If you checked your e-mail you might have already seen this video, but just in case you didn't get the e-mail here is the video thanking the fans for showing up and sticking with the team through 2010. --Cheryl Nichols from natsnewsnetwork.com
Luck* plays a major part in baseball. How lucky or unlucky where the Nationals this year. Most likely far more unlucky. --Harper at natsbaseball.com
*I remember a SABR inclined writer critizing the use of a stat because it relied on BABIP which made me laugh because the game of baseball relies on BABIP (the stat they were critizing was WHIP (I don't fully understand the arguement but that doesn't mean it isn't valid as I don't understand a lot)). BABIP is widely thought of as the stat the relies the most on luck, but in my mind it is the most determining factor of how a baseball game plays out.
Here is something funny. I think of Dave Nichols as more negative than me and I bet he thinks of me as a stark raving mad optimist, but yet if the Nationals resign Adam Dunn and don't suffer any major set-backs we see the team improving by about the same amount. --Dave Nichols from natsnewsnetwork.com
The same problems that plagued the Nationals from last season plagued them this season. The offense couldn't score, the pitching couldn't hold leads, and the defense once again had a lot of errors*. --Bill Ladson from nationals.com
*I keep seeing on these year in review things that the defense was the same. The errors were high like last season, but I think the advanced metrics would be better and I would be willing to bet with a year under Desmond's belt and Espinosa instead of Kennedy and Guzman at 2nd the defense will get even better.
Kilgore had a few of these year in review polls at Nationals Journal. Here is the link for The pitcher of the year, but feel free to vote on all of them. --Adam Kilgore at washingtonpost.com
Manager Jim Riggleman had his own thoughts on the Nationals 2010 season, and he thinks the team underperformed*. --Bill Ladson from nationals.com
*Just figure for a second that they won one of those games they should have against the Astros, didn't get swept by the Tigers or the White Sox, and won two of the games they should have against the Orioles. There are your five games, and I am sure you can think of a few more like the Nyjer blunder vs. the Dodgers, or others.
Stephen Strasburg provided the best moment this past season and his injury was one of the worst. Dave Sheinin continues his wonderful chronicling of the career of Strasburg's career. --Dave Sheinin in The Washington Post
More news on free agency and the playoffs after the jump.
The Nationals see the improvements, but still feel the disapointment of the 2010 campiagn. --Adam Kilgore in The Washington Post
How did the beat reporters do with their 2010 predicitions? --Mark Zuckerman at natsinsider.com
The Nationals have a number of players that are in their arb years. A look and breakdown at who will be back and who might be non-tendered. --Tim Dierkes mlbtraderumors.com
The future might be brighter than we think if those on the outside know more about the Nationals prospects than we do, because from what I have seen those close to the organization don't believe in Burgess anymore and don't think Moore is a real prospect, but they both made BA's top 20 Carolina League rankings along with Norris. --Sue Dinem from nationalsprospects.com
When thinking back on the 2010 season will there be any doubt that the bullpen was one of the brightest spots. --Ben Goessling from masnsports.com
Around the NL East
The Mets make it official and let Omar and Manuel go. --Tim Dierkes from mlbtraderumors.com
General Baseball
In mildly shocking, but not suprising news the Pirates fire John Russell. Someone should hire him just because of the record of fired Pirates managers like Chad Tracy and Jim Leyland. --Tim Dierkes at mlbtraderumors.com
While everyone else is firing managers the Reds extend Dusty Baker. I have critized Baker as much as anyone in the past, but all he does is win, and at the end of the day you can't argue with results. --Craig Calcaterra at nbcsports.com
The New York media doesn't think the Twins will provide much of a challenge. --myfoxtwincities.com
The Giants of Barry Bonds were menacing and brooding, but the new Giants are fun, and might even be loveable. --Joe Posnanski from si.com
A profile of Orioles owner Peter Angelos. Including an interesting look at how MASN affects the Orioles value and how the deal came about. --Childs Walker in The Baltimore Sun