The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

welch wrote:I promised almost 35 years ago that when we got the Nats back, I would be there. Well, unusual circumstances made that impossible last season, but I fully expect to travel down to the District to see the New New Senators/Nationals at least a couple of times.

And to bring along, if humanly possible, Redskin Dan v1978 and Redskin Rachel, my daughter who finally became a rambunctious rowdy total Redskin fan.

Buy tickets, folks, go see RFK again, and imagine what it was like when Frank Howard hit one into the upper deck!

You mean the Expose thumb.gif Your Senators are in texas and Minnesota.

Nats Are Searching for a Punch Line

By Thomas Boswell
Friday, February 24, 2006; Page E05

VIERA, Fla.

Every baseball fan knows "Who's On First?" So, of course, they also realize that "I Don't Know" plays third base. Except in Washington where, apparently, the Nats never heard of Abbott and Costello because they've got "I Don't Know" at second base.

Costello slapped himself in the face in exasperation when Abbott said, "I Don't Know." The crowd would laugh because that was the punch line. Unfortunately, every time Frank Robinson, Jim Bowden and Alfonso Soriano said, "I don't know," on Thursday -- and they said it dozens of times -- they got a different kind of laugh: a horse laugh, the old raspberry. And it's the fans of the Nationals who are slapping themselves in the forehead in exasperation.

If only the Nationals had simple problems, like "Tomorrow" pitching to "Today" with (in honor of Cristian Guzman) "I Don't Give a Darn" at shortstop. But it's more complex than that. A team can do without an owner. And that new Anacostia ballpark wasn't due to be done for a few years anyway.

But when you have two genuine all-stars in your lineup -- Alfonso Soriano and Jose Vidro -- and they both play the same position, then you've got problems. Every time the Nats ask Soriano to move to left field, he answers, ironically enough, with the name of Abbott and Costello's left fielder: "Why?"

In rebuttal the Nats can only shrug their shoulders and say, "Because." That doesn't help much. "Because" was Abbott's center fielder. And the Nats' secret wish is that Soriano would volunteer to play center field.

What the Nats are playing out is farce, not drama. And it's going to stay that way for the next month, at least. After a half hour of deflecting questions, Bowden said mischievously, "We've been pretty clear about being unclear."

"Is [Soriano] going to play left field? . . . Who knows," said Robinson. "We'll play with five infielders and two outfielders."

Actually, the Nats know that one of four scenarios will eventually play out. None is terrible. Most are good. Soriano can agree to play left field so Vidro can play second. This is the Nats' fantasy. Believe it when you see it. Or Soriano can play second and Vidro, if he demonstrates over the next four to eight weeks that his knee is healthy, can be traded. This is a high-probability outcome. Or Vidro, if healthy, can play second and Soriano can be traded. This is less likely. Soriano, with 35-homer, 30-steal skills, is a better fit for the Nationals' desperate offensive needs than the more subtle Vidro.

"Are they tradable? A couple of all-stars?" Robinson said incredulously. "Of course they are."

The fourth possibility, the nightmare scenario, is that Vidro's right knee will blow out for the third straight year, in which case Soriano will play second and Bowden will look brilliant for anticipating the problem and preempting a disaster.

And the Nats' secret wish is that Soriano would volunteer to play center field.

Nationals Notebook
Nats, O's Show Their Young Side

By Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 6, 2006; Page E10

VIERA, Fla., March 5 -- In the first of five Battles of the Beltways this spring, the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles each showcased their top young player, as Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and Orioles left fielder Nick Markakis both homered in Washington's 10-6 victory in front of 4,363 at Space Coast Stadium.

Zimmerman, batting cleanup for the first time this spring, hit his second towering homer in as many days, this time victimizing veteran Orioles right-hander Ricky Bottalico in the sixth inning. He also made another excellent defensive play on a slow roller in the fifth inning.


Kris Benson struggles in his two innings of work, giving up two runs in the Orioles' 10-6 loss to the Nationals on Sunday. (Jonathan Newton - The Washington Post)

"I'm getting into a comfort zone," Zimmerman said. Spring training "doesn't count, but it certainly counts in terms of your mentality, for getting comfortable at the plate."

Meantime, Markakis homered off Nationals starter Jon Rauch in the second inning. He also walked and singled, and has reached base in eight of his nine plate appearances this spring.

While Markakis is competing for a starting job this spring, Zimmerman essentially was handed the Nationals' third base job in November when the team traded veteran Vinny Castilla. And while the Nationals are trying to be conservative with their expectations for their No. 1 draft pick of a year ago, Zimmerman's performance this spring is making it hard to do that.

"I don't want to put a lot of pressure on this kid," Manager Frank Robinson said, when asked if Zimmerman could develop into a 30- or 40-homer hitter. "But there's no reason why down the road somewhere he couldn't hit that number. Will he do it consistently? I don't know. . . . Who's to say it may not happen some this year, where he shows that type of power?"

Zimmerman said he gained roughly five pounds in the offseason, putting him up to about 225. But Robinson said he hopes Zimmerman's weight gain stops there.

"I don't want him getting too heavy too soon," Robinson said. "He's still filling out. I don't want no 250-pound third baseman. We'll watch him a little bit."

Rauch, Watkins Impress



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Rauch also gave up a homer to Orioles center fielder David Newhan, but otherwise pitched well over three innings in his first appearance of the spring. Rauch is competing for one of three open jobs in the Nationals' rotation, but could also end up in the bullpen as the long reliever.

More impressive was non-roster right-hander Steve Watkins, who retired eight of the nine batters he faced, allowing only a walk while striking out five. Watkins, 27, went 9-2 with a 4.16 ERA, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen, for the Cleveland Indians' Class AAA team at Buffalo last season before leaving as a free agent.

Jensen Is Jettisoned



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Orioles released right-hander Ryan Jensen on Sunday. He had been signed to a minor league contract last month.

Face in the Crowd For the second day in a row, Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden was joined at Sunday's game by Mark Lerner, the head of one of the ownership groups seeking to buy the team. Up Next Today vs. Houston in Kissimmee, 1 Today vs. Dodgers in Vero Beach, 1:10

skinsRin wrote:So who's gonna play second Vidro or Soriano?

Redskins1974 wrote:

skinsRin wrote:So who's gonna play second Vidro or Soriano?

I think that's TBD. In an ideal world, Vidro with Soriano in the outfield. Ask again in 3 weeks, lol.

JansenFan wrote:I'm not a Nats fan, but I am a huge Frank Robinson fan, and I don't believe there will be a problem. He's the type of guy that will have a multi-million dollar bench warmer in Soriano before he will compromise his principles.

I thought they should have just kept Brad Wilkerson myself.