tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88330962012-01-26T01:02:29.650-05:00Bitter rantings by a sometimes-analytical fanboy who loves the Washington Nationals, even though you probably can't tell 3/4 of the time.Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.comBlogger23961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-11763482201185491002012-01-24T21:11:00.001-05:002012-01-24T21:13:31.667-05:00

Prince Fielder signing with the Nats: "There's the big bat in the middle of the order! Woo-hoo!"Prince Fielder signing with someone other than the Nats: "Nine years, $214 million for that fatass?! Good luck, suckers!!!"

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-85738349701978307422011-07-19T22:22:00.000-04:002011-07-19T22:22:18.534-04:00

Silly rumor season has started, and some of the buzz has been about the Nats hoping to find a leadoff hitting centerfielder like Mr. Bourn. All I think of when I see that? AAIEIEIEIEIEEEEEEEE Ever since the Nats moved here in 1987, they've tried EVERY SINGLE YEAR to find a lead-off hitting centerfielder. Here's the problem: there just aren't that many leadoff hitting CFers. Lemme qualify

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-652939446638932482011-07-02T10:33:00.002-04:002011-07-02T11:46:28.533-04:00

Having secured his first win in four tries as manager of the Washington Nationals, Davey Johnson has shifted his focus to creating a better machine. Today's topic: giving his starting pitchers "a longer leash".For longtime Nationals fans (let's just presume such a description applies to fans of a club created in 2005), the subject of getting more innings out of the starters this season might seem

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-35158338947816047122011-06-24T12:17:00.003-04:002011-06-24T13:36:44.322-04:00

Boy, did Jim Riggleman ever figure out how to draw attention his way or what? All of a sudden, not only the local beatwriters but also the national columnists can diagram intricate portraits of Riggleman's psyche, as if Riggleman's growing frustration and resentment had been a story simmering on the stove of the entire baseball media. Two days ago, your average baseball fan might not have even

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-17180240516513754352011-06-23T17:42:00.002-04:002011-06-23T17:53:01.407-04:00

Jim Riggleman resigned as manager of the Nationals today. After they won in walk-off fashion, sweeping the Mariners, and pulling the team's record above .500 for the first time since the day before Marbury v. Madison came out. All because he felt disrespected? I'll reserve the "Go to hell, Jim Riggleman!" title for Needham when he pops in.Is there any way to interpret this other than that

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-69894833049234353952011-06-21T23:18:00.000-04:002011-06-21T23:18:24.838-04:00

I was busy spending $300 at Wegmans, so I missed tonight's game. Anyone have a recap? After thinking about the post below, here's what caught my eye when I thought about it a bit: the Nats are 10th in runs. Now 10th isn't anything to write home about, but that's a marked improvement from where they were a month ago. And it's at the high end of what reasonable expectations were. Yet, if you

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-13339713692734530852011-06-21T15:06:00.006-04:002011-06-21T15:56:33.612-04:00

It seems as though Needham is occupied by, among other things, annoying people on Twitter. Consequently -- although precisely nobody has asked for this -- I thought I'd check in on his behalf.During the last dispatch, around Memorial Day, the Nats were described in these pages thusly: "Third worst in baseball. Last in the East. Yep. That's about right." What has happened since then? Well, let us

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-23747722397565062992011-05-30T23:41:00.000-04:002011-05-30T23:41:08.608-04:00

They (and they're usually right) always say that you shouldn't really pay attention to where the team is 'til Memorial Day. Hot starts merge with cold streaks. Slow starts (coughmorsecough) become torrid. After 55 games or so, things start evening out a bit. So where are we? Third worst in baseball. Last in the East. Yep. That's about right. More broadly (stats heading into today),

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-58047085926743476422011-05-27T12:47:00.004-04:002011-05-27T13:22:48.800-04:00

Five years or so ago, when I used to blog every day, a dumb column from one of the professional writers could really angry up my blood. Looking back, I can't really figure out why. I suppose I was too close to the subject, recreationally and emotionally. Even if my thoughts on the Nationals only mattered to perhaps a dozen other people out there, those thoughts mattered to me. I recall this

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-90094433643207644892011-05-25T11:17:00.005-04:002011-05-25T13:00:11.867-04:00

So it turns out that Adam LaRoche, Washington's okayish solution at first base, is not in fact okay. LaRoche's shoulder is hurt. And not just hurt, but really hurt, the kind of hurt that only medical science peppered with a bit of the miraculous can fix. Whoopsies.Meaning no disrespect to LaRoche, this news strikes me on the surface as more of an annoyance than a tragedy. Whatever happens from

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-2186211872886222172011-05-12T12:53:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:39:42.554-04:00

The primary benefits of the rise of online journalism -- relative immediacy and increased coverage space -- are also its greatest drawbacks. What's the line between "news" and "dreck"? It's hard to discern sometimes, so you assume the risk by clicking on a link that you'll end up wasting a minute or two of your life reading the content therein. "Sure, go around and wade in that sea of seemingly

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-87161775928981093152011-05-04T15:52:00.003-04:002011-05-04T16:02:49.665-04:00

From Baseball Prospectus:Whether another team gives [Felipe] Lopez an opportunity is to be seen, but he seems like a player who could fit on a few teams. Sure he could. I mean, what is this, the fourth consecutive baseball season in which this musing has been uttered? He's the Rasputin of indolence!

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-52485672529198608782011-05-02T12:29:00.002-04:002011-05-02T13:37:41.163-04:00

My wife and I made the hundred-mile drive up to Nationals Park yesterday -- our only Nats game for this season, perhaps. Frankly, we scheduled to come up for the Giants series pretty much because Brandon Belt, who looked like a moderately-capitalized version of Roy Hobbs for Double-A Richmond, was San Francisco's starting first baseman when we made our plans. But then he got sent down to Fresno.

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-78362100537646520662011-04-26T17:56:00.000-04:002011-04-26T17:56:00.665-04:00

Gone are the fireworks. Here is some sort of sub-based AWOOOOOGA. The Bog has the story. A few things caught my eye... First... Is Andy Feffer the dumbest goddamn person on earth? Does he realize how terrible he sounds? Does he know what he's actually saying, or has the man who worked for the Charlotte Bobcats and worked for the weakest union in pro sports -- so weak, that they never found

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-61533539601898998482011-04-18T00:04:00.000-04:002011-04-18T00:04:48.902-04:00

GO EFF YOURSELF GREINKE!!! That's more of a twitter post. Apologies. (I'm sorta starting to kinda sort maybe just a tiny bit feeling good about this team.... i mean they suck... but the sum of their suck is greater than (or would it be lesser suck?) than their individual sucky parts. Sometimes. Of course the starting pitching isn't this good... they're iced-down stinky fish. It's a

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-87523800688442154582011-04-16T09:50:00.001-04:002011-04-16T10:35:28.214-04:00

If there's one thing we learned last night (aside from heart/hustle/grit) it's that you don't need to start your weak-hitting, left-handed centerfielder against a left-handed starter, a lesson that Jim Riggleman hasn't really learned this year and didn't really learn last year. (Segue warning!) Nyjer Morgan was on the bench last night and 'respectfully' declined to speak to the media before the

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-45847982906865196662011-04-15T08:19:00.003-04:002011-04-15T11:04:53.897-04:00

Every baseball team, including the Tampa Bay Rays, uses a clean-up hitter, in the sense that the clean-up hitter bats fourth. Teams don't have to call the guy the clean-up hitter; that's the long-time naming convention, but I suppose they could call him Ray, and they could call him Jay . . . However, somebody must bat fourth in every team's batting order. Stretching the principle that sometimes a

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-11750784510452824602011-04-06T17:05:00.002-04:002011-04-06T17:05:00.211-04:00

When Washington Nationals fans absolutely, positively have stay informed about the hot topics concerning the team -- such as, for example, what Rob Dibble thinks about Barry Bonds -- there is only one place to turn: the Washington Examiner, home of Jim Williams's Emmy-winning, free-from-the-bounds-of-proper-syntax-and-spelling-and-comma-usage brand of journalism. Recounting "a very candid,and

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-50092729161393597822011-04-04T16:00:00.005-04:002011-04-04T18:01:03.961-04:00

Well, sort of. For Christmas, alms-giving people that we are, my wife and I purchased iPod Touches. Not for family or friends or our neighbors or the less fortunate, mind you, but for ourselves; I guess that's the mechanics of it, since we got them for each other. I got hers and she got mine -- and that's not even true since I was sick the weekend we bought them, so she ended up going to the

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-79626306027455080092011-03-30T21:59:00.000-04:002011-03-30T21:59:04.297-04:00

That's basically the way I feel about tomorrow. I'm excited... it IS Christmas after all. But I'm not as excited as I was when I was a wee li'l boy in 2005. It's still a damn good day. Just not as magical and special as it was. And as a kid, I as singularly focused on what was in front of me... now? I'm just as interested in looking around, and seeing what presents everyone else is opening.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-47322458213945863652011-03-27T10:23:00.001-04:002011-03-27T10:23:46.261-04:00

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Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-50333218577186234842011-03-24T17:34:00.006-04:002011-03-24T18:34:28.378-04:00

As a resident of the only city with two teams remaining in the NCAA tournament, I've been able to devote even less attention than normal this spring to the various Viera camp positional battles, which is to say I've scarcely followed them at all. Gleaning what little bits and pieces I deem pertinent, however, it seems that the biggest remaining issue is what to be done with centerfield, which has

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-18498948911864948212011-03-23T15:30:00.002-04:002011-03-23T15:32:58.705-04:00

Nationals To Sign Oliver Perez.Well, he's a better bet than Horacio Ramirez; we know that much already.

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-83571174415243672652011-03-21T17:14:00.004-04:002011-03-21T17:57:19.567-04:00

Oliver Perez?Come on, be honest. The thought did cross your mind, even if for just a nanosecond. Maybe two nanoseconds. The thought came and went so quickly that it probably didn't really even register fully. But it was there. It's okay -- you can can admit it.Maybe just as a joke. Maybe out of pity (does it only seem that his special brand of incompetence has shown a bit more favoritism to the

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-56371402693970729602011-03-16T21:48:00.000-04:002011-03-16T21:48:18.857-04:00

I got a package in the mail today, addressed to my daughter. Now, I was trying to convince my wife that it would be mail fraud for us to open it, since it wasn't addressed to us, but her. I argued that we should wait to let her tiny, five-month old hands open the package herself. But, no. As is the all-too-frequent case, I lost. We opened it up. And what was in there? Tiny Nats socks, a

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-23310548050643836122011-03-10T17:08:00.002-05:002011-03-10T17:28:06.548-05:00

Status check: Are we still doing the Lerners-are-cheap thing? If we are, it’s been some time, so I'm just checking.But no matter. The Lerners may be cheap, but their brand of cheapness is a mere cap pistol compared to what was Vince Naimoli’s hand-cannon of closefistedness. Oh, but Naimoli wasn’t only cheap. So recounts Jonah Keri, in this excerpt from his new book about how the current Tampa Bay

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-83102837094131212252011-02-24T13:44:00.001-05:002011-02-24T13:46:32.666-05:00

Greetings from Sunnytown, Florida! Boy, it sure is sunny down here. Don’t you wish you weren’t stuck back up north where it’s cold and you have to work? I kid, I kid. It’s still a little bit brisk down here, and I’ve got work to do. With that in mind, here’s some news.General Manager says he’s “very happy” with how the offseason went, although he’s still looking to “add pieces.” But he

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-91957594000901892492011-01-28T07:05:00.006-05:002011-01-28T10:25:48.841-05:00

A brief discussion of the English common law, as it pertains to Justin Maxwell, who was designated for assignment by the Nationals yesterday:Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote, "The customs, beliefs, or needs of a primitive time establish a rule or formula. In the course of centuries the custom, belief, or necessity disappears, but the rule remains." This rule was the venerable common law, the body

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-17777544498714461082011-01-18T07:59:00.005-05:002011-01-18T09:31:06.606-05:00

Over at Fangraphs, Dave Cameron asks the question that has confounded us literally for hours, several hours -- "What is Tom Gorzelanny?" Gorzelanny's been a strikeout guy, kind of, but at other times hasn't been; he's had abysmal control at times, then it's been okay other times; he's been a gopherball guy, except when he hasn't; he's had okay ERAs with bad peripherals, and then he's had bad ERAs

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-42525559634444964132010-12-30T07:48:00.003-05:002010-12-30T08:43:36.917-05:00

According to an item appearing last week at DCRTV:Communications Commission has reversed a two-year-old decision and concluded that Time Warner Cable did not discriminate against the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which means the cable operator won't have to deliver the Baltimore-based regional sports network and its Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles games to its subscribers in North

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-2885358107052851162010-12-27T22:12:00.000-05:002010-12-27T22:12:48.318-05:00

10. ???? 9. ???? 8. ???? 7. ???? 6. ???? 5. ???????? 4. ?? 3. ???? 2. ???? 1. Strasburg's debut Poor Billy Ladson had to resort to including the Werth contract on his list. When, 150 years from now, history of the Washington Nationals is written into one of those godawful hagiography coffee table books like the Yankees get (though I s'pose they'll be e-books at that point... or just a damn chip

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-13899515731468990662010-12-27T07:03:00.003-05:002010-12-27T07:53:30.941-05:00

Not to dampen the understandable joy over the Matty Chico Holiday Miracle, but the Nats lost out on Brandon Webb. It's too early to determine if NatsTown will take the news as hard as this guy.Actually, come to think of it, I'm uncertain that this news should really dampen much of anything, insofar as I'm not sure precisely why the Nationals wanted Webb in the first place. Sure, Webb is an

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-32332778820198171932010-12-23T00:28:00.000-05:002010-12-23T00:28:50.241-05:00

It was heartbreak city the other day when it looked like what historians will come to dub the Matt Chico Era came to an end. Heartless bastard Mike Rizzo ripped the heart out of the franchise, cutting the one true ace the team's had, and who's taken the ball day-in, day-out for at least one season. Matt Chico was and is critical to this franchise's success. So to see him cut... well... let's

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-79724955440540749332010-12-16T11:46:00.006-05:002010-12-16T12:24:40.911-05:00

Pitching great Bob Feller passed away yesterday. America's best sports columnist, Joe Posnanski, who knew Feller very well, wrote a comprehensive reflection on the life and times of "Rapid Robert." I highly recommend Posnanski's work.Feller, of course, was a legendary pitcher, the kind of guy baseball fans know all about as children even if they were born decades after his last big league pitch.

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-90718202614660689932010-12-15T00:33:00.000-05:002010-12-15T00:33:20.835-05:00

"The PLAN!" is dead. Long live "The PLAN!" Ye will be miss-ed. :-( But fear not, Nats fans. We're in Phase Two. Set your own personal phasers to gobsmacked. I'm relieved. I was really getting tired of that Phase One. Two is better than One... twice, even. So we're CLEARLY in a better position today. CLEARLY. And with Jayson Werth as the new Face of the Franchise -- THE Jayson Werth

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-50593136559066336082010-12-09T22:19:00.000-05:002010-12-09T22:19:33.105-05:00

From MASN's interview with the charismatic Stephen Strasburg: "It is still too early. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch. I am taking it one day at a time. Every single day is a new challenge. It is a good opportunity to get in best shape of my life. Honestly, I feel like I am heading in the right direction." AEEEEEIIEIEIEIEIEEEEEAAAAAARGHHHHHHH!!!! That Crash Davis Crash

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-21510483427307348122010-12-08T07:57:00.003-05:002010-12-08T08:01:16.087-05:00

. . . he's not that good.Then again, Jayson Werth isn't that great.So, if the Nats sign LaRoche, at least they're being consistent.

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-22648616388920587662010-12-05T17:29:00.001-05:002010-12-05T17:30:42.065-05:00

So seven years for 31-year old Jayson Werth, eh? $126 million, eh? Hmm. Well, now that the StanSpeak Translator has been disassembled, I've got a bunch of high-tech parts sitting in my closet. I spent the afternoon assembling them into something useful. I took a photo of Jayson Werth, and aged him 7 years to see what the Nats will be working with in three-fourths of a decade. Go ahead and

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-34824225086302087232010-12-03T22:51:00.000-05:002010-12-03T22:51:58.980-05:00

Earlier this week, the Post had a story about how our poor, beleaguered, under-appreciated owner was being dicked over for about $5 million by Fairfax County... or someone. Short version... they took some of his Tysons land via eminent domain, paying him half a Dunn for the land. They later decided the estimate was too high, since the real estate market collapsed, and asked for an Austin Kearns

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-54403569035620890172010-12-02T21:35:00.001-05:002010-12-02T21:35:11.571-05:00

Greetings, children! Welcome! Welcome to the wonderful world of not really caring all that much about the Hometown 9! Look around the league... there are lots of great teams... lots of great players... lots of great games. Be a fan of the game, not of this particular set of rotten uniforms. Stay a while. Lord knows you'll be waiting a while for something good around here.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-71664889575146220212010-11-11T07:45:00.003-05:002010-11-11T10:22:00.428-05:00

Minor league free agents here; get 'em while they're hot!Baseball America's big, bad annual list of minor league free agents has hit the interwebs, and a tiny subset of obsessive dreamers rejoices. Five-hundred-thirty-three marginally skilled and potentially healthy talents have been set free. Five-hundred-thirty-three possibilities for improving your favorite team by a fraction of a WAR or so,

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-68810273385744706892010-10-22T12:10:00.002-04:002010-10-22T17:33:11.647-04:00

On the one hand, this topic is totally stolen from the Royals Review blog. On the other hand, the Nationals have not done a whole lot in the recent past to merit much blogging creativity. So our apparent options here are 1) to do a bunch of graphs and stuff about Wins Above Replacement, 2) to post lots of photos from Nationals Park, 3) to recount a steady stream of Twitter activity, or 4) to

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-33149727804074406902010-10-18T11:11:00.003-04:002010-10-18T11:35:10.998-04:00

A sample MLB Trade Rumors tidbit:So-and-So of Some Media Organization "says it makes more sense for the [Whatevers] to trade for . . . an ace starter than seek one in free agency, and asks readers whether or not the [Whatevers] should pursue Zack Greinke.Is it the Nationals? Sure! Is it some team other than the Nationals? Sure! Is it both the Nationals and some team other than the Nationals? Sure

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-32860274283227298192010-10-11T18:28:00.002-04:002010-10-11T18:28:13.308-04:00

Hire. This. Guy. (He's from Bawlmer, aint' he?)

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-87220843527031881952010-10-08T20:49:00.001-04:002010-10-08T21:07:10.663-04:00

Boswell's chat yesterday dropped this nugget: According to my sources, Rizzo wanted to trade Dunn and had a deal worked out for Edwin Jackson, who ended up with the White Sox. So, yes, the runmors at the time were correct. However, Kasten and the Lerners didn't want to do the deal and killed it. Partly bad PR. In Kasten's case, he really believed, and still does, that it's cazy not to resign

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-17298309757569468312010-10-08T19:46:00.000-04:002010-10-08T19:46:31.495-04:00

Your 2011 Washington Nationals: 1) Nyjer Morgan, CF 2) Ian Desmond, SS 3) Ryan Zimmerman, 3B 4) Adam LaRoche, 1B 5) Josh Willingham, LF 6) Mike Morse, RF 7) Pudge Rodiguez 8) Danny Espinosa SP: Jake Westbrook Bronson Arroyo Jordan Zimmermann Brandon Webb (playing the role of Chien Ming Wang) Livan Hernandez I can smell the pennant from here.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-47559613502623588122010-10-05T22:11:00.001-04:002010-10-06T09:32:20.840-04:00

Let's see... Rangers over Rays in 4. The Rays feel like the better team, but given how often they're no-hit or shut-out, Don Larsen better be on standby. Twins over Yankees in 4. If Sabathia loses Game 1, it'll be a short series. (Unless he doesn't, or unless it's not) Phillies over Reds in 5. If I'm reading Phillies blogs and twits right, the Phillies are already defending the 2010 WS

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-79689338773012864222010-10-03T11:11:00.000-04:002010-10-03T11:11:52.231-04:00

One more game. One more game separating us from six months of nothingness before the Nats embark on another losing championship season. Will you watch? Do you care? I'm a bit like Charlie Brown with this team. Stan/Mike/Riggles tee the football up for me every spring. Every April, I come running. In May, I start my kick. In June I'm on my ass. In July, I'm off doing other things. I

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-73541504041211128272010-10-01T10:42:00.003-04:002010-10-01T11:20:40.248-04:00

Kevin Mench, who had last played in the major leagues in 2008, made it all the way back this season. The Nationals called him up in early August for reasons known only to themselves. Serving as an "extra bat off the bench," Mench has appeared in 23 games, exactly one of those as a starter, and posted a .125/.192/.125 batting line in 26 plate appearances. Despite his miserable hitting (-12 OPS+),

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-64577477395757244902010-09-24T09:36:00.006-04:002010-09-24T11:55:07.051-04:00

An odd narrative emerged during the 2008 postseason -- Chuck Lamar, the former general manager of the moribund Tampa Bay Devil Rays, was portrayed as the unappreciated master builder of the now-emergent Tampa Bay ballclub. During the American League playoffs, the announcers afforded Lamar relatively brief mentions, but when Lamar's new team (the Phillies, for whom Lamar became director of

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-11156432710602451642010-09-20T14:15:00.003-04:002010-09-20T15:14:08.123-04:00

It would seem that the Nationals intend to bring back Jim Riggleman for another year of exciting Washington Nationals Baseball. At 34 games under the .500 mark over the past season-and-a-half, Riggleman has had a moderate amount of success in the Nats' managerial seat, at least relatively speaking -- Manny Acta's group was 35 games under .500 when he was canned half-way through last season. If

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-75207404803222571192010-09-17T18:52:00.000-04:002010-09-17T18:52:57.819-04:00

I haven't died -- yet. Though check in in another week! I'm still writing intermittently ... For the first, I wrote about Jim Riggleman's future with the Nats. Nobody's said anything about to indicate that the double-switch master is in trouble, but given his tenuous contract situation, maybe he better call up Rob Dibble on how to break leases. The other was actually kinda fun to write.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-15448798999128285642010-09-02T17:50:00.000-04:002010-09-02T17:50:34.473-04:00

Did you ever think you'd see me kinda sorta maybe defend Rob Dibble? The lukewarm defense is over here. So what about that Nyjer? Things are definitely in his head... his performance... Riggles leaving him out to dry... the demotion to 8th... He's shown that he's not a particularly instinctive player. (Note: he was picked off while you read that sentence) And he's in the middle of a tough

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-66277102870165901702010-08-31T20:27:00.002-04:002010-08-31T20:48:50.755-04:00

So there's all this talk about Rob Dibble. Should he stay? Should he go? Does anyone really care all that much? (My three cents are: eh; eh; I certainly hope not.)But let's presume Dibble is gone after this season. Obviously, MASN will need to find a replacement. Now, there's a bit of a difference between "MASN" and "the Nationals" in this context, maybe, at least if I understand the

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-16638615919093765262010-08-27T12:52:00.002-04:002010-08-27T12:56:47.820-04:00

This is probably a very rash post, which will likely be noted by most who read it as irrational and lacking a certain brand of perspective, but it just doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how "careful" you are with a pitcher, how much you "monitor" things, or how assuredly you avoid any usage that might even smack of "abuse." It doesn't matter. Injury can happen, it would seem, on any given

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-53152954289914792952010-08-26T23:29:00.001-04:002010-08-27T00:10:37.689-04:00

1,278-time Emmy Winner Jimmy "Not Jimy" Williams writes a defense of famous meathead Rob Dibble in today's (yesterday's) Examiner. That's the newspaper that's usually laying on an empty seat on a Metro car that causes you to pause, wondering if you should push it to the floor, or sit on it, eventually causing you to opt to stand for fear of what kinds of fluids some previous passenger may have

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-79404277068149746492010-08-25T23:21:00.000-04:002010-08-25T23:21:47.582-04:00

While not having Rob Dibble on the air is a joyous thing (sadly I was otherwise occupied tonight, and missed out on Ray Knight's banality), it does make me wonder ... Why would he get put into time out after ripping on Strasburg but not for ripping on the broads? Stan Kasten's quote is priceless and almost makes me like the guy again, but is that really a dumpable offense? I guess the only way

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-16860627826572512942010-08-19T17:48:00.000-04:002010-08-19T17:48:10.475-04:00

Damn monkeys... So last week as a pretty damn good week to be a Nats fan, no? Or was that this week? Time really is a blur now when you're having this much fun with quality baseball being played. For my take on what the draft signings mean, and how this might someday be a great week (though I'm not necessarily holding my breath), click on over here.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-63312413696835438332010-08-15T22:10:00.008-04:002010-08-15T22:34:48.034-04:00

Or maybe you can. I wasn't very good at math. The only thing I'll say about the ol' Dibble thing is that I think it's complete and utter horseshit that Todd Webster and the gang at MASN are so heavily moderating comments that anything even mildly against Dibble -- even respectful without swears! -- isn't getting posted. That's shittastic PR, and pretty fucking shameful. Pretty amazing that

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-8042505115662536532010-08-15T09:41:00.000-04:002010-08-15T09:41:56.472-04:00

That they may not be as cheap as they once were? They're rapidly moving up to senile ol' grandma who pays you 50 cents when you mow her lawn territory, I guess. Of course after this many years of profit-taking and the Strasburg attendance windfall, I don't feel too much sympathy for the Lerner great great great great great grandkids.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-23730069586522029932010-08-13T10:21:00.002-04:002010-08-13T10:21:49.375-04:00

The Ring of Honor idea is nice, but broken. There's only one way to fix it: WWPAD? (PA meaning Peter Angelos) What! Read more. Here. Please!!!

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-6809782623845203382010-08-13T00:03:00.002-04:002010-08-13T00:03:39.327-04:00

Yep. Still a great trade.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-64612581510952179102010-08-12T23:56:00.000-04:002010-08-12T23:56:50.909-04:00

Sez Boz: Getting a Dunn deal finished shouldn't even be that hard. For weeks, reports have said Dunn wanted $60 million for four years. "That's not true," said one of Dunn's best baseball friends, who talked with him recently but requested anonymity so that Dunn wouldn't hurt him when they hand-slap at home plate after his home runs. "Adam said he wants $13 to 14 million for three years. That's

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-62328216980273412672010-08-10T08:44:00.000-04:002010-08-10T08:44:38.655-04:00

The Nats are honoring one of Washington's All-Time greats tonight. And if you think that's a cynical sentence, then you need to read this. SEND HITS!

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-43362476156225975152010-08-10T00:10:00.000-04:002010-08-10T00:10:03.030-04:00

The Nats are set to unveil their ring of honor tomorrow, which commemorates some of the greats who played in DC, and some place called "Montreal" wherever the hell that is. One of the DCians being honored is Joe Cronin, a Hall-of-Fame shortstop who managed the Senators to the 1933 World Series. Cronin was a terrific ballplayer, and a solid manager. After his stint with DC, he went to the Red

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-836670242493473562010-07-29T22:36:00.000-04:002010-07-29T22:36:33.374-04:00

Who'd we get? No. Really, who? Does it matter? This is the best kind of trade... the something from nothing trade. At one point a few years back, I had the grand idea of doing transaction trees... finding out where players came from. Ie: Zimmermann came from Soriano who came from Wilkerson, who was a draft pick of the team. Those are fun moves... but the really fun ones are the ones like

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-7204626598322127992010-07-26T22:29:00.000-04:002010-07-26T22:29:16.744-04:00

Here's the thing I haven't seen anyone point out about the Dunn visiting Uecker thing.... (and perhaps someone did in comments; i haven't read that much) It was the bottom of the second inning in a game on the road. Was Riggleman really going to bring in Adam Dunn for defense in the second? Now, I realize that Mike Morse was in the game, and you never know when you're going to need to double

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-38538586383717152472010-07-25T23:22:00.000-04:002010-07-25T23:22:14.977-04:00

I'm cleaning up the approximately 56,340 GB of emails in my mailbox, and ran across this exchange I had with someone who wrote/write/not-gonna-let-you-tense-your-way-into-figuring-out-who-it-is/was just prior to the 2007 draft. In light of Ross Detwiler's magnicient start today, it's especially fun. I've got bad news for you Chris... the Nats won't take Matt Wieters, even if he falls to them.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-18823366577234730352010-07-25T12:39:00.002-04:002010-07-25T12:39:35.296-04:00

You write enough stuff on the internet, you're going to 1) say something stupid, or 2) say something that's completely wrong. Lord knows I've done both. With that caveat, this is pretty freakin' hilarious.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-77400543417384309682010-07-23T09:11:00.002-04:002010-07-23T09:11:58.817-04:00

If I were the Nats I wouldn't not trade Dunn for nothing, unless they didn't get something less than nothing, no? Got it? No? Well head over here then for more clarification.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-26010706661333535642010-07-23T00:22:00.001-04:002010-07-23T00:22:57.760-04:00

Waaaaaah! “I've been in broadcasting for 12 years, whether it was ESPN or Fox, but this (being the Nats' TV color man) is different, because people are far more critical of one-liners and throwaway comedy lines,” Dibble said. “There's (more criticism of people in the public eye) because of the internet. Also He said he accepted the job after the Nationals offered it to him for the second time.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-34870654802031367082010-07-20T22:41:00.000-04:002010-07-20T22:41:26.143-04:00

I'm still not inclined to give the team the benefit of the doubt. Until I see what his numbers look like after 40 IP, I'm agnostic. But here's some video of him pitching. At least til the MLB Nazis take it down. Progress, I suppose. Not about the Nazis, but the signing. Duh.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-17231069795493284782010-07-20T20:00:00.000-04:002010-07-20T20:00:58.226-04:00

Via friendly commenter Mr. Sam is this sentence from today's Nats Journal on Ian Desmond hitting second. "We didn't really have anybody else to hit eighth, to tell you the truth." This mirrors my reaction. Ian Desmond is quite the horse.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-52508994158117037182010-07-15T18:22:00.000-04:002010-07-15T18:22:35.523-04:00

So I wrote about our beloved All-Star. Dude got the win; He was clearly, by definition, the MVP, no? So that's increased his trade value, right? Well, we'll see.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-3436744472882620642010-07-09T17:29:00.000-04:002010-07-09T17:36:18.245-04:00

You know what I was looking forward to reading today? Anti-Yankee screeds. Those are fun: They're too rich! They're killing the sport!! They're evil!!! Love those. Started composing one in my mind, matter of fact.But you have to hold off on actually submitting them for public consumption these days, lest you detrimentally rely on MLB Trade Rumors and the assorted Twitterati and fall victim to an

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-51532073958859973152010-07-08T08:45:00.002-04:002010-07-08T08:45:31.023-04:00

Funny, we haven't heard much about "The PLAN!" lately, have we? I wonder why that is. Hmmm. Maybe this is why?

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-23288042024289853192010-07-06T22:54:00.000-04:002010-07-06T20:54:51.769-04:00

I've come to grips with Jim Riggleman as a master over-manager.  Not since the dark days of the Robinson regime have we seen a manager so willing to put his hands around the throat of the team he's supposedly leading. But with 1 out, and runners on 1st and 2nd, why the FUCK is Livan bunting?  Time and time again, he has the pitcher bunt in that situation.  And I'd guess it's only really worked

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-78493588549580379042010-07-06T22:06:00.001-04:002010-07-06T22:07:07.922-04:00

If there's one thing Rob Dibble knows, it's class.  Pure class, he. Dibble said that Pudge Rodriguez is one of the classiest players in the Major Leagues, perhaps in history. He's right there next to Stan Musial, no doubt. Need further proof? Look at that tasteful back yard.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-16432758334897698952010-07-06T20:52:00.000-04:002010-07-06T20:52:05.734-04:00

While watching Ian Desmond's homer sail out of the park, I thought something I've been meaning to get down. For all the bitching I've done about Bob Carpenter in the last few years, it seems like he's made a conscious effort to cut down on the number of times he anticipates plays.   I can't recall a single "How far is this one gonna go!" on a flyball that doesn't make it to the wall.  I don't

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-90400755216837227122010-07-05T10:07:00.000-04:002010-07-05T10:07:48.995-04:00

Innings: A: 36.2 B: 36.2 Wins: A: 2 B: 2 Hits Allowed: A: 29 B: 44 Runs Allowed: A: 11 B: 19 Strikeouts: A: 53 B: 32 WHIP A: 1.06 B: 1.39 It'd be one thing if the Nats were sending one of their two truly deserving players.  But Matt Capps?  At least he's better than Evan Meek.  Perhaps.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-68173390655966738832010-07-01T09:43:00.000-04:002010-07-01T09:43:37.129-04:00

With the trading deadline approaching, what should the Nats do? Maybe dumping all those carcasses on the side of the road isn't the smartest idea.  At least that's what I kinda sorta maybe argue over here.  Read it.  Papa needs some new shoes.  And a belt.  And something other than boxed mac and cheese to eat.  :-( Hungry.  So very very hungry.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-39516847119980296032010-06-24T17:33:00.003-04:002010-06-24T17:35:03.873-04:00

The Nats set sail for Birdland, wrapping up the interleague slate with a weekend series. Years ago, I suspected that this “Battle of the Beltways” stuff might, at some point, generate even a scintilla of interest from me. But it hasn’t happened. Not disposed to hate the Orioles, whom I followed very closely prior to the Nats’ arrival, I have instead settled into the neglectful comfort of apathy

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-52903870248285288592010-06-21T23:53:00.000-04:002010-06-21T23:53:02.835-04:00

I was going to  post something about Mike Rizzo's decision to send John Lannan down to Double-A, but FJB hit many of the same points I was going to.  The whole Mike Rizzo: Tough Guy shtick wears on me.  As he said, this reminded me of the "Aura" comments Rizzo spat out when sending down Shell. He highlighted this: Still, I cringed when this quote from Rizzo popped up on Ben Goessling's blog: "

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-32447159756673823442010-06-19T12:17:00.001-04:002010-06-19T12:18:54.364-04:00

So Stephen Strasburg apologized for not getting the bunt down with two strikes, on the play where Ian Desmond got caught on a road trip off first base.  Apology not accepted. If anyone should apologize it's Jim Riggleman.  The old bastard has his pitchers bunt early and often.  Let Strasburg hit away.  The guy smacked the crap out of minor league pitching.  And there was one out! Is bunting a

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-83312616635567484802010-06-17T22:49:00.004-04:002010-06-17T23:12:28.928-04:00

A couple years ago or so, someone posted a moderately entertaining Transformers spoof on Youtube. The gist is that the Optimus Prime, head of the Good Guy Robots (the heroic Autobots), comes back to life and discovers that the remaining Autobots pretty much suck. To an extent, I think this was a plot point from the 1980s cartoon movie, which, by the way, was a treasure to the extent that Michael

Basilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10346481140960787459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-79281284132292814182010-06-17T08:57:00.000-04:002010-06-17T08:57:44.759-04:00

Over at dc.sbnation.com, I write about The Great Drew Storen Trade of '08.  Check it out.  They won't keep giving me beer if you don't.  :-(

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-269249007783283322010-06-15T23:56:00.000-04:002010-06-15T23:56:08.181-04:00

A day late, but you're still probably expecting this to be all STRASBURG STRASBURG STRASBURG STRASBURG!!!! Sorry to disappoint. I'm not going to abuse the caps like that. Although he's only been here for a week, that's the story of the fortnight. Nothing else, as they say, matters. Well, the wins and losses matter, I s'pose. And really, that's the problem with this stretch. The Nats were

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-46203259766775999702010-06-14T21:48:00.000-04:002010-06-14T21:48:49.265-04:00

During Saturday's Phillies broadcast (please, hold your vomit) apparently Buck and McCarver (please, hold your vomit) were talking about the possibility of Stephen Strasburg making the All-Star Game. Shhhh! I can hear your scoffing all the way from here! But, as crazy as the idea of throwing a rookie with just a handful of starts to his career out there, there IS precedent for it. Picture it.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-1987028115270258372010-06-13T18:54:00.000-04:002010-06-13T18:54:14.687-04:00

... then he's gonna be pretty damn good. I think it was Jim Kaat who always talked about how often a starter goes out there with good stuff. I think he said that in an average year they'll go out there 5 or 6 times where everything clicks. And 5 or 6 times where you've got nuttin'. I'm not sure that Strasburg had nothing, but he didn't really look good. Of course there's the 8 strikeouts and

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-12583194256191549992010-06-13T18:39:00.000-04:002010-06-13T18:39:44.404-04:00

I have comment moderation on for posts that are older than two weeks, since I have a hard enough time fending off Chinese handbag spam as it is.  So in the spirit of openness, I'd like to highlight yet another comment I belatedly approved to an old Rob Dibble post. Take it away, Meathead! Man your blogs really suck. Well, technically, I only have one. Well, two, but one's hidden. I hope

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-52869723137803461862010-06-09T01:51:00.000-04:002010-06-09T01:51:06.770-04:00

Some of you have figured out that the good folks at SB Nation have suckered me into writing for them on their DC Portal.  I really like what they're doing there, both in terms of content and how they present it.  And they've been covering the piss out of the Nats, so check 'em out. I'll be writing there once a week, basically doing the same sorts of things I've been doing here, just with fewer

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-36441859968421848502010-06-08T23:31:00.001-04:002010-06-09T01:41:20.146-04:00

I enjoyed Coco quite a bit, thank you.  Though when he played the White Stripes song (what the hell's its name... I'm blanking), I thought my chest was gonna beat out of its chest.  [ed: later... finally came to me as I watched the replay on MASN: "Seven Nation Army"... the same song Strasburg came to the plate to.  Must've been divine intervention by His holiness] What'd I miss? Sigh.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-88534538544042753382010-06-06T22:59:00.000-04:002010-06-06T22:59:02.582-04:00

Sometime tomorrow, Mike Rizzo or someone's going to stand at a podium and announce that the Nats have drafted Bryce Harper -- barring a 6-state murder spree tonight, that is. The Nats have to draft Harper.  He's got the highest ceiling in what lots of people are saying is a pretty 'meh' draft.  But I don't have to like it. I dunno.  He's got all the talent in the world, and his potential is 

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-51998523447302798522010-06-06T16:38:00.000-04:002010-06-06T16:38:54.394-04:00

We know he can pitch.   But the uberprospect is also 1st among all Nats minor leaguers in batting average (minimum 10 PA).  Is there anything he can't do? Maybe he could close?  Please, could he close, too!

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-27711106458952960042010-06-06T01:22:00.000-04:002010-06-06T01:22:15.735-04:00

No, I don't know why I'm up either. I just found a whole bunch of comments caught up in a queue, lost amongst the Chinese handbag spam.  One of 'em didn't like my take on Rob Dibble.  So to be fair -- I'm nothing, if not fair -- here's a defense of Rob Dibble. (note: supply your own sic) Fire Dibble.....rubbish...what a bunch of petulant winer's. He wants to see the team he covers win games...

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-13249563882160126992010-06-06T00:49:00.002-04:002010-06-06T00:49:32.635-04:00

Rizzo should send his scouts to check this guy out.  Look at that oppo field swing! He seems oddly familiar though.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-62716986692381599902010-06-05T10:19:00.000-04:002010-06-05T10:19:51.807-04:00

Reading Bob Carpenter's MASNopus, I was struck by 2 things.  Well, 3 things, though the notion that everything goes back to the Cardinals with him is hardly new. 1) He basically says that Cardinals fans are mindless idiots. (Best fans in baseball, kids!) 2) He acknowledges something we already knew, but it's nice to have confirmation in print: he (and MASN) doesn't try to be objective at all.  

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-65159305178003452062010-06-03T22:06:00.000-04:002010-06-03T22:06:06.689-04:00

Via @rocket1124 comes the best Guzman movie you'll see all day.  If you can resist tapping your toe, or rocking your head from side to side, you're a better man than me. Oh, and he thinks that Riggleman's a putz.

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-14726494877493432702010-06-03T20:32:00.000-04:002010-06-03T20:32:28.345-04:00

I'm browsing Stubhub to see if I can poach a cheap ticket for tomorrow's Stephen Strasburg start, and...  One sec, guys. Phone call.   -- Hey.  Wanna go see Strasburg pitch tomorrow?  Mark Zuckerman, Adam Kilgore and Dan Steinberg told me he's pitching....  What?  Really?  When?  ....  Huh.  I knew I shouldn't have tuned out stuff from the last week.  Oh well.  Hey, I gotta let you go, I'm trying

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833096.post-77114013731637907542010-05-31T22:11:00.001-04:002010-05-31T22:13:26.846-04:00

Figures. Next weekend, I'm celebrating my second anniversary.  Yes, not only did I find someone gullible enough to settle for me and my charming personality -- cause lord knows it's not for my looks or money -- she's stuck with me for two years.  Yay for all that. Like a good husband, I scrambled around, trying to figure out what I could get her.  It's the cotton anniversary, but after last

Chris Needhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455692848328638937noreply@blogger.com6