TODAY'S STARTING PITCHERS ARE GOING TO STARE AT YOU NOW...
The Nationals vs Hammel...
Josh Bard - 2 for 3, .667 AVG.
Nyjer Morgan - 2 for 3, .667 AVG.
Josh Willingham - 0 for 1.
Thoughts On Manny Acta...(ed. note - I answered a few questions from another blogger over the holiday weekend, but the interview never saw the light of day, so rather than consider it time wasted, I thought I'd just reprint my part of the Q&A here...")
Q: Do you like DC Manager Manny Acta?
Federal Baseball (FB): I'm actually a huge Manny Acta fan, and was really disappointed recently when talk surfaced that he'd be fired. Luckily the Nationals put together a quick four game win streak, which included two straight on the road in Yankee Stadium, and if he was on the way out, he must have changed someone's mind.
Q: What's your biggest complaint about Acta?
FB: If I had one complaint it would be his tendency to show too much faith in some players, with his use of Jesus Colome this past Friday late in a tie game which quickly turned into a loss as a perfect example. Acta kept throwing Joel Hanrahan out there long after just about everyone had concluded he could no longer do the job, though, admittedly, Acta's just using what he's been given to work with on the roster in most of the instances I would cite in support of this complaint.
Q: What are his strengths?
FB: As bad as the Nationals have been under Acta, and they are almost 100 games below .500 in the two and half seasons he's been at the helm, Acta's kept the team competitive in spite of near-constant injuries and roster turnovers, but I don't think he's been give an opportunity to manage as much as he's just done damage control so far. The fact that he's kept calm and mostly positive throughout this all are his greatest accomplishments thus far. He was brought in because of his ability to communicate with players and work on developing young talent, and I think he's finally going to get a chance to show what he can do in the next couple of years.
Q: If not Acta, who would you want as the Nationals' Manager?
FB: I kinda wish Frank Robinson had never left. No offense to Acta, but Frank Robinson should have been given a chance to compete with a real roster after what he went through before the team left Montreal. If Mr. Robinson isn't coming back, I'll stick with Acta.
For A Colorado Rockies Fan's Perpsective Check Out The SBN's Colorado Rockies Blog:
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