SB Nation User Blog: wxguy

The Have's and the Have-Not's

wxguy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:53:23 -0000

I pose a question here for all to comment on. Do you think that the balance in the quality of MLB will ever be fair?

Dear Mr. Selig, MLB sucks. Competition in MLB is non-existent, and is getting worse. Every year for he last ten, it has been the same old teams except for maybe the Rays. And the rich get richer from playoff and series money.The lower tier of baseball is forever domed to mediocrity because of the giant imbalance in income by some teams,mainly from their own small TV and radio networks. Unless you have a Steinbrener, or a Leonis, or a Snyder, who at least spend some money to really try to develop a team ( Snyder's choices don't count), most teams are domed, especially those in small TV markets. The Nats are domed a couple of ways. One, the stupid Peter Angelos owned TV MASN network contract, and the really stupid Nats radio network which I believe consists of 3 low powered radio stations including DC's 1500 am which you can barely get beyond the beltway. I can go anywhere in Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina and listen to the Orioles games loud and clear. Who the hell is running the TV radio contracts? Finally, the performance of the owners, so far, has only confirmed to me that they are not interested in developing the Nats, only in pay-as- you go financing, and the strong possibility they will be able to sell the ball club sometime in the next 5 years claiming lack of fan support. They will make a huge profit because the suckers in Las Vegas, or the Carolina's, will be willing to pay a huge sum for any MLB team, even the Nats. The performance of the Nats, the last two weeks has been appalling and embarrassing to MLB. I see no really outstanding candidates like a Zimmerman, in this last month when teams bring up their best new prospects. I salivate as I watch other young teams with fewer first round players than the Nats who will definitely be stars in the near future. Just look at the Braves in this past week's series. They will be real contenders over the next couple of years. It's the same old problem, poor owners, especially ones who meddle into the day to day club operations undercutting the club's president , GM's and even the manager. I still predict Stan the Man will leave the Nats soon. Here's a long time, knowlegable baseball guy who the Lerner's continue to hinder in his task of day to day club operations.

Wow, did I write all that? Now it's you turn. Do you feel like me, and do you have any solutions to the present chaos known as the Nats?

Is it that the Nats have caught the Redskins flu, or is it that the Redskins have caught the Nats flu?

wxguy

First round draft pick race

wxguy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:56:26 -0000

To stimulate more fan interest in the Nats, I thought we might watch the race for next year's first round draft pick.

The Nats are still in first place with a .649 winning, or should I say losing average, on track for a 105 game losing record. In 2nd place, 4 1/2 games back are the KC Royals with a .614 average. In 3rd place and closing fast, is none other than B-Orioles , 8 games back with a .588 average. In 4th place, are the Pitt Pirates with a .586 average, 9 games back.

If both the Nats and the O's finish 1, 2 in this race, this will make MLB very happy since they said our area can't support two teams. I wonder if we could combine teams, but then 0 + 0 = 0.

If the Nats get first round pick next year, it will be 3 years in a row. Is this a new major league record? This might add even more interest in this last month of baseball.

wxguy

Poll

What team will win the first round draft pick for next year/

a. KC Royals

6 votes

b. B-More O's

2 votes

c. Pitt. Pirates

0 votes

d. SD Padres

0 votes

e. Nats

55 votes

63 votes | Poll has closed

Waiver Guzman? What the H____?

wxguy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:20:55 -0000

OK, I know, because Guzzy is in the last year of his contract.
Come again?!?!? Here is one of the prime reasons the Nats are now in a hitting, winning combination, and you place one of the hot hitters on waivers. Does that make sense to anyone, or am I just dreaming? But once again, here's a high salaried player that the Nats are letting go to receive nothing in return, or replace him with a person who has a low salary (ala the Pirates business model).

wxguy

Always Trade To Get The Lowest Team Salary

wxguy — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:31:03 -0000

Been away all week. Far, far away from the disaster known as the Washington Nationals. I come back and another well known player is traded away for nothing. This continues to support my theory that the Lerner's are following the Bob Short scenario, and that is, if you trade, only trade away high salaries to get players with low salaries to lower your team's overall salary total. This team owner is a joke and a penny pincher, whose aim is the bottom line. He spends nothing to improve this team and remains deathly silent. He is a sham and an affront to the faithful fans of the Nats who must endure day after day this boring AAA team. When the fans stop coming, then what? My guess you'll start hearing about the lack of support and the possibility of moving this team to Charlotte, or Las Vegas, and make a tidy little profit in selling.

Do you really think they will sign Strasburg? Do you really think, he'll want to play here with this disaster?

wxguy

The Pittsburgh Pirate Business Model?!?!?

wxguy — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:26:21 -0000

PIRATES: GM Neal Huntington wrote an open letter to the team's fans explaining that the decision to trade CF Nate McLouth to the Braves wasn't financially motivated.

The Pirates, who traditionally have one of the majors' lowest payrolls, are averaging a major league-low 16,588 in attendance. The low turnout is prompting speculation that the surprise McLouth deal last week was made to save money.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran an editorial encouraging the Nutting ownership group to sell the team to owners who are more interested in winning. The paper wrote, "It's time Pittsburgh baseball had ownership worthy of the game."

Does this business model sound familiar? At least the owner took the time to explain his actions.

wxguy

Tom Boswell Tells It Like It Is !

wxguy — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:35:42 -0000

In today's Washington Post, Friday, 5 June, Thomas Boswell, has taken off the kid gloves and let's the Lerners have it.

Boswell, an outstanding sports writer, does it respectfully, but directly. I quote,"...When the problems go this deep, the causes should be sought at the top, not the bottom. Accountability doesn't lie with a pitching rotation full of rookies, or a bullpen built on tissue-thin resumes and prayer.... But now the blame---and the solutions, if any--surely must lie at the top with the billionaire Lerner family and team president Stan Kasten." ( I would disagree that the problem is Stan Kasten) Boswell closes with, " The reasons for that damage, like any hopes for the future, start not with relievers, coaches or even managers. They start right at the top. And can only be fixed there."

We have maintained over the past couple of years that the problem has always been at the top. My conspiracy mindkeeps asking why the Lerners are doing this? My theory, given the Lerners' real estate and development background, is that they purchased a team (Think a parcel of land or a building complex.) and now they spend as little as possible to develop it, knowing that inflation will eventually cause the item to appreciate in price. They then sell the building/team to some sucker at a much higher price in about 5 years or so, and make a nice little profit. To hell with the folks who live near, or in the development. The alternative conspiracy theory is that MLB never wanted to be in DC, because it is too close to Congress, the body who controls the holy grail of business, the Anti-monopoly laws which baseball guards so closely. What do you think about my theories?

Finally, I wonder when we will hear from the Lerner's concerning this inferior product they are selling. This team they own is a disgrace to major league baseball, and something one would not expect of the Lerner 's generally quality development. I predict that soon we will hear from them indicating that the fans aren't supporting the team and they may have to sell or move the team. The team's marketing stinks! From the where are the Nats on TV game, to the weakest radio network in baseball, to little, if any, real contact with area groups, to overpriced tickets,etc.,etc.

Have we passed the point of no return???

wxguy

Poll

Will the Lerner's sell the Nats within the next 5 years?

yes

18 votes

no

15 votes

33 votes | Poll has closed

Soon Bye-bye Nick Johnson

wxguy — Sat, 30 May 2009 11:52:48 -0000

Tis the season to trade. June is especially a big month, when winning teams (the haves) try to obtain the best palayers from the losers( have-nots) for the second half run.

While it's not new news the Mets are going all out to get Nick Johnson from the Nats to replace aging and ailing, Carlos Del Gado. So much so that the rumor is the top Nats scouts (Do we have any?) are going all out scouting Mets' AAA and AA rosters, ,hopefully, for pitching.This trade seems all but imminent.

But let's stop a minute. Here again is a decent player of quality, and a fan favorite!

Someone we can enjoy as a true major league player!

True, I think he is in his last year of contract next year??, but what will the Nats get in return? Probably another has been or never will. At least, Johnson is a solid, consistant player who has overcome a lot of adversity with his injuries. He is also another player who wants out from the Nats and its cheap skate owners.He is just another quality player who knows that withe present ownership, he will never enjoy the thrill of playoffs, and possible participation in the World Series.The Nats are rapidly becoming a farm team for the big boys like the Mets. This just like the old KC A's were with the Yankees. Major league baseball is rapidly becoming the haves and have-nots via free agency and big money. It is losing it's competitiveness.

Will ever be any joy in Nats town???

wxguy

The Nats Scapegoat-Manny Acta

wxguy — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:35:41 -0000

In today's Wash. Post, Tom Bozwell, writes about the possible peril of Manny Acta's job. In fact, Bozwell says this firing could occur by All-Star break.

I maintain that Manny Acta is being made the Scapegoat for the demise of the Nats,

when, in fact, the real culprit is none other than the owners of this team, the Lerner's.

Are sportswriters afraid to say anything about the cheap, penny-pinching, micro-managing Lerner's. At some point, somebody with some guts will tell the real story of the Nats ownership. This team was dead on arrival when the Lerner's took over.

Bowden, of course, was the arrogant, loser General Manager, who traded fan favorites for nothing and traded away folks who maybe were past their primes, but still brought leadership and a competitive, excitement to our Nats. Yes, that was Livan Hernandez, the other night, going 9 innings for Mets beating our Nats. When was the last time a Nat went 9 innings? Remember Soriano, Ryan Church, Brian Schneider, etc. These were not superstars, except for Soriano, that at the very least, provided excitement, leadership, and experience. They were fan favorites, but Bowden traded them away alienating the fans. The inflated expectations we were told about, regarding the great minor league prospects, and how, in just 3 years we would see a turn around, ended when the cheap skate owners failed to really go after some blue chips players especially pitchers, and then failed to sign a top draft pick. The owners have alientated the city with their deliquent failure to pay rent on the stadium because a few ofices were not finished in time.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that Manny Acta is one of the best , young managers in baseball, who, if given some real major league players, especially pitching, he could really go somewhere with this team. I'm afraid the owners have now alientated Manny enough now, so he is Mets bound no matter what. He deserves an owner and a team with great players. I predict he will win the World Series in 2010 with the Mets. By this time next year Manny will be gone, Stan Kirsten will be gone, and the Nats will have not signed Strasburg. All of which, dooms this team for another decade, or until the Lerners sell out.

wxguy

Pathetic Pitching and a cheap skate for an owner.

wxguy — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:36:38 -0000

Well just watched Hanaran, or whatever his name is, blow yet another save.
This guy couldn’t close last year. Did he marry Lerner’s daughter? I sit and watch
as the Marlins staff, almost to a man, throws 90 plus, and I watch the Nats with virtually nobody who break 90. Oh yes, Hanahran throws 90, as straight as an arrow. Great batting pitcher. Bad pitching takes the wind out of a good hitting team.
So what is the problem folks? Fielding, pitching, the manager, the coaches,hitting?
Fielding is a problem because we can’t seem to field the same team more than 2 games in a row. It’s certainly not Manny Acta, he knows the game,period, and so do the coaches for that manner.

It’s the pitching folks! A coach told once that pitching is probably 60-70% of the game.
You will win once and while with good pitching with scores like 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, etc., but not more than 5. The Nats must go 7 runs every game to win with this pitching staff.

The ultimate problem is the ownership! Let no one kid one’s self. Someone suggested
trading Kearns beacuse he makes $ 9mil. The top pitchers in the league are getting much more than $9 mil. By the way who’s the highest paid person in MLB? A pitcher.
Someone earlier mentioned a list of names of pitchers available before the season started. Yes, some were time worn , former star pitchers, but would still be able to win a few. Some say Manny is using the bull pen too much. Are you kidding? With a starting staff like the Nats, any team would wear out its relief staff, but the problem is not just the lack of starters, but a crew of minor league relievers, and no closer.

Friends, you know as well as I that the deep, systemic problem (like the term they use when discussiing the economy ) is the ownership. As I have said before, the penny pinching Lerner’s are the real, unfortunate root of the problem. Unfortunately, the damage has been done, and no player with any talent will play with this team, now or the future. The new player scouting system also sucks big time. I would bet the Lerner’s are penny pinching there too,

So now we wait for the Messiah to come in the form of Strasburg. Wanna bet he won’t sign with the Nats either. No friends the only saving grace we have is if the Lerner’s decide to sell to someone who is willing to spend and invest in a good team. Someone like Angelo in Baltimore. Did I say that?

Make me a believer,
Wxguy

OK, is the Nats pitching horrendous or what?!?!?

wxguy — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:50:58 -0000

Yesterday, trying hard to be not too pessimistic, I said the Nats had noooo

pitching at all with the present staff. Was I right or what? Folks, this is getting real ugly.

When will the club house fights start? When will Manny lose his cool?

I would if I had a bunch of totally dead arms as my pitching staff. The problem is that the Nats do have a decent batting lineup. So what if they can't field. We will just have to play offense. The trouble is that eventually bad pitching in some strange way kills a hitting teams morale in some mystifying way.

God, the Nats picthing is awlful.Starting pitcher Cabrara, who called top 90. Then look at Rivera who comes in the 6th with a tie, and promptly hits two batters in a row and then gives up back to back homers. Ouch!

Lord, please send rain tomorrow!

wxguy