Find Lots of Great Coverage Here

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Guessing games

I could trot out the lame ol' line about the good news being the Nats didn't lose yesterday. But we try to not be terribly lame here at NationalsFanboyLooser so instead we'll play fun with guessing numbers today.

Up first - the final record. I know Svrluga used to do this when he ran Nationals Journal and he did it in preseason. I think we've all accepted the fact that triple-digit losses are unavoidable. The Nats have 37 games left and winning 18 of them will mean a 62-100 record. So to avoid 100, the team must go 19-18 and I see no way that can happen.

My guess is 105 losses. 57-105. I feel foolish thinking even 13 more victories are on the horizon. Before this past weekend, my last visit to Nationals Park was for the Belliard game-winner against the Orioles. In between visits, the team won 11 times. In 42 games.

Up next - the streak. How high will it go, considering the next nine are against the Phillies, Cubs and Dodgers? I hope it ends tonight. It better end in Philly because I don't think the Nats win in Chicago. I'm sticking my neck out and saying it ends at 11.

Finally - the injuries. How many days before Flores goes on the DL? If he truly has a sprained knee, I can't believe he's listed days-to-days. A sprained knee is not a major injury. It is also not insignificant, especially for a catcher. If he's going to be out longer than, say, tonight, let's get him on the DL and get Montz up (he can also play first remember). I'm still hacked Flores was sent and still insistent he was safe (though I admit I haven't seen a replay. It might change my mind and I don't want to do that). Given recent history, I saw the Nats futz around until Sunday and then DL him.

UPDATE - Flores is in tonight, sez Nationals Journal and I'm quite happy to be wrong. I stand by my other predictions.

Does Guzman go on the DL when the latest career backup middle infielder shows up tomorrow? Estrada takes Ayala's spot and someone will have to go somewhere to make room for what's his name.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

We'll just miss 110: 53-109.

Anonymous said...

There is no point in waiting to put Flores on the DL. Put him on there, let him get well so he can play some in Sept. I still hold out hope that they won't lose 100, but it isn't much hope.

I will go for 60-102.

An Briosca Mor said...

Teddy Roosevelt the Racing President gets better press in the Washington Post than the Nats do. (Case in point: Today's fawning piece on the back page of the Style section.) Teddy is a loser, just like the Nationals are, but he's a lovable loser. I think that the Nats have realized now, in their fourth year of adversarial relationship with the Post, that if they are ever to make any headway in this town they will need to become lovable losers just like Teddy. But you need to lose more than a mere ten straight to become a lovable loser. Hell, did you know that the Nationals don't even have the worst record in MLB since the All Star break? (Say hi to your Oakland A's!) In order to become lovable losers, the Nats will need to do something truly spectacular, like lose all their remaining games. So I predict 44-118. Even then, though, the Post will still spurn them because they didn't beat the '62 Mets at 40-120, which the Post said they would do last year.

The real question, though, is will the Nats have to emulate Teddy's tactic of losing on purpose to achieve this, or will it just happen as a matter of course? As they say, that's why they play the games.

JayB said...

50-112

Jimbo is fired,
Harris is fired
Tolman are fired.

No FA signed and Stan raises prices on most seats.

Dave Nichols said...

Nats go 7-30, finish 51-111. and among the 30 losses, they get shut out another 7 times, making it 25 for the season.

good thing is (for them) the Skins regular season starts in less than three weeks and no one will be paying attention to the nats in September. wait, i guess there aren't that many to start with.

MikeHarris said...

The 9,000 TVs become 90?