Friday, April 18, 2008

We Suck

I feel bad for John Lannan. Dude deserved better.

I feel bad for Manny Acta. How the hell is he supposed to win a game against a better team in extras with a 23-man roster? Bowden keeps putting him into impossible situations with his transactional indecisions.

Yay for Zimmerman, finally getting a couple of hits. The one late in the game was a terrific piece of hitting, a hard linedrive UP THE MIDDLE, not to the opposite field. That's what you do with the slop, not flip it the other way!

Onward and downward!

  • When you're losing them, you've gone too far! The canary in the coal mine is undergoing a death rattle.

    • posted by Chris Needham at 12:11 AM

    23 Comments:

    • I'm missing something... I know we are down one with LoDuca's injury ... Nieves replaced Schroder... what is the other roster shortage?

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 12:16 AM  

    • Their .250 winning percentage is exactly the same as the Mets' 40-and-120 mark in their inaugural season of 1962. Except that team had Richie Ashburn, who hit 306, and Frank Thomas, who hit 34 homers. Tell me who's the .300 hitter on this team and which two Nats could combine for 34 homers?
      They are apocolyptically bad.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 12:16 AM  

    • Cordero.

      He's there, but they can't realistically use him.

      By Blogger Chris Needham, at 4/18/2008 12:17 AM  

    • Yes... if nothing else, the one thing I take from this game is Hanrahan needs to go... Booker, Schroder, I don't care who... anyone can come up. His last 2-3 outings have been all over the place.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 12:24 AM  

    • Yep. I can understand why they've stuck with him to this point.

      He'd have to clear waivers, but I can't really see a team making a claim on him at this point. He's a mess.

      I fell for the farking spring training kool aid again!

      By Blogger Chris Needham, at 4/18/2008 12:26 AM  

    • The fact that Cordero is not on the DL is a joke. Any other organization would have put him on the DL a week ago. Something is seriously wrong with the Nationals decision-making process. Either the wrong people have too much input (i.e. Kasten and Bowden) or the right people (Acta and St. Claire) are too f'ing stupid. Either way, something is out of whack and the fans are paying the price.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 12:27 AM  

    • The reallllly cynical fan would say that they don't want to pay the extra salary for the DL'd player's replacement.

      But even I don't think they're THAT cheap....

      I think...

      By Blogger Chris Needham, at 4/18/2008 12:29 AM  

    • oh yes they are. That is why they fired the two accountants they are trying to replace.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 12:30 AM  

    • Things are really bad when even Bob Carpenter is comes across as "hard" on the team. I even sensed a little negativity in his voice at one point. That is out of character for his usual homer-fanboy self.

      On a serious note, though, I must say: I am a Nats fan living in Florida, so I cannot go to the games. Thus, I have the MLB Extra Innings package and watch all the games on that. For the past 3 years I have watched games for all teams on all networks and therefore been exposed to literally all of the announcing duos... play-by-play and color. Because of this I feel I am uniquely qualified to make the following two claims: (1) We have, without a doubt, the BEST color analyst (Don Sutton) of any team, and (2) we have the WORST play-by-play announcer (Carp) of any team.

      If you are looking for wit and jokes about fat guys in the stands, then watch a Giants game with Krukow or a Diamondbacks game with Mark Grace, or hell, even a Red Sox game with Remy. However, if you want to increase your knowledge of the game and the players, listen to Don Sutton! I loved him with the braves and was ecstatic when our chop-shop operation had the intelligence to sign him. I would rather see Zimmerman go than Sutton.

      On the other hand, we have, clearly, the worst play-by-play man. I offer 4 major faults that are evident when you watch other teams' commentators: (1) He talks as if his audience were kindergartners... the tone of his voice... we are not idiots and we DO know SOMETHING about the game;(2) HOMER... while all play-by-plays on local networks are homers to some extent, Carp takes it to a new level; (3) He often confuses his play-by-play role for an analyst role. We really don't give a damn about what HE thinks the pitcher is thinking. That is Sutton's job; and, finally, (4) he cannot judge a ball off the bad. How many fly balls in the past 2 years have you though were walk-off home runs... or even 2-out doubles... he probably jumps out of his seat twice an inning.

      This is my Christmas wish: In my opinion, the best young play-by-play guy not tied to a team because of his playing days is none other than Darrell Sutton (DBacks), who just happens to be Don Sutton's son. He is great. Please, Mr. Kasten and Mr. Lerner, if we cannot sign Jake Peavy or Johann Santana next year because they are under contract... or Matt Holiday or Albert Pujols... AT LEAST get the fuck rid of Bill Carpenter and reunite Darrell Sutton with his father. At least our losses will sound a lot better!

      Sorry this was so long, but I've been wanting to get that off my chest for a year and a month now!

      By Blogger Unknown, at 4/18/2008 12:49 AM  

    • You think Carpenter sucks? Have you seen Ray Knight. Somebody, please, put him out of his misery.

      I think the term we're looking for here folks is bush league. We just need to embrace the losing. 120 losses!! Let's be a part of something!!!!!

      /drops empty whiskey bottle onto the floor

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 1:07 AM  

    • Who's going to be the #1 pick in the 09 draft? We should study up.

      If they didn't trust Cordero in that last inning, why isn't he on the DL??? I think he's fine, I trust him. He's a closer...use him. If he pitches 2 innings and is worn out for by the third, than good for the Mets. He'd atleast keep them in the game.

      No team should have to lose this way, after this kind of game.

      Peter Angelos cursed the Nats.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 1:22 AM  

    • Daron Sutton signed a five-year deal with Arizona in the fall of '06.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 2:41 AM  

    • Ray Knight is and will always remain a dullard.

      By Blogger Brian, at 4/18/2008 7:40 AM  

    • This comment has been removed by the author.

      By Blogger Ray Firsching, at 4/18/2008 8:22 AM  

    • News flash...MASN is as "objective" about news as FOX News. They're like professional wrestling. They're not intended to be real news.

      Sutton just needs to lay off the "gettie up" line. Limit himself to one per game.

      As for the team...what do you do when your blocks you've selected to build your team upon sink into the proverbial sand?

      Start over.

      By Blogger Ray Firsching, at 4/18/2008 8:23 AM  

    • I'm not on board with (at least) some of Manny Acta's in-game managerial decisions.

      Why PH Estrada for Rauch? Except for 2003-2004 he consistently bats below league average. In 14 PA Estrada's OPS is .297 and we are short in the bullpen thanks to the uselessness of Cordero. Let Rauch make an out and keep his arm in the game, instead of bringing in Estrada to make an out.

      Ray King faces two consecutive right-handed batters, gives up hit. 'nuff said.

      I'm late for work and too pissed off to think about this game any longer, but I'm sure there are other points to be made about Manny's puzzling moves this season.

      By Blogger Bote Man, at 4/18/2008 9:09 AM  

    • Manny ain't perfect, but as I said above, faulting him here, when he was playing a superior team, while down a pitcher and a batter, he had to do things that he otherwise wouldn't do.

      I'm not sure we can peck him to death on this one.

      By Blogger Chris Needham, at 4/18/2008 9:10 AM  

    • re: Rauch hitting...

      He was the 1st or 2nd pitcher to homer off of Clemens (of course it was in Houston).

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 9:36 AM  

    • Estrada does have a much smaller strike zone than Rauch, if that counts for anything. Also, any pitcher getting his first glimpse of Estrada's uniform choices might be briefly thrown off his game by laughter. When you have as weak-hitting a team as we do, you have to look for even the slightest bit of edge, wherever you can find it, and seek to exploit it. I'm sure that's what Manny was trying to do last night.

      By Blogger An Briosca Mor, at 4/18/2008 10:24 AM  

    • Just what the heck is going on with Rauch anyway? Something is seriously wrong when a 6'11" major league pitcher either can't or won't throw a damn fastball. His array of slop isn't fooling anyone at all right now.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 2:02 PM  

    • The Nats aren't going to be historically bad enough to lose 120games without a lot more misfortune. However, we may actually have management that will be at the forefront of the 24 player roster to be negotiated in the next collective bargaining agreement.

      Is anyone keeping LoDuca under suveillance? I suspect he will be seeking out whatever is proported as the next generation of PED. Then before you know it, he's BACK on the field again stinking things up.

      By Blogger blovy8, at 4/18/2008 2:50 PM  

    • PLoD on the DL. This guy seems to be falling apart muscle strand by muscle strand. Meanwhile, Alumni Update: Church is batting .333 and Schneider .306 after going 3-for-4 against Cole Hamels et all in Philly.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/18/2008 11:59 PM  

    • Andrew Stebbins:

      PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Stephen Strasburg, rhp, San Diego State. Strasburg, the No. 2-ranked player in the college sophomore class, had one of the most dominating outings in years on Friday night in San Diego State’s 1-0 victory over Utah. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound righthander threw a one-hit shutout, striking out 23 Utah batters, while walking only one. Four players reached base with no one getting past first base. The 23 strikeouts shattered the previous San Diego State record of 18 strikeouts in one game by John Hemmerly in 1988 and broke the Mountain West Conference record of 17 by Marcos Mendoza in 2001. The NCAA record for a nine-inning game is 26, set by former big leaguer of Buddy Schultz of Miami (Ohio) in 1973. For the year, Strasburg improved to 4-1, 1.97. In 50 innings, Strasburg has allowed 38 hits, while walking eight and striking out 73 batters.

      By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/19/2008 12:31 PM  

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