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Adam Dunn's still here. In light of the apparent interest in the big guy from multiple teams, I'm sure many fans expected to arrive at Nationals Park tonight to see someone else playing first. But no, it's still Dunn. That some of the big-name baseball writers nationally had written that Nats' GM Mike Rizzo had reportedly told White Sox GM Kenny Williams something along the
So, Matt Capps is a Minnesota Twin. He leaves DC on a high note, earning the save in today's 5-3 series-clinching win over the Braves, and we'll certainly wish him well as he attempts to help the Twins into the AL post-season. The key return for Washington is catcher Wilson Ramos, a wide-bodied catcher with a very high ceiling, both offensively and defensively. Ramos turns
I can't find any fault with the Nationals opting to DL Stephen Strasburg. They were going to have to make a roster move today anyway to clear a spot for Scott Olsen, and it gives them time to make sure that the shoulder issue doesn't turn into a more serious, more debilitating problem. Strasburg will presumably continue with his regular between-starts routine and be activated
The ballpark is covered with scouts tonight. Most are here looking at Adam Dunn, but a couple of other players are in play as well. This weekend's deadline will likely produce some kind of deal involving the Nationals, I believe, though I'd put the odds on a Dunn deal at no better than even money. Dunn's been through this before - sort of. He was
Wouldn't you have done the same thing? Scratching Stephen Strasburg from tonight's start against Atlanta was the only intelligent thing to do. Given his importance to the franchise, if he's having trouble "getting loose," why not err on the side of caution? GM Mike Rizzo is paid to make decisions like this, and he did so knowing what might be at stake. Better to lose
There was a rumor online earlier today about a possible three-way swap involving the Nationals, the White Sox and the Diamondbacks that would send Edwin Jackson to Washington, Adam Dunn to Chicago and prospects to Arizona. Huh? To quote Ross Perot, buddy, that dog won't hunt. I understand that there are some in the Nationals' front office who are enthralled with Jackson, but c'mon, now:
If you repeat an untruth enough times, does it magically become a fact? Case in point: this morning's Baltimore Sun - and likely numerous other daily newspapers - printed a photograph on page 2 of the sports section with this caption: "Jon Miller, who broadcast Orioles games from 1983 to 1996, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, along with
Let's see now, Livan Hernandez now has two complete games this season, which gives the Nationals a total of, drum roll, please - two complete games. That's right, Livo stands alone in that category for the Nats, and I'm guessing that few of you - wait a minute, none of you, zip, zero, nada - predicted he'd lead the rotation in wins at this point.
Those of you of a certain age may recall, with some fondness, Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" on TV. The sci-fi series ran on CBS for five seasons, 1959-64, when a full season constituted 39 shows, not the 22 we have today. Anyway, from the moment I first watched Stephen Strasburg pitch in the major leagues in June, I thought of an episode of "The
More than 20 years ago, sitting with some then-current big league players, I asked about slumps. More specifically, what they considered to be a slump, and at what point a slump turned into the beginning of the end of their playing careers. I thought of that conversation recently when someone asked me why the Nationals continued to use Willie Harris as a pinch hitter when
It seems like only yesterday...not. One hundred years ago today Cleveland's Cy Young reached a milestone that we'll never see again: he notched the 500th win of his legendary career in a game against Washington, 5-2 in 11 innings. The game, the backend of a doubleheader, took two hours to play before 6,000 fans. Think about that: five hundred wins. Sitting on the Senators' bench
Had someone told you on Thursday the Nationals would outhit and outscore the Florida Marlins in the 3-game series that would begin the post-All Star part of the schedule, you would have gladly taken it. The Nats did just that - and lost 2 of 3 to the Fish. What a bizarre series. No home runs by either team, a grand total of 7 runs
Only a hermit, or someone just emerging from a long-term coma, wouldn't be aware of Stephen Strasburg, right? That's "Stephen" Strasburg. (Accept no substitute.). Last night, incredibly, a veteran Baltimore sportscaster referred to the Nats' rookie righthander as "Scott" Strasburg when doing the late sports. Scott. Strasburg. That's like referring to the Ravens' #52 as "Ricky" Lewis. C'mon, now. I realize that most TV sportscasters
This may come as a big shock to some people, but there's no such thing as an unhittable pitcher. Seriously. I wouldn't kid about something like that. As good as Stephen Strasburg has been, he's allowed a few hits along the way. He's even allowed a few home runs. And if you recall, he allowed some hits - and runs - in the minor leagues.
Matt Capps earning the victory in last night's All-Star Game in Anaheim rekindled memories of another Washington pitcher who earned a victory in the game 56 years ago - without retiring a hitter. In fact, he never threw a pitch. The 1954 All-Star Game was played in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Starting pitchers were Phillies' right-hander Robin Roberts and New York lefty Whitey Ford. The AL
I won't pretend that I "knew" George Steinbrenner. I didn't. I spoke with him on several occasions, and he never chewed my head off, but I can't say I knew him. At least 20 years ago at spring training when the Yankees were still at Fort Lauderdale, I encountered the Boss at Fort Lauderdale Stadium on a day the Orioles had bussed up from Miami
As I sit here, the 2010 State Farm Home Run Derby is underway in Anaheim. It's an event that someone came up with several years ago to create another big revenue stream for Major League Baseball during the All-Star Break. It's tied in with a charity - this year it's the Orange County area Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America - and is televised live
Remember the three-game series the Padres swept from the Nationals September 19-21, 2008? Both teams entered that weekend 58-95, and with so few games left to play, it was coming down to whether the Nats, the Padres, or the Mariners, would end up with the game's worst record and resulting first round pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, i.e. pitcher Stephen Strasburg of San
It's called "overplaying your hand." Sitting here at Nationals Park approaching the All-Star Break, I have to wonder what Jermaine Dye is doing. Dye, who played out his option with the White Sox last year, had few offers last winter. He'd made $11.5 million last year, and wanted something close to that much to play in 2010. The highest rumored offer he received was something
Now that we know that All-Star managers Joe Girardi and Charlie Manuel were instructed to add at least one utility player to their rosters, the selection of Omar Infante to the NL roster makes a lot more sense. Infante becomes insurance that no one will have to play out of position next week in Anaheim. I'd still like to see MLB reconsider the issue of
It's funny how things turn out sometimes. John Lannan, who had turned into a stalwart of the Nationals' rotation, hit a bump in the road and ended up back in Double-A ball at Harrisburg, where, through 3 starts, he has been hot, cold and lukewarm. Last night against Richmond he threw 7 innings, allowing 4 earned runs on 9 hits with 4 strikeouts and a
I'm thrilled for Matt Capps. Going to the All-Star Game will deprive him of 3 days off with his family, but the All-Star Game is really an honor a reliever can't pass up, since it may not come around again. I'm not terribly disappointed that Stephen Strasburg wasn't named, though something could still happen before the All-Star break. He seemed somewhat embarassed to be considered,
Hey, I'm all for the small time entrepreneur, but there's a limit on everything. Which brings me to the issue of ticket brokers outside the Metro station near Nats Park. I've heard it from dozens of fans over the past couple of years, and now I'm hearing it from some of the big league scouts who come to town and take the train to the
