Consoling?

Some very gracious words from Scott Boras reported in the Nationals Journal:

"I think the Nationals did everything they could do both with their economic commitment, the time and effort that was made in every attempt to bring Mark to Washington," Boras said. "From the ownership level to the baseball level, it was a very concerted and professional approach they took to Mark, he was very impressed with what Washington did. I think the major consideration in the end was that he felt in his career he really needed to be working for a club that would be giving him an opportunity to win now."

It doesn't make me feel better. I'd much rather he said, "They're miserable, rotten s.o.b's but Teix liked them so he signed there."

Well, at least they got involved. Maybe they will improve enough to get the next Teix, though I have no idea right now who that might be. Anyone?

Question No. 2: If they do sign Dunn and Hudson, is that good enough to make you feel better about this miss? How about one or the other? If you can only have one, which one? Does Fuentes interest you at all?

Happy Holidays

Time to take a break from my bitterness and wish all my friends, my family, heck, everybody in the whole wide world a very happy holiday season.
Except the Yankees. I hope their holidays are miserable.
Not that I'm still bitter or anything.

Happy Holidays - and may 2009 be your best year yet. I plan for it to be mine in many ways. Not losing 100 games again would go a long way toward that. Thanks to all who take time out of their days to check this feeble little blog. Your readership is much appreciated.

Insert your favorite curse word here

Up until 30 minutes ago, this had been a decent enough day. Then one of my colleagues called to check on my well being. I told him I was OK, my hopes had been up and I believed but I wished no ill will on Teix or the Red Sox. We'll get the next big 'un.

Uh, dude? You near any sharp objects?

I wasn't sure what he meant. Then he told me: THE YANKEES.

I do not know enough curse words to properly express my feelings. Start with F and go from there. I love the Yankees' city. I HATE THE YANKEES.

My office has three full-timers. We don't agree on much. We have a Braves fan, we have an Indians fan, we have this poor, downtrodden Nats fan. We all agree we hate the Yankees. Excessively. With a passion. 0-162 is not good enough. They have to do worse.

I think FireJimBowden wrote earlier that the predictable response would be "eh, who needed him anyway?" or something like that. I won't take that route. The Nationals needed him, I badly wanted it to happen and I'm disappointed it didn't. Had he gone anywhere else, I would have shrugged and tried to move on.

This one? The bitterness is boiling over and may cause my head to explode.

The Yankees? Arrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Oh, and the consolation prizes of Corey Patterson and Jorge Sosa don't really brighten the mood. Nook Logan II and I can't even think of the guy's name who pitched for about half a season and then got hurt and never resurfaced. Anywhere. I did see Sosa pitch once in Atlanta during his one strong season and left there thinking he was the next big thing. Didn't he get his drugs taken away?

Me, unplugged

Just got back early this a.m. from a wonderful "lightning trip" to New York with my lovely wife and beautiful daughter. We saw In the Heights and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. We shopped, we ate well, we walked all over the place, we froze our asses off. We had a blast.
I basically stayed unplugged. Logged on for about 10 minutes to check some e-mail. Hoped like heck when we returned that the Teix saga would be settled.
I really, really want him to be a Nat. I also really, really just want to know. Sign with Washington. Sign somewhere. Like now. We elected a new President in less time than this is taking.
I found out about the Angels on the scrolling neon thing in Times Square near 42nd. I paused for a few seconds, hoping the next line would say "and signs with Nats."
It did not.
So the waiting continues. The Nats' three additions (Olsen, Willingham, Cabrera) and upgraded deal for Willie "No Relation To Me" Harris are the start of a better offseason than last year. Would Teix be the bow or what?

Saturday, I will make the most important post ever. Has nothing to do with baseball or anything mundane. I will post my wife's Christmas present.

UPDATE, sent by our best former blogging friend: This appears to take care of the quickly part, though I don't much like the rest of it.

Not the signing we've been hoping to see

though I'm willing to give it a chance.
Nats.com says Daniel Cabrera is a Nat.
This is the guy who throws it about 4,394 miles per hour but not usually in the strike zone? A plus-5 ERA doesn't make my heart go pitter-pat.
Maybe Randy St. Claire will find the magic touch and turn him into a star.

Meanwhile, I head up to NY tomorrow - weather and JetBlue willing - and I will spend some time scoping out what the Yankees are thinking about the next big Nats signing.
Teix, come on down.

If This is True

enjoy Boston, Mr. Teixeira.
From the latest Nationals Journal:

Sox Closing In On Teixeira?
Reports out of Boston right now indicate that the Red Sox are trying to put all the Teixeira negotiations to rest, perhaps wrapping up a deal by tonight or Friday morning.

According to WCVB-TV in Boston, the Red Sox top management -- including owner John Henry and General Manager Theo Epstein -- has traveled to Texas to meet with Boras in an attempt to work out a deal. According to the television station, the Red Sox were ready to offer an eight-year, $184-million contract.



8/184 is too high, at least in my feeble mind. I did want the Nats to go 8/180, which is probably too high as well.
You have to draw a line somewhere. For me, the line is 180.
I'll root for the Rays harder next year than I did this year, not that I'm bitter or anything.

Dunn? Hudson? What else can the Nats get for 180? A pitcher, too?

In Search Of

Ho Ho Ho. Happy Holidays. I'm shopping for my own Christmas gift here.

I have a copy of the poster The Post put out of the stadium packed on Opening Night, the first pitch one. That is being framed as one of my gifts.
My son wants to buy me a poster of Zimmerman about to leap on the plate and get pounded after hitting the game winner that same night. Nice gesture of him, considering he's a Braves fan and I called him right away and yelled, "HEY, HOW DID IT LOOK IN HD? BECAUSE IT LOOKED GREAT IN PERSON!!"

He says he's looked on Nationals.com, eBay, some posters site, the Post's site, all to no avail. Anyone know where he can get one? Or I can get one, from him?

Remind me after Christmas to post a picture of my wife's present from me. It's pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

Next year, I'll get a poster of Teixeira hitting his first HR in a Curly W.

It is a good thing

*that I don't blog about the Redskins
*that I don't really care about the Redskins
*that there are no sharp objects in reach
*did I say I don't really care about the Redskins?

If Teixeira does sign, can the Nats loan him out to the Redskins in the offseason? The Redskins (not that I care, not a lick) could use somebody who has some "clutch" in them, somebody who needs to wear a jockstrap while playing sports.

It is indeed a good thing I don't care about the Redskins. Not one bit.

Shocker - the Angels weigh in

Check out Nationals Journal in the cool links to the right. It appears the Angels have made an offer to Mr. Teixeira that is similar to the Nats' offer.
I hear the noise about not wanting to get into a bidding war. I stick to my original thought - do the 8/180 and, if that's not enough, so be it. You're reaching high now. Reach just a bit higher. I truly think 8/180 may get it done and 8/160 will not.
If he does go back to the Angels, I will deal with it better than I will if he goes to the Red Sox, Yankees or Orioles. That doesn't mean I will deal with it very well.
I do not want my ashes spread so Adam Dunn can paw them into the dirt.

Is it just me, or is it awfully quiet on the Orlando Hudson front? Isn't he a pretty good player? If Teix goes elsewhere, can the same 160/180 buy Hudson, Dunn and Fuentes?

As for the tender/non-tender stuff, I'm fine with all the moves. For some unexplainable reason, I still have faith in Shawn Hill. Maybe that's because I saw him one night when he was nigh on unhittable. Of course, Ramon Ortiz was, too, one time and I don't want him back.

Redding? Thanks for the efforts but I agree he's not worth the money they'd have to pay. I'm glad to see Willie in the fold, you can never have too many guys named Harris on your team. And I hope they open it big for Zimmerman. Nail down Teix and Zim as the corners for a long time. Please.

Ho-leeeeee (you know)

If this report on Nationals.com is true, I suppose we can take the Nats at their word that they are serious about this.

So let's get even more serious. What the hell, you're going that deep. Take the same money and make it for 10 years. That's right, throw 10 years and 225 million at him.

My son asked me last night if I'd get him a Teix jersey if he signed. A jersey? How 'bout three: Home, Road, Alternate. For me, too.

UPDATE: Now the actual report says 8/160, while the headline says 8/180. Which is it? I like 8/180 a hell of a lot better. 8/180 may actually get it done.

UPDATE AGAIN: Now the subhead says $160, too. A fine offer. I like 180 better. Not sure 160 will get it done. Splurge. Go the 180.

Making me a mumbling fool - and there IS an offer

Here is something on the alleged offer. I'd like to see it higher (years, therefore the money). Ten years and I think he'll sign.



Can it really happen? Can it?
Read down in here, the Nationals will make the high offer - am I reading that right? My eyes get blurry, I lose focus when I think too much about the Teixeira thing.

Lord-a-mighty.

I told my main man Mike Ogunwumi when he took my renewal order to go ahead and add 100 extra per ticket to the credit card charge if the Nats pull this off.

I'm going to be a basket case. Very soon.

Can it really happen?

Call me a foolish December optimist but if it does happen, well, naw, let's wait. I refuse to let my hopes get too high. When it does happen?

Ashes on first base. I'm locking up and checking out.

The Untouchables

No, I'm not talking about the late, great television show (and pretty good movie).
It's Winter Meetings time! All reports I'm reading say our man JimBow is ready to go out to Vegas and wheel and deal and put the Nats in the winner's circle.
It got me to thinking: Who is an untouchable? After some Thanksgiving conversation with my brother and brother-in-law, I've come to a conclusion:
Nobody. That's right. Nobody.

Now it would positively kill me to see Ryan Zimmerman go somewhere else. A solid citizen and quality player, the perfect face-of-the-franchise guy (though I'm willing to photoshop in someone else and make it faces of the franchise when Teixeira signs).

I would be pained beyond belief to see Jesus Flores go. Flores is JimBow's greatest contribution to the Nats, even if it was just a happy accident.

But if those moves have to be made to speed up the process of making this team good, make them. Do what it takes. When you lose 102 games, shake it up. The changes that should have been made haven't been made and apparently won't be made. And I will repeat: I truly hope the answer doesn't involve a trade of either of those two. I'm just to the point where I'm willing to swallow hard, take a deep breath and deal with it if such a move truly makes a difference.

Unrelated, I'm about to plunk down for my 2009 partial plan. They're offering the 300 section where I really like to sit for a pretty reasonable price, so it looks like 21-game Plan D has my name on it. My wife is still holding out for club seats. I may yet decide to just pick and choose my games this season - I had zero problem getting tickets for any non-plan game I wanted to attend last season. We'll see. Depends a lot on my mood about 2 p.m. (I have to pay by 3 to get the seats being held).

Also, I'm fully on board with anything that gets Frank Howard in a Washington uniform again. I wonder if he can still play first base? Just in case the Teixeira thing doesn't work out.