TedE

All you need to do is give a couple of starters an extra rest day, get a career day out of one of your young replacements, score almost ALL of your 15 runs with 2 outs and have a 3x CY winner on the mound.  DUH!  Baseball is such a simple game.

14 hours ago, Pat said:

And Cole has now been traded to the Yankees for "cash considerations." Probably not enough cash to re-sign Bryce but better than nothing.

It was probably an amount that the Yankees found digging around in the couch cushions of their luxury suites.

Another dog of a series against a beatable team, hopefully Max can salvage something this afternoon (I mean, after all he is leading the currently active Nats in batting average this year 😂 ).  There's not firing on all cylinders, and then there's mis-firing on all cylinders.  Nothing seems to be clicking on offense for a squad that should be producing more runs.  I hope (HOPE) that once two of Eaton/Rendon/Murphy come back we'll see that.

33 minutes ago, Pat said:

What I don't get is why they finally DFA'd Cole and brought up someone named Carlos Torres from Syracuse who is 35 years old.

I absolutely get why they sent Cole down!  I thought they would wait until a more established arm was ready, but when you're replacing cannon fodder at this point the worst you can hope for is .... more cannon fodder.

Twitter fact of the day: tonight is only the tenth time ever that two three-time Cy Young winners are facing off against each other.

19 minutes ago, Pat said:

Maybe Gott will come back later to spell someone and will provide a boost later in the season.

I have no doubt we'll see Gott again, maybe sooner rather than later.  They were already carrying an extra bullpen arm, and if the workhorses settle down into a routine we may get a bench player back.  Koda Glover will be available some time in the back half of the season.  If they are in contention at the end of July I don't see how they can't trade for another middle innings eater unless a rookie rises to the occasion.

I miss Matt Albers.

15 minutes ago, DaveO said:

Mediocre to poor results for a long time.....

Well this helps to explain the more recent mediocrity....NFL agents think Allen is ill prepared and not trustworthy

About 20 years of crappy SnyderSkins with a revolving door of Snyder sycophants

They will not get better for a very, very long time.  The absolute worst thing that can happen to this franchise is to sniff the playoffs even once in the next 5 or so years.  It just emboldens a terrible, terrible group of "leaders" to stay the course.

This anecdote is the perfect distillation of their collective id.

All's fair in love, war and 8th inning rallies.  That was quite the pair of games.

We don't really have any other options to beef up the bullpen, though.  Once it was clear it was out of hand I think Davey just pulled the 'chute and sent AJ Cole out there as a sacrificial target, once someone (probably Benoit) comes off the DL he is gone.  The fact that we need him as an available arm right now is scary.  Of the Big 3 only Doolittle has looked the part this year.  Hopefully Max and Stras can go long this weekend and give some of these guys an extended rest.

Scherzer v Kershaw Friday night.  Put on a pot of coffee or set your DVR.

13 hours ago, Pat said:

Too bad the nickname "The Splendid Splinter" is already taken. That Harper broken bat home run was incredible. I wonder how one would estimate how far that would have gone had not so much of the energy gone into the bat and its destruction. I think FP said it went 406 or 408 ft. Wow.

While not as dramatic this game reminded me a lot of Dan Uggla's comeback heroics in 2015 that snapped an early season slump and jump-started a streak that saw them take a few series in a row.  Let's hope this one has the same effect.

1 hour ago, weezy said:

The Caps are defeating themselves with stupidity, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.  

According to the pundits back in October, they shouldn't have even made the playoffs this season.  Watching these two games almost makes me wish they hadn't, when witnessing such idiotic penalties that handed the game over to CBJ.

The more things change ...

You have to give Columbus credit, though.  That Game 1 OT winner was a thing of beauty, and the winner last night was some combination of dumb luck and stunning, one-handed athleticism.  I was only able to watch the end (basically from Oshie's equalizer on), but at least they looked to be pressuring for most of OT.  It only takes one mistake.

Of course why they've even been to OT in either of these games is the point.

Well, that was uncomfortably familiar.

The new store over by Union Market (4th and Florida NE) opened a couple of weekends ago.  Feels more spacious than the 14th St location, but that may just be the extra high ceilings.  Curiously, the parking lot suffers from the same cramped, awkward column layout; pulling in and backing out is a pain.  I wonder if it's a corporate design feature .  It's closer to us than the 14th location by about 1/4 mile (I would have told you 1/2+, but GMap says otherwise!  It feels a lot closer).  Nice to have one in easy(er) walking distance.

On 4/4/2018 at 10:22 AM, TedE said:

Every 5th start might be an adventure for the near future.  Cole obviously didn't look great out there, and even worse his body language looked defeated well before he was pulled.  If the weather threatens any games in the coming week we may not have to work about that for a bit, though (built in rest day after home opener, Thursdays off twice before the end of the month)

Cole slotted in again tonight instead of Gio (pushing the rotation down a day). I'm sure there is some managerial reason for this, combination of the upcoming scheduled off days and when they really think Hellickson will be ready.  Maybe he can push his ERA down into the teens ....

Eaton back to the DL with an ankle thing 

Here we go again!  Grubauer in goal for the first game v.Columbus, and he's earned it.  Hopefully he remains the hot hand and they don't start ping-ponging between goalies if the wheels start falling off.

Caps fans, publicly:

"This is exactly where the team wants to be, coming off a season of low expectations yet winning the division without much drama.  Playing well and not coasting into the playoffs.  Momentum means something!  Without the weight of the numbers favorite this really could be their year to play loose and let the talent shine through.

Caps fans, privately:

On 4/5/2018 at 5:18 PM, TedE said:

Got there too late to try this out today, but we walked by on the way out and it looks like a mini-Bullpen minus the the noise and plus good beer.  There were a couple of food trucks pulled up as well (I didn't note which ones).  It's a tiny spot, and was probably 80% full on a frigid day after last out, so I expect this will be pretty crowded as the season rolls on.

We stopped in for a beer before Sunday's frozen marathon of a game.  Selection of four or five 16 oz. cans ranging from $8 (one of their lower ABV IPAs) to $11 (double IPA).  There is no atmosphere to speak of (they are selling beer out of a van, there are a couple of high top tables and port-a-potties), but the price-to-quality ratio is miles above anything you'll get at the Bullpen.  I know they tend to sell out of any high demand beer during the weekly brewery sales, so I doubt this location will ever see some of those options.  In my experience even the less "desirable" beers are still pretty good; some of them are, um, interesting, though.

The food truck was Dirty South Deli, and it looks like they will be there for the rest of this week.  No idea how often that will switch up, but they really only have room for one truck option at a time.

On 3/29/2018 at 7:43 PM, Kev29 said:

Figuratively, not literally 

 

Got there too late to try this out today, but we walked by on the way out and it looks like a mini-Bullpen minus the the noise and plus good beer.  There were a couple of food trucks pulled up as well (I didn't note which ones).  It's a tiny spot, and was probably 80% full on a frigid day after last out, so I expect this will be pretty crowded as the season rolls on.

All of the draft beers, even the District Drafts, are available in large sizes now (I couldn't tell if the big cups were 20 or 24 oz.).  For the local beers at these stands price was up to $12 for a regular (the same size as last year) and $16 for the bigger serving.  Gulp.

This is kind of sad, but it sounds like they expanded too fast without the sales numbers to support it; they acted like Stone, but weren't.  Following the VA Beach closure comes the news that they defaulted on their debt, the lender foreclosed and sold the brand off to private equity.  We all know how this ends.

I'll miss Le Freak.

Every 5th start might be an adventure for the near future.  Cole obviously didn't look great out there, and even worse his body language looked defeated well before he was pulled.  If the weather threatens any games in the coming week we may not have to work about that for a bit, though (built in rest day after home opener, Thursdays off twice before the end of the month)

On 4/24/2017 at 2:11 PM, TedE said:

The brew pub in Rehoboth usually taps a couple kegs from the Spring release over the summer which is where I usually get my yearly fix.  It does cellar very well, and they have other vintages available in bottles from time to time for comparison.  I know some beer geeks collect this one and have done vertical tastings going back several years.

We happened to be back in Rehoboth for a couple of days last week during the Spring release of 120.  This year they offered the option of a vertical tasting for 2015-2018 from a keg of each year that had been set aside for this purpose ($15 for 4 tastings of those vintages from kegs was a relative bargain).  The flight is pictured, 2015 on the left and the just released 2018 on the right.  You can tell just from the photo that only a year of cellaring produces some pretty drastic changes in this beer.  The flavor profiles are even more dramatic.  Collectively, if 2015/16/17 were subtle variations on the theme, 2018 was a different composition entirely.  When fresh this beer is bright, obviously hopped to the high heavens, with a flat malt profile and a distinct alcohol note in the finish, but doesn't drink like something that weighs in at 18%.  One year of age flips that on its head: the hops, having partially or completely broken down, are now background notes (albeit very loud ones, but they aren't what draws your attention at first) and the malt backbone becomes downright vinous with a warming alcohol presence throughout.  Those qualities were more concentrated in the 2015; interestingly I thought the '15 and '17 were most similar, with the '16 retaining more of the floral characteristics.  The overall package reminded me more of a Sauterne than a fresh IPA the older it got.  If you are ever in the position to sample vintages of this beer that have been aged under optimal conditions I would highly recommend it.

On 3/29/2018 at 3:40 AM, Lydia R said:

I agree about supporting the independent breweries. It might help if the breweries came and educated the beer pourers in the DD stands. In the mean time, Port City tweeted out their tap schedule for the whole season. [As an aside: this weekend, it was a pleasant surprise to see their Monumental IPA available at the Kennedy Center lobby bars]

This is interesting, I'm assuming the other locals know their tap schedule for the season, too.  I would LOVE to see that!  To be honest, Port City is usually at the bottom of my selections list at those stands, but the Wit does go down well on hot days.

In related news, Aslin has announced that they are going to have a pop-up beer garden at 1st and N during the hours just before and after most home games.  I *think* this is the little empty lot nestled on the corner next to the Hampton Inn, just across the street from Will Call; last year there was a BBQ pop-up/beer garden there occasionally.

30 minutes ago, dracisk said:

I'd never heard of Baltimore's The Block, but it kind of sounds like Hamsterdam from "The Wire."

 

In my understanding it was absolutely an inspiration for that story line.  Well, that and some of Kurt Schmoke's more radical ideas surrounding decriminalization of drugs, particularly heroin.  He even had a cameo on the show during some of those episodes!  Very meta.

Well, here we go! Again.

(checks pre-season prognostications; SI predicts a Nats-Yanks Series)  Yup, looking good!

(checks Boz's Opening Day eve musings)  You bet, this has to be the year!

Just one last confirmation that everything is going according to plan:

(checks in on the Caps, still leading the division and on a hot streak going into the final week of the regular season)  Absolutely, things have never been better!

This year everything is going to be different, I swear!!!

(Hold me  ....)

To anybody of a certain age who grew up in Baltimore the name of this place evokes an unmistakably different connotation 

36 minutes ago, lovehockey said:

I can see why they'd offer the drink pouches.  It's been awhile since I've been to Nats Park, but if things haven't changed since I have these will offer more variety in the non-beer department, since if you don't drink beer and want an alcoholic beverage it's cheap wine or basic cocktails like a bourbon and Coke or a margarita (and the basic cocktails cost as much as the drink pouches).  Although just thinking of the calorie and sugar amounts those bags must have makes me cringe a bit.

I think the packaging will be a big draw, at least at first, and there will likely be people taking the empty bags home with them to reuse.  It's something new and interesting, and I'm sure there will be people foregoing a beer to try one of these (more expensive) items, especially if the beer line is long and it could be faster to get one of these.

I assume they're pre-made and will be sitting in coolers or on ice, because when it does get hot they will be a cold beverage option.  Pounding headache to come later.

Based on the number of people I see walking around with those ludicrous, over-priced novelty mini-yards of "daiquiri" (sorry: Daqs and/or 'Ritas) these drink pouches will fly out of the coolers when it warms up.

More seasonably appropriate: it's nice to see a couple more dedicated local coffee stands.  Think what you will about Compass (I like them, I know they have detractors), it's miles above what was available previously.  I think they only had one or two coffee/hot chocolate places last year (was it Peet's?  Caribou?).  On days like today early in the season it was either stand in insane lines there, or get a cup of something truly awful at a normal concession.  That is provided you got there before they ran out in the 2nd or 3rd inning ...

From the Post article:

Quote

District Draft stands will again offer a rotating selection of beers from breweries in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The “guest tap series” at select District Draft carts will also return.

“What we started doing a little bit of last year was taking a couple of tap handles and working with some of the much smaller breweries that don’t necessarily have the capacity to be on a draft line all year long, but we can give them a little publicity,” Stahl said.

This is good news.  With every passing season I worry that InBev will continue tightening the screws on beer distribution within the gates, that Devil's Backbone or Dominion would start consuming more and more of the local tap handles since they are under the under the corporate umbrella now.  However, these stands seem to operating outside of that influence (for now).  Continued support of independents keeps the only decent beer options viable.  Occasionally some gems show up: Aslin or Ocelot, plus some of the low-volume seasonals from DCBrau/Atlas/3 Stars, etc.   At one point early last summer there was a particularly funky, cloudy, astringent, true-to-style Berliner Weisse on tap (Mad Fox, I think), and the nice lady who always runs the taps near our section kept telling customers "Are you sure you want that one, dear?  I think the keg may be bad" 

13 hours ago, Pat said:

Update on the food and beverages. They've already replaced Isabella's spots. I hope those workers got reassigned to new jobs.

Interesting that the two stands in 301 were probably already on the way out prior to the recent allegations.  I had no inside knowledge of this but had assumed those would be the first replaced.  Our seats are up in the 300s; Catchfly never seemed to get much business.  Kapnos was maybe the best option up on that level, but it was really expensive even for ballpark food.  Tucked up there in an outfield corner, even right next to the main ramp and escalator and the foot traffic that entails, there were never any lines like the ones that plague similar stands out on the centerfield concourse.  I would guess that they were maybe two of the most underperforming stands in the park.

18 hours ago, Poivrot Farci said:

Gossiping about girls' butts and baptizing cocktails after the globetrotting sexual somersaults of Beavis & Prostitutes is beyond or below the periphery of Michelin guide inspectors' humor and taste, but they are not crimes.  It is unfortunate that employees at the Nats' MIC concession stands are likely to be burdened with unemployment as a consequence of their employers' insufferable obnoxiousness and moral destitution.  Employees deserve a generous restitution package.

The stands will be replaced within the first couple months of the season in all likelihood, the Nationals aren't planning to leave the spaces fallow indefinitely.  This will have zero-to-neglible impact on the staffing numbers at Nats Park, Isabella probably has no control over that outside of a management/oversight position or two.  I would bet there is another concept in the wings the could be ramped up pretty rapidly.  After all, there was competition for these spaces in the first place and that is probably reviewed after every season.  Some runners up are going to get their chance, or they'll just slot in a Nats Dogs/Home Run Pizza.  Hopefully it's the former.

We recently got back on the home delivery band wagon (at least temporarily) thanks to all of the deals aimed at News Years resolutionists.  We tried Hello Fresh first and are on the second week of Sun Basket now.  All of the recipes we tried are gluten free and one of chicken/seafood/vegetarian; most would have qualified as "paleo".  All were menus for 2 people x 3 meals a week. We find that this easily makes dinner for our family of 2 adults and 3 kids with some supplementation (when the kids will eat it, anyway)

Our experience with Hello Fresh is pretty similar to what's been posted in this thread.  It was slighter better than Blue Apron when it came to menu selection but not great by any means.  I got the biggest sense from those two companies that a vast majority of their recipes are plug-and-play: "protein + oven-roasted veg + pan sauce", etc.  We had back-to-back weeks with chicken dishes that differed only in the ingredients; the actual prep was exactly the same.  Not very inspired, and I could have put them together with fresher ingredients for less (one of the aforementioned chicken dishes included broccoli heads that were starting to yellow).  There are clearly some "filler" recipes every week that are meant to offset the cost of the more expensive options.

Sun Basket has been much better, but at a premium as noted above.  The menus choices are more varied as these things go (none of these companies could survive without some level of cut-and-paste menu assembly).  What has set them apart has been the quality and freshness of the ingredients, notably the sauce bases.  Most recipes include one that is either partially reconstituted or included in some part of the prep, and they've been uniformly pretty good. We've had to make some modifications to tone down the spice level for the kids on occasion, but these have been the most interesting.  They've also thrown in some random extras, like a jar of arugula pesto, that had nothing to do with the menus in the box.  Just an added item for the pantry.  As opposed to the other services we tried the recipes are not printed on meal cards, but in a small catalog that lists *every* recipe for that week, not just the ones you ordered.  There have already been a couple that we've looked at but did not order with our box and will probably try with our own prep and sauce preparation or substitution. I also like that all of their packaging is recyclable (but just the idea of the packaging and shipping overhead still bothers me).  I think they are the only one we've tried where the ice packs can be cut open, drained and recycled.  The goo inside the chill packs is supposedly non-toxic, so they say to add it to compass and recycle the bag.  I'm not risking the health of our compost bin, so I poured it down our utility sink followed by hot water. I still had visions of it solidifying in our sewer line ...

We're at the same conclusion after this round of demos: these were worth a couple of weeks of discounted meals, but we won't continue at full cost. We will keep our Sun Basket subscription active, however, and re-activate it for a week every couple of months as a break from our own recipe ruts.