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Saturday, July 5, 2008

And I'm still thinking

Here's another thought: Is this team fundamentally sound?

I ask because something Ray Knight said yesterday stuck with me. He and Johnny were talking about Colome's throw to Dmitri and Ray said, "I'm not sure he knows how to throw it easy."

That got my attention. Why not? Isn't that something pitchers work on all spring and, we hope, periodically throughout the year? Fielding the position?
Also, our pitchers as a group can't bunt. That predates Manny and the current staff. I remember watching Patterson pitch his ass off in a 2005 game in Philadelphia and losing 1-0. He chastised himself for failing to move a runner. The next day, his cohorts failed at it, too. Sunny Kim finally got one down (there's a name from the past to give you the shakes).

Redding and Hill are good on the bunts. Is anyone else? Why not? That should be Capital-A Automatic.

The Nationals also seem to miss the cutoff man a lot, though my judgment there may be clouded by recent incidents of balls flying hither and yon.

5 comments:

Steven said...

Not to excuse any of those mental errors, but let's not start down this road that we'd be a winning team if only Manny just did a better job teaching the fundamentals. First of all, we would be terrible even if we never missed the cut off man once. Second, lack of fundamentals is epidemic in MLB.

MikeHarris said...

Never said the Nats would be a winning team. Just curious.

Steven said...

I know you didn't--I'm just reacting to the trajectory of the thought, and the anti-Manny buzz that's growing.

MikeHarris said...

I have nothing against Manny, don't feel that buzz yet. Not a human alive that could win with this bunch and this pre-dates Manny. As you noted, it's apparently widespread in the game (I don't watch baseball beyond the Nats).
I do know - fundamentals or no - this team is one frustrating bunch. I'm starting to believe they were placed in Washington as a cruel joke on me.

Anonymous said...

It is unfortunate that we have a team that is so bad at fundamentals, but that is a consequence of the talent we have not and not the manager we have in my view.

At this point I am sure Manny is wondering who he pissed off amongst the baseball gods since Dukes got hurt tonight.