Results tagged “ryanchurch”

In Trader Jim's first move of the off-season, the Nationals have traded catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church to the Mets for outfielder Lastings Milledge. Milledge batted .272 last year with 7 HRs, 29 RBIs, .341 OBP and .446 slugging, though he only accumulated 184 at-bats. Church had similar averages last year, but with almost 300 more at-bats only had 8 more homeruns and 41 more RBIs. Schneider only hit .235 last year, with...

News and notes surrounding Washington's loveable cellar-dwellers: Belliard Signs Extension: Though he was widely considered the Nats most moveable commodity, he and the team agreed to a 2-year, $3.5 million extension to keep big Ron in D.C. Belliard’s versatility makes Manny Acta’s job much easier for the next few years with his ability to play multiple infield positions, his willingness to be a bench player when needed, and his veteran leadership. In the meantime, his...

Prompted by the opening of online balloting for the 2007 All Star Game a few weeks ago, we recently started wondering who might represent the Nats in San Francisco (since, you know, somebody has to). Dmitri Young? The guy's hitting for a scorching .500 average over the last 21 games. But he's mired behind popular stars like Albert Pujols and Nomar Garciaparra, as well as reigning MVP Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder's 23-homer bat. Even...

Ponder this one for a minute: Now that official online voting is open, if you had to select the Nats representative for the ’07 All Star game based on the team's first 52 games, who would it be? No National appears in the top five at any position in the early voting results, which is indicative of both the nature of the voting as a popularity contest and of the Nats' subpar 21-31 record....

The talk about the Nationals being the worst team in major league history seems to have been slightly exaggerated. That being said, they've been pretty awful in losing 5 in a row, including being swept by the Cubs this weekend. The Nats are 9-22, 10.5 games out of first place in the National League East and 5.5 behind the fourth place Phillies. And they face the surprising Brewers, who have the best record in baseball,...

For all the hand wringing over the Nats 9-17 April record (the second worst in baseball), the month's last game provided some vindication for many of the teams fans, and especially for centerfielder Ryan Church. At the beginning of April, Church's fate with the team was cloudy, with his supporters almost hoping he could be traded to find another opportunity. A quick glance at the lineup before a 3-2 win over the Padres late Monday...

While D.C. was enjoying its glorious spring weather this weekend, the Nats were in Miami getting severely pounded by the Marlins. Many of the now-usual themes were present: big early deficits, too many walks, and baserunning blunders maligned the brief road trip. The biggest culprit, the Nats much-maligned pitching, has been adequately covered by others, including Chad Cordero's two blown saves and the disasterous outings by Matt Chico and Jerome Williams. Really, in a just...

Put the champagne on ice, kids. The Nats, at 4-9, are threatening to climb out of last place for the first time since last June, ahead of struggling Philadelphia. Both teams are 4.5 games back, but the Nats have one more win thus far. Try washing down your $90 million payroll with that, Phils fans! After a dreadful first turn through the rotation, the Nats starters have rebounded with some impressive performances as of late....

Well, Nats fans, what's there to say? What can we add to the criticism leveled by so many others? What can we say about an opening week where the Nats have yet to lead for a single pitch? When the pitching has spotted the opposition leads of 6-0, 6-0, 5-0, 4-0, 7-0, 6-0, and 3-0? When the lineup needed 30 at bats to finally get a hit with a man in scoring position? When the...

Maybe it was the indignity of the Marlins spoiling the last Opening Game ever in RFK. Maybe it was the insufferable Aramark concessionaires, who insist that it's perfectly acceptable to run out of buns in the fifth inning of the first damn game. Maybe it's the humiliation of the long winless streak to the other presidents. There's no telling. Something, though, was terribly amiss in that giant head of Teddy Roosevelt's during the Nat's 9-2...

[Editor's Note: With the Nationals readying to begin their third season in D.C., change is constant and questions abound. Last week, we took a look at this year's lineup in our Season Preview. Today, we discuss this year’s most pressing questions with some of the Nats' best bloggers: Chris from Capitol Punishment, Basil from Federal Baseball, and Brian from Nationals Farm Authority.] DCist: Since the Lerner/Kasten team took over the team, every move is justified...

Jose Vidro, the Nats oft-injured second baseman, has been traded to the Seattle Mariners, pending a physical exam delayed until this morning. Vidro’s a three-time All Star with fine career numbers, and he's a standup character. He's shown admirable loyalty to the club throughout the franchise’s tumultuous past and gruesome near-term prognosis. After the clearing of roster debris like Ramon Ortiz, Tony Armas, and Joey Eishen, one might think that Nationals Nation would mourn –...

While the playoffs kick into high gear this week, the rest of the league is left wondering about what might have been this year, and what could be next year. Fans in Washington might be tempted to view 2006 as a lost season. The team struggled to 71 wins, 10 fewer than the last place ’05 squad, contributing to the team’s decision to dump Frank Robinson. Truth be told, Frank didn’t have much of a...

The Washington Nationals and Alfonso Soriano, outside his apartment: Fonzi: Wow. That was intense. Nats: Seriously. You were amazing. I don’t know how you kept producing through all of that. Fonzi: Oh, I was o.k. I was just worried about you. I mean, I love being with you. I love it here. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I didn’t like it when you were talking to all those other teams. Nats: I know. I’m...

With trade winds swirling, winning streaks building, and the Bobby bouncing, it’s time to take a look around at all things Nats: Soriano. Guillen. Watson. Church. Byrd. Jackson. Ward. Kearns. Matos. Escobar. Ummm… Church again. It is safe to say that GM JimBo and Frank Robinson have left no stone unturned in their search for talent to patrol the RFK outfield. Good thing, too, since Guillen has now had season-ending surgery and Soriano’s trade-watch is...

Just a speed bump on the road back to a competitive season? Or a return to earth for a team playing way beyond its ability for nearly a month? In either case, the Nats did not look good in dropping the first two of a four-game set with Colorado on Monday and Tuesday. The Nats began the week having won six of their last seven series, winning at a .696 clip during that span....

When the Nats completed the series win over their budding rivals from Baltimore last weekend, things were looking up. They'd won two in a row (and three of four), stalwart starter Livan Hernandez appeared to have returned to last year's All Star form, and Alfonso Soriano was proving why Jim Bowden coveted him so badly. The team seemed to have turned a corner on their poor start. But Momentum, she is a fickle lady....

On Thursday, the Lerners took in their first game as the official to-be-owners of the Nats, and it was a stinker. The Nats' poor play has left them in last place, and has local scribes taking a long view toward the Lerner/ Kasten team building a contender. The Nats started the week with a quick two game series in New York with the first-place Mets. And they had to do it while desperately shorthanded and...

This post was written by DCist contributor Jeff Beam. The announcement of a new owner can’t come soon enough for the reeling Nats, who lost 5-0 Wednesday afternoon to the Reds, completing the series sweep and dropping them seven games below .500 (7-14) on the young season. The Nats put themselves in early holes in all three games, and have not led since surrendering a 3-run homer in the 8th against Atlanta on Sunday –...

This entry was written by DCist contributor Jeff Beam. Just another day at the office for the 2006 Nationals. After Monday's much-needed day off, Tuesday was off to the races. By midday, the team had learned that Ryan Drese would be out four to six weeks, but would avoid season-ending surgery. By the late evening, when Gary Majewski was wrapping up a 10-3 victory in Philly, their GM was on the hot seat, and the...

This entry was written by DCist contributor Benjamin Kabak. With Ryan Church providing some much-needed ninth-inning heroics during the Nats' Easter Sunday win over the Marlins, the headlines nearly write themselves. Church, who struggled during Spring Training and hit even worse during his first week playing at AAA New Orleans, came up big with a two-run home run in the top of the 9th as the Nats overcame a 5-4 deficit to top the Florida...

This entry was written by new DCist contributor Jeff Beam Away from the three ring circus created by Major League Baseball, City Council, and Mayor Williams’ office, the 2006 edition of the Nationals prepares this week to close shop in Viera, Florida and head north for another season along the Anacostia. A number of roster moves via trade, promotion, and shoulder tears have changed the look of the team, so we’ve compiled a season preview...

Yesterday, it finally came to a head. The issue everyone kept putting on the backburner finally rushed to the forefront of the Washington Nationals' spring training season. Alfonso Soriano, the highest paid player of the club, refused to take the field in his assigned role of left fielder against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. Brandon Watson eventually took the field in Soriano's place, playing centerfield while moving Ryan Church...

Seriously, the boos aren't helping. Last night, in the top of the third with two outs and two on, John Patterson struck out Barry Bonds to end the threat. Patterson returned to the dugout in happy kid form, practically skipping his way off the field. Bonds went down again in the fifth and was intentionally put on in the seventh. It was almost an uneventful night for the slugger. Except for that time up in...

After losing an absolute heartbreaker on Saturday night at Shea to the NY Mets, the Nationals bounced back yesterday, scoring six runs in the first inning and holding on to beat the Mets 7-4. Things were going so well for the Nats that Christian Guzman doubled twice and also drove in two runs, raising his batting average to an almost robust .194. Esteban Loiza pitched 6 1/3 inning on three days rest, striking out...

The Nationals missed an opportunity to overtake the Astros in the wild card chase, dropping a tough 4-3 decision against the Phillies last night. Esteban Loaiza coughed up four earned runs on 10 hits and a walk in 5.2 innings. Bright spots for the Nats included Vinny Castilla's 3rd inning homerun, and Luis Ayala, Joey Eischen, and Gary Majewski combining for 2+ innings of scoreless, hitless relief. The Nats managed to cut the Phillies'...

Hot town, summer in the city...and the Nationals continue to tumble, dropping three of four to the Astros. It appeared that the Nats had hit bottom and there was nowhere to go but up after being outclassed by Roger Clemens and nearly pounded back to Montreal 14-1 on Friday night, especially after a 4-2 win and superb performance by Tony Armas (7IP, 1H, 2ER) on Saturday evening. But apparently there was a little more...

(Entry written by DCist contributor Chris Kelly) So it's a fact that the banged-up Nationals need a breather, after playing .500 ball over their last 10 games leading up to the all-star break and losing 2 in a row. And it's a fact that at 52-36, tied for the 3rd best record in the majors, the Nationals are the best story of the 2005 season (so far), improbably leading the NL East by 2.5 games...

(Entry written by DCist contributor Chris Kelly) The Nationals head up I-95 to Philly for a 3-game tilt before they hit the All-Star break, following yesterday's 3-2, 11 inning loss and a 3-1 series loss against the Mets (first home series loss since April). Nats blew a chance to win it in the 9th yesterday with two men on and one out, but neither Jose Guillen nor Brad Wilkerson could get the job done. For...

With their 5-4 win last night in Pittsburgh, your Washington Nationals took the series against the Pirates two games to one and notched their second series win in three tries on their latest road trip. Staying with the formula that got them into first place, last night's win was a total team effort. After giving up two home runs early, starter John Patterson, settled down in the third. "After the second inning, I could've gone...