Nats featured on front of Express, but…

Picked a copy of the Post Express this morning when I saw Strasburg on the cover.  Hey! Local Coverage!

So I skipped to the article, and I was generally pleased.  Until I saw this…

Hey, I'm no expert, but this seems wrong.

Poor Ross Detwiler can’t catch a break.  First, he injures his hip, and then he loses his identity completely to a mustachioed man.  Maybe the Post will assume our chubby old reliever named Eddie is actually our GM.  You never know.

Friday Roundup

On a day when Chien Ming Wang will be formally announced as a Washington National, there have been a number of other tidbits of info to read before Spring Training kicks into full gear.

– Ross Detwiler will be out for three months after a torn hip flexor.  This is a bit of a blow for the Nationals, who expected Detwiler to slot into the three or four spot based on his strong September output last year.  The odd thing about this story is that it was broken by Mark Zuckerman, AKA the People’s Beat Reporter, who is there on the funding of the internet.  There were other PAID reporters there who missed the boat.  Sad.  Ben Goessling looks at how Detwiler may come back around the same time as CMW, making things more difficult.  William Yoder, at The Nats Blog, looks at the implications of the injury, stressing the potential seriousness of its implications.

-In the world of “Not Important, but Weird” news, Colin Balester’s new number is 99.  This is partially because CMW wanted 40, and partially because Balester can be a bit of a space cadet.  Also in this post, Jesus Flores switches to 26, Drew Storen takes 58, and Pudge takes 7.  There are others, but most don’t matter.  I’d be pissed if I bought a Flores jersey in the last few years.  Maybe its a collectors item, like Jordan’s 45.

-Ed Chigliak has a BRYCE JESUS CHRIST HARPER update for us at Federal Baseball.

– The Doog, also known as Mike MacDougal, has signed with Florida on a minor league deal.  IF he makes the team, Nats players should go to bat with catcher’s gear on, cause that guy has no idea where the ball is going.

-Nice little “against-all-odds” story from Chico about John Lannan, and his improbable rise to an actual, real life, MLB Starter.

That’s about it.  Come Monday, we’ll have some actual baseball related things to get into.

A Suspension of Disbelief

I’m tired of being cynical.  I’m tired of expecting the worst, and thinking things will never get better.  This offseason, I think I can stop being those things.  The days of Jason Simontacchi and Daniel Cabrera in our rotation are over.  No more Robert Fick or Henry Blanco clogging up the infield.  The foundation was always there, but this offseason, Mike Rizzo is making moves that are turning this team into an actual big league franchise.  Imagine that!

Step 1) Cut the driftwood.

Rizzo has done that, allowing players like Austin Kearns, Anderson Hernandez, and Ron Villone to drift away.  I don’t think he’s done yet, but this year’s team has seen a high percentage of turnover, which when you lose over 100 games, is a good thing.

Step 2) Pitching.  Lots of it.

Jason Marquis, Brian Bruney, Matt Capps, Tyler Walker, Matt Guardado, and Ryan Speier.  Um, not all the way there, obviously, but we’re trying.  Look for another starter or two, and maybe some more bullpen help.  Segueway…

Step 3) Remake the bullpen.

Wow, last year was just atrocious, wasn’t it?  Well, this year’s bullpen projects to look a little different.  No more Kip Wells and Julian Taverez.  This year, Matt Capps should close, Brian Bruney should setup, and the rest of the pen should be some combination of Tyler Clippard, Jason Bergmann, Sean Burnett, Drew Storen (I think he breaks camp with the team), maybe Doug Slaten or another FA.

Step 4) Try not to have minor league FAs start more than 1 game for your team.

We had a little of that last year with JD Martin, so hopefully we don’t repeat that.  I’d have to think, barring another signing which I think WILL occur, the rotation will shake out as follows: Jason Marquis, John Lannan, Craig Stammen, Ross Detwiler and Scott Olsen.  That rotation won’t win a division, but I don’t hate it.

Step 5) Improve defense.

Pending.  Sign O-Dawg, Mike. Do it.  Do it for the kids.

All in all, I’m telling you that I have a modicum of hope that this team will make baseball watchable in August, and not leave me finding ways to give away tickets in September.

By the way, this blog is both new and not new.  We were on Blogger for a year, took a year off, and decided to give it another go.  This blog will be less cynical than some, and less annoyingly positive than others.  Basically, expect some analysis, some funny pictures, and maybe some interesting opinions.  Tell your friends.  Link it up.

Lastly, a link to some pictures I took today at Natsfest.  Enjoy.