tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post7536674252133744503..comments2024-03-28T10:50:33.234-07:00Comments on Nationals Baseball: Who'd you rather face? Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07738813756060133236noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-37410878538878187442016-09-06T19:11:03.452-07:002016-09-06T19:11:03.452-07:00Speaking of the bullpen, Koda Glover has been a wo...Speaking of the bullpen, Koda Glover has been a wonderful surprise. And I agree with Kevin about the playoff pitching.Josh Highamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00524273388243642450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-41813078817378904982016-09-06T15:52:05.439-07:002016-09-06T15:52:05.439-07:00If the Nats face the Dodgers, I think I'd go w...If the Nats face the Dodgers, I think I'd go with Scherzer/Strasburg/Roark and have Gio, Zepchinsky (I'm not gonna try the real spelling) and, if he's healthy, Solis available in the bullpen. That gives you the 3 most reliable starters, 3 lefties, and then you can throw Ross, Treinen, Glover, Kelley, and Melancon at them as well.Kevin Ruschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00246278523767750179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-41855123316218702802016-09-06T15:47:30.216-07:002016-09-06T15:47:30.216-07:00It's hard to get to ball 4 when you're hit...It's hard to get to ball 4 when you're hitting a single (and stealing 2 more bases) on strike 1.Kevin Ruschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00246278523767750179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-74333768245745410142016-09-06T15:01:00.654-07:002016-09-06T15:01:00.654-07:00Turner's OBP is .362. That's third on the ...Turner's OBP is .362. That's third on the team, only behind Bryce and Murphy. It is higher than Rendon and Werth (IMO, the best "eye" at the plate).<br /><br />I don't think we need to work about Turner not walking. Hard to get walks when you are hitting everything.<br /><br />Next someone will be complaining that Turner isn't getting enough doubles. Because those damn triples keep getting in the way.Richttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13389546973060137660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-36510510401335907062016-09-06T13:05:15.170-07:002016-09-06T13:05:15.170-07:00A couple things on Turner's success:
He hasn&...A couple things on Turner's success:<br /><br />He hasn't been up long enough for the league to have much of any scouting on him. That takes a while. Because he's a stealing threat, pitchers won't nibble and risk a walk to start off the game or inning. He's sitting dead-red fastball and should be, that what he's getting. I think he's not walking because he's getting great pitches to hit (fastballs), not that he would rather get a hit and is impatient at the plate. This will cool off as the league adjusts and his patience will need to reciprocate that adjustment. I just hope he keeps this up through the playoffs. If he doesn't, Nats lineup is nowhere near as fearsome. So goes Tuner, so go the Nats IMOAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-10214333227146912712016-09-06T12:26:19.853-07:002016-09-06T12:26:19.853-07:00One thing to watch with Turner. (Note: this is the...One thing to watch with Turner. (Note: this is the most nit picky thing EVER since he's been so remarkable and I am such a fan of him it's not even funny and he's gonna be great.) BUT the degree to which he is not walking is pretty wild. I think he has a 2% walk rate. Maybe he has 2 or 3 since he came up. This could* be that pitchers are challenging him a ton since he doesn't look like he has much pop---particularly since he did walk close to an average amount in the minors. BUT if he doesn't eventually show some more patience, pitchers will definitely adjust and start throwing a lot of balls a bit outside the zone and breaking stuff in dirt etc to see if he will routinely expand, and even if his hitting doesn't suffer much, he will have to hit like .330 to have an above average OBP from leadoff spot. So please note: this is not a criticism. It's just something I'm watching, because rookies who literally walk zero in majors have a ceiling on their potential. So these days I almost get more excited to see a BB in the box score for Turner than a triple. (I know that seems nuts, but if we're looking to his future, I don't know if it's THAT nuts!) BxJaycobbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841583667789907324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-466607741973123742016-09-06T12:07:12.696-07:002016-09-06T12:07:12.696-07:00To echo what Carl said, I would so much rather win...To echo what Carl said, I would so much rather win the division every year and be invited to the "Playoff Party." It really sucks when you're not invited (see 2015, 2013, and the over half century before that). To think that you have a chance every year in October is an awesome feeling. When your team's not in the fight, it sucks the fun out of it.<br /><br />I'd take LA in a heartbeat. If SF pulls this off, they'd be a hot team heading into the DS. No thanks. Add that to no real terrible hitters in the lineup made up of guys who don't strike out and put the ball in play facing our flyball strikeout pitchers. No thanks. Though LA has some formidable hitters, I think the likes of Scherzer, Stras, and our pen will be well-suited for them. Plus, not afraid of Kershaw when the calendar flips to October. Until he proves he's an ace when it matters, that is - just hopefully not against us!Ole PBNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-16505634151353827072016-09-06T10:42:54.483-07:002016-09-06T10:42:54.483-07:00I'm in the glass half full side. I'd rathe...I'm in the glass half full side. I'd rather be playing .500+ ball like the Nats than be a Giants fan right now. SF crisis centers must be talking lots of people off ledges these days. <br /><br />Also, yesterday our bench and AAA team beat the Braves. There should be 1 or 2 more games like that one where Dusty gives guys some days off and lets the bench and 20-somethings play like kids unsupervised in a toy store. Remember when we all praised Dusty for resting his starters and giving his bench guys starts to keep their timing? Remember it again when the kids get to play.<br /><br />This team has held it's lead with our #1/#2 starter (Stras) and our #4 starter (Ross) being out for weeks/months. That's pretty impressive. Yes, the bullpen made things interesting at times, but if you asked me 100 times, 100 times I'd say I'd want this season's BP vs last season's BP. <br /><br />October usually brings a return of BRYCE. I'm excited. I'm also excited to see Turner flying around the bases this Fall. That speed is really special. I haven't see so many stolen 3rd bases since Ricky Henderson was running around. Mythrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12640334476376047192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-32842901318558287642016-09-06T10:18:43.945-07:002016-09-06T10:18:43.945-07:00Josh is onto something that I've been belabori...Josh is onto something that I've been belaboring for a while. The American, media-driven notion that only championships matter, and championships are determined via playoffs, means you are setting yourself up for disappointment every year based on sheer probability. Only 10% of the teams that make the MLB playoffs win the title! Why does anyone even bother?!?<br /><br />I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I think a division title is something to celebate, and certainly 3 division crowns in 5 years, even if there's no parade at the end.Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17586615594990914752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-91147206219997813192016-09-06T09:45:22.242-07:002016-09-06T09:45:22.242-07:00The "Nats Suck!" vs. "What?! Have y...The "Nats Suck!" vs. "What?! Have you seen our record?" debate seems to be raging here as much as it is with fans I talk to irl. Drives me nuts to hear the complaints but I'm in the "Have you seen our record?" camp. The bullpen is good - I think maybe the juiced ball and increased offense this year combined with our stellar rotation might make it seem worse than it is? Pitchers give up runs. All pitchers*. All bullpens blow games. Ours is still pretty good. A little less clutch than you'd want, but that's not predictive. <br /><br />Anyway, I get sick and tired of hearing people whine about the bullpen and the bats when we have a really great lineup and a good bullpen. I even went through each member of the lineup with a doom-and-gloomer and he was happy with them all individually (cept Zimm). So... I donno what it is but this seems like a real divide. Yeah, the Phillies and Braves suck, but so do the Brewers and Reds and Diamondbacks and Padres. Every NL division has terrible teams to feast on. <br /><br />I would rather face the Giants, I guess, cause of the Dodgers lefty bats, but I think the Dodgers have almost locked this down. Four games is a lot. This could be over in a few days. Pretty sure it'll be Nats-Dodgers. I guess Scherzer-Strasburg-Gio for the Dodgers? Ross to the bullpen? Not sure what to do with Roark. He's been fantastic but given the lefties, no idea what to do. Injury backup longman, I guess?<br /><br />Turner-Werth-Murphy-Harper-Rendon-Ramos + Scherzer & Strasburg(fingers-crossed) - this is going to be fun! I admit that part of the reason I am so positive is because Turner is so insanely *fun* to watch, but this is a good team with great hitters, great fielders, a great rotation, and a good bullpen. Playoffs are a crapshoot but this is a good team.cassnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-59194065262084470212016-09-06T09:24:43.252-07:002016-09-06T09:24:43.252-07:00@Sammy Kent - I feel like you'd make a good ma...@Sammy Kent - I feel like you'd make a good manager. That's definitely the attitude I want in the dugoutBjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-23455491880379848222016-09-06T09:17:45.690-07:002016-09-06T09:17:45.690-07:00I agree. With just about everybody.
Bias when we ...I agree. With just about everybody.<br /><br />Bias when we strand 14 in a game. Or when the bullpen blows, or comes to close blowing, a save. Or the "meat of our lineup" can't buy a hit. And that we don't watch the NL west teams as close as we do the Nats so (maybe) don't notice their shortcomings.<br /><br />Since I grew up a Dodger fan, I do not want the Giants anywhere close to the playoffs. That makes the Dodgers my choice for our first foes in the playoffs. After that, we watch the Cubs collapse.W. Pattersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14136399964612314367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-77054749952702456562016-09-06T09:15:33.443-07:002016-09-06T09:15:33.443-07:00OldPBN: well said. As Nats fans, we know all the...OldPBN: well said. As Nats fans, we know all the faults of our team. Other fans know all the faults of their own team, and with the exception of the Cubs, all the other MLB teams have as many, if not far more, faults than the Nationals. My 19-year old son is a die-hard Orioles fan. Whenever I moan about the Nats, he kindly tells me to shut-up and enjoy what the Nats are doing because the Orioles are a "mess" (his words). BTW: the Orioles would LOVE to have Gio in their pitching rotation.PotomacFanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17479027458024348671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-87360682990364434582016-09-06T09:15:06.663-07:002016-09-06T09:15:06.663-07:00I admit it, I had to google the Thomas Huxley-Matt...I admit it, I had to google the Thomas Huxley-Matthew Arnold debate. I feel smarter now :-)Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07359859089545299921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-63093643872959200092016-09-06T09:14:31.129-07:002016-09-06T09:14:31.129-07:00Carl, you are correct. I was erroneously thinking ...Carl, you are correct. I was erroneously thinking that regular season H2H series had any bearing. But only if we are tied record wise. <br /><br />Still, I like a Nats / Giants series over one with LA. Froggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05425616684415704428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-82752044275099913182016-09-06T09:10:15.064-07:002016-09-06T09:10:15.064-07:00Not exactly the level of the Thomas Huxley-Matthew...Not exactly the level of the Thomas Huxley-Matthew Arnold debate, but I'm glad you guys made up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-56223427773367217632016-09-06T08:56:10.422-07:002016-09-06T08:56:10.422-07:00@BJD, we are cool. I certainly do not ever mean to...@BJD, we are cool. I certainly do not ever mean to be combative with a fellow Nats fan. My apologies as well.<br /><br />I admit I have a high passion for the game, but dang, when I was kid I played, when I was older I umpired, when I had kids I coached, and when I was still young enough and fast enough I played many softball seasons on championship teams (and some bad ones too. Granted, softball ain't baseball, but it's still batting, fielding, throwing, and catching and it's still competing.) I can't be satisfied if we're hitting .300 with RISP if we just stranded someone on third or failed to plate more than one run with the bases loaded and one out. To me those are things that should just never happen. Period. You just can't squander scoring opportunities. It will bite you. So that's my standard, unrealistic as it may be. I admit it's unattainable.<br /><br />Perhaps I'm more guilty than most of the "what have you done for me lately" syndrome. Lord knows I love rooting for the Washington Nationals and wish in every way they could go 162-0 with complete game shutouts every time....and am sorely disappointed when they don't. Maybe if they did I'd get bored with baseball. But I'd like to find out. Just once. (And throw in the Orioles going 0-162. Double fun.)Sammy Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17286255593094532554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-35778112157280594332016-09-06T08:45:58.294-07:002016-09-06T08:45:58.294-07:00I know that I'm a victim of the recently bias ...I know that I'm a victim of the recently bias problem, but I do feel like the Nats offense is going to let us down. No stats or examples to back that up. Just a nervous Nats fan I guess lolRobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07359859089545299921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-58084249196550460592016-09-06T08:33:27.926-07:002016-09-06T08:33:27.926-07:00I think we rag on this team so much, especially ab...I think we rag on this team so much, especially about their inconsistency, because we watch them with a microscope nearly every game, and for each win/loss trying to temper our emotions. We don't watch LA or SF with nearly the same focus, so we just assume that the Nats have these terrible flaws that no other winning team has. I can't tell you what the Nats issue is, because every time I think its a missing cleanup hitter, someone hits a couple grand slams and the Nats win 14-3 on 7 home runs. Every time I think its the bullpen, I remember countless games of seeing the box score showing for the 'pen: 3 innings, no hits, no walks, a strikeout for each guy, a save for our closer, and we won 4-2.<br /><br />Alas, without this hyper-intensive focus, why would we comment and visit this page everyday? Because we love it, and we're silly old fans. And to Sammy's venting... it is possible that the Nats don't always lose the game, sometimes, maybe even more times than you might think, the other team wins the game. That pessimistic view of the Nats only lose because it was their fault, never giving the opponent any credit to actually being better that day, gets old and sounds quite ridiculous. Ole PBNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-56613002303268979982016-09-06T08:32:20.880-07:002016-09-06T08:32:20.880-07:00The great thing is that the Sammy Kents of the wor...The great thing is that the Sammy Kents of the world are almost always right, because this is a game of failure and attrition. Then come the playoffs, and it doesn't matter who was best before, because now it's a game of chance, and being the best and most consistent doesn't mean anything if the other team is lucky enough, so year in and year out, irrational doom and gloomers look like prophets.Josh Highamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00524273388243642450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-3941947790176215572016-09-06T08:28:22.653-07:002016-09-06T08:28:22.653-07:00@Sammy Kent - So then let's hear your standard...@Sammy Kent - So then let's hear your standard. What WOULD be acceptable (or encouraging) in terms of RISP or hitting against quality pitching? Not just after-the-fact bitching and moaning. So far as I can tell neither of those are explicit weaknesses of this team except in anecdotal or small sample size examples, usually with a heavy dose of recency bias as well.<br /><br />And apologies, I don't mean anything I say on here to be personal attacks so I apologize if you took them that way. My statements are 100% intended as responses to your posts, not to you personally. I may (will) still be an ass at some points, but its toward "Sammy Kent the knowledgable Nats thread reader/sparring partner" not toward "Sammy Kent fine upstanding citizen"Bjd1207https://www.blogger.com/profile/08595153543505790679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-1728613249018362492016-09-06T08:27:34.889-07:002016-09-06T08:27:34.889-07:00"and there is the oh so critical home field a..."and there is the oh so critical home field advantage that we DON'T have if we play the Dodgers"<br />....if the Nats finish tied with or behind the Dodgers. Got a three game lead for that right now though.Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17586615594990914752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-45379370137808924672016-09-06T08:22:00.717-07:002016-09-06T08:22:00.717-07:00...and there is the oh so critical home field adva......and there is the oh so critical home field advantage that we DON'T have if we play the Dodgers. So the Nats would have to win one or both in LA. On the other hand, the Nats won the season series with the Giants. <br /><br />Since a road trip is inevitable, I would rather face the Gigantes. Froggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05425616684415704428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-12706994043351404922016-09-06T08:21:35.418-07:002016-09-06T08:21:35.418-07:00@BJD, of course I am not trolling. We literally go...@BJD, of course I am not trolling. We literally got three hits off Syndergaard. We won that game because A.J. Cole and the bullpen were phenomenal that night, not because we hammered Syndergaard. In our last ten games against .500 teams we are 3-7. In our last 15 games we have scored three or fewer runs eight times....and that's against the likes of the Phillies, not just the Os and Mets. <br /><br />Don't be an ass just because I can see the shortcomings of our team as well as the strengths (which I also enumerated and which you apparently choose to ignore.) And please don't misquote me. I never said we're the worst team blah blah blah. I never said "we can't get our **** together...." I said "IF WE DON'T GET our shirt (notice the r. I don't use that four letter word you used) together......." That's a big difference, and you know it. "We can't" means something very different from "We need to." The potential is certainly there for this team to go far, but if you can't see that there are still serious red flags flying, don't get pissed at me for pointing them out. Come join me at the game tonight. Section 319.Sammy Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17286255593094532554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-76604671231774114292016-09-06T08:14:09.976-07:002016-09-06T08:14:09.976-07:00I sure wish there was a free stats site that allow...I sure wish there was a free stats site that allowed for multiple splits. (Is there a paid one, even?) Like, I expect the response to the Nats' bullpen leading the NL in ERA to be "Yeah but they face the Phillies and Braves so much." So the next step would be to compare bullpen ERAs vs. the other divisions, but I don't see how to do that easily.Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17586615594990914752noreply@blogger.com