(The Continuing Attempt To Educate A Montreal Fan About DC Baseball History...)

Ossie Bluege was the Washington Senators' starting third baseman when they won their first World Series four games to three over the New York Giants in 1924. Twenty-three years old at the time, Bluege was in his third season with the Senators, and he would remain at third base for most of the next decade, completing eighteen major league seasons in all, all with DC before Bluege's playing career ended on July 13, 1939. Bluege signed with Washington as a free agent three years later on June 15th 1942 and his career officially ended when the Senators released him on November 23, 1942. The next season he took over as Manager of the team, appointed by then-owner Clark Griffith, "The Old Fox", who, according to Mr. Bluege's profile on Baseball Library.com, had once asked Bluege, when he was still playing, to give up his offseason job as an accountant because, "...the Senators' frugal owner, feared that poring over figures would ruin Bluege's batting eye."

Bluege started at short in Game 7 of the '24 Series, going 0 for 5 in an extra-inning affair that saw Senators' legend Walter "The Big Train" Johnson take the mound in the ninth inning with the score tied at 2-2 and throw 4.0 scoreless innings in relief for the Series-clinching win two nights after he'd thrown 8.0 long innings in a losing effort against the Giants in Game 5. Bluege ended his first World Series with a .192 AVG, going 5 for 26 in 7 games and knocking in 3 runs. 

Ossie Bluege and the Senators were back in the Series the next season, coming up short in a five-game loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and a thirty-two year-old Bluege was there in 1933 as well, when the Washington Senators, led by Joe Kuhel, Joe Cronen and Heinie Manush lost to the Giants four games to one, in what is, quite unbelievably, the last postseason appearance by a DC-based franchise...

In 18 seasons with the Senators, Bluege maintained a .272 AVG and collected 1,751 hits, 276 doubles, 67 triples, 43 HR's and 848 RBI's. In his three postseason series, Bluege hit .200 with 2 doubles and 5 RBI's. As a Manager, Bluege led the Senators to a 375-394 record in five seasons, finishing second in the American League twice before being replaced by his former teammate Joe Kuhel after a 64-90 7th place finish in 1947.

With all he did for the franchise as a player and Manager, Bluege's most impactful contribution may have come in his role as the "Senators' Farm Director", where, according to his somewhat poetic wikipedia.org profile, "...his greatest scouting coup was a young Harmon Killebrew." 40 years after joining the DC Senators' franchise in 1922, Bluege was stiil working in the front office when the team became the Twins in 1962, and he lived the rest of his life in the state of Minnesota, passing away in Edina, Minnesota on October 14, 1985.

Now maybe I shouldn't have gone so far as to say that the readers of federalbaseball.com are as good with polls as Nate Silver and the folks at fivethirtyeight.com as I did in the title above, but most times, when asked, those of you who participate in the polls about the Washington Nationals have arrived at the correct conclusions...Which brings us to the latest poll, in which you've been asked to predict the makeup of the DC outfield in '09, and as of 12 noon, Friday, the 20th of November, the results of the first 125 votes cast are as follows:

(left to right in the OF...)

1. Josh Willingham - Elijah Dukes - Lastings Milledge -- 53 votes, 42%

2. Josh Willingham - Lastings Milledge - Elijah Dukes -- 49 votes, 39%

3. Elijah Dukes - Lastings Milledge - Austin Kearns -- 6 votes, 4%

4. Josh Willingham - Lastings Milledge - Austin Kearns - 5 votes, 4 %

5. Leonard Davis - Roger Bernadina - Justin Maxwell - 4 votes, 3%

Ignoring for a moment that four of the federalbaseball.com readers are clearly prepared for the future, what's most shocking for me is the fact that as a group we are apparently prepared to kick Austin Kearns to the curb, not caring about whether or not the Nationals' Brass has to fork over all or some of the $8 million dollars that Kearns is due in '09. 42% of us have decided that the newly acquired Willingham is going to be starting in left, with Dukes in center and the defensively-challenged Lastings Milledge in right, with the second largest contingent choosing Willingham, Milledge and Dukes left to right, and only 14 of the 125 votes cast placing Kearns in a starting position. 

When the Nationals acquired Willingham back on 11/11/08, MLB.com's Bill Ladson, in an article entitled, "Newest Nationals welcomed to team", reported that DC GM Jim Bowden, "...didn't rule out trading one of the outfielders," after having mentioned the names of Willingham, Kearns, Dukes and Milledge earlier in the paragraph. I figured at the time that it was Kearns who'd be traded, with Colorado, who'd just moved outfielder Matt Holliday, as a possible destination, especially since they'd acquired an outfield prospect, Carlos Gonzalez, in the deal, who Bill Ladson had identified as a player of interest for the DC squad in another article entitled, "Nationals not pursuing Manny".

Kearns' .217 AVG in an injury-riddled 2008 campaign probably has a lot to do with the DC Faithful's willingness to part with an outfielder who signed a three-year $16.5 million dollar deal back in in February of '07 and was described as a "building block" by Team President Stan Kasten in an uncredited Washington Times article entitled, "Nationals lock up Kearns", which also quoted DC GM Jim Bowden explaining:

"'He's only 26 years old. His best years are ahead of him. This is a player that is very strong, he has an ability to drive in runs, move the runners over, hit the ball out of the ballpark, and like I said, his best years are ahead of him.'"

Less than two years later, if the federalbaseball.com readers have anything to say about it, Austin Kearns will be coming off the bench or departing DC altogether...???

Milledge Moves...

The second biggest, and probably the toughest decision voters made was to move Lastings Milledge from center to right, with Elijah Dukes taking over in center, but those worried about Milledge's defense in center, might want to read MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article from 2/21/08 entitled, "Milledge happy for new start with Nats", where the then-prospective DC centerfielder told Mr. Ladson:

"'Right and left field are tough positions to play. When I was in center field, everything was so natural that I really didn't think about anything out there. I just played the game.'"

(ed. note -"Natural", huh?)...After the completion of Milledge's first season as the Nationals' primary center fielder, Washington Post writer Chico Harlan began an article entitled, "Milledge May Be Placed In Corner for '09", by writing:

"As a center fielder, Lastings Milledge is still experimenting with the variables, searching for whatever works. 'Do I play shallow, deep?' he said yesterday, just giving an example. 'I'm trying to figure out what I'm most comfortable with.'"

Milledge's assesment of potential move to a corner position? Mr. Harlan quotes the 23-year old outfielder in the same article explaining:

"'Moving to the corner might not help anything,' Milledge said. 'You might have to cover the most ground in center, but it's the easiest as far as routes go.'"

Elijah Dukes came up to the Majors as a center fielder with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and played 38 games there in '07 without committing an error after having been labeled the "Best Athlete" in the Rays' organization in two straight "Top Ten Prospects: Tampa Bay Devil Rays", reports by Baseball America's Bill Ballew on 1/11/06 and 11/15/06, and back in Washington Post writer Chico Harlan's article entitled, "Milledge May Be Placed In Corner for '09", Mr. Harlan interpreted DC GM Jim Bowden's statement that the Nationals needed to "upgrade our defense" in the outfield as an endorsement for Dukes in center, writing: 

"Bowden didn't name names, but no hint was needed: Elijah Dukes, currently Washington's starting left fielder, has the natural talent to shift to center..."

As of today, there are 9 outfielders on the Nationals' 40-Man Roster. Roger Bernadina, Leonard Davis and Justin Maxwell are most likely headed to either Double or Triple-A to start the '09 campaign, which leaves it as a choice for Manager Manny Acta, barring any trades, between Austin Kearns, Elijah Dukes, Lastings Milledge, Willie Harris, Wily Mo Pena and Josh Willingham for the three starting spots in the DC outfield...Spring Training is only a winter away...Who wants to break the news to Kearns?...

(MEANDERING) FINAL AFL UPDATE...

The Peoria Saguaros, and the Washington Nationals' prospects on their roster, completed the Arizona Fall League season today with a 4-3 win over the Surprise Rafters to tie the Mesa Solar Sox, (who lost their last game), atop the AFL's American Division with identical 26-12 records, though the tiebreaker and the chance to play for the Fall League's title goes to the Solar Sox, who claimed the season series between the teams four games to three with their win over Peoria this past Wednesday night breaking a tie...

In the final game of the Fall for the Saguaros, DC infielder Ian Desmond did the most damage, going 2 for 4 with a double, a HR and an RBI to end his AFL campaign with a .267 AVG, 6 doubles, 4 HR's and 17 RBI's. Leonard Davis, (one of a couple players drafted as a third baseman and forced to find other positions in the DC organization after the Nationals' '05 Draft),  was fit into the Saguaros' lineup at third, and went 0 for 3 with a run scored a walk, a K and a .325 AVG to show for his Fall, along with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR's and 15 RBI's in 22 games and 80 at bats. (Zechry Zinicola also earned his second save with 1.0 scoreless frame in which he allowed a hit and struck out two batters to close out the win and lower his fall ERA to 6.89)

Both Desmond and Davis were drafted in the last Montreal Expos' Class, in 2004, with Desmond taken in the 3rd Round, 84th overall, a round before Collin Balester, and four rounds before Leonard Davis, who was selected with the 234th pick in the 8th Round. 

The Nationals added the two, Desmond and Davis, to the 40-Man roster back on 11/10/08, (along with former Atlanta Braves' 1st Round pick pitcher Luis Atilano, who was acquired by DC in exchange for Daryle "D." Ward in post-deadline deal in August of '06), though Washington Post writer Chico Harlan noted at the time, in a Nationals Journal post entitled simply, "Three Added To Roster", that, "...all three of these players would have been eligible for the Rule 5 Draft had they not been added to the 40-man roster."

-- Desmond, who's been around so long it's hard to believe he's only 22, hit .251 with 14 doubles, 12 HR's, 44 RBI's and 12 steals in 93 games in 2008 with the Nationals' affiliate in Double-A Harrisburg. Before the season, Desmond was listed as the "Best Defensive Infielder" and was said to have the "Best Infield Arm" according to Baseball America's Aaron Fitt's "Top 10 Prospects: Washington Nationals" report, in spite of having committed 32 errors in 127 games at short for the Class-A Potomac Nationals in the 2007 season. 

-- Leonard Davis was nowhere to be found in Mr. Fitt's report after the 2007 season, in which the then-23-year-old outfielder hit a combined .285 with 33 doubles, 4 triples, 20 HR's and 66 RBI's at three levels of the Nationals' system, but after his 2008 campaign, Davis' name appeared in the Washington organizational report by MiLB.com writer Kevin T. Czerwinski entitled, "Nationals' farm hurt by injury bug", in which Mr. Czerwinski wrote:

"Davis was a largely nondescript player through four Minor League seasons before bursting onto the scene this year. He hit .332 in 217 at-bats with Potomac and then hit .488 in 41 at-bats at Harrisburg. He tailed off a bit at Columbus (.239 in 180 at-bats), but still had a marvelous season."

In an official Washington Nationals' Press Release on September 23rd of '08, Leonard Davis was named the Nationals' Minor League Player of the Year. 

FINAL AFL STATS...

Peoria Saguaros' Fielders...

Ian Desmond - SS - 28 G, 27 for 101, .267 AVG, 6 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR's, 17 RBI's, 4 SB, .364 OBP, .525 SLG, .888 OPS. 

Bill Rhinehart - 1B - 23 G, 30 for 92, .326 AVG, 11 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR's, 28 RBI's, 1 CS, .392 OBP, .598 SLG, .990 OPS.

Leonard Davis - OF - 22 G, 26 for 80, .325 AVG, 6 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR's, 15 RBI's, 2 SB, .415 OBP, .600 SLG, 1.015 OPS. 

Peoria Saguaros' Pitchers...

Adam Carr - RP - (0-1), 3.65 ERA, 2 SV, 12 G, 12.1 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 8 K's.

Ross Detwiler - RP - (0-0), 4.63 ERA, 9 G, 11.2 IP, 16 H, 6 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 7 K's. 

Cory VanAllen - SP/RP - (2-1), 5.84 ERA, 8 G, 7 GS, 24.2 IP, 34 H, 16 ER, 3 HR, 6 BB, 30 K's. 

Zechry Zinicola - RP - (2-0), 6.89 ERA, 14 G, 2 SV, 15.2 IP, 21 H, 12 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 11 SO. 

TEIXEIRA TALK...

According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson and an anonymous "person familiar with (Mark) Teixeira" who is quoted in Mr. Ladson's article entitled, "Teixeira interested in playing for Nats", free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira is, "...from Maryland and is thinking about the possibility of playing in Washington." Mr. Ladson was unable to speak to Teixeira's agent Scott "Maximum" Boras, and the DC Brass no-commented, but Washington Post writer Chico Harlan was able to track down Mr. Boras, who is quoted in Mr. Harlan's Nationals Journal post entitled, "The Suitors Line Up", stating the obvious fact, "...that the interest in Mark Teixeira is widespread, and it's something we'll have to narrow here as we work through the process." (ed. note - "Oh this Boras guy is good...") FoxSports' writer Ken Rosenthal's article entitled, "Where will Teixeira mark his turf?", recognizes the Nationals as, "a major player" in the pursuit of Teixeira, but Mr. Rosenthal insults as he provides hope, writing, "It still appears doubtful that Teixeira will choose the Nationals...(but)...another Boras client, Alex Rodriguez, stunned the baseball world by joining the then-lowly Rangers."...and finally, e. chigliak at federalbaseball.com reports that he still has his doubts about all this...

AFL UPDATE...

11/17/08 Phoenix Desert Dogs at Peoria...

This past Monday night in Arizona, the Peoria Saguaros welcomed the Phoenix Desert Dogs to the Peoria Sports Complex for what ended up being a tightly contested 4-3 Peoria win when nine innings were completed, and a blown save by DC prospect Zechry Zinicola had become his second win when Saguaros' and St. Louis' outfielder Shane Robinson hit a walk-off single after a leadoff walk, an error on a bunt and a previous single had loaded the bases with no outs and the game tied...

Zinicola, (2-0, 7.36 ERA), allowed 3 hits, a run and a walk in 1.0 inning pitched, giving up two singles a double and a sac fly to score the tying run. Washington prospects Leonard Davis, Bill Rhinehart and Ian Desmond all started for Peoria Monday, in left, at first and at short, respectively, and the three future-Nationals combined to go 4 for 11 in the 3,4,5 spots of the Saguaros' order with Davis and Desmond each doubling, and Rhinehart finishing 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's. 

11/18/08 Peoria Saguaros at Phoenix...

Boy these DC kids can hit, Leonard Davis, Bill Rhinehart and Ian Desmond collect a combined 7 hits in 13 at bats in Tuesday's 14-8 Peoria win over Phoenix, with Davis going 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored, a double, a HR, (his 4th), 2 RBI's, and a .342 AVG after the game, Rhinehart 3 for 5 with 2 doubles, (his 9th and 10th of the fall), 2 RBI's and a .318 AVG, and Desmond hits his 4th triple, walks twice, scores three times and ends the day 2 for 3 batting .266...'07 1st Round pick, 6th overall by DC, Ross Detwiler took the mound in the fifth inning Tuesday and threw a scoreless frame in spite of allowing two hits. 

11/19/08...SHOWDOWN IN Peoria...The Mesa Solar Sox vs Peoria's Saguaros...

The darn Mesa Solar Sox not only beat Peoria today, and not only with an eighth-inning grand slam comeback 7-4 Solar Sox' win, they also took sole possesion of first place with their 8th straight win, and took a 4-3 lead in the fall series against Peoria, knocking the Saguaros out of contention for the AFL Championship, with the dreaded Solar Sox now going on to face AFL National Division champs, the same Phoenix Desert Dogs Peoria just whipped, in the Championship game this Saturday, according to MLB.com writer Danny Wild's game recap entitled, "Slayden, Mesa headed to championship"...

The Nationals' prospects did their part to try to get Peoria into the title game, but the Saguaros' came up short in spite of Bill Rhinehart's 2 for 4 performance, which saw hit him his 11th double and 4th HR of the fall for 2 RBI's (his 27th and 28th) and a .326 AVG on the Fall with one game to play. Leonard Davis went 1 for 4 with a double, (his 6th) and a run scored, for a .338 AVG as a Saguaro, and only Ian Desmond came up hitless, 0 for 3 with a K and a .258 AVG to end the day. 

On the mound, Peoria threw six pitchers at the Solar Sox, even getting 5.0 innings of relief work out of Cory VanAllen, who strikes out 6 and (let's hope) ends the AFL season with a (2-1) record and a 5.84 ERA after 8 games, 7 starts and 24.2 innings pitched for Peoria, in which he ended up allowing 34 hits, 16 ER, 3 HR's, and 6 walks with 30 K's notched... 

-- (ed. note - "Final Arizona Fall League Stats Tomorrow...")

Josh Willingham vs The NL East...

The Hammer vs...

Atlanta - 47 G, 33 for 141, .234 AVG, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR's, 20 RBI's, .355 OBP, .348 SLG, .703 OPS.

New York - 50 G, 47 for 165, .285 AVG, 9 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR's, 34 RBI's, .382 OBP, .533 SLG, .916 OPS.

Philadelphia - 48 G, 37 for 148, .250 AVG, 10 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR's 28 RBI's, .333 ONP, .527 SLG, .860 OPS. 

Washington - 54 G, 65 for 198, .328 AVG, 13 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR's, 33 RBI's, .404 OBP, .611 SLG, 1.015 OPS...

(ed. note - "No wonder DC liked the Hammer...")

The Federalbaseball.com BIG ? of the Day...

I've noticed it recently in the comments on Nationals Journal, and even in the FANPOST here at federalbaseball.com by dasox313 entitled, "5 Priorities for Nats"...What did I notice, you ask? Well even if you didn't...Apparently not every Nationals' fan is on board with the idea that Jesus Flores is the future of catching in DC? This comes as a complete surprise to me, as someone who, like I told, dasox, was upset that DC had even signed Paul Lo Duca last winter, when I thought Jesus Flores was ready to start for Washington from the beginning... 

I asked My Brother Scout, Braves' Fan and Source For All Things Baseball what he thought of Flores..."I haven't watched him enough to judge, but my amateur psychologist take on Flores as an embodiment of the plight of the young ballplayer...? I'd check how many double plays he hit into, cause he seems like he'd be prone to DP's, he's always been trying to earn a spot, batting low in the order, so that might result in a low OBP if he's not seeing anything good, and now he's probably "the man" in DC, so he can relax and play instead of trying to pass other catchers on the depth chart, so you just might get to see him at his best now, this season..."

Flores' '08 stats - 90 G, 77 for 301, .256 AVG, 18 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR's, 59 RBI's, 296 OBP, .402 SLG, .698 OPS, 7 GDP. 

I'll Pay A Fine In DC Blogger Kangaroo Court For This, But...

...Somehow, Jesus "WWJD" Flores' participation in winter ball escaped my attention until I noticed his name in a post by Kristen at We've Got Heart entitled, "Winter League Updates: Maxwell's power surge", last week, which caught up with the Nationals' catcher in the Venezuelan Winter League...

As of today, Flores' #'s with Navegantes del Magallanes:

Jesus Flores - 11 G, 11 for 42, .262 AVG, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI's, .319 OBP, .405 SLG, .724 OPS. 

So, The BIG ?...Is Jesus Flores the Man Behind The Plate For DC's Nationals?

Scratch A.J. Burnett off the list of possible DC starters in 2009, that is unless he has some aversion to becoming filthy rich and decides to turn down what is reported to be a 5-year/$80 M dollar offer on behalf of the New York Yankees according to MLB.com writer Bryan Hoch, who writes, in an article entitled, "Burnett set to receive offer from Yanks", (ed. note - "A title I love because it has a nostalgic waiting to see if you get invited to the prom sort of feel to it.")...that the Yankees are preparing to offer the soon-to-be 32-year old free agent starter a $2.8 million dollar raise over what he earned last season... 

...and even if Burnett doesn't sign with NY, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports today, in an article entitled, "Perez keeping eye on free agent market", that the Nationals aren't interested in A.J. Burnett anyway...Why aren't the Nationals interested?...In Mr. Ladson's words, quoting the ubiquitous "baseball source":

"A baseball source said the Nationals do not have interest in right-hander A.J. Burnett because he has a history of getting hurt."

Now it's true, Burnett has established a direct contract year to effort/perseverance correlation if you look at his stats, but he's a strikeout pitcher, and for a team that has played suspect D at times and failed to produce much runnage, that would seem like a perfect fit...What exactly are the Nationals saving money for?...If you say, "Strasburg?", I say, "Yeah," "Strasburg?" "Yeah" "Strasburg?" "Yeah"...

(ed. note: "I tried to blame it all on the Yankees, "The Yankees are pricing everyone out of the arms race...Sound the alarms, the Yankees didn't make the playoffs, now they have to sign every pitcher out there..." My Brother Scout, Braves' Fan and Source For All Things Baseball snapped me out of my self-pitying tirade though, with a kind-of -true statement, "I wish my team would, uh...the Braves need at least two, if not three starters...every fan should wish their team spent like the Yankees..." "You're right, I wish the Nationals added $80 million dollars to their payroll every time they didn't make the playoffs." "Where'd you get that number?" Scout asks. "Uh...rough estimate.")

...Oh, and Odalis Perez, back in MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Perez keeping eye on free agent market", the Nationals' Opening Night starter, who pitched for $850,000 last season, now Odalis Perez is saying that he'd like to return to DC, but he thinks he'll wait a while and see how the market shakes out, which is probably a good idea if the Yankees are going to take two or three of the top pitchers off the market, but what I don't appreciate is the sentiment expressed by Perez's agent, Martin Arburua, who tells Mr. Ladson:

"'I have spoke briefly with [general manager] Jim [Bowden] and there is interest from the team, and we are basically taking a look at the market and [will] see from there. The Nationals lost a lot of games last year, so they have a lot of holes to fill.'" 

Thanks for that, Mr. Arburua. 

The Nationals' Interest In Teixeira Today...

As for the Nationals' interest in free agent, Mark Teixeira, the switch and power hitting, 6'2'', 215 lb, first baseman...with the .290 AVG in 6 seasons...over which he's put up, according to baseball-reference.com's 162-game AVG, 40 doubles, 36 HR's and 121 RBI's per season since joining the league back in 2003 with Texas...

...Well, the Nationals' Team President Stan Kasten tells Washington Post writer Dave Sheinin, in a recent Nationals Journal post entitled, "Kasten on Teixeira reports: Not So Fast", that he, in Mr. Sheinin's words:

 "...felt compelled to quell the speculation that the Nationals...(as the Post reported)...are preparing a 'competitive' offer for Teixeira."

In Mr. Kasten's own words, as quoted by Mr. Sheinin:

"'I don't want people to have unrealistic expectations...'"

(ed. note - "I'm not gonna criticize Mr. Kasten at all here, because this is essentially what I've been trying to say in recent posts, it's nice that the Nationals recognize that Teixeira is exactly the type of player they desperately need to acquire, but unless he REALLY wants to move back near his home town of Severna Park, Maryland, and is willing to give DC a near-hometown discount, it probably won't happen with the offers that are bound to be coming his way...Cause, you know, the Yankees do need a first baseman...")

(ed. note - "Mr. Sheinin also writes, in his Nationals Journal post, that Mr. Kasten,

"...seemed particulary perturbed that media and fans might interpret an offer to Teixeira as a ploy to gain credibility with the team's fan base."

-- I don't know who would say something like that...")

End On The Positive Note Of The Day...

MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports, in an article entitled, "Nationals a factor in pursuit of Teixeira", that the interest Washington has expressed in free agent second baseman Orlando "O-Dog" Hudson might just be reciprocated...That's right. Mr. Ladson quotes Mr. Hudson saying:

"'I have interest in any Major League team that has interest in me," Hudson said. "The Nationals are a good young club. They have a lot of energy. ... I would definitely be comfortable if I was over there. We'll see how things go. I don't know."

"I don't know," is good enough for me. A free agent considers DC as a destination. That's a first step...Bonifacio's gone, Anderson Hernandez unproven, and Washington doesn't seem to see Ronnie Belliard as a starter, so why not sign Orlando Hudson? A Zimmerman, Guzman, Hudson and Johnson infield sounds alright to me...with Jesus Flores behind the plate and Willingham, Dukes and Milledge left to right in the outfield? (ed. note - Or will it be, Willingham, Milledge and Dukes? Those two outfield options are tied after 79 votes in the current featured Poll...Let's see what the federalbaseball.com readers say after 100 votes???

This was his chance...MLB.com's Bill Ladson had a reader ask the question straight up in this week's edition of Mr. Ladson's, "Mailbag: How will the Nats use outfielders":

"Do the Nationals have a legitimate shot at landing Mark Teixeira or is it just talk?"

...and instead of saying, "No, the talk of Mark Teixeira signing in Washington is really just something the team is putting out there in a PR sort of way to appease the DC Faithful, but realistically, adding a $22- $27.5 million dollar contract to a team whose payroll last season was around $55 M is just unrealistic, and unworkable, like A-Rod on the Rangers..." Mr. Ladson responds:

"It's not just talk. The Nationals are trying hard to get Teixeira. He could solve some serious problems they went through last year. He is a switch-hitter and could provide the power from the left side they are looking for. He has also stayed healthy during most of his career."

(ed. note - "Now that last sentence just seems like an unnecessary dig at Nick Johnson, but I'm an NJ (Nick not New Jersey) fan, so I might just be reading into it...")

So Mr. Ladson really does think the Nationals are going to make a serious run at Mark Teixeira, "...who is believed to be seeking a deal of at least six seasons at about $20 million per year," according to MLB.com writer Lyle Spencer's Hot Stove Report article entitled, "Angels' focus remains on Teixeira", where Mr. Spencer then notes that Texeira's agent:

"...(Scott) Boras puts the 28-year-old slugger in the exclusive class of Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Ramirez as 'players who pay for themselves' through various revenues they generate."

(ed. note - "The following $ amounts acc. to baseball-reference.com...")

...Bonds' salary peaked at $22 million per in 2005. Alex Rodriguez played for $28 million last season, and had been anywhere from $21.6 to $26 million since he signed his big free agent deal with Texas back in 2001. Manny Ramirez's highest take was in 2004 when he played for $22.5, and he's on the market now, seeking the same kind of deal as Teixeira, even though Manny, at 36, is eight years older than Tex...so you can see where Mr.'s Boras and Teixeira are finding their industry standard.

The problem I see, however, which I alluded to above, is that neither the Rangers with A-Rod, nor the Giants with Bonds, were able to compete with those super-sized contracts on their payrolls, with Texas suffering under the weight of the deal for years before finally unburdening themselves of Rodriguez to the only team that could absorb the payroll blow in NY's Yankees, and San Francisco finally settling for having Bonds make history as a Giant while their team stalled in the standings. (ed. note - "Boston, much like NY is another story when it comes to payroll, so they were able to win with Manny...")

Texas' payroll when they first added A-Rod's $22 million dollar salary in 2001? $88 Million. San Francisco's with Bonds making $22 million in 2005? $76 million. The Rangers finished 73-89 in 2001. The Giants finished the '05 season at 75-87, and an injured Bonds collected $22 million for just 14 games played, after he injured his knee and underwent surgery. The Washington Nationals payroll last season, as noted earlier, was around $55 million in '08...add Teixeira's expected $20-$27.5 million and you can see where I'm going with these comparisons...

So that's the question? Does it make sense to sign Teixeira? More importantly... Would Teixeira want to sign with a team that won't reasonably be able to compete in the first few years of the six-year deal he's looking for? What would adding a salary like that do to the Nationals' payroll? Does Teixeira make a difference in a lineup that, otherwise unaltered, was only able to win 59 games last season? I'm glad I don't have to make these decisions...

So I'm reading New York Times' writer Harvey Araton's article entitled, "Suffering and Snobbery As Cuban Pursues (the) Cubs", in the Sports Of The Times column in the Times' Sunday Sports section, where, after detailing "Maverick" owner Mark Cuban's personal history and his history of attempts to buy controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs from the Tribune Company, and concluding that Cuban will most likely not ever be able to take over the North Side of Chicago's long-suffering team, Mr. Araton offers the "self-made billionaire" some other options:

"How about in Washington, where the recently relocated Nationals are already another administration in need of imminent change?"

...(ed. note - "First of all, I love it when sports writers go political, subtly...")

...How about, Kansas City, Seattle or the Texas Rangers?, Mr. Araton continues, and Mr. Cuban responds via email, telling the Times' writer, "...at this point and going forward, my only interest is in the Cubs," but for me, the Times' writers' mention of the Washington Nationals, and his judgement that after almost three years under the control of the Lerner Family and the collection of local business owners they represent, the Washington Nationals were no better off than the moribund franchise that left Montreal in 2004 for what promised to be a better future in DC, was far more important than any of Mr. Cuban's future plans. 

Sure, some will argue that the franchise is well on its way to rebuilding the team's farm system with the high draft picks and prospects they've acquired in nearly three years of selections and deals, and along with the reward for this past season's futility, (in the form of the #1 overall pick in the '09 Draft), the Nationals' collection of pitching prospects, at least, is far superior to that with which they emigrated south from Quebec, Canada...

...But the rebuilding effort has not yet translated into success on the field, where, even with the surprising first-half success in 2005, the Nationals are just 284-363 since relocation, losing a disastrous 102 games in '08, and now even the commitment to build through the draft, which the Lerner group outlined upon purchasing the franchise, was called into question this year when #1 pick Aaron Crow got away over a difference of less than $1 million dollars after a protracted and at times ridiculous (or at least soap-opera-ish?) negotiation...And now Washington is acting as if it will sincerely attempt to sign free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, (or even outfielder Manny Ramirez, depending upon whose reports you read), to a contract which could end up upwards of $25-$27 million per for as many as six years...(ed. note - "...and if that kind of money is available now, why wasn't it available for Crow, yet another digression, I know...")

...The fanbase might be appeased by simply seeing the Nationals' name included in articles about the MLB Hot Stove, but the risk here is that when Washington comes up empty, (which in the cases of Teixeira and Ramirez, I suspect they most likely will), the DC Faithful, who are already tuning out in record numbers on radio and TV, might just give up hope all together and become as jaded and cynical as their American League neighbors to the north, who annually argue for the removal of their owner, who, much like the Lerners, provided the city with a beautiful ballpark and the promise of future success, but consistently failed to follow up on those promises with anything even remotely resembling a competitive approach to roster moves in the form of trades or (truly significant, substantial) free agent signings. 

The start to the '08-'09 offseason for DC does hold promise however, with the Nationals' acquisition of 24-year old pitcher Scott Olsen and 29-year old outfielder Josh Willingham from the Florida Marlins, but as Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell points out in his article from last Friday entitled, "Step One Is Just The Start", only if the trade is the first in a series of moves meant to rebuild the faltering parts of the DC roster, or as Mr. Boswell puts it, (also noting the comparison to Washington's regional rivals):

"Baseball is watching to see whether the Nats will develop their market or alienate it as badly as the Orioles, who have needed years to rebuild goodwill. To see if Ryan Zimmerman re-signs as free agency approaches. To find out if President Stan Kasten, on the short list for team-building jobs, finishes The Plan or feels stuck in a bad fit and, sooner or later, skips. To see if free agents light up, or laugh, when Washington is mentioned."

(ed. note - "Ahh, The Plan...But please, can Mr. Rizzo negotiate with Zimmerman for practice, or something?...")

The answers to all these questions will start to surface Monday, when those free agents who have already been offered contracts have taken the weekend to mull them over and make a decision, setting the bar for future deals this winter, or maybe when we move on to the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas early next month... How much, if any, involvement the Nationals will have in the dealing and signing remains to be seen...(ed. note- Maybe Mark Cuban wouldn't be such a bad idea, but would he have to join the Manager and infielders on the mound for meetings until the Home Plate Ump walks out to break it up?)...

AFL UPDATE...

Only one of the DC's prospects started for the Peoria Saguaros tonight in their Arizona Fall League matchup with the Scottsdale Scorpions, but by the end of the game two of the potential future-Nationals would end up instrumental in the Saguaros' come from behind win. 

Bill Rhinehart, a first baseman in the DC system, got the start at the same spot for the Saguaros tonight and finished the game 1 for 3 with a run scored, a walk and a K, but the one hit by Rhinehart came in the bottom of the ninth with Peoria trailing Scottsdale 4-2, and Leonard Davis, who started the inning with a pinch hit single, already on base. Davis moved to second on Rhinehart's hit and Cards' '08 1st Round pick Brett Wallace drove Davis in with the third straight single off Scottsdale reliever (and Red Sox' farmhand) T.J. Large, who gave up two more singles, to Padres' IF/OF prospect Sean Kazmar, and St. Louis' Shane Robinson, who capped off the comeback with the walk-off winner. Peoria prevails, 5-4 final. 

Anderson Hernandez, Wants To Play Second In DC...

The Tigres del Licey game was rained out Saturday night, so Anderson Hernandez's .408 AVG remains intact after 22 games and 98 at bats. Having collected 10 doubles, 4 triples, 1 HR and 16 RBI's with 5 walks, 4 steals, a .433 OBP, .622 SLG, and 1.055 OPS, Hernandez is making a case for himself as the Nationals' starting second baseman next season, as the former Mets' prospect attempts to finally live up to the hype that accompanied his rise through New York's system. 

The Nationals Still Like Matt Whitney...

Washington selected Cleveland first base prospect Matt Whitney, (an '02 1st Round pick, 33rd overall), with their 1st pick in the 2007 Rule 5 Draft, but the Nationals were forced to return him to the Indians the following March after a lackluster Spring performance resulted in the 24-year old infielder's being cut from the DC roster. Today the Nationals signed the 6'4'' 190 lb, right-handed hitting and throwing first baseman to a Minor League deal according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Nats, Whitney agree to deal", which noted that the contract included an invitation to Spring Training. 

Whitney played the '08 season with Cleveland's Double-A affiliate in Akron, Ohio, where he managed to hit .268 in 129 games and 463 AB's, over which he collected 124 hits, 29 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR's and 58 RBI's. 

This Day In Washington Nationals' History...

11/16/04 -- Though they were still technically the Montreal Expos at the time, the soon-to-be Washington Nationals signed third baseman Vinny Castilla and shortstop Cristian Guzman on November 16, 2004, locking Castilla, then 37, up for two years and giving Guzman, who would turn 25 that March, a four-year deal which he just completed this season before reupping with Washington to the tune of $16 million over two years. 

Vinny Castilla's name was in the news recently, when it was announced that he would manage Team Mexico's entry in the '09 World Baseball Classic, which begins on March 5th. For any remaining Castilla fans in DC, check out the link to MLB.com writer Barry M. Bloom's article entitled, "Castilla named Manager of Mexico", to see just how good the only other resident of the Nationals' hot corner is doing...

On the first day that teams were allowed to negotiate with free agents, the New York Yankees reportedly offered CC Sabathia a 6-year/$140 million dollar deal, the Atlanta Braves broke off the Jake Peavy negotiations with San Diego, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled their first offer to free agent outfielder Manny Ramirez, while promising to continue to pursue an agreement with the second #99 to grace LA with his greatness. The Washington Nationals?...announced the signing of utility infielder Pete Orr, while also confirming that Jim Riggleman would remain as Manny Acta's new Bench Coach now that Seattle had officially eliminated their interim Skipper from consideration for the Mariners' Manager position. 

Washington Times' writer Mark Zuckerman was the first one I saw with the news about Pinch Hittin' Pete Orr's return to the fold, as Mr. Zuckerman reported yesterday, in his "Chatter: A Nationals Blog" post entitled, "Orr Returning to Nats", that Orr had agreed to a non-guaranteed deal, with an invitation to compete for a job again this Spring. Orr hit .253 in 49 games and 75 AB's in '08, with 2 doubles, 1 triple and 7 RBI's. My Prediction...Orr starts the season at Triple-A and is called up by June... just like last season...

...SI.com writer Ben Reiter mentions the Nationals twice in his "Inside Baseball" article entitled, "Open Season: The latest news on the top free agents", first bringing up DC in the talk about the available first basemen, Mark Teixeira and Adam Dunn, where Mr. Reiter notes that he thinks Anaheim and New York are the most likely destinations for Teixeira with Dunn available to whichever teams loses out on Tex, but, Mr. Reiter cautions, when it comes to Dunn:

"...we shouldn't count out a wild card like the Nationals, whose GM, Jim Bowden, ran the Reds when Dunn was there and is thought to have long coveted him."

...and the Nationals come up again when the spotlight turns to Manny Ramirez, who Mr. Reiter reports is seeking a 6-year/$150 million dollar deal...The NY Mets and Yankees, the Angels and the Orioles are all listed as potential suitors, along with one other team, which Mr. Reiter describes as "the darkest of horses", the Washington Nationals. 

Now you'll remember, this past Wednesday, DC GM Jim Bowden is said to have emailed MLB.com's Bill Ladson with the news, included in as clear a statement as possible in Mr. Ladson's Hot Stove Blog post entitled, "Nats not interested in Manny":

"'We are not pursuing Manny Ramirez.'"

Of course, two days after Mr. Ladson's article with Mr. Bowden's quote on the Nationals' lack of interest in Manny, both Buster Olney's blog post entitled, "Yanks can have whatever they want", and the Ben Reiter's SI.com article quoted above once again mentioned Washington as a possible new home for Ramirez...Who to believe? Who to believe??

AFL UPDATE...

Washington Nationals' pitching prospect, 23-year old left-hander Cory VanAllen, improved to (2-1) in Arizona Fall League action, leading his Peoria Saguaros to an 8-0 shutout win over the Scottsdale Scorpions with 4.0 innings of work in which he allowed 2 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6.

Ian Desmond, an infielder in the DC system, went 0 for 5 in the Saguaros' leadoff spot, but Leonard Davis picked up the slack, smacking his 8th double of the Fall and finishing the night 2 for 3 with a run scored, 2 walks and a .328 AVG. Bill Rhinehart, who started at first at three levels of the Nationals' minor league system this season, did the same for the Saguaros tonight, ending the game 2 for 5 with a double, his 8th, and 2 RBI's, (21,22) to go along with a .289 AVG in 19 games. The Mesa Solar Sox were able to win as well, so the Sox and Saguaros remain tied atop the AFL's American Division.

Your New Favorite Blog...

-- Yes, it's Collin Balester again, who is back with several new blog posts at Bally's Blog, including Halloween photos and a video of himself performing a choreographed dance routine which made its way to youtube...Zimmerman's blog was never this much fun...

-- Here's my post from a few weeks back introducing Nationals Bench Coach Jim Riggleman entitled, "Get To Know Your Nationals: Bench Coach Jim Riggleman."