Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Did Teixeira sign with the Nats yet?
Someone throw something at me when he does. I want to get in a nano-second of celebration before the ticker locks up and I go to the great Nationals Park in the sky.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Be Still My Heart
Old age sucks, which I'm learning in a painful way this week as I undergo some typical old guy tests. No fun.
I assume my heart remains strong, at least based on recent stress tests.
We're going to find out soon enough.
This whole Tex thing is putting a strain on my ticker. IF the Nats do somehow end up with Mark Teixeira, my heart may just explode. At least I will die a happy man. I have asked my family to take my ashes to Nationals Park and spread them in the approximate area where the first baseman stands on defense. That way when Tex moves the dirt with his cleats, he'll be digging me into the infield.
That said, I have no real faith it will happen even though certain outlets are trying to jam it straight down our throats. Nationals.com couldn't be making more out of this story if it tried, quoting "sources" as saying ol' Tex is indeed interested in playing in Washington. I'd be more confident if I heard it from, say, Teixeira himself or at least Boras.
I'm encouraged that the Nats do appear serious about at least getting in the game. I hope they throw out something ridiculous, like $200 mil over 10 years. Dig deep. This one is worth it. So says the Wall Street Journal. And me. Add $100 to my season tickets. Seriously. I'll pay part of the freight. Well, my estate will.
My son heard on the radio that Teixeira is in attendance at the Miami-Georgia Tech football game tonight. No word on whether he's wearing a Curly W anywhere.
Oh, I'll take Orlando Hudson, too. Nationals.com sez believe that, too!
Can you imagine this lineup?
Hudson, 2b
Guzman, ss
Zimmerman, 3b
Teixeira, 1b (damn near died just typing that)
Dukes, RF
Willingham, LF
Milledge, CF
Flores, C
Olsen/Lannan/Free Agent/Redding/Someone else, P
Lord.
I assume my heart remains strong, at least based on recent stress tests.
We're going to find out soon enough.
This whole Tex thing is putting a strain on my ticker. IF the Nats do somehow end up with Mark Teixeira, my heart may just explode. At least I will die a happy man. I have asked my family to take my ashes to Nationals Park and spread them in the approximate area where the first baseman stands on defense. That way when Tex moves the dirt with his cleats, he'll be digging me into the infield.
That said, I have no real faith it will happen even though certain outlets are trying to jam it straight down our throats. Nationals.com couldn't be making more out of this story if it tried, quoting "sources" as saying ol' Tex is indeed interested in playing in Washington. I'd be more confident if I heard it from, say, Teixeira himself or at least Boras.
I'm encouraged that the Nats do appear serious about at least getting in the game. I hope they throw out something ridiculous, like $200 mil over 10 years. Dig deep. This one is worth it. So says the Wall Street Journal. And me. Add $100 to my season tickets. Seriously. I'll pay part of the freight. Well, my estate will.
My son heard on the radio that Teixeira is in attendance at the Miami-Georgia Tech football game tonight. No word on whether he's wearing a Curly W anywhere.
Oh, I'll take Orlando Hudson, too. Nationals.com sez believe that, too!
Can you imagine this lineup?
Hudson, 2b
Guzman, ss
Zimmerman, 3b
Teixeira, 1b (damn near died just typing that)
Dukes, RF
Willingham, LF
Milledge, CF
Flores, C
Olsen/Lannan/Free Agent/Redding/Someone else, P
Lord.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Let the trading begin - new faces coming to town!
Some early word on a trade: Bonifacio and two alleged prospects to the Marlins for Scott Olsen, a lefty pitcher of some repute (good and bad), and outfielder Josh Willingham.
I've been out of the newspaper business for almost a year now but I still know some folks in D.C. and in Florida.
The prospects are P.J. Dean, a right-handed pitcher, and teen-age shortstop Jake Smolinski. Dean is 20 and was 4-1 in 10 starts in the Gulf Coast League. Smolinski hit .306, playing in the New York-Penn League.
Seems a fair price. Losing Bonifacio kind of clears up that middle infield glut, eh?
Have not checked Post, Nationals.com or anywhere else to see if it is up. Not terribly familiar with the principals leaving the Nats save for Bonifacio and it doesn't break my heart to see him go.
ANOTHER update: Just looked up some numbers. Can Willingham play first? If so, I like this. Olsen's numbers don't dazzle me. Didn't he have some legal issue at some point?
I'm full of updates - ESPN has it up now and YES, Willingham can also play first. So even if Olsen is a washout, I like this.
I guess this means no Teixeira?? Color me shocked.
And again with the updates: Marlins.com has it, too, now.
I've been out of the newspaper business for almost a year now but I still know some folks in D.C. and in Florida.
The prospects are P.J. Dean, a right-handed pitcher, and teen-age shortstop Jake Smolinski. Dean is 20 and was 4-1 in 10 starts in the Gulf Coast League. Smolinski hit .306, playing in the New York-Penn League.
Seems a fair price. Losing Bonifacio kind of clears up that middle infield glut, eh?
Have not checked Post, Nationals.com or anywhere else to see if it is up. Not terribly familiar with the principals leaving the Nats save for Bonifacio and it doesn't break my heart to see him go.
ANOTHER update: Just looked up some numbers. Can Willingham play first? If so, I like this. Olsen's numbers don't dazzle me. Didn't he have some legal issue at some point?
I'm full of updates - ESPN has it up now and YES, Willingham can also play first. So even if Olsen is a washout, I like this.
I guess this means no Teixeira?? Color me shocked.
And again with the updates: Marlins.com has it, too, now.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Chief
First, go to the cool links on the right and read Nats320 if you haven't done so already. He has a good interview with Chad Cordero.
One of my earliest posts in the short life of this blog dealt with The Chief and how much I liked him. I still remember going to a 2-1 victory over Seattle the first season, John Patterson pitching, I believe the 9th victory in that marvelous 10-game winning streak. Chief closes it out as the place goes crazy and My Son the Braves Fan turns to me and says, "Now that's closing. That's how you get it done."
Nothing about the Nats, including The Chief, has been as good as it was that first half season. They were absolutely Rays like.
I still liked the guy and would have been happy with him as the team's closer for a long time. As 320 pointed out, he was good off the field, too, and that stuff matters. A lot. At least to some of us.
Now? With a repaired shoulder and lots of question marks, despite his optimism about pitching in the majors next year? Baseball is a business and I'm not sure bringing him back is a good idea. I'd be happy to be wrong but I think it is time to devote the energy into developing Hanrahan and Zech and moving on from there.
I hope The Chief finds great success somewhere, preferably in the American League.
And the calendar on my wall tells me we've moved into November. I'll be curious a month from now to see if the alleged braintrust makes any moves to try and improve this bunch.
One of my earliest posts in the short life of this blog dealt with The Chief and how much I liked him. I still remember going to a 2-1 victory over Seattle the first season, John Patterson pitching, I believe the 9th victory in that marvelous 10-game winning streak. Chief closes it out as the place goes crazy and My Son the Braves Fan turns to me and says, "Now that's closing. That's how you get it done."
Nothing about the Nats, including The Chief, has been as good as it was that first half season. They were absolutely Rays like.
I still liked the guy and would have been happy with him as the team's closer for a long time. As 320 pointed out, he was good off the field, too, and that stuff matters. A lot. At least to some of us.
Now? With a repaired shoulder and lots of question marks, despite his optimism about pitching in the majors next year? Baseball is a business and I'm not sure bringing him back is a good idea. I'd be happy to be wrong but I think it is time to devote the energy into developing Hanrahan and Zech and moving on from there.
I hope The Chief finds great success somewhere, preferably in the American League.
And the calendar on my wall tells me we've moved into November. I'll be curious a month from now to see if the alleged braintrust makes any moves to try and improve this bunch.
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