2010 Here We Go Again! - 62 Years Later...
by Lefty McNeil on Jan 5, 2010 9:46 PM EST
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PrintI have followed Washington baseball since 1947 and it is always the same thing...we stink! Lets spend some money, buy some stars and make Washington a winner. The current team is trying, but lord we are moving slower than congress. Nice job with the headlne signing of young prospects and yes we are building for the future...but the future is five light years away.
Put caution aside, call the bankers and lets spend some real money for real baseball players. The Yankees and Red Sox's are the model for winning baseball in current times. Spend, spend and spend every year or you will be a second rate team.The future is now (Bless you George Allen...) and lets stop trying to be Calvin Griffith part three.
"First in war, first in peace and last in the National League" fits the Nats well unless we start signing players who will put us in the World Series. Come on guys. I have heard for sixty-two years about "the future" and we are still in last place as far into the future as I can see.
Lefty McNeil
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I love "fans"
that think spending = smarts. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Angelos?
by Wooden_U_Lykteneau on Jan 6, 2010 9:15 AM EST reply actions
Well the key is not spending more, but spending wisely
We have spent millions on the likes of Paul Lo Duca and Alfonso Soriano (to name a few of many) who are losers that will never play on winning teams. We have a knack for over valuing some skills such as homers and steals, and badly undervaluing defense and on base percentage. As a result we have a terrible defensive team that hits home runs then loses the game on bad defensive play. We have had absolutely terrible luck on injuries to guys like Nick Johnson, Shawn hill, Patterson, Aramas Jr., etc. Every year we lead the league in lost games to starting players. So frankly we have been a very unlucky team.
We seem to have scouts that disagree with sabermetricians on the merits of nearly every player we sign, play or cut. Belliard was regarded as slightly above average defensively (not gold glove) by sabermetrics and an average bat all last season and most of the last few, but we did not regularly start him, and then cut him halfway through the season. He went on to start for a playoff team. Hanrahan was regarded as one of the most unlucky pitchers in baseball who was being seriously undermined by horrible defense when we traded him. Dukes, Gonzalez and Dunn are each the worst defensive player in the game (or nearly so) at their respective positions, but we keep playing them (well Dunn’s bat is worth keeping on the field). Willy Harris is one of the best defensive LFs on paper in baseball. He gets on base well above average, yet he does not start or even platoon. I could go on, but I wont. Its all been said before.
Our problem has not been spending but the analysis of players and what it takes to win.
"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James
When you a have unlimited supply of money, you dont need to spend wisely.
The Yankees have spent money more stupidly than any team in the League, and yet they won the Championship. Spending money wisely, having a good farm system and drafting well means nothing until MLB gets a salary cap.
Orakpo!!! Russel Okung next year!
I'm only for a cap if there's a floor as well...say $70 million minimum...
Tax the spenders and force smaller market teams to spend the luxury tax they get on onfield talent…looking at a list of the playoff teams/highest salaries argues against saying you can’t buy championships…if you can’t you can definitely buy your way into the postseason at times…
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Jan 6, 2010 7:40 PM EST up reply actions
I understand the luxury tax dollars are much less than $70 million
but that Rays proved a team can get to the WS with really good luck and $50 million.
Most small market teams owners still have great debt to pay on the loans they took to buy the franchises. So I still give them a break, but I basically agree that both a maximum and a minimum should be set in a salary cap.
"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James
Well NYY have a market that is 4 times bigger and wealthier than Washington DC
Recall that the entiore state of new Jersey and all of Long Island are Yankee fans. So we do not have NYY money. Not even close. Noone does. Only Boston is close thanks to their nationwide appeal, and they are still half as big as NYY. But we do have the ability to be a top 6-8 team in payroll. Like detroit, atlanta, or toronto. That is enough to win regularly in the NL thanks to how inept the wealthier teams in the NL are in how they manage their teams (thats you NYM).
However, we need a core and some success before we can attract players without having to way overspend.
"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James
The Yankees have not been the dumbest.
They have signed Teixera, AROD, Nick Johnson, and others that were very wise signs. I’ll grant they are not the best, but they are far from the worst. Fangraphs (a sabermetric site) ranked cashman as the 5th best GM in baseball. Not sure I totally agree, but he is far from the worst.
The Royals are probably the worst!!!
"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James
Yes because half a season of Johnson is damn useful
and the Yankees have plenty of depth.
"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James
Can't dress up a turd
Lefty,
This is the Nationals we’re talking about we’re not going to join the evil empire any time soon. No one likes it but we need to build from the ground up. Bowden hurt the Nationals more then he ever helped them. The new crew is on the right track though. Just wait 3-4 more years. If we still have a team and you’re still a fan then.
Yes
I think Johnson will prove to be a great addition to the Yanks. He’ll get 400 AB’s and the Yanks will be happy with him. It will only be 400 AB’s because he’ll put up 100 walks with that.
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