Chat Details

Nationals Chat 06-25-08

This chat will begin at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2008.

Nationals beat writer Mark Zuckerman answers all of your Nationals questions this Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Hi folks, plenty to talk about again this week (though almost everything is bad news for the Nats). Let's get right to your questions...

Transcript

1. • Have you heard anything regarding the negotiations with the Nationals first five draft picks? From either the Nats side or the player's "advisors"? by
   • Answer: Nothing especially good to report at this moment. None of the top five guys has signed yet. If there is a positive development, it's that several of the top picks have been and will be coming to Nationals Park over the next week. Destin Hood (the 2nd round pick) was in town yesterday putting on a show during BP. He still must decide whether to sign with the Nats or go to Alabama to play both baseball and football. For what it's worth, Hood and his family members had wide eyes as they walked around the park yesterday. That's got to count for something. by Mark Zuckerman
2. • Mark, does anyone in the Nationals organization notice the similarities between the John Patterson and Shawn Hill injury situations? by
   • Answer: You're not the first to bring this topic up. There are indeed some similarities between Patterson and Hill (each who have had nerve problems and needed surgery to decompress the radial nerve). But from what I've gathered from talking to both guys, they aren't entirely the same. The location of their problems is different, and the symptoms aren't all the same. Patterson had tingly and sometimes dead feelings in his arm and fingers, and his problem was a lack of velocity. Hill's velocity has been fine, and what he's experiencing is serious pain in his forearm, not only when he pitches but when he sits at home watching TV. So we are talking about two kind of similar, but not really injuries. by Mark Zuckerman
3. • Is this as bad as it gets for the Nats this season? The hitting, pitching (especially Hill and the bullpen that should be known as Gasoline Alley) and the fielding are all subpar and some players (F. Lopez) seem to have given up. by
   • Answer: You know, I've wondered on at least three occasions this season whether the Nats had hit rock bottom, and they keep finding ways to drop even lower. It's certainly hard to imagine things getting any worse than they've been for the last two weeks or so. But then again, with Nick Johnson out for the year, Ryan Zimmerman potentially joining him at some point, the bullpen fading, the offense showing no signs of progress and some players showing little effort, you've got to wonder whether it might still get worse. Scary thought. by Mark Zuckerman
4. • Why is the Wasteland of Microscopic Production still occupying a roster space on this team? So that he can luck into homering off a pitcher with a big lead throwing hittable strikes like last night? Would it be any big loss if he was put on waivers and an AL team needing a DH claimed him? by
   • Answer: Love the new nickname for Wily Mo Pena. Would the Nats love to place him on waivers and watch as an other club claimed him? You better believe it. But it ain't gonna happen. Why? Because the former Weapon of Mass Production is making $2 million this season, and he's guaranteed to make at least $2 million next season in a player option (amazingly, the Nats have a $5 million club option also, not that there's ANY chance they're going to pick that up). So in other words, for another team to take WMP off the Nats' hands, they're going to have to take on at least $3 million or over the next 1 1/2 years. Would YOU do that? by Mark Zuckerman
5. • OK Bartender, here goes. I went to my first game at the ballpark on Saturday. It wasn't pretty. But what really got to me was not the loss or the bullpen imploding again, it was the effort, or lack there of, of the players. Balls that could have been caught were given little effort, players didn't get dirty in an attempt to knock balls down in the infield, and then to top it off Paul Lo Duca throws a ball back to the pitcher over his head. My son's 12 year old teams gives a better effort than what I saw. Is this a concern for Bowden and Acta? by
   • Answer: I'm sure you aren't the only one frustrated (to use a term Manny Acta won't) by the effort put forth by certain Nats. It's not everyone, so I don't want to point the finger at the entire roster. But you can see who's giving it their all and who isn't. Is this a concern for the club? Sure. Is anything being done about it? Well, hard to say. Acta isn't a big team meeting guy, though perhaps this latest stretch might force him to hold one. To me, it's gonna have to come from within the clubhouse. Some player is going to have to step up and set everyone straight before this really gets out of hand. by Mark Zuckerman
6. • Hi Mark! I really appreciate your great blogs and articles, especially yesterday's on Nick Johnson and your admiration for him - please give him our best heartfelt thoughts when he returns to Clubhouse! I have been to 3 games in the last week, including last night's and it is really apparent the fans are frustrated. They booed many times and loudly and I for one hope this is not going to get like the Mets & Phillies' fans - does the front office show any signs of helping out Manny & this team with some real MLB players? by
   • Answer: Thanks for the kind words... If by "signs of helping out" you mean "signing a bunch of free agents next winter," I wouldn't hold my breath. I do believe the Nats will be more active in free agency. They have to, if they realize how impatient the fan base is starting to become. But they're not going to suddenly change plans and try to field a $100 million payroll with veterans all over the field. This is still all about building from within, so until all those highly touted minor-leaguers make it to D.C., this is what you're going to get. by Mark Zuckerman
7. • On Sunday Luis Ayala appeared after Lannan and looked entirely ineffective. On Monday Saul Rivera appeared after Bergman and had similar results. As of Monday, Luis Ayala has appeared in 41 games this year. Saul Rivera has appeared in 39 games this year. And John Rauch has appeared in 38 games this year, despite being the closer with few save opportunities. Those three pitchers have each appeared in approximately 50% of the total games played and are on pace to appear in the area of 78-86 games. Last year John Rauch and Saul Rivera led the league in 88 and 87 game appearances respectively. And the year before Rauch was in 85 games. In fact, now that Rauch is not on pace for his usual 85-88 games he’s pitching a full earned run better than in recent years past and his WHIP has improved to under 1.00. In the same vein we can use Bob Carpenter’s inane adage, “I wonder how good Saul Rivera could be with less work.” And inspecting Luis Ayala’s appearances proves that he hasn’t seen this kind of workload since 2004. Does he even have the stamina? Are we at the point where it is safe to say that Acta has a tendency to over use some of his pitchers? If he is, is Manny to blame for the lack of performance by the pitchers? Or is it fairer to state that the pitching talent on the team is so bereft, that he has to use this poor strategy? by
   • Answer: Wow, quite a thorough analysis of the Nats' bullpen right there. I can't disagree with anything you said, though let me add a couple points. 1) This is where the loss of Chad Cordero has its greatest impact. If Cordero's pitching the ninth inning every two or three days, then Rauch can pitch the eighth every other day and Ayala and Rivera can split the seventh/eighth and keep themselves fresher. 2) I don't think you can blame Acta for overusing these guys. Who would you rather him throw out there in a 3-2 game in the eighth inning? Jesus Colome? Charlie Manning? Unless the starters can start pitching through the seventh more regularly (something I think could happen with Lannan, Redding and Bergmann), then the relievers are going to be overworked. by Mark Zuckerman
8. • Sunday's Nationals game had a slow 300 lb Dimitri Young on first base with one out in the ninth inning. The Nationals were down by two runs. He was not taken out for a pinch runner and sure enough, the next hitter hit into a double play and the game was over to a chorus of “Boo’s.” Is Manny Acta even trying to win a game? by
   • Answer: Yes, Manny is trying to win a game. Believe me when I tell you this stuff is killing him, even if he doesn't show it publicly. ... I was thinking pinch-runner, too, when Dmitri got on the other day. But here's why it wouldn't have made sense at that point: the Nats were down 2 runs, not 1. If Young got to second base, maybe then I could see replacing him. But it wouldn't have mattered if Carl Lewis pinch-ran for him, nobody was going to get to second base before that routine double play got turned. by Mark Zuckerman
9. • To build on your last question, do we have a player in the Clubhouse who will step up and not take anymore of the half-hearted, already given up attitude? by
   • Answer: I was scanning the clubhouse just yesterday thinking about this, trying to come up with someone who could take everyone else to task. The problem is that three key veterans who are supposed to be team leaders (Zimmerman, Johnson, Kearns) are all on the DL. It's tough for one of them to be the guy in their current state. Lo Duca has some leadership qualities, but who's going to take him seriously the way he's playing? Aaron Boone could maybe be the guy. Dmitri Young probably would be the best choice. He was the leader of last year's team. For whatever reason, he's been quieter this time around. by Mark Zuckerman
10. • Just a little comment on my question earlier. You are right about certain players who I won't mention. I will say this, Willie Harris came into the game late Saturday after the Nationals were down by 10 and he played the last innings as if it were game 7 of the World Series and it was a tie game. To me Harris has been the most pleasant surprise this year and I wish we had an entire team of Willie Harris's. by
    • Answer: I think the manager of this team and several players in the clubhouse would wholeheartedly agree with you. Willie Harris may not put up big numbers (though he's been crushing the ball for the last week), but he plays the game the right way and should serve as an example to anyone else out there who has far more natural ability but half the drive to succeed that Willie does. by Mark Zuckerman