May 15, 2008
Nats Roundup: They've Got Spirit
You can call me a Homer, but I think it is clear that the 2008 Florida Marlins are the greatest baseball team ever. I can't think of any other explanation for the Nationals' 1-8 record against them. One may think that a team with a batting average of .235 (15th in the NL), .353 Slugging (15th in the NL), .315 OBP (15th in the NL) and 166 runs scored (14th in the NL) is a bad team. No, the Nats have just had too many games against the greatest baseball team ever. The Nats are 17-24, but if you remove the Marlins from their record they are 16-16, .500! Fortunately, the Nationals won't play Florida again until June 30th. Hopefully, by then the Marlins will remember that they are supposed to be bad this year.
Cheer Squad
During the May 13 game against the Mets, some of the Nationals started cheering in the dugout. Led by Elijah Dukes, the team started a series of group cheers to encourage their hitters. Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa said that the Nats were cheering "like a bunch of softball girls," and added that "if that's what a last-place team needs to do to fire themselves up, so be it." After the game, Figueroa was designated for assignment, so it is easy to understand his frustration. Some Nationals have called the cheering bush league. The only thing I will add is that the Nationals scored a season high 10 runs that night.
Nick Johnson Schedules Annual Trip to the Doctor
It wouldn't be a Nationals season if Nick Johnson didn't get hurt. Johnson left the team on Wednesday to return to Washington to have an MRI on his wrist. He strained a tendon in his right wrist on Tuesday in his last at bat, and is listed as day to day. While Nick is only batting .220 so far this year, he still has an OBP of .415 and is third in the Major Leagues with 33 walks. This is his 9th straight season with an injury. While this one doesn't seem that serious, it is still unclear when he will return to the lineup.
UPDATE: The MRI revealed a tear of the tendon sheath in his right wrist and he will be out 4-6 weeks.
Game of the Week
While there are a lot of interesting games this week, including a three game series against the Orioles and another at home against the Phillies, the game of the week is today against the Mets. The Nationals have sent Mike O'Connor down to the minors and called up starter Jason Bergman, who will start this afternoon's game. Bergman posted the best ERA of the team in spring training, but struggled in the first month of the season, posting an ERA of 11.68, including 7 runs yielded to the dominant Marlins in 5 innings on April 9. He has pitched well for Columbus, but with all of the young pitching in the farm system, he is running out of chances to earn a place in this team's future.
Briefly Noted
Rob Mackowiak is batting .364 with an OBP of .429 and Slugging .636 in the month of May, making me look like an idiot... Matt Chico is in the bullpen, and not doing that bad... Spoilsport Paul Lo Duca has a broken bone on his right wrist and has been placed on the DL... Get discounted tickets for the May 24 game through the Partnership for Public Service.
Meaningless Statistic of the Week: Austin Kearns is leading the National League in number of pitches seen by a right handed right fielder when facing a right handed pitcher.
Photo by mosley.brian.
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They've got spirit?! They've got HEART, god damn it!
figueroa and loduca were right. the cheering was over the top and unwarranted. it's MAY and you're on the worst team in baseball. you have no right to be acting like you've just won the world series. great job by john maine the next day putting lopez on his ass with the first pitch and then shutting down the nats bats. maybe guys like dukes and milledge will get the picture and start playing like professionals (which includes actually trying). good luck with those clowns. it's gonna be a long season for all 10 nats fans out there.
Boo hoo Mets, I feel so sorry for them. Maybe they should have won the game, then they'd actually have something to say.
That being said, Nick Johnson's new nickname should be Faberge Egg. What a fragile dude. He needs to drink more milk or something.
One hell of a pitcher duel going on right now. Bottom of 6th 0-0, 3hits in the game...Mets pitcher is pitching a no hitter.
And Boone breaks up the no hitter.
Also, I like the cheering. Given how poorly the team has played it would be too easy for the team to just stop caring. I also like that it was started by Elijah Dukes, which may show his willingness to become more of a team player. Also, they were not heckling the Mets, just supporting each other, so I don't see a problem.
@wiseman: it has nothing to do with winning or losing. it has to do with being a professional and playing the game the right way. the old school way. don't stand and stare at a homerun for 20 seconds. don't act like a bunch of buffoons when you are winning by a lot. unless you want a fastball under your chin, then do whatever. where is bob gibson when we need him? i hate the showboat culture of the nfl and nba. there's nothing wrong with having fun, but there is such a thing as taking it too far.
Goat boy are you Rich "Goose" Gossage?
NATS WIN game and series. Nice shutout guys!
Goat boy, I hardly think cheering for your teammates is showboating or playing the game the "wrong way." If Dukes had hit a homer when the Nats were up big and then cheered his way around the bases, I'd agree with you. Cheering for a teammate, to me, is no biggie. They were excited, sue em.
Nice job by the Nats, taking three out of four from the lowly Mets.