Wire Taps: Washington Nationals Weekend In Review - Rick Ankiel Is Back And The Return Of The Link Post.
by Patrick Reddington on Feb 6, 2012 11:05 AM EST
Email
Print
• While the rest of the world was worried about the outcome of a pigskin challenge in Indianapolis, we were wondering about how year two of Adam LaRoche's $16M dollar deal with the Washington Nationals will work out? We also took a look at the HR celebrations around the NL East's parks. On Sunday there were more rumors about what the future holds for Nats' lefty John Lannan. Just before the football season officially ended the Nats announced that they'd signed Rick Ankiel to a minor league deal. The Arm is going to be back in the nation's capital if he can earn a spot on the roster this Spring...Ah, Spring. It's coming. If you haven't been paying attention this winter, time to start catching up. The following links should help get you up to speed... Links and lots of 'em...RIGHT NOW!!!:
• THE BIG STORY!!!:
• "Terms of the deal weren’t available, but Ankiel’s comfort in Washington likely played into his decision to accept a minor league contract." - "Nationals sign Rick Ankiel to minor league contract" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• NATS BEAT:
• "The signing of Ankiel also suggests the Nationals feel comfortable with their current lot in center field." - "Rick Ankiel signs minor league contract with Nationals" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "The veteran was holding out hope for a big-league deal and the possibility of an everyday job with another club..." - "Ankiel returns on minor-league deal" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "News that Ankiel could return in 2012 might indicate that the Nationals aren't sold on the notion of Bryce Harper starting the season on the 25-man roster." - "Nats bring back Ankiel on minor league deal" - Pete Kerzel, MASNSports.com
• "The Washington Times first reported Sunday that Ankiel, 32, reached a deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training. The financial terms of the deal are currently unknown." - "Nats, Ankiel agree to Minor League deal" - Adam Berry and Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News
• "The Nationals outfield competition will likely be the second-most intriguing battle in camp, behind the rotation..." - "Nationals sign OF Rick Ankiel to minor league deal" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• Cheech Marin talks to Halos Heaven's Rev Halofan about visiting Nats Park and getting, " A-List star treatment" from the Nationals:
• "[Rick] Ankiel had other options, including the New York Mets, where he likely would've received greater playing time." - "Nats bring back a familiar face" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• "Bernadina, meanwhile, started 50 games in center in 2011 -- though his .664 OPS at the plate inspires a little more confidence there than Ankiel." - "Ankiel, Nationals agree to terms" - Brian McNally, Washington Examiner
• "Here's some of what Lannan had to say about his arbitration hearing, which he lost but will earn $5 million in 2012, and the Nationals' offseason moves..." - "John Lannan's thoughts on arbitration and the Nationals moves this offseason" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "The right-hander will earn $1 million this year, with a club option for 2013 worth $2.5 million, according to the Los Angeles Times." - "Coffey signs with Dodgers" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "Setup man Todd Coffey is taking his quality stuff and energizing entrance to the west coast..." - "Coffey might shelve sprint from bullpen with Dodgers" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "The first time Zimmerman met Larkin was in 2005. Zimmerman was playing for Double-A Harrisburg, and Larkin's job was to teach Zimmerman the fundamentals of playing shortstop..." - "Barry Larkin has an impact on Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News
• "Obviously, Ankiel doesn't represent any kind of long-term solution. If he did, he wouldn't be signing a minor league contract." - "Rick Ankiel Back With Nationals On Minor League Deal" - Jeff Sullivan, Baseball Nation
• "The Washington Nationals are looking for would-be 'presidents' to don the 45-pound costumes and run from center field to home plate during home games." - "The Nats are looking for a few good presidents" - Andrew Mollenbeck, WTOP.com
• Random Twitter Thought: • Twitter - @hankschulman: "Giants not going after Cespedes. 'The price tag is probably beyond what his talent is,' Sabean said. Too hard to predict transition to bigs."
• "The market for Oswalt is further complicated by the possibility that the Nationals (John Lannan) or Rays (Jeff Niemann or Wade Davis) will trade a starter in the coming weeks or during spring training." - "Could Red Sox, Reds or Phillies land Oswalt?" - Jon Morosi, Yardbarker
• "First baseman Tyler Moore has been the best longball hitter in the Nationals' system the last two seasons, cranking 62 homers since 2010." - "Tyler Moore shows versatility as he prepares for first base and outfield" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "In today's deeply interdependent world, war is outdated and illogical."
• TBTP?:
• Nats' COO Andrew Feffer talks to Channel 9 WUSA About The TBTP Movement:
• "I hated it. You hated it. Boswell hated it. Jayson Werth hated it. And now, the people who run the Nationals are trying to make a change." - "Nationals launch ‘Take Back the Park’ campaign" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post
• "When it comes to the Phillies, chief operating officer Andy Feffer wants Nationals fans to fill up Nationals Park -- and for a good reason." - "Washington Nationals ask fans to 'Take Back the Park' vs. Philadelphia Phillies" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News
• "Responding to complaints about the busloads of folks who have made the trek down from Philadelphia the last few seasons, the Nationals have initiated a "Take Back the Park" program for the May 4-6 series between the two NL rivals." - "Phillies fans, no tickets for you!" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "Of course, the Phillies and the fans know the best way to take back a ballpark is by winning. That's why you don't see nearly as many Mets fans as you used to at Citizens Bank Park. And you have to search really hard to find even a single Nats fan." - "Nationals fight invasion of Phillies fans with ticket-sale restrictions" - Bob Brookover, Philly.com
• "Nothing is going to change; Phillies fans are still taking over this park." - "'Take Back the Park from Phillies Fans? Better Idea, Nationals: Get Some Fans'" - Steve Trapani, Philliedelphia
• BONES?!?!?! Twitter - @David_Boreanaz: "I say stand up Philly Fans!"
• "This all comes up now because the Washington Nationals are trying to Take Back the Park. Normally, I'd capitalize those last words just to be a smart-ass, but it's really called the 'Take Back the Park' campaign." - "Nationals Try To Take Back Their Park" - Grant Brisbee, Baseball Nation
• NATSTOWN:
• "As a hitter, Ankiel provides some amount of pop from the left side, and the Nats could do worse if Ankiel is the left-handed bat off the bench and late-inning defensive replacement." - "Nationals sign Rick Ankiel to minor league deal" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page
• "u mad bro? They are now. More on this later." - Washington NationLOLs
• "Did she turn into a princess? Does Werth have to go back to the zoo in Philly to claim his prize of eternal happiness?" - "The One Where Jayson Werth Kisses A Frog" - Keara Dowd, Win For Teddy
• "John Lannan would add to the back end of an incredibly strong starting rotation featuring Jared Weaver, CJ Wilson, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana." - "Report: Nationals May Trade John Lannan for Peter Bourjos" - Joe Drugan, The Nats Blog
• "In other words...see you on Opening Day at Wrigley, kid?" - "Mike Rizzo on Bryce Harper: 'If Davey's picking the club, he's on the club.'" - Nats Enquirer
• "This move by Rizzo indicates to me that he wants to launch the Nats not only into relevancy, but into a deep playoff run this season..." - "You Can Never Have Enough Starting Pitching" - Sean, Capitol Baseball
• "[Edwin] Jackson is 28 years old and has been in the majors for parts of 9 seasons. In his last 4 seasons, he’s averaged 202 IP and 32 starts..." - "The Good, The Bad, and The Maybe of Edwin Jackson" - The Nationals Review
• "Catching Up On Transactions" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Mets/Marlins: "But I'll say what I've (probably) said before: This thing is just too big, too garish. It'll be a lot of fun -- for both the ironists and the regular people..." - "Amazin' Avenue: Defending The Marlins' Home-Run Feature" - Rob Neyer, Baseball Nation
• Phillies: "You've recently been fired as general manager of the Houston Astros and your cellphone rings. It's Ruben Amaro Jr. calling. He wants to know if you'd be interested in rejoining the Phillies as a special consultant." - "Inside the Phillies: Wade returns to Phillies eager for a World Series ring" - Bob Brookover, Philly.com
• Mets: "SportsNet New York, the regional sports network in which the Mets own a majority stake, will buy four $20 million minority ownership shares of the ballclub, the Times reports." - "Report: SNY bailing out Mets" - Adam Rubin, Mets Blog - ESPN New York
• Marlins: "MLB 12 The Show Video - Marlins Park - Operation Sports" - Virtual Tour Of New Marlins Park.
• Braves: "The Braves will unveil a new crème-colored home uniform on Monday that will probably seem familiar to fans of a certain age." - "Braves to unveil new weekend home uniforms" - David O'Brien, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
45 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Yeah! A link post!
We must be getting close…
Rob
--"Well my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." -- Mal Reynolds
Take Back The Ballpark?
By only selling tickets to DC area residents? One of the problems is that for 30 years, if a DC resident liked NL baseball, they were probably Philly fans, and those fans still reside here and have not changed allegiances to the hometown team….especially in light of the Nationals being born during a hot era in Philly baseball. And now to publicly announce this “take back the ballpark”campaign, we should know that this is really just adding fuel to the fire. The Nats marketing team is good….this has NOTHING to do with taking back the ballpark, but EVERYTHING to do with selling out those games, regardless WHO is in those seats. Philly fans will once again flock to Nats Park on those dates….and with even more enthusiasm than before…..and Nats fans will be selling their tickets on stubhub for 4 times their value to let them do it. The only thing that is gonna stop Philly fans from traveling well, is for that franchise to once again be a cellar dweller, or mediocre team. Philly fans do not like to hear it, but when you go to baseball almanac and look at their historical attendance rates, they are not so great when the team is suffering…..lingering around 19K or so per home game, which means THEY DON’T TRAVEL WELL EITHER. I remember the first couple of seasons in RFK, it wasn’t Philly fans that were a pain back then….it was Mets fans. Question…..where have the Mets fans gone? Exactly.
The part about the marketing team doesn't make sense.
They sell-out the Phillies games all the time, there was no need for a promotion to sell those tickets. I do think that this will prevent Phillies fans from showing up in large number, of course not, for all the reasons you mention. But it should help local fans by tickets to the game, before group sales wipe out the tickets. And given the choice between having Nationals fans and Phillies fans in the stadium, I’m sure the marketing team would prefer Nats fans. If you need a particularly cynical reason, I’m guessing it because Nationals fans are more likely to spend money on Nats stuff than Phillies fans.
If they were running a “Take Back the Park” program against the Houston Astros it would be a different story.
#extendZim
Wrong.....
Last year, only two of the nine games were sell-outs. The year before, only two were sell-outs. In 2009, only 1 was a sell-out. So, in three years only 5 of the 27 home games against the Phillies were sell-outs, and I am being easy here, by giving a 37K crowd credit as a sell-out, when the stadium holds over 42K. There have been only two “real” sell-outs in this home series with the Phillies in three years, and that includes opening day games, which would sell-out regardless. MANY of those 27 games were UNDER 25K, with a few in the teens. So no…..they do not sell-out the Philly games all the time, and this is a marketing ploy. I’m not saying that it is bad, because it does give Nats fans a little leverage, but calling out the Philly fans is a ploy. Considering this is for a May series, when the attendance is still a little on the shy side, is another reason to have a marketing ploy such as this.
Beat Philadelphis.
that’s the best way to take back the park and shut the obnoxious phillies fan up. We started that last year with that 4 game sweep at the end of the season. We do that again the first trip up here and the loud mouths won’t be so anxious to buy that bus ticket south!
Where are you drawing your numbers from?
#extendZim
ESPN
And considering my wife and I, who have season ticket packages, usually play “guess the attendance” and check our guesses against these same numbers when we arrive home, I’d say ESPN is pretty close to accurate. The “myth” that Philly fans “fill our stadium” is busted. They normally outnumber us, but those games are far from sell-outs with the exception of a handful. Last year, we averaged about 28,800 per game against the Phillies.
The first three
were early in the year, when it was cold and blustery out. That, and the fact that it was a weekday series, and it’s not surprising that not many were there.
Rob
--"Well my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." -- Mal Reynolds
Well, the other three day set only averaged 27K per game, and that was saved by the fact that one of those had Halladay pitching, which brought in 34K. Still, the argument goes back to Chubias stating that these games are always sell-outs, and they are far from it, with the exception of a handful over the existence of the Washington Nationals. Considering the “take back the park” is happening in May, when attendance is lousy, I hold my belief that it is a marketing ploy to bring in Philly fans as much as it is DC fans. Philly has been challenged…..and the only way they won’t show up in droves again, is IF DC Fans buy all the tickets during this promotion.
I sure hope that this ploy works
Let the Phillies fans take the upper deck.
Rob
--"Well my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." -- Mal Reynolds
Two sell-outs last year
Aug 20-21 (Sat/Sun), 44685, 41727. The park was packed both days. That was the day the cheesesteak-head guy got thrown out, to much applause. The preceding Friday night game had 37, 841. Still a big night. Those were the only weekend games against the Phils in 2011.
Rob
--"Well my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." -- Mal Reynolds
what are the odds of ankiel finishing the year with the nats?
pretty low I figure. wouldn’t that require harper to stay in the minors and no trade for a CF? that or an injured morse or werth i guess, knock on wood
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man
I think pretty high actually
Cameron will likely part ways early IMO
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
But an above avg. defender, lefty, with some pop in the bat...very useful.
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
"with some pop in the bat"
You keep saying that, etc.
He had a .363 SLG and he homered on average once per 42 ABs. That’s not “pop in the bat”.
Rob
--"Well my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." -- Mal Reynolds
maybe I am going back a few years
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
I do not think that word means what he thinks it means...
Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
Pinky: "Yes, ... wait, ... no, ... never mind"
chronic hip problem
has trouble getting on base and contact rate is low. interesting power/speed combo if he can get on base more often. will be 25 opening day.
Your voice of doom and gloom. Read more at www.DistrictSportsPage.com
"Nobody’s got a monopoly on good writing, or the facts. If you can come up with one or the other or (ideally) both, you’re in the club." --Rob Neyer, Feb. 2, 2011
by Dave at District Sports Page on Feb 6, 2012 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
in a perfect world we'd like a left handed lead off man in CF
he is an outstanding defender.
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
Bourjous is a RH hitter
I think we have a disconnect here. I wasnt inferring that Bourjous is a lead-off man, more that he isn’t an “ideal” fit for the Nats.
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
I am beginning to feel more and more that our CF solution will have to be an in house solution
Defensive value seems to be at a premium these days, and it sounds like trading for a CF will be awfully painful. Dave Cameron today suggested that a fair deal would be Zimmermann for Bourjos. I think both sides would say no to the deal.
That says something.
Really don’t know what the Nats are going to do with this one. I guess 2012 offseason is really where its at.
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
There are very few that I would want the Nats to trade Zimmermann to acquire, and Bourjos is certainly not one of them.
Agreed
Something of that magnitude would have to be a player that is so ideal it hurts. I am picturing a .300 hitter, bats left-handed, plays CF, and gets on-base at a .413 clip. That player does not exist and this trade would never happen.
but I digress.
Speaking of CF’s Bourne and Victorino will be 30 and 32 in the next offseason. Does it really make sense to sign these guys?
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
My hope is Goodwin is that guy
He is already in house and has huge upside. Unfortunately his fast track is probably not starting in DC until 2014 at the earliest.
Name a number between three and five.
.............
.............
Threeve.
well it seems they thought enough of him to hand over 3 million bucks
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
Depends on how many years.
Four year deal, max, IMO. We’ve already got one OF signed into his twilight years, we don’t need another. Who are we, the Angels?
If we are talking about Bourjos, his OBP last year (his only full season) was .327. It was .364 his only season at AAA.
i dont know much about either player
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
Tekotte had a cup o'coffee with the Padres last year
19 games, .176/.263/.265. His 2011 MiLB numbers (AA) are fairly impressive, but that was after finishing 2010 in AA.
Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
Pinky: "Yes, ... wait, ... no, ... never mind"
Sickels also liked him.
A 5-11, 175 pound left-handed hitter, Tekotte has above-average running speed and has enough range and arm strength for center field. At the plate, he shows good strike zone judgment and has always drawn walks, back to his college days. He won’t be a big home run hitter in the majors, but he has enough pop to keep the pitchers honest. His strikeout rates can be rather high, and he shows much better plate discipline and power against right-handed pitchers, hitting .301/.431/.579 against them this year vs. .296/.367/.470 against lefties. This pattern has persisted through his career.
#extendZim
Logan Schafer is a Brewers prospect.
Schafer hit .315/.385/.439 over 99 games between three levels in 2011 and earn his first callup to the big leagues. He was a fairly highly regarded prospect, but injuries have slowed his development.
#extendZim
But only has one full-season at the MLB level. What was his obp in MiLB? Promising, or not? Absent health issues, I would think he improves in this second and third season at the MLB level, unless last season was fluke.
career .346 OBP in minors
and actually went up as he went up the chain. good talent, but I’m very wary of the hip injury. he’s already been told to have surgery.
Your voice of doom and gloom. Read more at www.DistrictSportsPage.com
"Nobody’s got a monopoly on good writing, or the facts. If you can come up with one or the other or (ideally) both, you’re in the club." --Rob Neyer, Feb. 2, 2011
by Dave at District Sports Page on Feb 6, 2012 4:12 PM EST up reply actions
so he's a less surly and less powerful Albert Belle?
Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
Pinky: "Yes, ... wait, ... no, ... never mind"
how much do "presidents" get paid per game?
by William.Hatheway on Feb 6, 2012 6:29 PM EST reply actions
I don't know, one of my sister;s friends was Tom a few seasons back, I'll try to ask him.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
This is all very interesting.....
I am feeling more and more that the Nats will trade John Lannan for Peter Bourjos. Even though that might work, I would be in favor of the Nats trading for the O’s Adam Jones. Yes, John Lannan would make the Angels starting rotation even stronger. On the other side, Bourjos would eliminate all that worry about a starting center fielder. Bourjos has his upside, but Adam Jones is a beast. He is a good defensive center fielder and can hit with power; he has always played wwll against the Nats. Baltimore is desperate for conpetent starting pitching. It would be a win-win for both sides!
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Federal Baseball
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
GAMETHREAD SPONSOR
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
