First I would just like to apologize for not having as many links as I would like for the games this weekend. My computer is running extremely slow and I am having a lot of problems even getting certain websites to open (funny thing. Not one second after scheduling this the internet is running fine). In a way my computer is treating me like I am the Nationals and it is the Marlins. I am hoping the stadium deal falls apart and they move the Marlins to San Antonio and put them in the AL West and move the Pirates to the NL East.
Losing teams hold meetings and that is what the Nationals did after being swept by the Marlins yet again. --Kristen Hudak from masnsports.com
The Jim Riggleman we see in the press confrence and patting players on the back isn't the same Jim Riggleman the players see in the clubhouse.* --Adam Kilgore from washingtonpost.com
*This is kind of timely since this was the topic of conversation on the way to the game yesterday. My father thinks he would be a great manager, but I told him he could only manage for one year. He has said he would publically call out players, he wouldn't have let Nieves return after the birth of his child, if the GM gave him Willie Harris he would publically bash the GM, and he would pinch hit for Pudge even in the first inning if a runner was on first. But my father does respect my knowledge about baseball and he asked me why Jim Riggleman wouldn't say something to Morgan about stealing with the pitcher batting, and I said, "I bet he said plenty we just don't know about it. Part of a manager's job is to keep some things private."
Jordan Zimmermann is going to have his struggles as he recovers from TJS, and yesterday was just one of those days, but he shows a good attitude in putting the blame on himself and not making excuses. --Adam Kilgore at washingtonpost.com
About that game yesterday. Well, next season I am just going to start the Nationals off with 19 loses to the Marlins in my predications and go from there. --Ben Goessling from masnsports.com
I don't know what the delay is in suspending Nyjer, but I guess MLB has their reasons. Maybe it is to punish the Nationals fans by making them watch Nyjer play and try and steal bases with the pitcher batting. Either way Nyjer last September was the center of attention and the same is true this September, but not for the same reasons. --Mark Zukerman natsinsider.com
More about the Nationals and baseball after the jump.
Are the Nationals simply playing out the string. They certainly don't look like a team that is trying, but you know what they say about that. Either way it is something worth being discussed. --Dave Nichols at natsnewsnetwork.com
It was true on Friday and it is still true today. No word on how long Nyjer will be suspended for. --Bill Ladson at nationals.com
Averages and winning percentages don't happen perfectly. There are peaks and valleys and ups and downs. Would we all feel better about the season if April's record was now and now's record was April's? --Mike Henderson from natsdailynews.com
I am going to let you all in on a little secret. I am sure most of you already know this but here is how you win baseball games; pitching, defense, and timely hitting. You aquire these things mostly from within with good scouting and drafting. all teams know this. Why teams fail is either the person running it doesn't know the how* of getting from point A to point B or they don't have the resources. The Padres and Giants are a good example of teams that get it. The Mariners and Pirates are not. --Ben Goessling at masnsports.com
* I want to expand on this point a little bit. I actually think this is why most people fail in life. It is like the excuse Nyjer makes of just playing hard when running into the catcher. Nyjer has a general idea of what playing hard is he just doesn't have a grasp of when the proper time to do it is. He doesn't understand how to play hard, but he knows what playing hard is. It is the same thing for poorly run franchises. They understand what it takes to build a winner, but they don't know how to go about it.
Around the NL East
Watching the football game last night I realized something. The Cowboys are the Mets of the NFL. The way the announcers talked about them one would think they had actually accomplished something in the last ten years. And I know there will be at least one free agent that doesn't sign with the Mets, but signs with another losing team and the phrase will be uttered that it was obviously all about the money or they would have signed with a contender like the Mets. I am a Redskins fan, but the Giants are clearly the best team in the division. I don't understand the trendy love for the Cowboys when they just haven't accomplished anything. Seriously if any team besides the Phillies or Braves is picked to win the NL East next season it would be a serious suprise.
Oh yeah actually links and not mindless rambling. Johan is out for the rest of the season. This season ending injury isn't connected to last year's season ending injury, but it has to be troubling. --Matthew Cerrone from metsblog.com
This is one of those stories that won't die. The Mets players that didn't visit wounded veterans continue to take heat. --Jeff Pearlman from si.com
General Baseball
This is the most important time of the year for teams in contention, but the rules that help teams like the Nationals get a look at possible pieces of the future like Maya, Ramos, and Espinosa hurt the teams in a playoff race, or at least make it a little unfair that they can use more pinch hitters or more relief pitchers. --Tom Verducci at si.com
I don't think it is a secret who my favorite baseball writer is. Another reason to like Posnanski is he seems very open with the baseball community*. This is a good interview with him about pretty much everything. From his general thoughts on baseball to his children's reading habits. --Gene Womack at baseballpastandpresent.com
*Some writers dislike blogs and attack them openly where as Posnanski uses all the tools at his disposle, and let's face it he knows we love baseball and like reading about baseball, and he has books to sell. Why alienate a potentially large segment of your target audience. Anyway once the baseball schedules are announced I am going to e-mail Posnanski, and see if he will meet my friend and myself when we go to KC this upcoming season. That is one of our planned trips, with the other being the last year of Joe Robbie Stadium. Of course our KC trip is dictated by many things. Mostly when the Cubs are playing the Cardinals in St. Louis (we have to see the other half of the rivalry) on a wekend when KC is also playing at home or returning home on a Monday. So, pretty much the stars are going to have to align for him to even be in town that weekend, but then he has to not be busy and willing to sit down with a couple of fans. Most likely a very slim chance of it even happenning, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth trying.
Last week the big debate was over Carlos Gonzalez and if he is really an MVP canidate with his home and road splits. It is pointed out here that if he is penalized for hitting better at home then Ubaldo should be rewarded for pitching well in the same stadium. --Craig Calcaterra from yahoosports.com
Joey Votto is good, but this stat is just insane. As of Friday he hadn't hit a pop-up in the infield. --'Duk from yahoosports.com
I am looking forward to the game tonight with Yunesky Maya getting his second start. I hope things go better than they did the last time, or at least the way they did the last time after the 1st inning. I enjoy watching young players grow and develop, but at the same time I hope they develop quickly and we all can start enjoying some better baseball or at least more consistently well played games. Despite the fact my internet is barely working I think I did a pretty good job today filling this thing out.