moved the home game against the Braves to 8:05. At least the Mets have a day off the next day.

Edgy DC wrote: bmfc1 wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: I getting sick of these hard-fought, one-run losses. Aren't one-run losses supposed to even out? Are they? I don't think so. There's a theory that one-run losses are the product of bad luck and luck should even out over time. That's just a theory, I'm not Elias.

Frayed Knot wrote: I getting sick of these hard-fought, one-run losses. Aren't one-run losses supposed to even out?

JV makes things happen, doesn't he?

No comments about Joyce missing the call at 2B that lead to the 7th Dodger run? It looked like Murphy got the runner. In other news, Joyce now can write another book about blowing another call.

He caught the final out of the Friday game against the MFYs. That's more than I can say for other infielders.

Sherman, today: They have duplicity with, say, a lefty-hitting second baseman. But the industry knows the Mets have had multiple disciplinary problems with Jordany Valdespin and that arbitration eligible Daniel Murphy is about to get expensive for a defensively deficient player without power. With Matt Den Dekker coming, the Mets should definitely make available fellow lefty-hitting outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis (viewed as a fourth outfielder in the industry) and maybe even Lucas Duda. Duda�s real position, first base, is blocked by Ike Davis. http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/no_bull_MKZdLSwtlJrPwemAOgrXWL#ixzz21Ai5iYSF Why "disciplinary problems" is he talking about with Jordany? I know he's a hot head and there are temperament issues, but the phrase he uses typically goes with NFL or college players and guns, drugs, or domestic violence. Am I unaware of some issue(s) or is Sherman overstating things?

Did I hear Terry correctly on the post-game: the Nationals are a good bunting team so they tailor their IF so that bunts stay fair. If he thinks that, and I wouldn't put it past Davey and management that went out of its way to get the 1st round pick two years in a row, then did the Mets bunt at all? Is that why Torres had a few IF hits?

Duda. I like them both but Ike is a premier fielder and Duda is, right now, a poor RF who probably should be a DH or playing first. BTW, Sherman says today that the Rays like Duda.

Great KTE!

SSH: Thanks.

I hope you people enjoyed this game.