Too Much Time on My Hands
Less than 10 hours until Nationals tickets go on sale…can you feel it? Me neither.
Apparently, the Nationals will have a new public address announcer this year. This comes as a surprise to me because I really didn’t know they had a pa announcer for starters. I guess I’m zone out of that stuff.
Other stuff that happened during my hiatus
-I want Dmitri Young to be the Opening Day first baseman just for the sole reason of showing up to Nationals camp wearing a Sanford and Son t-shirt. That and he’ll probably win the job by default if
Larry
Broadway hits a sour note during spring training. Young fit the main characteristic of a National: He’s a former Cincinnati Red!
I can’t find too much fault with the signing. He meets the Nationals requirements: someone who’ll play on the cheap, who is looking to jump-start his career and is good trade bait for younger players come July 31.
-How bad has Ronnie Belliard’s offseason been? He goes from starting second baseman on a World Champion to someone fighting it out to make the Nationals roster. Honestly, he shouldn’t be fighting at all. Then there’s the whole extortion mess (extortion is never pretty). Lopez and Belliard might make the smallest double play combo I can recall (and that’s not much) if given the opportunity. However, Cristian Guzman has started throwing again and I guess the Nationals are obligated to play him if he’s healthy. Yes, I’m rooting for Belliard to make the Opening Day Roster. If Guzman tanks it, Acta has a great out in shifting Felipe Lopez back to short and playing Belliard at second. Belliard showed the leather in last year’s playoffs, especially the Game 1 of the NLDS vs the Padres.
-Chad Fought the Nats and the Chad Won
Chad Fought the Nats and the Chad Won
Congrats to the Chief for becoming the first Nationals to win at arbitration. Although, I’m perplexed by his easy come, easy go personality of the whole process. He was advised by his agent and the players association that he had a great chance to win. That won’t make him a union man now, will it?
Cordero declined a two-year deal and admitted to the Washington Post “I don’t know why I didn’t do it. I wanted to.”
That answer seems weird. For now, Cordero stays a National and a rich one at that, Mr $4.15 million dollar man.
The first couple weeks of spring training brings out the same old, same old storywise. First off, there are features on everybody, stories/columns about Viera and the stadium upgrades at Space Coast (which no one will care about come May). Of course with the Nationals, the stories are centered around the following talking points:
-The starting pitching and which castoff or newbie will be one of the four in the rotation
-The Plan and building for the Future
-Regular Nick Johnson injury updates
-Anything Manny Acta related. He sneezes and it’s a story
-Brian Schneider and his importance behind the plate this year especially with such a rag-tag group of starting pitchers.
-Someone is in the best shape of their life.
-The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will not be under Communist control this year. MASN-Gill has done a decent job pulling together a respectable package for their Nationals broadcasts.
Johnny Holliday just echoes Washington DC sportscasting. He’s been around this town for decades, the man is an institution. Heck, he’s ever done dinner theatre in the DC area.
Holliday will handle the pre and post game duties for the Nationals telecasts this year joining another former Red, Ray Knight. Geez, it seems the Nationals are 95 percent made up of former Expos, Reds or Braves.
I like this because Knight has actual baseball broadcasting experience. Don’t know who Debbi Taylor is but she’s handling the dugout duties. Wow, the Nats are getting big-time now. Pregame and postgame shows, Acta’s postgame conferences, and a Nationals weekly TV show.
-I like committees. There’s the prom committee, the planning committee, the
House Waysand Means Committee, Bullpen by Committee and my personal favorite, the Committee to Reelect the President!
Manny Acta has a committee of players too. We’ll call them the A-Team. A for Acta. I was thinking the Four Horsemen would be a good name too. Apparently, Brian Schneider, Ryan Zimmerman, Felipe Lopez and Austin Kearns are going to be a part of this committee.
They are to keep the peace or something in the clubhouse, set a positive tone maybe. Now that’s I’m thinking about it
Zimmerman would make a good Ric Flair
Brian Schneider would be a decent Arn Anderson
Felipe Lopez could be Tully Blanchard. Or Chris Benoit in the 90s version.
Austin Kearns could be the Ole Anderson/Barry Windham one of the group I suppose. Or if you want to go mid-90s, Kearns would be Steve McMichael.
Now if we go by the A-Team model
Zimmerman is Face
Schneider is Hannibal
Kearns is BA just on size alone
Lopez gets to be HM Murdock by default!
It’s good to see John Patterson’s arm and Luis Ayala’s arm haven’t fallen off so far in camp. I’ll take that as good news.
Almost a week away from an actual televised spring training game!
This Base For Rent 