Wale - The Black & Gold, Complete With D.C. Shoutouts Aplenty

Can you spot 'em? I'm going on record saying this song is dope.

DCLS is Always Right - Especially about Strasburg

About a month ago I posted on Stephen Strasburg's current trade value after 4 games in the big leagues. For sake of simplicity, I decided to not factor in team need or player contract, but Fangraphs has used their fancy stats and gone ahead and created a great trade value column taking into account player contract. So what changed from my very-arbitrary list? Not much.

The top-4, in order, are Evan Longoria, Jason Heyward, Strasburg, Hanley Ramirez. Well, whaddya know? Exactly the same as I had them. This is actually not surprising when you consider the fact that younger players are more valuable than older players (aside from Pujols, no one was over 26 on my list of players to consider), and also that young players generally have better contracts than older players in baseball. Therefore, adding contract in the the equation should not change my list very much.

The better question may be how has Strasburg's performance over the past month changed his ranking on my list. As Fangraphs states,

"This may be as high as any pitcher will ever rank on this list. Strasburg has been nothing short of sensational so far in the big leagues, posting a ridiculous 2.11 xFIP in his first eight starts. His stuff is better than anyone in baseball, and it’s hard to see hitters figuring him out as long as he keeps throwing this hard. Oh, and the Nationals control his rights through 2016. He won’t make any serious money for another three years, so for now, the Nationals get one of the game’s best pitchers at about 5 percent of his market value. But, as with any pitcher, the risks are significant. The superlatives could all disappear with one pitch, as it has for so many phenoms before him. Pitcher attrition would keep other teams from giving up the kitchen sink to get Strasburg, but as good as he is, the refrigerator is probably on the table."

I think it is safe to say at this point that only thing holding back Strasburg from being the #1 guy are the injury concerns that go with being a pitcher . There is no issue with him facing good lineups or the league facing him a 2nd time, he might already be the best pitcher in baseball, and isn't about to dropoff anytime soon. Revisiting my list, with or without contracts, I can only come up with the same list as that from Fangraphs, so have only moved Strasburg up one spot past Hanley Ramirez; I still have to rank Longoria and Heyward ahead of Pitching Jesus.

(Image courtesy of examiner.com)

What Is Our LeBron Equivelant?

LeBron's a douche.

See, doesn't that feel good? Say it out loud. One, two, three, maybe even four times.

I don't know what it is about LeBron. Maybe it's because he beat the Wizards in three consecutive playoff series, or that he complains more than my little sister when it's her time of the month, or that he created his own three-step "crab dribble" which was eventually adopted by the NBA and put into its rulebook. You know, just for him.

It could be any one of those things but in all likelihood it's every one of them, combined with the self-fellating ego-maniacal spectacle that was last night's traitorous announcement to the world that "The Chosen One" would be taking his talents to South Beach.

Before he made his announcement I didn't really care what team he'd select. I was so LeBronned out after a week of LeBronning by ESPN that I just couldn't take it anymore.

But of course I watched. I mean, everyone and their infant baby watched, and I'm sure the ratings for the announcement were sky high. And when he announced he was leaving Cleveland, doing so in that fashion, on prime time national television and dragging "The Decision" out like it was a goddamn "American Idol" episode starring Jim Gray as Ryan Seacrest, it struck a cord in me.

D.C. is a depressing sports town. We've gone over its merits before. But Cleveland? They haven't won a title since the Browns brought home the bacon in 1964. That's unheard of.

And to have their hearts and souls ripped out from them by this 25 year old arrogant prick wearing a picnic table button down shirt because he wanted to go play with his buddies in Miami - which effectively ruined his legacy - was just too much to take.

It got me thinking: what would be our equivalent to what LeBron did to Cleveland fans last night? Nothing really compares, but I have some ideas.

• John Wall demands a trade before the season starts, holding the Wizards hostage and refusing to show up to practices. Contract be damned! The kicker: he's demanding to be traded to Miami.
• The year is 2016. Stephen Strasburg has won two straight MVP's and is easily the best pitcher in the land. He spends his free agent summer being courted by every team out there, but anyone who knows anything can tell you that there are really on three options: staying with the Nationals, signing with the Yankees, signing with the Red Sox. Knowing full well the Lerners aren't stupid enough to fork over the kind of dough that Boston and New York are glad to (ballpark estimate ~ 10 years $790 million), he could put Nats fans out of their misery early by making his priorities clear. Instead, he inspires hope, says it's not about the money, only to bail at the last second in a nationally televised one-hour special devoted to him for a star-studded team that can carry him to the promise land. What a nightmare.
• Alex Ovechkin demands a trade, but only two teams make his list: the Flyers and the Penguins. And he does so immediately after we win a Stanley Cup, and then leads the team he's traded to to five consecutive Stanley Cups.
• Daniel Snyder murders a small child for complaining about the price of hot dogs at Fedex Field and gets away with it by framing John Riggins, who spends the rest of his life in prison paying for a crime he didn't commit. Are you still with me, or did I take it too far?
• Joe Gibbs comes out of retirement to sign a life-time contract with the Dallas Cowboys. If you didn't think it could get worse, it does. After winning several championships with the Cowboys, he withdraws from the Hall of Fame completely, only to get nominated a few years later as coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He is elected first ballot, and they erect a shrine of Joe Gibbs in all his Cowboys glory.

Ever been kicked really hard in the nuts? That's what those bizarre hypothetical scenarios feel like. I can't even imagine how Clevelanders feel this morning. I'm assuming 90% of the workforce called in sick. Or just angry.

National Outrage: Strasburg Not an All-Star!?!

I know this topic has been beaten into the ground, but MLB is making a insanely stupid mistake by not putting Stephen Strasburg on the NL All-Star team. The game is a marketing event and Pitching Jesus is the most marketable player in the league right now, bar none; the game is for the fans, and the fans want Strasburg. In addition to upsetting the regular fans, Bud Selig, Charlie Manuel, and whoever else there is to blame, have a great to chance to draw in some new fans who are intrigued by Strasburg. Even if he didn't pitch in the game, more people would tune in for the chance to watch (although there could be mini riots if he was on the roster and didn't pitch). Then there is the fact that Strasburg is not one of the 5 players in the running for the last roster spot. As much as Joey Votto deserves that last spot, Strasburg would be the clear favorite to be voted in by the fans. I am not 100% sure who creates the 5 person list for the last spot, but omitting Strasburg is a clear sign that they did not want him in this game for lord knows what reason and that he will not be in this game as an injury replacement.

Oh, but 'This time it counts' you say? Well then the NL should put their best players out there, and Pitching Jesus is without a doubt one of the best pitchers the in the league. Charlie Manuel said:

"He got quite a bit of consideration. He is going be an All-Star for a long time. What does he have, five starts? I just felt there are other guys who have started 18 to 20 games. I just felt, 'leave him alone and let him get used to the major league level." 

'Get used to the major league level?!?' Strasburg has been an absolute force thusfar, on par with the best pitchers in the league; it is safe to say he is doing just fine at adjusting to the major league level. At least that is very sporting of Mr. Manuel to be so concerned about the development of a division rival's star talent.

The 'hasn't pitched enough games' argument is greatly hindered by the fact that Omar Infante made the NL team as a Manager's selection. Infante has only playing in 57 of this team's 82 games thusfar and does not qualify for league leaderboards. Most healthy starters have pitched 17 games, but Infante's games played % gives that his equivalent would be a SP with only 11 or 12 starts.

Those are just the general points as to why Strasburg should be on the team, and don't even address the fact that Matt Capps was picked over him. Going by VORP, Capps has been the 11th best pitcher on the Nationals, and they are trying to tell me he should be an All-Star over Pitching Jesus? Just amongst Nationals relievers, Tyler Clippard is significantly more deserving. Clippard as the Nats representative I could at least swallow a little easier than Capps, but the bigger injustice is Josh Willingham. Based purely on performance, Willingham should be starting in this game; he is 6th in the NL in VORP, and 1st amongst outfielders. If you are going to pass over the most marketable and possibly best pitcher in the league by the All-Star break for only having 6 starts, at least get the guy you pick over him right. I understand Ryan Zimmerman is stuck behind 2 guys having great seasons at 3B, but the Nats have 2 better and more sensible candidates than Capps, excluding Strasburg.

Keith Law called Manuel's selections 'comically bad', and I have to agree. The Strasburg omission is outrageous. Manuel deserves to lose the All-Star game and then lose the World Series in game 7 in an AL park, now that would be some sweet justice.

(Image courtesy of awesomotime.files.wordpress.com)

Who Would You Trade for Stephen Strasburg?

After 4 glorious games, have we seen enough of Stephen Strasburg to annoint him as the most valued player in the world? If we put aside team need and contract, is there anyone in the league for whom you would trade Pitching Jesus? I know that some people are curious to see the 21 year old phenom against a better lineup, but this is more curiosity than a concern. Pitching Jesus is legit and the only long term concern is that pitchers are major injury risks, particularly ones throwing stinky cheese. I have been debating this all weekend with friends, and the list of guys I think are more valuable than Strasburg at this moment is short, really short. To be clear, we are doing something similar to the NBA trade value column that Sports Guy does for espn.com; we are disregarding team need and contract size, and only taking into account age, performance, position, etc. Here is the list of guys that I at least consider for Strasburg (with age in parentheses and in no particular order):

1. Matt Wieters (24) - Jokes!
2. Tim Lincecum (26) - Older than I realized, but seems a safe bet to avoid injury problems and pitch extremely well for years.
   
3. Hanley Ramirez (26) - Slightly on the old side, but plays a premium position.
   
4. Evan Longoria (24) - Younger than Hanley and without character issues despite not being as good of a hitter.
   
5. Jason Heyward (20) - The only player on the list younger than Pitching Jesus is having a monster rookie campaign. He does not play a premium position though, and has only proven himself for half a season.
   
6. Felix Hernandez (24) - Don't forget about King Felix. Healthy, young, and dominant puts him as a very strong possibility.
   
7. Justin Upton (22) - Going into the season, he was the best young hitter in the game, but has now lost that title to Heyward.
   
8. Yovani Gallardo (24) - He is proving himself this year and is still young.
   
9. Clayton Kershaw (22) - The youngest pitcher on this list and just a year older than Strasburg. His walk rate and G/F ratios are not good, but a ton of strikeouts and is keeping the ball in the park so far.
   
10. Ubaldo Jimenez (26) - The most dominant pitcher this season is a little older than I'd like, and does not have the track record to make me confident that he will continue maintain this level of performance.
    
11. Francisco Liriano (26) - having a terrific year, but age and history of arm trouble are not what I'm looking for.
12. Ryan Braun (26) - Stud hitter but a little old and plays LF.
    
13. Albert Pujols (30) - Absurd that a 30 year old can make this list, but he is just that good. He could maintain his level of performance for at least 6 more years and I wouldn't be surprised.
    
14. Josh Johnson (26) - A little old, and some previous arm trouble.
    

That is everyone, just 13 guys that would at least make the Nationals think. Some of my friends think none of these guys make the cut for Strasburg, but I think you have to trade him for the following:

1. Evan Longoria
2. Jason Heyward
3. Hanley Ramirez

As you can see, all 3 of these guys are hitters. The biggest concern for me is the injury risk, and I think you have to play it safe with a position player in these instances. Although Strasburg has a higher injury risk than some of the other pitchers, he is younger and better than his peers and thus no pitchers make the list; the closest call for me is Felix Hernandez, but you can't make that move. I also should note that Strasburg is the biggest draw in baseball right now, and the money he is worth to a team goes beyond his contributions to winning. However, Strasburg's shine will likely wear off a bit after this season, 'Oh, just another 8 K/0 BB/0 HR performance...'.

I can understand if you put Strasburg as the #1 asset in baseball and welcome everyone's opinions, but if Pitching Jesus can maintain his performance through the end of the season, there won't even be a debate.

(Image courtesy of gallery.fotoglif.com, ages and stats courtesy of espn.com and baseballprospectus.com)

What's Wrong with Matt Wieters? I know.

If you'd asked 2009 Red Rover to fill in the blank: "next season, Matt Wieters will have 5 home runs by ___," I would have answered "the third inning." That we are 67 games and more than 200 at-bats into this season and Wieters has only 5 home runs and a dreadful .230 batting average has me concerned. Not enough to abandon ship like some spineless traitor, but enough to pierce through the protective shield of numbness I have carefully crafted over the past decade of local sporting failure.

Popout.

Luckily, when disappointment of this magnitude strikes me, I have a fail-safe coping mechanism: I rationalize. I think of random stuff that's to blame for the shortcomings of my adopted extensions of self. After all, I'm totally awesome and therefore so are the athletes I root for. So, Matt Wieters, what ails ye?

1.) A strained ligament in the doohicky.
2.) Behind-the-scenes relationship strife with secret lover January Jones.
3.) His hands sting from the powerful fastballs of future aces and stalwart rookies Brian Matusz and Jakie Arrieta.
4.) He is lulling American League pitchers to sleep, poised to break out with a 50 HR second half.
5.) He is saving all of his strength to hit a 49 mile home run that nails Strasburg on the mound in DC that would thereby eliminate that attention-thieving foe and reintroduce Wieters to the local messianic spotlight.
6.) He is actually secretly Ted Leonsis. Man's been busy recently.
7.) He is so respectful of Ovechkin, he will wait until the Great 8 and the Caps get their Cup before he starts his career.
8.) He wants me to start rooting for the Nationals more.

If number 8 is the sole reason, then I guess Matt Wieters is God. Because isn't this EXACTLY like the biblical tests God gives to those Bible guys who have to, like, you know, avoid temptation and whatever? Like that dude who couldn't eat the apple and stuff? Or wasn't there a dude who God sent some once-in-a-generation flamethrowing ace to root for instead of an overhyped catching prospect up the road? I think that was Leviticus. See mom! I paid attention in Sunday school.

Well, GodWieters, I'm trying my damndest. Yet I find myself emotionally investing in the Nats success, and I'm struggling with this dilemma just like Rico Fantastic and Marion's Crackpipe. Although these new feelings come not at the expense of rooting for the O's, I fear someday they might. So throw me a bone here. Or at least make a female companion out of a bone for me, like you did with the apple thief. That would be pretty weird.

Shirts All DC Bros Should Own

Let me tell you a little about myself - I'm a bro.

I usually wear this on my sleeve, even though it's probably less apparent through the internet than face to face interactions.

In that light, here are some shirts all bros or aspiring bros should own. I already own a couple; so should you:

Brian Orakbro

Stephen Strasbro

Alex Brovechkin

Adam Brones

Bro Theismann

Don't Ice Me Bro

Satire Is Fun, Featuring Stephen Strasburg

For those of you who have read this blog since its inception over a year ago, you can probably tell I'm not a religious person. After all, I'm the guy who refers to Matt Wieters as Baseball Jesus, Jeffrey Maier as the antichrist, and Stephen Strasburg as Baseball Jesus II. Periodically, I unintentionally misspell Jesus with Jebus, and also, until two weeks ago, I thought "bible" was a verb that meant to "to drink".

So, for a laid back, non-religious, clearly-going-to-hell guy like me, the following satire from SB Nation Arizona's Justin Burning is hilarious:

After two pretty decent starting performances by Washington Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg, Christian and Jewish leaders have come together in admitting that their doctrines have been inaccurate to this point.

"As it turns out, Strasburg is actually the messiah," said Pope Benedict XVI. "It's a simple mistake, really. We were looking for the wrong miracles. We all expected walking on water, healing the sick and other similar sorts of shenanigans. But we should have been tipped off by the 100 mph fastball."

The Pope paused briefly to laugh to himself and shake his head before continuing, "Have you seen that thing? It's smokin'. Struck those fools out looking."

Religious folks around the world have begun congregating en mass to determine how Strasburg's ascension to demigod will affect their lives going forward.

Devout Christian Bob Jones said, "Jesus Christ was a fine fellow, but 14 strikeouts? Shit's insane."

Already, Strasburg's followers have begun theorizing about the extent of his abilities.

"I heard his change-up can cleanse the soul of all sin," said Rosa Cortez, attendee of a local Washington D.C.-area Catholic church. "They're also saying he's got a curve ball that heals all physical disease."

Perhaps Strasburg's impact since June 8^th 2010 is best summarized by Rabbi Jacob Horowitz, "We are all better people for having witnessed Strasburg's killer pitching arsenal. It's unreal. Total Major League stuff. Christ. Oops, I mean ... Strasburg."

Be sure to click the full link for the graphic.

Also, I'm pretty sure we can put phrases like "Strasburg's change-up cleanses the soul of all sin" and "His curveball heals all physical disease" up there on the hilarity scale with Wieters Facts.

The Other Prospect Wins First Start: Hope in the DMV?

While everyone was busy tracking Stephen Strasburg's between game routine and rehashing his historic debut, Jake Arrieta quietly had his own long-awaited debut tonight for the Orioles.....and Jake did not dissapoint. No, it was not 14 Ks in 7 innings, but he had 6 ks in 6 innings and defeated the Yankees.

The first start for any pitcher can mean very little, but this is significant for Arrieta and the O's. While everyone is freaking out about the Nats having Strasburg and Bryce Harper, the Orioles now have their 'big 3' of Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, and Arrieta all pitching in the bigs. Although Zach Britton may yet prove to be the best of the cavalry, these 3 were the top Oriole prospects going into Monday's draft, and will need to come through for this team to have any chance of catching the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays in the not-too-distant future. Any chance for the DCLS nickname 'The Cavalry' of catching on depends on these guys!

The O's are 6.5 game out of 2nd-to-last place in the entire MLB and have almost locked up the right to draft 3B Anthony Rendon in 2011, but 3 of every 5 games are now must see for fans. Although the Nats are closer to contention than the Birds and have Strasburg, this Orioles fan sees a lot more to keep his interest for the remainder of the season in Baltimore.

(Image courtesy of camdenchat.com)

Stephen Strasburg Gives New Meaning To The Term 'Knee-Buckler'

Normally, a pitcher labors through the final outs of any outing. The human arm just wasn't designed to throw a baseball 100 miles per hour repeatedly in a few-hours' span.

Well, Stephen Strasburg isn't your normal pitcher. In his debut, he actually got stronger the further into the game he pitched, evidenced by retiring 10 consecutive batters following Delwyn Young's 2-run HR, the last 7 of which were struck out consectuively.

But take a look at the last batter he faced, Andy LaRoche. The poor third baseman struck out on three pitches:

Pitch 1: 83 MPH curveball (called strike)
Pitch 2: 83 MPH curveball (swinging strike)
Pitch 3: 99 MPH fastball (swinging strike)

It's the last pitch that really sticks out: 99 mile per hour gas on his 94th and final pitch of the ball game? Are you kidding me?!

While the 99 mile per hour heat is surely a joy to watch, it's that first pitch that was so unhittable it was silly.

Thanks to SB Nation's Jeff Sullivan, we have the GIF (click to view animation):

How do those knees feel, Mr. LaRoche?

We are all Witnesses to Something Special

There are great debuts, and there are times when you know that you are watching something special; amidst the unprecedented hype, Stephen Strasburg stepped up and delivered a performance worthy of telling my grandkids. Sure, he did this against the perpetually awful Pittsburgh Pirates, but this was not like any debut that has been witnessed by any of us. He got stronger as the game went on and his 4-pitch repertoire and absurd velocity simply overwhelmed the opposition. He struck out the last 7 batters he faced, and 9 of the last 10, and finished with 14 Ks in 7 innings, and no BBs. He really only had 1 bad inning, in which he gave up 2 hits before the HR, but only had 1 other ball hit extremely hard the entire game (by the first batter he faced). He tied for the most Ks in one game this season, and had the first 14+ K/0 BB game, I believe ESPN said, since 2007.

The stats just don't do justice though to what we just witnessed. This was no fluke, Strasburg is an immediate star worthy of every ounce of hype. My choice of the word 'witness' is no coincidence, as the last time I can remember someone having a debut so unprecedented was that of Lebron James. Before King James, every high school draftee had taken 2-3 years to become at least a solid NBA player. It was pretty clear that something special was being 'born' when Lebron went off for a 25-9-6 line in his first game, and made it appear like this was going to be pretty standard for him.

I am proud to say I was in the building tonight, and although Nats fans did their best to dampen the experience by booing obvious called balls and not understanding the rhythm of strikeout claps, I know I witnessed a special performance, and one that will be the first of many by Stephen Strasburg.

(Image courtesy of media.timesleader.com)

Top-5 Most Popular DC Athletes Right Now

I know, I know, this post has already been run by Steinz over at the WaPo (a voting in which I participated), but SB Nation DC also had a list today, so I thought it would only be fair to jump on the bandwagon and chime-in.

The term 'popular' is left vague so there is room for interpretation, but here is how I define it - as a combination of recognize-ability (name recognition), and being well liked; I believe that a notorious person can still be popular. My initial list for Steinz a few weeks ago was this:

1. Ovechkin
2. McNabb
3. Orakpo
4. Backstrom
5. Zimmerman

My logic:

• Ovie is widely known and loved and has to be #1. That said, the overwhelming popularity of the Redskins in this town pushes football players to greater heights. I realize McNabb has not played a game, but he is more widely recognized than Ovechkin; as Chad Dukes and Lavar Arrington said on WFAN a month or so ago, if you put McNabb and Ovie in a mall, McNabb would be the one who more easily creates a mini-riot. As much as I hate him and that the Skins acquired him, he is a close #2.
• I skipped Portis and Gil because I thought they were not generally well liked.
• I should have replaced Rak with Cooley, but thought Cooley's injury removed him from the spotlight too much.
• Strasburg had not played a game and was not as widely recognized as he is right now.
  
• Backstrom was fresh off of a season where the Caps elevated themselves to the #2 team in the DMV, so was very newsworthy.
  

Ah, how quickly things change......my list for today would look like this:

1. Ovie
2. McNabb
3. Cooley
4. Portis
5. Strasburg
6. Backstrom
   

• I ranked 6 because at this moment, Strasburg is #5, but his hype will likely die down after about 2 months, and I expect him to drop a few slots. The only way he stays that high is if he puts up All-Star/Cy Young candidate numbers immediately. When
  
• Rak was a mistake the first time, I should have put Cooley in that spot; Rak is just not as widely known as the man formerly known as Captain Chaos.
• Portis is not completely well-liked, but my Dad, who is not a sports fan, knows him, which puts him in select company.
• Ryan Zimmerman is having a terrific season but struggling for All-Star votes, so it is hard to put him anywhere near my top-5 anymore. He just isn't widely recognized, and won't be until the Nats contend, or he does something outlandish like gets a tattoo on his face.

My only major differentiation from the Steinz and SBNDC lists are the omission of Gilbert Arenas, but come on, isn't he closer to the least popular athlete in DC? I can see John Wall, London Fletcher, and Mike Green pushing for honors, but I think that list of 6 is head and shoulders above the rest right now.

(Image courtesy of misterirrelevant.com)

2010 MLB Predictions

Similar to our NHL Preview - which in hindsight was horribly wrong in so many ways - we decided to compile our predictions for the upcoming MLB Season.

I can't decide what I'm more excited for: Matt Wieters & Brian Matusz, Round II, or Stephen Strasburg for the first time. I think when they face off in May during interleague play my head might explode. I'm looking forward to that (especially in light of this Donovan Mcnabb...situation).

On to the predictions, which are listed division by division, followed by playoff predictions and two major individual awards. Feel free to sift through the unimportant stuff (like when the Yankees, Red Sox, or Phillies are listed first at anything).

AL East

Consensus:

1. (tie) Boston
1. (tie) New York
3. Tampa Bay
4. Baltimore
5. Toronto

Breakdown:

Rico Fantastic - 1. Boston, 2. New York, 3. Tampa Bay, 4. Baltimore, 5. Toronto
Red Rover - 1. Boston, 2. Tampa Bay, 3. New York, 4. Toronto, 5. Baltimore
Marion's Crackpipe - 1. New York, 2. Tampa Bay, 3. Boston, 4. Baltimore, 5. Toronto
Iafrate's Baldspot - 1. New York, 2. Boston, 3. Tampa Bay, 4. Baltimore, 5. Toronto

Comments:

Baby steps for the O's?! What a sexy pick for 4th place in the AL East, if I may say so myself. And to think, only a few years ago we took 4th place for granted. Ahh, the days when the Rays were the Devil Rays. I refuse to talk about the Red Sox or the Yankees. It's just no fun. You know what else is no fun? This Red Rover character. Have some faith in the O's, bro. They don't need your reverse-jinxing nonsense. Baseball Jesus the First is jinx-proof and you know it.

AL Central

Consensus:

1. Minnesota
2. Detroit
3. Chicago
4. Cleveland
5. Kansas City

Breakdown:

Rico Fantastic - 1. Detroit, 2. Minnesota, 3. Chicago, 4. Cleveland, 5. Kansas City
Red Rover - 1. Minnesota, 2. Chicago, 3. Detroit, 4. Cleveland, 5. Kansas City
Marion's Crackpipe - 1. Minnesota, 2. Detroit, 3. Chicago, 4. Cleveland, 5. Kansas City
Iafrate's Baldspot - 1. Minnesota, 2. Detroit, 3. Cleveland, 4. Chicago, 5. Kansas City

Comments:

I'm the lone ranger when it comes to doubting the Twins. Not because I don't like the Twins or anything (although I will admit a slight bitterness toward Joe Mauer for discovering his power before Wieters bursted on the scene). I just think the Tigers' lineup will generate a ton of runs. Scott Sizemore will be as good as people think and Miguel Cabrera will be sober even better than he has been. I trust their rotation a lot more than the Twins', too. Scott Baker as your ace will never cut it.

AL West

Consensus:

1. Los Angeles
2. (tie) Seattle
2. (tie) Texas
4. Oakland

Breakdown:

Rico Fantastic - 1. Los Angeles, 2. Seattle, 3. Texas, 4. Oakland
Red Rover - 1. Los Angeles, 2. Oakland, 3. Texas, 4. Seattle
Marion's Crackpipe - 1. Seattle, 2. Texas, 3. Los Angeles, 4. Oakland
Iafrate's Baldspot - 1. Los Angeles, 2. Texas, 3. Seattle, 4. Oakland

Comments:

The Angels just might have the best rotation, 1-5, in the Majors. Non-apologies to the Red Sox and Yankees. When Joe Saunders and Joel Pineiro are your #3 and #4, respectively, you have a huge advantage over other teams. Kendry Morales will continue to be awesome, with Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu providing the veteran presence in the lineup. I don't think the Mariners are that far behind if Erik Bedard can stay healthy, which would give them a formidable top three of King Felix, Cliff Lee, and Bedard. But come on. Bedard cannot and will not stay healthy, so the point's moot.

NL East

Consensus:

1. Philadelphia
2. Atlanta
3. New York
4. Florida
5. Washington

Breakdown:

Rico Fantastic - 1. Philadelphia, 2. New York, 3. Atlanta, 4. Florida, 5. Washington
Red Rover - 1. Atlanta, 2. Philadelphia, 3. New York, 4. Florida, 5. Washington
Marion's Crackpipe - 1. Philadelphia, 2. Atlanta, 3. Florida, 4. New York, 5. Washington
Iafrate's Baldspot - 1. Philadelphia, 2. Florida, 3. New York, 4. Atlanta, 5. Washington

Comments:

Here are a few things for Nats fans to be excited about during the upcoming season: Baseball Jesus the Second's MLB debut, the continued incomprehensible sub-4.00 ERA a-la Jeremy Guthrie from John Lannan, a full season with Nyjer Morgan leading off, and the perennial awesomeness of Ryan Zimmerman. Unfortunately, there are many things Nats fans should be lamenting: Jason Marquis (career ERA 4.48, career WHIP 1.42) masquerading as a staff ace, 38-year old Ivan Rodriguez stealing precious playing time from Jesus Flores, the absence of Jordan Zimmerman, and a manager who has an unfortunate history with pitching phenoms. Other than that, things look great!

NL Central

Consensus:

1. St. Louis
2. Chicago
3. Milwaukee
4. Cincinnati
5. Houston
6. Pittsburgh

Breakdown:

Rico Fantastic - 1. St. Louis, 2. Milwaukee, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Chicago, 5. Houston, 6. Pittsburgh
Red Rover - 1. St. Louis, 2. Cincinnati, 3. Chicago, 4. Milwaukee, 5. Houston, 6. Pittsburgh
Marion's Crackpipe - 1. St. Louis, 2. Chicago, 3. Milwaukee, 4. Cincinnati, 5. Houston, 6. Pittsburgh
Iafrate's Baldspot - 1. St. Louis, 2. Chicago, 3. Milwaukee, 4. Cincinnati, 5. Houston, 6. Pittsburgh

Comments:

Three things you can be certain of in this world: death, taxes, and the Pittsburgh Pirates missing out on the playoffs. And you can take that to the bank.

NL West

Consensus:

1. Los Angeles
2. Colorado
3. San Francisco
4. Arizona
5. San Francisco

Breakdown:

Rico Fantastic - 1. Los Angeles, 2. San Francisco, 3. Colorado, 4. Arizona, 5. San Diego
Red Rover - 1. Colorado, 2. Los Angeles, 3. San Francisco, 4. Arizona, 5. San Diego
Marion's Crackpipe - 1. Colorado, 2. Los Angeles, 3. San Francisco, 4. Arizona, 5. San Diego
Iafrate's Baldspot - 1. Los Angeles, 2. San Francisco, 3. Colorado, 4. Arizona, 5. San Diego

Comments:

The NL West is by far my favorite division in baseball. The presumed top three teams each can make  a legitimate claim as a World Series contender. Three of my favorite players in baseball play in this division: Pablo Sandoval, Matt Kemp, and Troy Tulowitzki. The best pitcher in the history of the world not named Brian Matusz is Clayton Kershaw. Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating. But the race for the NL West will be exciting. It will never outhype that lame Yankees-Red Sox-Rays thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if it came down to the final game of the year for the divisional crown.

Wild Card Picks

Rico Fantastic - New York (AL), San Francisco (NL)
Red Rover - Tampa Bay (AL), Philadelphia (NL)
Marion's Crackpipe - Tampa Bay (AL), Atlanta (NL)
Iafrate's Baldspot - Boston (AL), Chicago (NL)

World Series Picks

Rico Fantastic - Los Angeles Angels over Los Angeles Dodgers
Red Rover - Colorado Rockies over Tampa Bay Rays
Marion's Crackpipe - New York Yankees over Colorado Rockies
Iafrate's Baldspot - New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers

MVP Picks

Rico Fantastic - Alex Rodriguez, NYY (AL); Prince Fielder, MIL (NL)
Red Rover - Carl Crawford, TB (AL); Albert Pujols, STL (NL)
Marion's Crackpipe - Joe Mauer, MIN (AL); Albert Pujols, STL (NL)
Iafrate's Baldspot - Alex Rodriguez, NYY (AL); Ryan Howard, PHI (NL)

Cy Young Picks

Rico Fantastic - Felix Hernandez, SEA (AL); Clayton Kershaw, LAD (NL)
Red Rover - Brett Anderson, OAK (AL); Tim Lincecum, SF (NL)
Marion's Crackpipe - Felix Hernandez, SEA (AL); Roy Halladay, PHI (NL)
Iafrate's Baldspot - Jon Lester, BOS (AL); Roy Halladay, PHI (NL)

More Brutality: Nationals' Early Season Schedule

It looks like the O's aren't the only area team facing a ridiculously difficult stretch in the first month or so of the season. Dear Baseball Gods, what did we do to deserve this??

Will we be seeing Stephen Strasburg sooner than we thought?

Buster Olney reports (must be ESPN Insider to read full article) on the toughest NL schedules early on:

1. 1. Washington Nationals
   Home/away: 19 of their first 40 games are at home.
   Games against teams that finished over .500 in 2009: 31 of their first 40 games.
   Meat-grinder stuff: The Nationals will get challenged right from the start, with six of their first nine games against the Phillies, and starting on April 19, they play a stretch of 19 straight games against teams that contended last year. Maybe it would be good to call up Stephen Strasburg in May, to let him get his career started under a little less stress than he already is going to face.

Nat's and O's: punished for futility by not getting to play themselves since forever 1997!

FEROCIOUS Beltway Battle for Jesus Moniker?!

 Maybe not ferocious, but it'd be a lot cooler if it was.

DCLS favorite Matt Wieters a.k.a "Baseball Jesus" might have some competition across the beltway in Stephen Strasburg a.k.a..."Baseball Jesus"?

Tim Kurkjian reports:

"It's pretty funny,'' Strasburg said, "[Center fielder] Nyger Morgan called me 'Jesus.'''

It's unclear whether Strasburg will start the season in the minors, which was the original expectation, or if Nat's management might be tempted to give him a spot on the opening day roster.

What is clear, however, is that this nickname thing should sort itself out soon enough. The world - let alone the beltway - ain't big enough for two Jesuses. Or is it Jesusi? Jebuses?

I'll just stop.

Thomas Boswell Pulls a Not-So-Sweet 180 on the Nats

I would have written this a week ago, but my neck still hurts from the whiplash Thomas Boswell gave me. I posted about a month ago on how the Nats 8 game win streak was not meaningful, and used Boswell's article from August 12th as an example of idiotic homerism. The article's title and opening are even-handed, but Boswell quickly rides off the tracks in explaining how the Nats have a juggernaut offense, the pitching staff suddenly has a decent future once Strasburg is signed, and the team hasn't been that bad this year, just unlucky because it should have 7 more wins by its pythagorean record and thus only be the 3rd worst team in baseball. At the time of the article, the Nats were a scintillating 40-73 (.354).....well let's just throw them a freaking parade! Boswell just couldn't keep his Strasboner tucked-in his pants and wrote a series of articles on the Nats as the Post seemed to want to drive the Nats bandwagon.

On September 11th, however, Boswell wrote a piece about the Nats titled "Time to Make Most of This Horror Show." Quotes of his include:

"A horrible season is a terrible thing to waste." (2x)

"Even nice moments....shouldn't take the tension out of this franchise's neck."

"...let's go with an with an old DC standard for compliance: Trust but verify."

Ummm, this was 1 month after the bandwagon article, so something terrible must have happened right? Not really, the Nats record at the time of the new article? 48-92 (.343). If the Nats had managed 1 more win in that month, the winning percentages would be virtually identical. So the Nats continued on the course they had set for the entire season during this month and even signed Strasburg, but Boswell completely changed his tune and realized that a team on pace to lose 106 games is an abortion (one of the 5 worst teams in the NL in the past 40 years he conveniently mentions).

Yes, I admit that Zimmerman, Flores, Strasburg, Storen, and Willingham could all be on the Nats when they are playoff contenders and are good building blocks. The problem is that those 5 guys do not make anything special without a lot of help. Adam Dunn has been great, but is an aging slugger whose profile indicates that his decline will be soon and rapid. Cristian Guzman is 31, has already declined in the field, and can't be trusted to keep hitting like this. Nyjer Morgan had a great partial season with the Nats and seems like a rising star, but he's actually 29 (bet you didn't realize that), which in baseball terms is past his prime, so his glovework and hitting should only get worse, and his Nats performance seems like a fluke given his past. As far as the young guys go, the farm system is not a great source of hope, Ian Desmond and Chris Marrero don't look like anything special, Jordan Zimmermann looked like a player but just had major elbow surgery at a young age, and Drew Storen is pitching well, but is still just a reliever.

There are some good young players around (finally), and indications that the team will splash the cash in free agency, but by the time the pitching staff is even mediocore, the Nats will be down to Zimm, Flores, and Willingham from that 'juggernaut' offense, and that won't be enough to compete. I want to be hopeful, but I think this team is still a few years away barring some major free agent signings.

I generally like Boswell, and appreciate the level-headed stance he took about Strasburg, but that first article was a load of crap, and then to follow it up with this one and no explanation is just pathetic. I think my favorite quote of his from the 2nd article applies, "Misery focuses the mind wonderfully."

(Image courtesy of dcist.com)

This Just In....Oh, I Already Knew That....

Just finished the WaPo sports section and came across a funny little table that lists MLB team pitching statistics by team ERA, and well, whaddya know? The Nats are the worst staff in the NL, and O's are the 2nd worst in the AL, boy didn't see that coming.

Details on the Nats:
-2nd-to-last in strikeouts in the NL, ahead of only the Pirates.
-2nd-to-last in walks, only the Mets have issued more.

Orioles:
-Worst in the league in HRs surrendered, a whopping 11 ahead of the next-to-worst Angels.
-Worst in strikeouts.
-Last in the league in shutouts, with 2 on the year.

The Anchorman and the cavalry can't come soon enough.

(Image courtesy of cardboardkings.com)

Whew! That Was Close

The Nationals got it done, as 1st overall pick Stephen Strasburg agreed to terms at literally the 11th hour: 4 years, $15.67 million. The deadline was midnight last night.

The cash monies blew away the previous record contract doled out to a draft pick ($10.5 million for Mark Prior), and yet, Scott Boras is crying and stomping around his office like mommy wouldn't let him get rainbow sprinkles on his ice cream. Com-pro-mize?

And now, consider me a Nats fan. Where do I get my membership card?

Strasburg Offered Record Deal

The. Clock. Is. Ticking.

Very. Very. Fast.

The Sound of Nobody Cares

Listen:

Did you hear that?

Or that?

That's the sound the Nats 8 game winning streak made in the world, the sound of silence. When the worst team in baseball wins a few games late in the season for an apathetic fan base, does anyone care?

Well, actually, Thomas Boswell does. The article's title indicates that Boswell has deluded himself into thinking the Nat's don't suck, and well, that is what he thinks......maybe he can drive that bandwagon. He is absolutely correct in pointing out that Nats have actually been unlucky this year, according to their run differential/pythagorean record. So instead of having 40 wins, we should have 47 or 48.

Wait one more time, he actually thinks its a good thing that we should actually have 47 to 48 wins and be only the 3rd worst team in baseball?!? Wow, amazing, how much are season tickets again? Hey Boswell, I have a turd sandwich I can sell you that should taste better than it does, but actually tastes like poop.

He then goes on to point-out that we have a solid core group of hitters. This is reasonably true, we have 5 hitters having good seasons, but are actually 18th in runs scored, have an absolute abortion of a pitching staff, Jordan Zimmermann on the brink of Tommy John surgery, and not much young talent in the pipeline. I know Drew Storen tore through single-A, but whoopdee-doo, he is no sure thing and there is no depth around him, except for that guy you may have heard about named Strasburg.

So go and have your Strasboner dreaming about a rotation of The Anchorman, Drew Storen, and a healthy Jordan Zimmermann aided by the current lineup that will be boosted by Bryce Harper, but then I have a turd sandwich I can sell you.

By the way, 5 days until the deadline to sign Strasburg..........

(Image courtesy of DCSportsFan.wordpress.com)