Go figure...lol

Okay, who had Gio Gonzalez & an inside-the-park homer in their betting pool? LMAO
Man, I am enjoying this game. Can we play the Mets the next 160 games? (Note to Mike: OUCH!!! lol)
Anyway, back to the game...

Mediocrity

Today I watched the Nats do absolutely nothing...both on the field & as concerns the trade deadline.
I am NOT pleased.
Well, it was a "Christmas in July" promotion in Detroit...and true to form Gio Gonzalez got lit up like a Xmas tree. 10 earned runs in 3.1 IP?
Un-fricking-believable.
"World Series or Bust", is how Davey Johnson defined things back in March. Today before the game he stated, "I guess you can call it a bust now".
Anybody want to take bets his retirement party gets moved up...to before September 1st? Sure sounded (to me, anyway) like he was expecting that scenario...
Waste of a season, to be completely honest.

Small compensation for not making a World Series, but...

Now that we're almost two weeks removed from the Giants winning the World Series (which, by all rights, should be the Nats' trophy...but that's another story)...the major awards are being handed out this week.
And so far, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) has gotten it right. Bryce Harper won NL Rookie of the Year, and Davey Johnson took NL Manager of the Year. Mike Trout and Bob Melvin took the AL honors, respectively. (Buck Martinez should've won MOY, in my view.)
So tonight (Wednesday), it's Gio Gonzalez's turn to take the NL Cy Young award. If he doesn't, a Congressional investigation is needed. Seriously. (Yeah, like R.A. Dickey really has a shot...LMAO)
At any rate, that's all I need to talk about right now. Maybe later, I'll get around to what the Nats need to address in the offseason.

Well, THIS sucked!!

For the benefit of my only subscriber on here...I give you this:
Watch "Next year, we win it all" on YouTube
All by my lonesome...on my phone, yet. Will wonders never cease...LMAO
For anyone else who might start following this blog...next year, people.

News items?

Now that the Nats and Orioles have wrapped up their annual exercise...with the O's pulling it out yesterday on Brian Roberts' 2-run homer...I guess I can talk about some other things in the baseball world.
If they had told me when the season started Kevin Youkilis would become expendable in late June, I would've told you that you were a candidate for Bellevue. But that's what happened yesterday, as Youk goes to the White Sox for Brent Lillibridge.
I had this feeling when I started reading about Will Middlebrooks, that Youk's days were numbered in Boston. So I can say I got to see him play in person when I was there 2 weeks ago. Anyway...
So happy to see Derek Norris make it to Oakland...and just as overjoyed when he hit a 3-run walkoff jack yesterday to win it for the A's. (To refresh your memory, he went over--along w/Tom Milone, AJ Cole and Brad Peacock--in the Gio Gonzalez deal in the winter.)
They have a new hero in Oakland now, and his name is Derek Norris.
Lastly, Livan Hernandez is in Milwaukee now. Can't fault Livo for wanting to extend his career, but I still wish he were here w/the Nats (even if it meant coming out of the bullpen like he said he wanted to do). Oh well, we can't have everything go our way...lol
At any rate, we're still in first. Now on to Colorado for three...

So, wadda ya think?

Curt Schilling said it himself on ESPN earlier tonight..."The kid can play".
Need I say any more?
Two days of Bryce Harper, and two days of memorable moments. Starting with when he showed up in Dodger Stadium on Saturday...after getting notified of his callup from Syracuse. Bryce in LF, and batting 7th...with Strasburg on the mound.
And for 7 innings, it was memorable. Strasmas striking out Dodgers at will, and Bryce getting his 1st MLB hit...and later his 1st RBI on a sac fly.
(Oh, and about the idiot behind home plate who mooned when Bryce got his hit...dude, you're not in Boston. Have better class, douchebag.)
Unfortunately, on Saturday night, we saw the Henry Rodriguez of 2011 rear his ugly head. It was not pretty...or "Pretty Fricking Bueno", as it were.
No, sad to say, he couldn't find the plate...and got pulled in the 8th. Leave it to Tom Gorzelanny to give up the walkout HR to Matt Kemp in the 10th for the 4-3 loss.
Today (Sunday)? More of the same...though the one bright spot was seeing Tyler Moore make his debut (and get his 1st MLB hit). 2-0 Dodgers win.
But, as I hashtagged on Twitter today, "The Future Is Now And Loving Every Minute of It". Enough said.

First-place Nats...SUCH a nice ring to it

At last, there's a cushion between the Nats and Mets. 1 1/2 games separate them...and who figured we have Atlanta to thank for this?
Keep it up, Atlanta...LMAO
Anyway, I think we can now say the NL agrees with Gio Gonzalez. All I wondered was, had he hit it out (instead of Justin Maxwell hauling it in on the warning track)...would the crowd have torn the joint down?
Funtime In Southeast D.C., I call it...although this probably says it better:
Natitude.
Enjoy it, America...it's for real!!

To "Begin the Beguine" for another year

So now spring training is done for 2012. Good.
Come Thursday, the Nats launch an assault on the wildcard in the NL...which means it's time to give my prediction on how (and where) the Nats will finish.
Last year I said it would be 77-85...and it wound up 80-81. So I'll just reverse those numbers, and say 85-77 (and contend for the wildcard).
Oh, and 2nd or 3rd in the NL East, too. Meaning, ahead of the Mets and Marlins...again!! (Just like last year...lol)
This year I can honestly say the Nats are a playoff-caliber team...provided everything falls in place. And by that I mean Stephen Strasburg fully recovers from Tommy John surgery (just as Jordan Zimmermann did last year).
Now add Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson to this rotation, and there's no telling what'll go down. Plus, I can say I have no reservations about Henry Rodriguez sharing the closer duties w/ Brad Lidge (until Drew Storen comes off the DL) at the start of the season.
All this, and Bryce Harper, too...
What, you didn't think I was leaving him out of this piece? Personally, I'm holding out for seeing him up w/ the big club by the time my brother and me go to Boston on June 8 to watch the Nats take on the Red Sox.
(His "bucket list" deal...before he retires from the government...and truthfully my only chance to see Fenway Park. I may never get this chance again.)
So that's it. Have at me, people...lol

All in all...

RT @TheNatsBlog Nats Farm System Ranked No. 1 By Baseball America ... Before Gio Gonzalez Trade:
Despite the fact this ranking WAS before the Gio Gonzalez deal, this article still deserves to be checked out.
It shows the respect the Nats' farm system is getting from baseball insiders. Which for me is SO fricking GOOD to hear.

posted from Bloggeroid

Is this called "covering your ass", Rizzo?

http://www.natsinsider.com/2012/01/rizzo-on-fielder-negotiations.html Mike Rizzo (via Nats Insider), perhaps feeding the bullshit machine JUST a bit too much.
At any rate, his explanation of why Prince Fielder got away from the Nats--while introducing Gio Gonzalez to the media.
All in all, I still point out we need a PERMANENT answer @ 1B. Care to address THAT, Rizzo?

posted from Bloggeroid

SHAFTED, yet AGAIN!!

How else to describe the collective scream of Nationals fans, on learning Prince Fielder won't be wearing a curly "W" on his head?
Instead, he'll be in...Detroit? Tis the case, I'm afraid. 9 yrs/$234 mix, is the deal.
So he goes "home", to where his old man Cecil made HIS name. First Mark Texiera, and now this. WHY are we treated like shit by big-name players? I ask you.
(At least the saving grace in this, is that it AIN'T the Marlins...)
So now we STILL need a 1B, cause Adam LaRoche AIN'T the long-term answer. As much as Michael Morse did yeoman work last year...he belongs in LF.
Well, there's the Gio Gonzalez press conference tomorrow to keep me happy...lol

posted from Bloggeroid

A matter of "Gio"-physics, I guess...lol

     I think I've gotten over my initial shock over yesterday's Christmas surprise from the Nats by now. To refresh your memory:
     Gio Gonzalez (assuming the "t's" are crossed and the "i's" dotted) should be the #2 starter for the Nats when Opening Day rolls around. To get him, though, it meant sending 4 prospects over to Oakland. Tom Milone, Brad Peacock, AJ Cole...

     ...and, Derek Norris?? Unfortunately, true. (This is where the shock came in, gang.)
     But then I realized it made sense--Derek thrown into the deal, I mean. I'll explain:
     Had he still been with the Nats, he'd be starting 2012 @ Syracuse backing up Carlos Maldanado (who the Nats re-signed the other day). Which meant it would've been 2013 or '14 before Derek would see time in Washington. As it stands now, he'll probably start the year @ the A's Triple-A...and maybe get to Oakland before the year is out (or '13).
     Now. as to Tom Milone and Brad Peacock...and again, I'm only speculating here...there's a possibility one or both of them could see the bigs this year. After all, Brad only gave up 1 ER in 12 IP in September. And who can forget Tom Milone hitting the very first pitch he saw in the bigs for a HR?
     So now (for the moment) Gio Gonzalez is penciled in as the #2 starter behind Stephen Strasburg--and ahead of Jordan Zimmermann. This'll work...lol
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     Speaking of early X-mas presents...nice to see my favorite Trolley Blogger decided to follow this little ol' blog of mine. Took your sweet time to do it, didn't you Mike? LMMFAO

     So to the rest of you...follow his lead, will you?? Oh, and Merry Christmas too!!

Gary