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The Washington Nationals (2005-), 2019 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS! W00000000000T!


DonRocks

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The 8th and 9th innings of today's game were brought to you by Whiskey, Tango, and Foxtrot, a pitch to the head from Wednesday, and a brawl in the dugout today between the potential NL MVP and the closer who ended up getting the loss.

A year ago, the last game of the regular season* was Zimmermann's no-hitter.

*This was supposed to be the last game of the regular season but there's a makeup game tomorrow at 3:05.  If the crowd cracks 10,000 I'll be stunned.

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Yesterday's game was horrifying. The disasters just keep coming, and thanks to yesterday we have now have an iconic image to represent the season.  It's an awful and distressing image, but it's the clear-cut winner.  I don't even want to consider the possibility there's something worse that could happen in the last 7 games.  They have to be at rock bottom by now, don't they?

I am going today.  I hope Harper plays at least some of the game so I can cheer him one more time this season.  He's been a joy to watch all season, and this slump at the end must be horribly frustrating for him.

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If Williams fate was not already sealed hopefully that does it.

He didn't know the extent of the fight that occurred a  few yards away from him in the clubhouse, a fight that two of his coaches helped break up?!  A fight that caused his star player to walk straight into the clubhouse and not come back out?!!  He left the aggressor in the (meaningless) game because it was a tie score in the  9th and "he's our closer"?!!! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, indeed.

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My anger has risen to new levels now that they have said Harper was pulled for the game today due to the incident.  He was scheduled to be off today, so why did they even make that mention?  They could have just gone with the scheduled day off thing and said nothing else to the public.  People at the game were screaming for him to come out and pinch hit.  He wasn't even allowed on the field at the end of the game.  The fans have not been able to give him a proper sendoff.  I guess I'm glad I got a two-day sore throat out of screaming for him when he won the game for us Saturday night. That's when he last got the love for the season.

I would have a really hard time not responding to someone giving me the verbal crap that he had to deal with from a known sociopath, but replying not only got him attacked but also got him formally punished by his team?

The bitter taste in his mouth must be about unbearable by now.  What are those people doing?  Yankees on the white courtesy phone...

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I have a difficult time following baseball till half the season is over. On July 4th we were 9 games over .500. The Mets were playing .500 ball  Since then we have had a losing record. The Mets have played at a 65% winning clip since July 4th. Over a full season that would get them to 105 wins...a great season. They really had a great second half.

We had a terribly disappointing season on so many levels. The players will feel it more than the fans. But frankly you have to give the Mets credit. They came on like gangbusters.

But for the Nats a freaking disappointing year. I have little or no hope for the Redskins. Bring on the winter sports season.

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We were at the game today - and we noticed Bryce coming on to the field with Werth and Desmond to shake hands after the Nats won.  I wasn't sure until I watched the end on MASN. 

I'm glad to know I'm wrong on that and it was just my bad vision not picking him up.  I was looking for him with no success.  At that point, I only had the word of the guy in front of me that he had been suspended for the game (he showed an article to me on his phone), and when I didn't spot him, I thought he hadn't been allowed to come out.

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"Nationals Starter Max Scherzer Throws Second No-Hitter of the Season"

17 strikeouts and 0 walks. WTF? Could this possibly be the most strikeouts *ever* thrown without a walk or a hit?

The Nationals' starters have thrown no-hitters in 2% of their past 162 games.

The Mets deserved to win the division, and my hat's off to them. The Nationals have had a good season; not a great season, but nothing to be ashamed of - just keep plugging, guys, and you'll get your due.

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I had been rooting so hard for Bryce to get the batting title, but it was not to be.  Mr. Baseball, however, had a very fine hustling last at bat.  He got the second of two hits for the Nats today and stretched a single into a double in the ninth inning.  This guy lives and breathes baseball.  Anybody who says he doesn't hustle is discounting his ability to determine how much hustle is required in a given situation.

He tied for the home run title, and his on base percentage-type statistics and WAR are off the charts.

Peace out to Ian Desmond.  Brave of him to talk to the media when it was so emotionally difficult.

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Sigh.  That was a tough season, but not a lost one in my mind.  Too many positives to hang future expectations on.

Off season checklist:

- Fire Matt Williams

- Pay the soon-to-be-NL-MVP whatever the f*%& Boras wants you to pay him.  Lock him up now until his early 30s.  If this is just the beginning of his career output let somebody else overpay for his years in decline, but pay for the privilege of his prime.  Bryce (and Scherzer) will put butts in seats for the next decade, this is not a bad investment no matter what the record-setting total $$$$$$

- Replace Desi, if only for the short term (no, I don't think Turner is ready to be the full time guy)

- Take JZimm's money and buy A) a proven 4th or 5th starter AND B ) LH 'pen fodder

- Crack team of private investigators and lawyers to find a way to void Papelbon's contract (I don't think he'll be back in any case)

- One of those memory flashing things from Men In Black to use on Storen

- A new foot for Zimm

- Somebody, preferably a recent DII or DIII slugger without any professional experience or ties to the club, to take one swing for me at Nats Park this weekend.

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Is it all over but the crying?   :mellow:

It's over in a big way. 3 years ago we all thought the Nats could lead the NL for years to come. Now the future of the Mets, Cubs, and Pirates (at minimum) appear much much brighter. Yankees future will be good too when Harper is in pinstripes. :(

You've both picked an odd time to be saying this - the Nationals have won 4 series in a row, and they're 8-4 in their last 12 games.

Granted, the Mets are 9-3 in their last 12 games and have actually increased their lead by a game, but no team plays .750 baseball for very long. The Mets are playing like champions, and deserve to be where they are right now. And don't forget that in 2014, the Mets had a 79-83 record - such are the consequences of parity in baseball. Personally, I would like nothing more than a villain such as the 1927 Yankees to simultaneously marvel at, and try to gun down.

I don't know, Mike - games like last night are devastating. I looked online and saw the Nats were ahead 7-1 late in the game, then checked a moment later and it was 7-2, and was like ... oh, so what. Then I checked a few minutes later and it was 7-6, and I started to really worry.

"How Mets Stole NL East from Nationals" by Adam Rubin and Eddie Matz on espn.go.com

I question whether or not we'll see Matt Williams back next year. At this point, I'll take a 2nd-place finish, a .500+ season, and ... Wait Til' Next Year! It's hugely important that they finish over .500 because people judge franchises by long-term traditions, and this season won't be looked at as a total loss. *Now* it is, because it's so fresh in our minds, but 20 years from now, most people will merely be glancing at the standings, and this would be the 4th straight year they've gone over .500.

Take a look at this:

"List of Washington Nationals Seasons" on wikipedia.com

2012 will be looked upon as a pivotal season for the Nats if they can keep the .500+ ball going. I understand that's cold comfort right now, but it's probably all we can hope for.

I don't know how Mike and John called this so early, but they did.

I still think 2015, disappointing though it may be, is nothing to be ashamed of, especially looking at this:

post-2-0-12302400-1444140542_thumb.png

"Parity In Baseball: A Blessing or a Curse?"

[Hey, would you all mind if I started some individual threads about people like Harper, Scherzer, etc.? Otherwise, they'll never have their own thread, and they deserve them.]

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Congratulations to Gio Gonzalez on the birth of his son Enzo Louis Gonzalez yesterday (it looks like yesterday).  Can't wait until you can bring him into the clubhouse!  (Yes, I have an opinion on that.  It's very old school to bring the sons into the clubhouse.)

Enzo Gonzalez, welcome to our crazy world :) .

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9 hours ago, DonRocks said:

The Nats are now 14-4, and have the best record in the National League so far

Best record PERIOD. 

The team has been electric! You gotta love Dusty Baker's energy, the phenomenal pitching (best in baseball at 2.24 ERA), incredible defense (tied with Mets for fewest errors), and clutch hitting. 

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3 hours ago, Al Dente said:

Best record PERIOD. 

The team has been electric! You gotta love Dusty Baker's energy, the phenomenal pitching (best in baseball at 2.24 ERA), incredible defense (tied with Mets for fewest errors), and clutch hitting. 

Dusty Baker rode into town with something to prove, and although 18 games doesn't prove very much, what I was told to believe by the media is shaping up to be worthy of some healthy skepticism.

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10 hours ago, DonRocks said:

After three games of a tough ten-game road trip:

¨Max Scherzer Has Best Start of Season as Nationals Complete Sweep of Cardinals" by James Wagner on washingtonpost.com

For those keeping tabs this was the first time the Nats swept the Cards in St Louis.  The Cards may not be the powerhouse Yankees of old, but over the last decade or so they probably have the premier record in baseball.  

On the other hand Harper didn't get a hit during the series.  They are pitching him tough.

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4 minutes ago, DaveO said:

For those keeping tabs this was the first time the Nats swept the Cards in St Louis.  The Cards may not be the powerhouse Yankees of old, but over the last decade or so they probably have the premier record in baseball.  

On the other hand Harper didn't get a hit during the series.  They are pitching him tough.

It was tough to watch Harper struggle, but it some ways, it makes me feel better about the team that they were able to pull this off with Harper scuffling.

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Assorted thoughts as we round first on the season:

- The Daniel Murphy of May is unfortunately not the Daniel Murphy we will see for the rest of the season.  But Bryce Harper of May is probably not the Bryce we will see, either.  So hopefully average out those bats and that's where the combined production lands at the end of the season.

- Strasburg at 9-0 and ready to battle for Cy Young.  Scherzer with the worst ERA on the team at 4.05 (including relievers :o:blink: !!!), which seems worrisome.  They have almost identical stats for Ks, hits and walks, though.  The big difference: Max has single-handedly given up almost one third of the team HRs; that is either dumb luck or he is serving up a meatball or two every game to the wrong people.  Could be some control issues he needs to rein in. Go back and watch the last 3 innings of that 20 K game.  Still worried?  Team ERA 2nd in the league.

- Offensive production outside of Murphy and Ramos is a real issue.  The occasional outbursts from Espinosa, Werth and the pinch hitters have come at opportune times it seems.  Revere needs to continue his steady ascent back to lifetime numbers, and Espinosa ... well, Trea Turner is available as of today under an extra year of control.  I doubt we see him until later in the summer, though (see Boswell's chat from yesterday for a great breakdown of minor league careers for players with the same profile)

- In Dusty We Trust

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So, I'm trying to get into Nats baseball (the Braves have just made too many bad decisions, and it's clear that they don't value their in-town fans, let alone those of us who reside elsewhere), but I am just NOT a fan of the TV broadcasting crew.  I feel like half the time they aren't even talking baseball.  Am I just spoiled after years of award-winning Atlanta folks?  Or is there something that might help me appreciate them more?

Hopefully this Benedict Arnold feeling will subside eventually...

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21 minutes ago, bettyjoan said:

So, I'm trying to get into Nats baseball (the Braves have just made too many bad decisions, and it's clear that they don't value their in-town fans, let alone those of us who reside elsewhere), but I am just NOT a fan of the TV broadcasting crew.  I feel like half the time they aren't even talking baseball.  Am I just spoiled after years of award-winning Atlanta folks?  Or is there something that might help me appreciate them more?

Hopefully this Benedict Arnold feeling will subside eventually...

Do what I do: mute the TV and listen to the radio broadcast. Definitely better. 

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1 hour ago, JoshNE said:

Do what I do: mute the TV and listen to the radio broadcast. Definitely better. 

But there seems to be a delay on that.  I don't know if it's all the time or just when I've tried it, but it drives me crazy when the audio and video are out of sync.

I grew up in the Philly area with amazing baseball broadcasters, and I'm totally spoiled for life by that. I don't mind F.P. so much, but listening to Bob drives me around the bend. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but his play-by-play skills are not top notch.

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3 minutes ago, Pat said:

I don't mind F.P. so much, but listening to Bob drives me around the bend. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but his play-by-play skills are not top notch.

I like Bob-- "See. You. Later!"

I like F.P. too but gimme a break with the "taters".

Is it me, or has there been a lot of audio where you can hear individual fans yelling at away games? Sometimes it's really distracting but occasionally it's amusing when you hear some drunk screaming "YOU SUCK!" over the announcers voices.

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Well, Jayson waited until exactly the perfect moment and, after knocking in the winning runs today, referred to Papelbon as the "DC Strangler." Dan Kolko looked very uncomfortable/confused. At first I thought it was Papelbon who ripped Werth's jersey open, but on replay it was Harper. I'm glad it's all worked out and very especially glad that Pap has gotten crap from the team for what he did. It just took a long time for anyone on the outside to see it. 

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This is probably as close as you get to must-see baseball this early in the season:

Washington Nationals 

Strasburg (10-0, 2.90 ERA)

vs.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Kershaw (10-1, 1.58 ERA)

June 20th, 10:10 PM EST @ Dodger Stadium

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12 hours ago, TedE said:

This is probably as close as you get to must-see baseball this early in the season:

Washington Nationals 

Strasburg (10-0, 2.90 ERA)

vs.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Kershaw (10-1, 1.58 ERA)

June 20th, 10:10 PM EST @ Dodger Stadium

11 hours ago, Al Dente said:

These west coast games are killing me. Oh well, another groggy morning in store for tomorrow.

Let the conspiracy theories begin!

"Scratch That: Stephen Strasburg Scratched from Monday Night's Start" by Chelsea James on washingtonpost.com

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On June 21, 2016 at 1:17 AM, DonRocks said:

Let the conspiracy theories begin!

"Scratch That: Stephen Strasburg Scratched from Monday Night's Start" by Chelsea James on washingtonpost.com

I wouldn't be surprised if the Nats haven't encased him in bubble wrap for this latest stint on the DL!  Hopefully this is just more abundance of caution than further signs of worrisome fragility.

In any case it affords us the opportunity to peek into the future tonight if the rain holds off.  A big debut win would do an awful lot to erase memories of that road trip behind last night's hammering of Thor ( sorry :) )

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Yesterday's loss was painful, but it did re-enforce the old baseball adage: just by showing up at the park you'll probably see something you've never seen before.  They didn't make any announcement over the PA to clear up the confusion, and even after reading up on it at home I still have no idea how the official scoring for that works. Lucroy was 0-1 without an official plate appearance, Braun was stranded on base and then led off the next inning!!!

Speaking of Lucroy, by dint of the MLB participation rules (somebody from Milwaukee has to make the All Star team), Ramos might not be invited at all despite having objectively the best season by an NL catcher.  Posey/Molina are neck-and-neck in the fan voting; only one of them really has a case for 2016 based on defensive performance in addition to offensive production ....

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The Nats turned the first triple play in team history last night and the first 3-3-5 triple play in major league history.  The second video down here (the "Must C" one) has four different calls of the play.  The SABR triple play spreadsheet is linked here

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4 hours ago, Pat said:

The Nats turned the first triple play in team history last night and the first 3-3-5 triple play in major league history.  The second video down here (the "Must C" one) has four different calls of the play.  The SABR triple play spreadsheet is linked here

Wow, Zimmerman had his head on the whole time, as did all three announcers, who knew exactly what was happening despite them being in near-total disbelief.

Not that this is any big surprise, but without Strasburg and Scherzer's W-L records, the Nats (61-42) are 36-35.

On a related tangent, is it my imagination, or has the Post virtually stopped mentioning pitchers' W-L records in articles? Whenever you see a mention (often the first mention), of "Nationals," their W-L record is next to it in parentheses, and it used to be like that for pitchers as well; now, I find myself clicking over to (the outstanding) baseball-reference.com way more than I used to, because that simple little seven-character statistic isn't in the Post article. I've really been noticing this a lot, and I'm wondering if it's just me - maybe with the progression of advanced metrics, W-L for pitchers has fallen out of fashion, but I'll always consider it to be of great importance, along with E.R.A. and Strikeouts (you can blame Topps for this).

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Seems like it must fit one of the definitions of irony that Harper is out with a stiff neck when the Nats release Papelbon.  

I tried my best to get on board with Pap, who does have great career numbers, but his inconsistent performance made him too stressful to watch.

Maybe Harper's neck will improve now.

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44 minutes ago, Pat said:

Seems like it must fit one of the definitions of irony that Harper is out with a stiff neck when the Nats release Papelbon.  

I tried my best to get on board with Pap, who does have great career numbers, but his inconsistent performance made him too stressful to watch.

Remember Billy Cundiff? (I wonder if he's got the all-time record of "Number of Times Being Released by Teams" - I count *14 times*!)

Papelbon was the Nationals' Cundiff, at least in my eyes.

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Good game last evening.  Crowded house.  Substantial number of Orioles fans in the stadium.   I must admit to mixed allegiances.  Low scoring, pitchers duel.  Scherzer was very very tough and dominated.  The extra Nats runs poured in at the end with critical hits to right and left field.  Bam bam.  Broke the Nats losing streak. 

Fans should appreciate this rivalry.  It spices up the game.  A very good and a needed win. 

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They all but limped to the NL East title, but here we are.  NLDS time!

- Trea Turner needs to keep playing like Bryce Harper 2015
- Bruce Harper 2016 needs to start playing like ... well, something.  Even a well-timed extra base hit here or there.  It looked like he was coming around the last couple of weeks before the thumb thing, but I think in the first 9 at bats after that he had 8 Ks.  Pitchers have stopped fearing him.
- Catcher platoon!  Severino looks like the real deal, and they need that badly.  I think the only game we are guaranteed to see Lobaton is anything Gio pitches (I haven't followed if other starters on the staff have personal preferences absent Ramos).  Scherzer will call his own game on Friday.
- Game 1! Scherzer! Kershaw!  You really hate to think that is a must win, but they might see Kershaw again as early as Game 4, and at home he is on a completely different level.  Much rather see him again on as short rest as possible.
- The bullpen.  On paper they are fine, but then again we've been there before.  It feels like PTGD (post-traumatic game disorder)
- 4th starter.  Ross + the afore-mentioned bullpen.  Need quality starts from 1-3 so they aren't burned out by that point.
- Murphy is a question mark right now.  He needs to be an exclamation point.

Go watch some baseball!  Weather is going to be great.

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The Nats have to feel good coming away with a split this weekend.  The next two games should at least be interesting!  Gio with success recently against L.A., but he's the same Gio who hasn't showed up strong for the playoffs in the past.  Game 4 might be the battle of the also-ran starters and a race to see who can get the most out of their bullpens!  Or if Washington takes the game today, do we get Kershaw tomorrow?  Lots of drama for Dodgers fans on short rest and his woeful history in important playoff situations.

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