« March 2006 | Main | May 2006 »
Old Frank wins 1000th game. That's a lot. More importantly, Nationals pound Phils 10-4.
Nick J goes deep twice. 4-4, 1 BB, 3RBI. Please stay healthy, Nick.
Billy Traber: not great in first start, but not too bad either.
(Photo by Rusty Kennedy/AP)
Wow. What will they think of next? DUI for Jimbo. No punchline. And just like that, consider Bowden's ticket out of town officially punched.
Move makes the Lerner/Kasten group a slam dunk, although don't underestimate fumblin' bumblin' Bud's ability to royally screw things up.
Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig is expected to select a new owner from among eight bidders in the next several days (via Washington Post, 4/18/2006)
...don't forget, in Bud Time, "several days" actually means two months. So the decision could come down in mid-to-late June.
No season ending surgery needed for Drese (yet). Injury is a strained flexor something-or-other, a.k.a. sore elbow.
Should be back in 4-6 weeks, will probably get another two starts, then will be shut down for the year. By that time the entire Nats pitching staff (bullpen included) should be completely shredded.
It's been a while. Back by popular demand, The Nationals Enquirer answers the latest installment of the Nationals.com mailbag. The correct answers are available on Nationals dot com; now we'll give it a shot.
Do you believe that general manager Jim Bowden has destroyed team chemistry by giving up outfielders Terrmel Sledge and Brad Wilkinson for left fielder Alfonso Soriano? Do you think the former Nationals outfielders will become All-Stars during the next two to three years? -- D.P., Washington, D.C.
No and no.
Why did the Nationals send Wiki Gonzalez to the Minors? Is Washington comfortable with Mathew LeCroy as the backup catcher?
-- D. T., Walton Hills, Ohio
Ha ha, yeah, I guess so. Fick should be back soon, too.
Since both Christian Guzman and Royce Clayton are injured, who will step up in short? Will the Nats call up Ian Desmond or place Brendan Harris in that role?
-- M. S., Richmond, Va.
Is Jamey Carroll available?
Why don't the Nationals call up Kenny Kelly to be leadoff hitter?
-- Gabriel, Quebec, Canada
I'm still hoping for Brandon Watson's return.
Any chance we'll see Tyrell Godwin at some point this season?
-- D.A., San Jose, Calif.
Nah.
Is there any pitching help in New Orleans? That's obviously the team's biggest need. -- T.D, Gettysburg, Pa.
At the rate we're going, every pitcher in the farm system will get at least one start with the big club before the end of the year.
How much patience do you think the Nationals will have with reliever Joey Eischen? It seems to me that he never showed he was ready for the season.
-- J.T., Silver Spring, Md.
I've never been much of a stats guy, but I believe the numbers tell a completely different story:
6G, 5IP, 18.00 ERA, 9H, 10R, 7BB.
Eischen hasn't been that bad.
(all questions taken from The Washington Nationals Official Website)
Friday night about as bad as it gets. Drese: done; At least for 15 days, but it's sure not looking good. Guillen and Vidro both get nicked up. Nats lose 6th in a row.
Patterson nothing but huge on Sat. night (8IP, 3H, 1R, 13K). Stops the losing skid at 6.
Church bails out Nats yesterday. Who was the jackass who said "Ryan Church is not the answer"? Oh yeah, that was me. Church is the answer, or - at least he was yesterday.
Marlon throws a Guillen in 7th. Chief picks up save #2.
An off-day today, so we'll put away the panic button. Hopefully it'll be a while before we need to bring it out again; but we'll keep it close by since we're half expecting Tony Armas' arm to fall off on Tuesday night in Philly.
(Photo by Lynne Sladky/AP)
"We're not going to sit here and watch another 10 games like the 10 games we've already had...We have to right the ship. They have to right the ship. And if they don't, then we can release guys, we can trade guys. We'll do what it takes to get better." (Jim Bowden, via Washington Post, 4/14/2006)
Nats drop 5th straight. Can Drese stop the bleeding? Hoo boy.
Bowden desperate: Da BWat sent down. Ryan Church is not the answer, folks.
Apparently, there IS crying in baseball: Vidro still crying about RFK's fences.
With Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig expected to name an owner as early as next Friday... (via Washington Post, 4/14/2006)
Haven't we heard this before?
"I think enough is enough, and I've had enough. I've been hit so many times by him. We used to be friends, but our relationship, I think, is over." (Jose Guillen, via Washington Post, 4/7/2006)
"Mine were not intentional. None of them. I didn't have in my mind to come out and get myself in trouble like that. I'm sure if I'm OK, I'm able to beat anybody without hitting anybody." (Pedro Martinez, via NY Daily News, 4/7/2006)
Pedro the Headhunter plunks 3 (Guillen twice) and incites benches clearing 'incident' in 10-5 loss. See you on Wednesday night at RFK, Pedro. (Someone should throw at at him in his first AB.)
Beanings not the only ugly thing about this one:
Ramon Ortiz (5IP, 10H, 6R, 1HR, 1K) stinks. Eischen not so hot.
Uh oh...another 0-fer for Da Bwat - 0-5, 4 LOB. Somewhere, Ryan Church is smiling.
(Photo by Frank Franklin II/AP)
"It's always better to win." (Jose Guillen, via Washington Post, 4/6/2006)
Yes, Jose, it is always better to win. Nationals win first game of '06 campaign, 9-5 in 10-innings over the Mets.
Zimmerman's first career HR ties game in 9th. Guillen's HR highlight of 5-run 10th.
Soriano gets beaned; benched. Let the controversy begin continue?
Nats no-hit by Mets' Brian Bannister until the 6th.
Patterson: not so good (4IP, 4H, 4R, 3BB, 7K, 2HR), but it was cold out so we'll give him a free pass.
Cheif: A scare in the 9th, but it all works out in the end.
(Photo by Frank Franklin II/AP)
Wheeeeee! I half expected this to happen, so why am I so pissed off? Why the reckless use of ALL CAPS above? Because with MLB.TV last year I was able to watch every Nationals game, no problem, from here in MD (about a 30 second walk to the DC border, in fact). But not this season. Nope:
"We're sorry! Your data indicate that you are prevented from watching this game LIVE due to the was local or national live broadcast restrictions. Please try an MLB.TV game that doesn't include this team."
Oh go F yourselves, MLB.TV. Guess it's time to go get DirecTV.
"We have to score more runs the next time we get 12 hits." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 4/4/2006)
Blown chances, blown call; Nats lose 3-2.
Good start by Soriano. (Shhhh...don't tell anyone, but Brad Wilkerson went 0-4 and left 3 on base in his Texas debut. Somewhere, Jim Bowden is smiling.)
Livan being Livan.
Da Bwat 1-4 as starting leadoff hitter/center fielder.
We've got no problem with Vidro's decision in the 9th.
(AP Photo by Bill Kostroun)
6 months ago, the Nationals' inaugural season ended with a 9-3 loss to Philly and a .500 record. After a quiet, relatively uneventful offseason, Season II begins. Play ball.
"It's a tough club to really analyze because I don't think we really know it yet." (Jim Bowden, via Washington Post, 4/3/2006)
Wilkerson balks at playing the outfield; demands to play second base.
"I'm very happy to be back in Washington, but I'm playing second. It's not my problem or Jose Vidro's problem. This is the team's problem." (Brad Wilkerson, 04/01/2006)
(Photo By Ricky Fitchett, Pointed Magazine dot com)
Evil incarnate announces plans to move the Nationals to Indianapolis in time for the start of 2007 season. Tom Boswell kills himself.
"Sorry Washington, but I saw the attendance for last night's Nationals-Orioles game at RFK, and I just don't think that this market can sustain another Major League franchise." (Jeff Smulyan, April 1, 2006)
(Photo by Sarah L. Voisin, The Washington Post)
