Willie Randolph Becomes Brewers' Bench Coach...
I guess when Willie Randolph told the New York Newsday writer Ken Davidoff * that there was never an offer extended by the Nationals for him to become DC's bench coach, (as Mr. Davidoff himself had previously reported there had been), because, in Mr. Randolph's words:
"[General manager] Jim [Bowden] and I spoke and he knew that I was looking for an opportunity to manage and he said he would get back to me..."
...Mr. Randolph must have meant that he just didn't want to become the Nationals' Bench Coach, because he signed on today with the Milwaukee Brewers, to become new Manager Ken Macha's Bench Coa--...
-- "Why not try to take the positive approach to the news for once?" My Brother Scout, Braves' Fan And Source For All Things Baseball asks.
"I suppose you have some positive spin?"
"Yeah, first of all don't pick on Willie Randolph, everyone does for no reason, but more importantly, maybe this is like a backhanded compliment to your Manager, Manny Acta, that Willie still wants to manage and thinks he has a better chance at taking over in Milwaukee?"
"I'm convinced, thanks for the vote of confidence for Acta, Mr. Randolph."
AFL UPDA--...
(ed. note - "But before that...When Mr. Randolph says that DC GM Jim Bowden was going to, "get back to him", "...What exactly was Mr. Bowden going to "get back" to Mr. Randolph about, in reference to Randolph only wanting to take a manager job, I'm not sure...")
AFL UPDATE...
First it was DC's left-handed pitching prospect Cory VanAllen, starting against the Scottsdale Scorpions for the AFL American Divisions' 1st Place Peoria Saguaros, and allowing 8 hits, 5 runs, (3 earned), with 5 K's and a wild pitch in 3.0 innings pitched, only to be replaced by the Nationals' 1st pick, 6th overall in '07, Ross Detwiler, who only managed to record 2 outs in the fourth before being chased after having thrown 24 pitches and allowed 4 hits, 4 runs, a walk and a HR...
...But the Peoria Saguaros battled back with 6 runs in the bottom of the fourth, to climb within 1 run at 9-8 Scorpions, and the Saguaros took the lead with two more runs in the fifth when Nationals' first base prospect Bill Rhinehart tripled to score both runners on the bases, including his fellow prospective-National Leonard Davis, for a 10-9 Peoria lead...which they handed to Washington's future righty arm Adam Carr...
...After issuing a leadoff walk and allowing a stolen base, Carr calmed down and caught the same runner greedily trying to steal third, and Carr then proceeded to retire the next two batters and preserve the Saguaros' lead at 10-9 through eight...and then Carr came back for the ninth...walked the leadoff batter again, and then allowed a single and a double before being lifted in what would end up being a 7-run Scorpions' ninth, which was enough, even after Peoria rallied for 5 runs in the bottom of the ninth, for a 16-15 Scottsdale win.
Bill Rhinehart goes 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored, a triple and 3 RBI's, with a .299 AFL AVG. Leonard Davis, starting in left, was 1 for 4 with 3 runs scored, a HR, an RBI, a walk and a K, and he ends the day hitting .328 for Peoria.
With the Mesa Solar Sox' 2-1 win over Phoenix tonight, Peoria's AFL American Division lead is now down to 1.0 game over Mesa.
Bonifacio vs Hernandez...Prelude To A Spring Battle...
Boy, these two, (Emilio Bonifacio and Anderson Hernandez), are going to make it hard on Manny Acta and his staff when they have to decide who starts at second for DC come Opening Day next season...throw in Ronnie Belliard and you have some good old healthy genuine competition at second this Spring, though most if not all reports I've read have Belliard stepping back into a reserve role in the upcoming season...
Tonight, for the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League, where the two are also teammates, Bonifacio and Hernandez both hit well in a 6-3 Tigres' win over Leones del Escogido. Bonifacio (starting in RF) went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored, a double and a walk, for a .329 AVG after the game. Hernandez?...(at 2nd!!)...How about 3 for 5, for a .393 AVG, with a double, a triple and 2 RBI's for 15 RBI's overall in 19 DWL games...
The DC Prospects' Tigres del Licey DWL #'s...
Anderson Hernandez - 19 G, 84 AB's, 17 R, 33 H, 9 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI's, 4 stolen bases, a .393 AVG, and a .422 OBP.
Emilio Bonifacio - 19 G, 73 AB's, 19 R, 24 H, 4 2B, 3 3B, 5 RBI's, 4 steals, a .329 AVG and a .462 OBP.
After winning 8 of their last 10, Licey is now only a .5 game out of first in the DWL standings, with an 11-8 record.
BREAKING NEWS...Mr. Met EXPOSED...
(ed. note - "In case you missed it, here's video proof that Mr. Met is just a man in a suit after all...which has raised all sorts of questions about the Nationals' (dirty-feathered) mascot..."
Fox New Doesn't Like Mr. Met (via bigdave354)
(ed. note - " (*) = link is to an ESPN.com article about the New York Newsday writer Ken Davidoff's original article entitled, "Nats interested in Randolph.")