Nationals Daily Evolutions 8/18/10

I have learned to control myself better. It used to be the anger and rage would completely take hold of me and something like last night's top of the sixth would end in a broken remote and a trip out to Chantilly to get a new one. Actually the only remote I ever broke was during a Redskins game, and it was mostly because the TV wouldn't stop skipping, and even then I broke the remote more because I could. I grabbed it with both hands in anger and just pulled down. Then I felt the remote start to snap, and got impressed with myself that I could break a remote clean in half. It wasn't until after the remote was in pieces on my floor that I realized I didn't know how to turn the TV off. As for baseball and remotes the only damage I ever did is a big black mark on my bedroom wall from Jeff Francoeur's walk off grand-slam against Chad Cordero. Now my arm simply cocks and then I realize the implications of throwing the remote.

It is just frustrating when I have seen the Nationals do this time and time again. Take the lead and then not even hold it for a full inning. I don't know if it is a mental block with the pitchers or what it is, but it doesn't enhance my baseball watching experience. --Adam Kilgore in The Washington Post

Everyone waited until all the signings were complete, but is it any suprise that the Nationals are a winner in this years draft? --John Manual baseballamerica.com

More important than the draft now is what everyone's favorite third baseman feels should be done with everyone's favorite first baseman. --Bill Ladson at nationals.com

More on everything after the jump, including the sad news of Bobby Thomson and something suprising about another baseball legend.

In case you really wanted to know what a major league contract means for Bryce Harper here is a look at how it pertains to his option years. --R.J. Anderson fangraphs.com

The Nationals surpassed their own record for draft bonuses. --Steven at fjb.com

Who is the best number 1 pick in any sport this year? Vote in the latest sports nation poll for either Bryce Harper or John Wall. --ESPN.com

Atilano moved from the 15 day DL to the 60 day DL to make room for Bryce Harper. --Ben Goessling at masnsports.com

With Josh Willingham most likely headed to the DL how do the Nationals deal with their outfield. --Mark Zuckerman at natsinsider.com

As fans we are guilty of a lot of things, and one of them is thinking of baseball players as just baseball players. Sometimes we forget they are human beings with families and lives away from the diamond. So, let us all wish Wil Neives the best with the upcoming birth of his child. --Adam Kilgore at washingtonpost.com 

There are different ways to look at life. The glass can be half full, the glass can be half empty, and then there is reality. Reality looks at the situation and decides if the glass is being filled or if it is being emptied. Many negative people claim they are realist, but they would look at a glass being filled and say it is half empty. --Thom Loverro via Twitter

This Sunday I am doing exactly what the Philly board of tourism wants. --Dan Steinberg The DC Sports Blog

I used to listen to WJFK all the time. When I was in High School I listened to Howard Stern on my way in and Don and Mike on my way home. In recent years the radio station took some licks, as Don and Mike broke up and the midafternoon slot was a jumbled mess of everything from Bill O'Reilly to Jim Rome. Then Big O and Dukes came around. It stabilized the entire station in my mind. They were entertaining, but then they flipped to sports talk. Chad Dukes stayed on and got teamed with Lavar Arrington.

Yesterday he said since being a part of a sports show he feels he has his finger on the pulse of DC sports, but yet on his facebook wall he posted that he doesn't know why the above story is in the DC Sports Blog. Really? 30,000 pissed off DC sports fans and a guy that said he had his finger on the pulse doesn't know. Openning Day still stings. When I think about it I am still filled with rage and dislike of people in Phillies gear.

Around the NL East

Speaking of the Phillies. They sure like to give aging players extra years. Could it be their downfall, or will it not even matter? --Tim Dierkes mlbtraderumors.com

General Baseball

The biggest news in baseball yesterday was the passing of the man that hit the most memorable homerun ever. --Joe Posnanski from si.com

I am glad I found something better than the AP story that just simply said he was dead. I am reading a book right now about the unwritten rules in baseball. It is interesting, but it is lacking something. I think it is that something that I find more interesting than anything in baseball. Someone can describe a great diving catch or a meaningful homer, but it is really the moment that matters. You can even describe a player like Ryan Zimmerman in UZR and wOBA and make it interesting if that something is added. Joe Posnanski's writing has that extra something. He isn't just describing the game of baseball. He is weaving the threads of baseball through emotion, soul, and the timeless fabric of society.   

Speaking of great players. What if Lou Gehrig didn't die from Lou Gehrig's disease? --Alan Schwarz in The New York Times

Josh Hamilton is having a great year and is likely to win the AL MVP, but is he the best player in baseball? I actually doubted at first that he was having a better year than Miguel Cabrera so I looked up WAR leaders on fangraphs, and Zimmerman was second in all of baseball at 6.0 behind only Josh Hamilton at 6.8. --Tom Verducci from si.com

Tim Hudson pitches for the Braves tonight so this won't be pretty. We need a good outing from Livan to even have a chance and hope that Peter Moylan faces Ryan Zimmerman. Interesting note on Tim Hudson. I saw someone shoot down the claim that he should get Cy Young votes by using FIP and xFIP. Those stats don't really work for a guy like Hudson. He is a good pitcher because guys put the ball in play against him. He spots that sinker so well and just gets ground out after ground out. He throws strikes, gets ahead in the count, and keeps his pitch count down. He has had a good year and is the Ace of the Braves pitching staff. I don't think a few fourth place votes are out of the question. I also saw someone say they would be outraged if Ubaldo Jimenez got it. At this point I think it should go to either Wainwright, Johnson, or Jimenez, and I wouldn't understand outrage at any of them getting it.