Results tagged ‘ nationals ’
A Pair Of Trades
1. Pirates trade UT Eric Hinske to the Yankees for minor league P Casey Erickson, and minor league C/OF Eric Fryer
The gist of this trade is clear. With the recent news that Yankees OF Xavier Nady will be out for the season, New York was looking for a utility guy to spell Nick Swisher in right field occasionally. On the Pirates side of things, they’re as usual, completely out of the playoff picture, getting anything for three months of Alex Rodriguez Eric Hinske, is a gain.
Trade Grades:
Yankees-B+
Pirates-A-
2. Nationals trade OF Lastings Milledge, and P Joel Hanrahan to the Pirates, for OF Nyjer Morgan, and P Sean Burnett
I needed an excuse to unload on the Nationals, and here it is, just dropping into my lap. Why do you trade a top outfield prospect, and a okay relief pitcher, for a outfielder having a freak career year, and a mediocre pitcher!!! Horrible move for the Nats, adding another poor arm to their bullpen mess. Congratulations Neal Huntington! You did something right! Perfect time to sell high.
Trade Grades:
Nationals-D
Pirates-A
Fire The Manager!
Your team is struggling, inefficiencies at the upper levels of management have resulted in these struggles. You are the team president and co-acting general manager, you need to fix this, and you don’t know how to fix this personnel wise. What do you do? You fire yourself because you’re an idiot the manager!!!!!!!! Yes this is what team president Stan Kasten, and the Washington Natinals Nationals
plan to do on Monday. Soon to be ex-manager Manny Acta, I feel for you, none of this is your fault. Hopefully the players will stand up for you, just like the Rockies’ did for Clint Hurdle.
( I detailed the Nationals problems here)
This Day In Baseball History
1876-Philadelphia Athletic George Hall becomes first major league player to hit for cycle. The Englishman will also become the first player to be banned, along with others for throwing 3 1/2 game lead with 12 games to go 1877.
1940-At the Polo Grounds, Harry Danning hits for the cycle becoming the last player to have an inside-the-park homer as part of this rare feat. The Giant catcher is able to circle the bases because the ball gets stuck behind the Eddie Grant memorial and Pirates’ center fielder Vince DiMaggio cannot free it in time.
1963-In a 10-3 win over the Reds at Crosley field, Met outfielder Duke Snider hits his 400th career homer off of Bob Purkey.
1965-At Crosley Field, Jim Maloney no-hits the Mets for ten innings but loses 1-0 when Johnny Lewis connects for a homer in the eleventh.
1969-Hitting two home runs, two doubles and a single, A’s Reggie Jackson drives in ten runs as Oakland routs the Red Sox, 21-7.
1979-Giant first baseman Willie McCovey hits his 513th round tripper establishing him as the National League all-time left-handed home run leader.
1996-Cal Ripken sets a new consecutive games world record by playing in his 2,216th consecutive game The previous mark of 2,215 was held by Hiroshima Carp third baseman Sachio Kinugasa playing in the Japanese Central League.
2002-Due to 14 interleague contests all played in
National League parks, a designated hitter is not used in a full slate of major league games for the first time since 1972. Visiting hurlers will get plenty of opportunities to swing the bat as there isn’t a home game scheduled in American League park for the 10 consecutive days.
2006-Russ Ortiz (0-5, 7.54) becomes the highest paid player ever to be cut by a major league team. Although the team still owes $22 million of the $33 million of the four-year deal signed in December 2004, the Diamondbacks designate the 32-year old righty for assignment, meaning the club has 10 days to trade, waive or release the pitcher who is 1-14 record in his last 19 starts.
Draft Analysis
1. Stephen Strasburg, RHP, Nationals
Keys To Success/Failure: Washington Nationals
I am starting a new feature, Keys To Success/Failure, it will be
a sidebar link. For the first
installment of this feature, I will look at a failure, a team that can’t even
spell their name correctly…
The Washington Natinals National
Keys To Failure
Everything! Alright, in all seriousness, the Keys
To Failure (Hitting, Starters, Bullpen or Fielding) for the Nationals.
And the Keys are…
Fielding
Bullpen
Why Fielding?
The Nationals rank last in
the majors in Defensive Effiency, at .669. Over the course of 150 games, (according to UZR/150), the
Nationals defense will cost their team 72 runs! The only starter on the team who has a positive UZR/150 is
3B Ryan Zimmerman, who has a highly respectable 16.6 UZR/150. The main defensive culprit for the
Nationals has been Adam Dunn, at first base he is a lawn ornament, and owner of
a -48.6 UZR/150, and in left field, his primary posistion, he owns a -36.7
UZR/150! The Nats won’t be able to
do anything about this however, Dunn is the best hitter on a suprisingly good
hitting team, and only a madman would keep him out of the lineup. (Note: A player’s UZR/150 shows how
many runs he will cost or save his team over 150 games, an approximate season.
Why the Bullpen?
The Nationals have overhauled
their bullpen twice this season.
They do not have a closer, they were recently spotted using Kip Wells,
Garrett Mock, and Joel Hanrahan in a closer by committee. Injuries, journeymen, the castoffs of
others, the Nats bullpen is an unsolvable mess.
A Solution?
There isn’t one, they need
their poor defenders in their lineup for their bats, and there is no way to fix
the bullpen.
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