SB Nation - Esmailyn Gonzalez

New York Times' Writer Michael S. Schmidt On Dominican Prospects And The Problems Facing MLB.

Ed Chigliak — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:30:30 -0000

More photos » by Luis Alvarez - AP

4 months ago: Nationals Park appears during a rain delay before the beginning of a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

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New York Times' writer Michael S. Schmidt escaped the confines of the Sports section with a front page-front page article in the Sunday New York Times entitled, "Dominicans Try Shots to Boost Rising Players", about the lengths Dominican handlers or "buscones" are going to give the players under their guidance an advantage in their attempts to land a deal with Major League Baseball, "...that could yield signing bonuses of $10,000 to $3 million, of which the handlers receive 10 percent to 50 percent."

Mr. Schmidt reports in the article that the handlers, "...make no secret," of the fact they are giving the players, "...injections of over-the-counter vitamins and painkillers...several times a week as they prepare for a chance to play Major League baseball," but , "Major League officials," according to Mr. Schmidt, are now saying:

"...they (believe) the financial enticement, combined with a culture ingrained with the notion that shots can improve performance, help(s) explain why Dominicans test positive for banned substances at a far greater rate than players from anywhere else."

What caught my attention, however, in what is really a disturbing article, is a paragraph late in the piece that immediately brought me back to last winter...

(cont.)...

What caught my attention, however, in what is really a disturbing article, is a paragraph late in the piece that immediately brought me back to last winter...when DC infield prospect Esmailyn "Smiley" Gonzalez made national headlines, not because he was named the 10th best prospect in the Nationals' organization in 2008 by Baseball America, or because he took the '08 Gulf Coast League batting title, but because he was caught up in another situation that's causing MLB to take a hard look at how Dominican prospects are being handled, as Mr. Schmidt writes:

"Over the past three years, the handlers said, major league teams have become more interested in signing players at 15 1/2, the minimum age under Dominican law. They said that has prompted them to start giving young players injections and to make their training more strenuous. The handlers said that they now seek 11- and 12-year-olds and try to project how good they will be when they are 15 1/2, and that this has encouraged others to lie about their players’ ages.

"'It has forced guys that have a really good 19-year-old to present him as a 16-year-old; that’s if they don’t do the legal thing,' said Geovanny Blan Veras, who handles two pitchers."

Esmailyn Gonzalez, who had signed with DC as a 16-year-old prospect and would then have been 19 when he was named the 10th best prospect in DC's system, was, of course, revealed to Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, a 23-year-old infielder who had in fact lied about his age to earn a $1.4 million dollar signing bonus from the Nationals, who were then forced to embarrassedly admit that they had been duped, setting off a chain of events that indirecty, but eventually, led to the resignation of then-Washington Nationals' GM Jim Bowden. Luckily, the Nationals aren't mentioned in Mr. Schmidt's article...It is, however, a must read...

• "Dominican Baseball Handlers Stir Issues of Exploiting Youths" - Michael S. Schmidt -NYTimes.com

"In the Dominican Republic, boys are routinely receiving injections of over-the-counter vitamins and painkillers."

31 Largest Latin American Signing Bonuses of All Time

Patrick Clark — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:39:07 -0000

The Twins signed Dominican SS prospect Miguel Sano to a $3.15 million bonus last week; I'm not sure what's happening with Wagner Mateo, who's $3.1 million deal was recently voided by the Cardinals, but it seems like Sano will be the last member of the 2009 July 2 class to receive a seven-figure bonus. A current list of Latin American amateurs to sign million dollar deals follows after the jump.*

I'm posting it because I couldn't find anything this complete elsewhere, and in general, we need better information on Latin American baseball. That said, the data doesn't tell us much. The July 2 mega-bonus is a new development—I count only six seven-figure bonuses before 2005—and the process of scouting Latin America talent has evolved pretty rapidly.

It's worth noting that we probably shouldn't use these figures to compare Latin prospects to Rule 4 draftees, who are generally two to five years older at signing, and are not afforded the luxury of negotiating as free agents. If you think that Sano would have gotten $3.15 million if his rights were controlled by one team, you haven't read Dejan Kovacevic's excellent, revelatory account of the Sano signing.

Also note that I've excluded Cubans, who have generally played professionally in Cuba before signing with MLB clubs, and who are generally older than the July 2 prospects.

Michael Ynoa, 16, RHP, 2008, Athletics, D.R., $4,250,000
Miguel Sano, 16, SS, 2009, Twins, D.R., $3,150,000
Gary Sanchez, 16, C, 2009, Yankees, D.R., $3,000,000
Rafael Rodriguez, 16, OF, 2008, Giants, D.R., $2,550,000
Yorman Rodriguez, 16, OF, 2008, Reds, VZA, $2,500,000
Wily Mo Peña, 17, OF, 1999, Yankees, D.R., $2,440,000
Joel Guzman, 16, SS, 2001, Dodgers, D.R., $2,255,000
Angel Villalona, 16, 3B, 2006, Giants, D.R., $2,100,00
Juan Duran, 16, OF, 2008, Reds, D.R., $2,000,000
Adys Portillo, 16, RHP, 2008, Padres, VZA, $2,000,000
Guillermo Pimental, 16, CF, 2009, Mariners, D.R., $2,000,000
Jose Vincio, 16, SS, 2009, Red Sox, D.R., $1,950,000
Miguel Cabrera, 16, IF, 1999, Marlins, VZA, $1,800,000
Jesus Montero, 16, C, 2006, Yankees, VZA, $1,650,000
Jackson Melian, 16, OF, 1996, Yankees, VZA, $1,600,000
Jurickson Profar, 16, SS, 2009, Rangers, Curaçao, $1,550,000
Ricardo Aramboles, 16, RHP, 1998, Yankees, D.R., $1,520,000
Luis Sardinas, 16, SS, 2009, Rangers, VZA, 1,500,000
Michael Almanzar, 16, SS, 2007, Red Sox, D.R., $1,500,000
Esmailyn Gonzalez, 16, SS, 2006, Nationals, D.R., $1,400,000
Fernando Martinez, 16, OF, 2005, Mets, D.R., $1,400,000
Willy Aybar, 16, IF, 2000, Dodgers, D.R., $1,400,000
Carlos Triunfel, 16, SS, 2006, Mariners, D.R., $1,300,000
Luis Domoromo, 16, OF, 2008, Padres, VZA, $1,250,000
Juan Urbina, 16, LHP, 2009, Mets, VZA, $1,250,000
Chesler Cuthbert, 16, 3B, 2009, Royals, Nicaragua, $1,200,000
Roberto De la Cruz, 16, 3B, 2008, Cardinals, D.R., $1,100,000
Julio Morban, 16, OF, 2008, Mariners, D.R., $1,100,000
Kelvin De Leon, 16, OF, 2007, Yankees, D.R., $1,100,000
Alvaro Aristy, 17, SS, 2008, Padres, D.R., $1,000,000
Jharmidy De Jesus, 17, SS, 2007, Mariners, D.R., $1,000,000

*If I'm missing any, or if you spot any inaccuracies, please let me know.

Stan Kasten On The Washington Nationals, DC GM Mike Rizzo On The Manager Search. PLUS: Top 10 Prospect Reports.

Ed Chigliak — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:09:30 -0000

More photos » by Charles Dharapak - AP

4 months ago: Pitcher Stephen Strasburg, left, the No. 1 overall draft pick in the baseball draft, holds up a Washington Nationals baseball team jersey with third baseman Ryan Zimmerman during a news conference at Nationals Park in Washington, on Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. Looking on are Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, second right, and team president Stan Kasten. Strasburg signed a record-breaking contract for a draft pick on Monday, Aug. 17, a guaranteed $15.1 million over four years. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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• After SI.com's Jon Heyman started the week with more speculation about the future of the Nationals' Interim Manager Jim Riggleman by writing, in an article entitled, "'Not So Amazins' lead all bust list", that, "While the Nationals have played better under interim manager Jim Riggleman, it's expected that they'll choose someone else as manager for next year," DC GM Mike Rizzo ended the first week of September with a quote in an article by CBS Sports.com's Scott Miller entitled, "Different situations but 'interim' tag won't leave Riggleman", in which Mr. Rizzo gives what Mr. Miller calls a "thumbnail sketch (of) what he's looking for in a manager," describing a skipper who is an, "Experienced teacher...":

"...I want a guy who instills some discipline and fundamentals. The guy has to be respected in this clubhouse and around baseball. Someone who knows the Xs and Os of the game."

While that may sound to some like a description of Jim Riggleman, Mr. Rizzo reminds everyone, later in CBS Sports' Scott Miller's article, as the Nationals have at every opportunity since Manny Acta's dismissal, that the team will go through an exhaustive search before settling on the best possible candidate for the team's manager job. Mr. Miller asks if the Nationals are planning on pursuing a marquee name for the position? Mr. Rizzo's response:

"'If it's marquee, fine. And if it's a hidden gem that only we know about, that's fine, too. Nobody knew Don Wakamatsu before Seattle hired him this year, and look at the job he's done. We're going to get the best fit we can for the organization to take us into the future."

Ewww, had to mention Wakamatsu? Sorry, Mr. Riggleman.

BACKPAGE:

Stan Kasten - The Reuters Article.

Top 10 Prospects: 2009 Returns.

Continued After The JUMP...

• Stan Kasten - The Reuters Article.

Washington Nationals' team President Stan Kasten tells Reuters' writer Steve Ginsburg, in an article entitled, "Fans grow tired of seeing Washington lose", that he understands why the nation's capital's fans have not turned out en masse to support the Nationals:

"The product on the field is not where we want it. Fans get that. Even if they appreciate your long-term vision, a lot of fans say: 'Okay, when it gets here, we'll come back'."

The Nationals' Face of the Franchise, Ryan Zimmerman is quoted in the article as well, explaining that he understands the relative apathy that has followed the initial excitement of baseball's return to DC and the opening of the new stadium, and it's really quite simple, "'If I was a fan, I'd want to watch a team that wins.'" Mr. Kasten is sure that things will turn around when the product on the field improves, showing faith in the DC fans, who have themselves shown a willingness to support successful teams in the area, "This will be an enormous marquee franchise once we do our job on the field."

Top 10 Prospects: 2009 Returns.

On January 6, 2009, Baseball America writer Aaron Fitt published the '09 version of his list of the Washington Nationals' Top 10 Prospects, which included 6 players who were not in the previous year's Top 10, 3 of whom came from the Nationals' 2008 Draft Class. Before the season was over, one of the top ten prospects would be recovering from Tommy John surgery, one would be recovering from an idenitity scandal and the other eight would be spread all over the East Coast playing their way through Washington's system. With Minor League seasons coming to an end at all levels, I thought we'd take a quick look at what each of the prospects included on Mr. Fitt's list had accomplished in 2009...(ed. note - "All stats as of 9/2/09.")

10) Esmailyn Gonzalez (aka Carlos Alvarez):

'09 Stats - DSL Nationals - 63 G, 232 AB's, 36 R, 65 H, 15 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI's, 49 BB, 30 K's, 5 SB, 6 CS, .423 OBP, .427 SLG, .850 OPS.

I found these stats on Baseball America's Dominican Summer League stats page. Esmailyn "Smiley" Gonzalez was of course revealed this winter to be Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, a 23-year-old impersonating a 19-year-old prospect, who had fooled not only the Washington Nationals, (who signed the prospect then known as "Smiley", with much fanfare, to a $1.4M signing bonus in 2006), but also Major League Baseball, who vetted the amateur prospect before the Nats awarded the shortstop the biggest bonus the team had ever given to an international prospect. No word on what if any future the young infielder has with the franchise.

9) J.P. Ramirez: OF

'09 Stats - Vermont Lake Monsters (Rk) - 69 G, 281 AB's, 33 R, 75 H, 17 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI's, 13 BB, 42 K's, 6 SB, 9 CS, .308 OBP, .413 SLG, .721 OPS.

After playing 5 games with the Gulf Coast Nationals in 2008, J.P. Ramirez, 19, the Nationals' 15th round pick in 2008, started the 2009 season with the Vermont Lake Monsters in the NY/Penn League, hitting .304 with 3 doubles and 7 RBI's in June and then collecting 13 doubles, 4 triples, 4 HR's and 28 RBI's in 55 games in July/August. So far in September, Ramirez is 7 for 12 in 3 games. Throughout his first full professional season, Ramirez has kept up a blog in some newspapers around him hometown in New Braufels, Texas. Here are a few entries:

• J.P. Ramirez's Minor League Diary: May 17, 2009 - mysanantonio.com

"I can’t think much about getting the call, and it’s hard to gauge. Our general manager, Jim Bowden, resigned in March and he’s pretty much the one who makes all those decisions. He was the one who signed me. "(Acting general manager Mike Rizzo) is here now, so my fate’s up to him."

• J.P. Ramirez's minor league diary: July 12, 2009 - mysanantonio.com

"In my first game for Vermont, more than 5,000 people were there. At first, I was really nervous. Once I got on the field and looked around, my heart rate was really high. Once the game started, I didn't even notice the fans."

• J.P. Ramirez's Minor League Diary: Aug. 16, 2009 -www.sacultura.com

"You get used to the buses. We have TVs on, and I have my own row, so I end up getting some sleep. The games we play the day after trips like this are pretty rough, but that’s part of life in the minors. Everybody has to deal with it, and the minor leagues are all about testing yourself mentally."

Up Next:

8) Adrian Nieto - C...

Pardon The Blunt Assessment: Tony Kornheiser On The Washington Nationals.

Ed Chigliak — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:30:47 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

8 months ago: Washington Nationals' Adam Dunn sits on the bench after a baseball game with the Philadelphia Phillies in Washington Monday, April 13, 2009. Phillies won 9-8.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Never one to hold back when asked his opinion, Tony Kornheiser let loose on the Washington Nationals in a "Talking Points" video interview with the Washington Post which was conducted while the Nationals played their home opener with the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday. The "high"-lights:

Tony Kornheiser on your Washington Nationals:

- "They're terrible, now they were losing when we went up to do PTI, they may have won by now, but they stink..."

- "They had a terrible clown of General Manager for the past four years, now they fired him...No, he was terrible, it's not that I didn't like him, he was terrible...and they've gotten progressively worse as a team under his auspices...They finally fired him because of a scandal(1), which they thought was a kickback scandal, right? With this guy who had the wrong age...?

- "Now, their leader is Stan Kasten...Everybody loves Stan Kasten like everybody loves Jim Bowden...Why? Because if you call him he'll call you back, he'll come to your house, he'll tell you all about the team...and in Kasten's case they'll say well look what he did in Atlanta? Well that was in Atlanta, what is he doing here?

- "...If you look at the standings today...there were no other teams that were 0 for the season, except the Washington Nationals...They didn't sell out their home opener,(2) at least they didn't 24 hours before the home opener...and they're certainly not going to sell out their game tomorrow afternoon or tomorrow evening..."

- "At the moment baseball in Washington is a disaster. At the moment It looks like the stadium was built in the wrong place...which some of us thought to begin with..."(3)

- "The team is dreadful, the attendance is average, it's sort of an average attendance, ...it's not going to get better this year, because there's not a lot money out there this year..."(4)

- "And you say, well 'Why didn't they support a team, they didn't have a team for 40 years...?' Well you know what happens in 40 years, you learn to live without a team..."

- "I heard Kasten on the radio today saying that building a baseball team takes a very long time...and i grant you it, if you're not the Yankees, it does take a very long time, but this is year five and they've made no progress, so what is a long time? Is it 40 years, is it 40 'til they contend, is it ten, is it twelve, is it at six?

- "Are they gonna fire Manny Acta?(5)...What's he doing right? I'm not advocating that, I don't know the guy..."

- "How are you going to sell this team to Washington...is this you're marketing, 'We haven't had a team in 40 years so it's ok that we stink?'"

- "You can market a stinking team in Chicago or Boston cause you've built up a fanbase over a hundred years...There is no fanbase here."

- "This notion that we've got a new ballpark and we've got a new team and everybody has to support it...Why?"

Notes:

(1) - The scandal, also known as SMILEYGATE, didn't directly lead to The Former Nationals' GM's firing...but ok...I get the point of what Mr. Kornheiser's saying.

(2) - Acc. to MLB.com's box score from yesterday's game, the official attendance at the DC Home Opener was 40,386...Nationals Park's capacity = 41,488. Is that close enough to get called a "sell-out"?

(3) - A Washington Post article entitled by Dana Hedgpeth and David Nakamura entitled, "At Nationals Park, District of Dreams Hits A Slump" is referenced here...(ed. note - "You'll need an account with the Washington Post to read this article, but it's free to set one up...so just do it...")

(4) - Acc. to ESPN.com's 2009 attendance totals: (Of the team's that played their home openers yesterday, Capacity #'s from Google)....

Los Angeles Dodgers - 57, 099. (capacity - 56,000)
New York Mets - 41,007. (capacity - 45,000)
Washington Nationals - 40, 386. (capacity - 41,488)
Chicago Cubs - 40, 077. (capacity - 41,118)
Pittsburgh Pirates - 38, 411. (capacity - 38,496)
Tampa Bay Rays - 36, 973. (capacity - 36,973)

(5) - Manny Acta shared his thoughts on his own job security with Washington Post writer Chico Harlan for a Nationals Journal post this morning entitled, "Morning Reading".

(ed. note - "Mr. Kornheiser isn't saying anything that hasn't been said on every Washington Nationals blog and by every writer covering the team, but it's also hard to argue with anything he's saying...not living in DC myself, I can't speak to the whole real estate situation around Nationals Park, I just simply don't know the history of the region, or what was promised when they originally planned the park and surrounding area...but it doesn't look like an awful lot has changed since I first came to the park on Opening Night last March...is it naive of me to think the area should have built up around the park by now? Mr. Kornheiser doesn't mention what Mr. Kasten and "Acting" GM Mike Rizzo have done to rebuild the system, granted he's only talking about the Nationals and their relation to DC, but to be fair to the Nationals, having been an Expos' fan, I am more excited about the players coming out of the system now than I've been since Javier Vazquez and Tony Armas first surfaced with Montreal...What do you think? If you're reading this, aren't you a part of a "fanbase"? Are you surprised that the Nationals have not been accepted by the fans in the nation's capital? I don't think the blame can be placed solely on Manny Acta, and I think it would be a HUGE mistake to fire him...Is another Manager going to turn this team into a contender? Acta's decisions have come under some scrutiny recently...How would you assess his tenure thus far? I asked this question yesterday and I'll ask it again...")

Is baseball 0-3 in Washington, DC?

Nationals Beat Orioles. 5-4 Final. PLUS: The Washington Nationals' Winter: A Look Back.

Ed Chigliak — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 01:14:41 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

8 months ago: Washington Nationals pitcher Joel Hanrahan throws in the ninth inning of an exhibition baseball game with the Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park in Washington, Saturday, April 4, 2009. Nationals won 5-4.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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If you missed last night's game, check out the Game Thread to read what the DC Faithful saw in the Nationals' win...

Line of the Day: LOUtheMETSfan...after Mike Hinckley allows three straight singles and the O's tie the game at 4-4...

LOUtheMETSfan: "We've been WoodHincked©!!"

The Washington Nationals - (September 28, 2008 - April 6, 2009) (ed. note - "In case you were off watching football or something...")

What Was The Biggest Story Of The Washington Nationals' Offseason?

Mark Teixeira Turns Nationals Down...

10 votes

Esmailyn "Smiley" Gonzalez's True Identity Revealed...

27 votes

Jim Bowden Resigns As DC GM...

49 votes

Jordan Zimmermann And Shairon Martis Make Rotation...

6 votes

Adam Dunn Signs With DC...

26 votes

The Washington Nationals And Stephen Strasburg Start To Dance...

7 votes

125 votes | Poll has closed

Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll's Team Health Reports: Washington Nationals.

Ed Chigliak — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:17:10 -0000

When Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll published the Washington Nationals edition of his yearly Team Health Reports* back in early February, I was traveling between DC and New Jersey and I missed the opportunity to send some questions his way, but with the recent string of injuries once again affecting the Nationals' roster, I thought I'd see if Mr. Carroll would still be willing to answer a few questions, and he was...

(ed. note - " * = You'll need a subscription to Baseball Prospectus to read the full Nationals' Team Health Report by Mr. Carroll.")

1) How does sudden aging affect a prospects' health report? (Alright that's a joke.)

Ha, joke yes, but age isn't as much of a factor as most think. Conditioning and the response to aging is more important. 23 or 19 isn't as significant as 33, but while "old" or "young" teams often get thought of as more or less injury prone depending on who you speak with, it's really not the case.

2) Should DC fans be worried about Elijah Dukes' multiple leg injuries last season?

Worried, yes, but not so much so that you're not sleeping well. Dukes hasn't shown that he can stay healthy, but given all the focus on his off-field issues, is the fact that we're talking about sprains and strains a positive? I think Dukes is a fourth OF, maybe a DH and if he could be pushed to that role, he's more likely to be productive.

3) Ryan Zimmerman seemed to be missing some pop after suffering a labrum/shoulder injury last year, will the power return?

Good question. Was it the shoulder or something else? I think it was and that it was probably worse than we thought when you factor in park factors. He's going to have to find that power quickly or Kevin Goldstein's assertion** that he's the most overrated player in baseball might hold up.

4) You gave Shawn Hill a Red Light warning and he's already been back to Dr. Andrews this Spring, would a new role or a new delivery make a difference?

At this stage, no. It looks like the damage is already done. If he's able to come back -- and there's some precedent for this in Jon Rauch -- then maybe he can stay healthy, but there's really no reason to believe it so.

5) Does Jesus Flores' shoulder strain change his status as, (as you wrote), "one of the few green-rated catchers around?"

No, it's risk and probability not certainty. People win the lottery and that's not probable. Even though he's green-lit doesn't mean he's bulletproof.

(ed. note - "Thanks, Mr. Carroll.")

(ed. note - "Baseball Prospectus' writer Kevin Goldstein's quote about Ryan Zimmerman is from an article, (which you'll need a subscription to Baseball Prospectus to read in its entirety), entitled, "Future Shocks: Nationals Top 11 Prospects", where Mr. Goldstein lists Zimmerman 2nd on a list of the, "Top 10 Talents 25 and Under (as of Opening Day 2009)" in DC, with the caveat):

"The much-touted third baseman has become one of the more overrated players in the game, and is now just the best player on a very bad team, an outstanding defensive player with a career OPS just above 800—and that's just not a star."

STRASBURG FILES...

Both sdsuaztec4, our resident Stephen Strasburg scout, and ROSCEtheNATSfan, a frequent Federal Baseball commenter, pointed to an article by ESPN.com's Buster Olney yesterday entitled, "Is Strasburg The Best Prospect Ever?", where Mr. Olney looks for holes in Strasburg's game while questioning someone he refers to simply as "a longtime scout", who'll have none of it, assuring Mr. Olney when asked just how good Strasburg is, that San Diego State University's starter is:

"'The best I've ever seen...And it's not even close.'"

But Mr. Olney injects some reality into the discussion for anyone thinking it'll be easy for the Washington Nationals to select and sign Strasburg, noting that Strasburg is, "...represented by Scott Boras, who has been known to hold out players for months, for years, in his effort to get his clients what he deems to be a fair market value." Mr. Olney then goes on to list six reasons why the Nationals need to sign Strasburg, and by the time your hear about Aaron Crow, Esmailyn Gonzalez and Jim Bowden again, you'll be ready to watch our favorite Strasburg video, which is linked at the end of the article.

GAME THREAD: New York vs Washington: Space Coast Stadium, Viera Florida...

Jordan Zimmermann's turn on the mound, against the New York Mets, who counter with righty John Maine. Zimmermann had 3 K's in 3.0 scoreless and hitless when he faced the Mets last Wednesday, starting opposite Mike Pelfrey, and the 22-year-old right-hander will probably face an equally-make-shift Mets' roster in this afternoon's tilt.

Last night the Nationals exploded for 8 runs on 14 hits, a double, a triple and 2 HR's,

as they beat the Houston Astros 8-6. Austin Kearns doubled and homered, with a three-run blast in the first. Nick Johnson, Corey Patterson and Ryan Zimmerman each knocked in runs, but it was Brad Eldred, who came up in a tie game, in extra innings, with 1 on and 1 out, and ended it with a walkoff blast in the bottom of the tenth. What will happen today?

Today's game gets underway at 1:05 pm EST...Who's Listening To The Nationals?

Following The Washington Nationals Wherever They Are...

Ed Chigliak — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:41:57 -0000

YESTERDAY...

Where In the World Are the Washington Nationals?

The Nationals are everywhere. Florida, Canada, Puerto Rico. Spring Training. The WBC. And everywhere they were, they won...

...In Port St. Lucie, Florida, at Tradition Field against New York's Hated Mets, Washington got home runs from Leonard Davis and Joel "The Other" Guzman, doubles from catcher Luke Montz and outfielder Jorge Padilla and RBI's from six different players in a 7-5 win. The Nationals' pitchers held the Mets off all day, preserving the lead for Scott Olsen, who earned the win in spite of allowing 6 hits, 2 walks and 2 ER's in 3.0 innings of work. The two teams meet again today, this time in Space Coast Stadium, with the Former Mr. National Himself, Livan Hernandez on the hill in a Mets' cap against DC's new favorite pitcher, John "Cool Hand" Lannan.

...In Pool C play in the WBC, in front of 42,314 fans, in the Rogers Centre, in Toronto, Canada, the US team got HR's from DC's Adam Dunn, the Sox' Kevin Youkilis and the Braves' backstop Brian McCann, and used six relievers after starter Jake Peavy's 3.0 innings of work to hold off a Canadian team that came within a run with a ninth inning rally off new Mets' set-up man J.J. Putz. Russell Martin and Joey Votto provided most of the offense for Canada, with the Reds' Votto 4 for 5 with a two-run blast off of Peavy, and the Dodgers' Martin 2 for 4 with a blast off the Angels' Scot Shields. Nationals' closer "Wild" Joel Hanrahan gave up a hit, a walk and a run while striking out two in 1.0 inning of work, pitching himself out of a jam to keep the US lead in tact.

...In WBC Pool D play, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, another Nationals' reliever, Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera struck out one batter and got two ground balls in the eighth and final inning of Puerto Rico's 7-0 win over Panama. Hated Mets' first baseman Carlos Delgado's solo shot in the second and the still-unsigned Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez's two home runs were all the offense the Puerto Rican team needed to make starter Javier Vazquez's 4.1 scoreless hold up.

TODAY in SPACE COAST...

John Lannan starts for DC at 1:05 pm EST in Space Coast Stadium against New York's Hated Mets, who counter with soft-tossing right-hander Livan Hernandez. Lannan threw two scoreless and held Houston hitless in his first appearance of '09, and then upped it to 3.0 innings against the Italians his second time out. Hernandez threw two scoreless in a start in his debut, but gave up 5 hits and 3 runs in a relief appearance last Wednesday against the same Nationals he faces today.

GM SEARCH UPDATE...

FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reported on Friday, in a section of an article entitled, "This could be the beginning of A-Rod's breakdown" which was subtitled, "Shocker coming in DC?" that "one executive who knows" Nationals' Team President Stan Kasten, "...expects Kasten's choice of GM to be a surprise,":

"'Not a young up and comer...nor former Rays GM Chuck Lamar, who worked under Kasten with the Braves. Perhaps someone like former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker, now with the Rays, would qualify.'"

Or perhaps, "Former Rangers GM John Hart", but, "...some in the industry doubt that he is interested in the position." So you still don't think it's just going to go to Mike Rizzo?

Oh...Vladimir Guerrero got caught lying about his age...so I guess Montreal got tricked too, back in the day...

Esmailyn "Smiley" Gonzalez was hardly the first player to lie about his age. Vladimir Guerrero might be the first player to forget to lie about his age. According to Yahoo! Sports writer Tim Brown, who quotes Guerrero in an article entitled, "Angels' Guerrero is a year older than listed", the thought-to-be-33-year-old Guerrero told a reporter, through a translator, that his surgically repaired knee was fine, or as Guerrero put it:

"'I feel good. I can’t say [like] 25, because, you know, I’m 34. But I feel a lot better. That’s where I’m at right now.'”

Oops.

?'s For the DC Faithful...

Who's Watching/Listening to/Following today's game against the New York Mets? We are! Federal Baseball.com's going to attempt to put up the second live blog of the weekend with Doghouse reporting live from Space Coast Stadium and providing pics from the game, and me, e chigliak collecting and sorting it all into a live post that I'll update throughout the game. Who knows what we'll end up with...? 1:05 pm EST from Florida? Who's Watching The Nationals???

"I've Become A Distraction." - Jim Bowden Resigns As The Washington Nationals' GM.

Ed Chigliak — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:33:09 -0000

Washington Nationals' General Manager Jim Bowden did not want to go. Mr. Bowden, in a public statement this morning about his resignation as the Washington Nationals' General Manager, (as recorded in Washington Post writer Chico Harlan's Nationals Journal post entitled, "Bowden Statement"), told the baseball world, that in his opinion:

"'My resignation is based upon my realization that my ability to properly represent the Washington Nationals has been compromised because of false allegations contained in the press. I am disappointed by the media reports regarding investigations into any of my professional activities. There have been no charges made, and there has been no indication that parties have found any wrongdoing on my part...'"

But Mr. Bowden did resign this morning, ending his tenure as the Washington Nationals' first General Manager by summing up the situation with the words, "I've become a distraction." The revelations of the expansion of a federal investigation into Mr. Bowden's "involvement" (as yet undisclosed) in the "skimming" of signing bonuses given to Latin American prospects, as reported by SI.com writer Melissa Segura in an article entitled, "Feds expanding probe of longtime GM Bowden for bonus skimming", followed close on the heels of the disclosure (in another article by SI.com's Melissa Segura entitled, "Nationals prospect falsified indentity") of the real identity of the Nationals' prospect fomerly known as Esmailyn "Smiley" Gonzalez, who was also revealed to be four years older than had been believed when he'd originally been signed by the Nationals (with much fanfare) to a $1.4M signing bonus back in 2006.

Last night, Washington Post writer Chico Harlan had noted Mr. Bowden's absence from the Nationals' Spring Training game against St. Louis on Saturday in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "Bowden Saga Continues", where Mr. Harlan wrote that Mr. Bowden was, as of that moment, "..still responsible for at least minor decisions," but, "Less clear, though, is whether Bowden would be authorized to make major trades...," which, following on a week's worth of speculation about a possible replacement, seemed to foreshadow this morning's events.

Still, Mr. Bowden remained defiant, even in announcing his resignation, challenging further the reports that he believes led to his dismissal in his farewell statement this morning, as quoted, again, in the Washington Post's Chico Harlan's, "Bowden Statement":

"I will also carry with me the cold hard realization that my life has been turned upside down by a news media that prints entire stories attributed solely to anonymous sources who refuse to be identified and who are free to allege anything they choose for any purpose without fear of retribution."

(ed. note - "Or more, 'ed. rant' - The 'baseball source' or the 'unnamed source' or the 'source familiar with the team's thinking, but unable to comment because of their proximity to the situation', has long been the norm in sports (really all) reporting, and the ability to determine whether or not what one's reading is in fact, well, 'fact', or if it's someone with an agenda strategically leaking the information they're providing, has become increasingly difficult, and has led to the credibility of many a writer being questioned, as Mr. Bowden does here generally, but the abililty to protect one's sources is a necessary right of the press...is it not? Though it must feel Josef K'ish to be on the receiving end of this sort of coverage...")

Whatever the reason for Mr. Bowden's departure, it is now official, and the next step is to hire a replacement. Washington Team President Stan Kasten, who had taken over as the public face of the Nationals in light of the recent reports, when asked about who would become the second GM in Nationals' history, told MLB.com's Bill Ladson, as quoted in Mr. Ladson's article entitled, "Nats general manager resigns", "I assure you we will not miss a beat. We have a really deep staff here," but the announcement might not come for several days according to Mr. Kasten, who continued:

"'Today, I just want to talk about Jim and all he accomplished,' Kasten said. 'I can tell you that we are not missing a beat. Our staff has a meeting tomorrow morning -- first thing. I'm not going to say anything to you about the next steps for a while. There is a reason for that. It would be unwise to speculate or guess what's going on. I have some things I'm working on and things I have to think about.'"

The speculation, here and elsewhere in the press, has been that either Assistant GM Mike Rizzo, who made a dramatic (and well-documented) trip to the Dominican Republic last week to restructure the Nationals' operations in the DR, or Toronto Blue Jays' Assistant GM Tony LaCava, who would be considered for any open GM job these days, would replace Mr. Bowden should he eventually be forced to resign, but Washington Post writer Chico Harlan, (ed. note - "Who has been ALL OVER this coverage!") placed a call to his contacts in the Blue Jays' organization, and reported in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "No Request Yet To Interview LaCava", that, well, the title says it all, right?...Mr. Kasten's quoted by Mr. Harlan stating, "'I'm not going to have anything to say to you about next steps for a while -- later in the week...'"

So the speculation now turns from, "Will Bowden Go?" to "Who will be chosen to replace the only GM the Nationals have ever known?" History will have to judge the legacy Mr. Bowden left behind...Whether the draft picks, trades, signings and releases he made during his tenure will positively impact the future of the franchise, or leave it once again in need of rebuilding...either way, it's yet again the beginning of another new era in the history of the Montreal Expos, er, uh, Washington Nationals.

Around the Natosphere:

Nationals Farm Authority, "Time To Turn The Page"

Fire Jim Bowden, "BOWDEN RESIGNS!" (ed. note - "Q: Does resigning count, Steven?")

Kristen at We've Got Heart, "Jim Bowden Resigns"

YardYoder at "TheNatsBlog", "FFFREEEEEEEDDDDOOOM" (ed. note - "I think I spelled the title right?")

Nats320, "Jim Bowden's Resignation Statement"

For Any Nationals' Fans Who've Just Woken From Your Winter Slumber, Here's How The Story's Been Followed Here At Federalbaseball.com:

"Washington Nationals' Prospect 'Smiley' Gonzalez is a Fraud; Who is to Blame?" - Nats New Network

"The Washington Nationals' Prospect Formerly Known As Esmailyn 'Smiley' Gonzalez" - e chigliak

"DC GM Jim Bowden Under Investigation?"...Can Someone Please Rescue The Washington Nationals?" - e chigliak

"Washington Nationals' Crisis: The Last Hours Of The Jim Bowden Era In Washington, DC?" - e chigliak

"Rumors: Washington Nationals Consider Options If Bowden Departs" - e chigliak

"Washington Nationals To Oust Jose Rijo, Who's Next?" - Nats News Network

"A Special Comment On The Washington Nationals" - e chigliak

And For Anyone Who Discovers Federalbaseball.com And The SBN For The First Time Because Of This Story, Why Not Get To Know Us?

"Federal Baseball.com: An Unofficial Washington Nationals Blog: Reintroduction And Primer." - e chigliak

Poll

Who Will Be The Washington Nationals' Next GM?

Mike Rizzo?

77 votes

Tony LaCava?

37 votes

114 votes | Poll has closed

Spring Training: Game 5 Game Thread: Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles.

Ed Chigliak — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:44:36 -0000

Spring Training Game 4: Nationals 2 Cardinals 9

GAME REPORT:

The reviews are in on DC's Own DC, Daniel Cabrera's first start in a curly-W, and they're not glowing...Here's Cabrera's line:

D. Cabrera - 2.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K's, 10 BF, 4 GO, 1 FO.

Washington Post writer Chico Harlan starts a post at the Nationals Journal entitled, "The Line on Cabrera", by writing, "Daniel Cabrera was getting the ball over the plate. And given Cabrera's penchant for wildness, that was a good sign. At least until the Cardinals swung at those pitches." Washington Times' writer Mark Zuckerman went with, "Cabrera...actually found too much of the plate," and Cabrera threw, according to Mr. Zuckerman, "...22 of his 34 pitches for strikes."

MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports, however, in an article entitled, "Nats have tough day on mound", that the Nationals' Manager Manny Acta, was pleased with what he saw out of the 6'7'', 27-year-old right-hander, telling Mr. Ladson:

"He was aggressive. He threw strikes," Acta said. "He was able to get out of [jams] with the help of our defense. He actually threw seven out of 10 first-pitch strikes. The knock on him are the walks. He probably had the best control of all the guys we threw out there today. We like what we saw."

The fact that Cabrera faced ten batters, and didn't walk anyone, as Mr. Acta notes, or strike anyone out, and had all ten batters connect, 4 on ground outs, 1 on a fly ball out and 4 for hits, (+1 on an error on a grounder = 10), including three straight hits in the first...ahh, it was the first start, with what is probably the 100th variation of his delivery that Cabrera's tried during his time in the Majors, none of which have yet harnessed his unmistakeable potential...(ed. note - "That's just really a guess, I didn't count the number of iterations Cabrera's delivery's gone through with different pitching coaches over the years...")...(ed. note - "Can I get away with 'iterations' there?)

But, I just can't help thinking back to Baseball Prospectus' Eric Seidman's article** from early February entitled, "Risking Daniel", in which Mr. Seidman noted that, "In the final three months of the ('08) season, Cabrera's velocity and movement fell into oblivion," and with Cabrera, "...throwing close to 80 percent fastballs...hitters don't have to think much," so the hitters, according to Mr. Seidman"...simply stopped swinging at pitches out of the zone, necessitating a higher frequency of pitches inside the strike zone,"...at a decreased velocity, with less movement, someone get a radar gun...?

Will Daniel Cabrera figure it out? Can Randy St. Claire solve another mystery? 6'7'' doesn't seem so big after Jon Rauch...The quotes from Mr. Harlan and Mr. Zuckerman about Cabrera, when combined with Mr. Seidman's observations, make me uncomfortable, that's all I'm saying...

(ed. note - " ** = You'll need a subscription to read the entire article, but as I say every time I quote Baseball Prospectus, it would be a wise investment, and I benefit in no way from saying so...")

My Notes On the MLB Network's 30 Clubs 30 Days: Expos, Nationals Edition:

• First, I have a question...When did “bleeding in" become a commonly-used phrase, they just said it 3 times in a minute...? As in, MLB anchor Mitch Williams, for example, saying, 'the Nationals are bleeding in young players with the veterans?...

• Clean bill of health this season is the key according to the MLB Networks' Hazel Mae...

• OF Situation? Acta's gonna use spring to see how healthy Nick Johnson is, Lastings Milledge in center, competition in right...Rotation? Draft picks finally getting up here, everyone knows it's about pitching, they would like to have a 1 or 2 starter...they're working on it..."

• Dunn definitely going to make Zimmerman better...(I think Mitch WIlliams said this, it was a voiceover, over a highlight...)

• Took them all of 5 minutes to get to Smiley, Bowden...

• Adam Dunn on Lastings giving him #44: ...Lastings is obviously generous guy Q: What attracted you to the Nationals? Dunn: The young talent, people probably don’t, well I know they don’t know them...so there’s no pressure on them..." Where will Dunn play? "I have no idea, I know I won’t be playing third...”

• Best outfield?...MLB anchor John Hart says Milledge in center? Can he develop as a center fielder is the question...? Dukes is a gifted player, a lot of talent there...Willingham is a tough hard-nosed baseball player, may not be an everyday player with DC though...

• The Rotation...5th spot? Big Buzz is Jordan Zimmerman(n), he is the Nationals' #1 prospect. Legitimate shot at being fifth starter according to Acta.

• Harold Reynolds says, " The pitching coach (Randy St.Claire) is the star of this club.”

• All seem to agree that Joel Hanrahan has the perfect personality for the closer’s role.

SUNDAY GAME THREAD...Spring Training Game 5: Baltimore Orioles at Washington Nationals...1:05 pm EST Live From Space Coast...

Washington Nationals' left-hander Scott Olsen makes his debut in a curly-W against the Mid-Atlantic rivals from Baltimore, the Orioles, who throw Rich Hill. The return of Sunday baseball...Who's listening to Spring Training Baseball...?

There's An Air Of Mystery Throughout...

Washington Post writer Chico Harlan's Sunday March 1st article entitled, "Bowden Saga Continues", which notes DC GM Jim Bowden's recognizable absence from Saturday's Spring Training Game against the Cardinals, and hints that the team might be ready to make some decisive move to resolve the situation, though there's only speculation about even a decision coming down, so what it will be remains a mystery? What's disturbing is the fact that Mr. Harlan actually writes, that while waiting for a decision, "Bowden, meantime, is still responsible for at least minor decisions...Less clear, though, is whether Bowden would be authorized to make major trades..."

?'s For the DC Faithful...

Who's listening to the Nationals?

Scott Olsen gets his first two IP out of the way...Will Scott Olsen start strong or struggle?

Do you think Alberto Gonzalez has a shot at a roster spot?

Who do you expect the Nationals' GM to be on Monday?

The Tigers' Connection to the Jose Rijo Mess

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:45:08 -0000

Have you been following the craziness that the Washington Nationals have been immersed in over the past 10 days? If not, I'll try to recap. Back in 2006, the Nats signed a 16-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic named Esmailyn Gonzalez. Only it turns out that the kid isn't really 19 years old, nor is his name Esmailyn Gonzalez. He's 23-year-old Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo.

As a result of this debacle (Gonzalez's contract included a $1.4 million bonus, and it's not clear who actually received that money), the Nats decided to fire Jose Rijo, a special assistant to general manager Jim Bowden, who runs an academy in the Dominican Republic that was the base for the team's Latin American scouting. (And Bowden likely isn't far behind Rijo out the door.) They also shut down their operation, cleaning out the entire staff and moving to a new facility.

So why am I writing about this on a Detroit Tigers blog? Well, the Tigers also use Rijo's academy for their own Dominican operation, including their summer league team. Do these developments affect the Tigers' business at all? Assistant general manager Al Avila says there are no worries.

"Right now, it has not affected us," Avila said of Rijo's situation. "There's nothing to really to say. We're functioning day-to-day normally. We have a contract. "

The arrangement with Rijo includes a lease through the end of the year to use the academy's fields (including a full diamond and half-diamond), as well as dining and housing facilities. Now, the Tigers will be the only team utilizing the operation. And what happens next year is currently under consideration. I imagine they'll be looking for a new place.