Nats Enquirer

Enquirer answers the Mailbag!

Is it next 2010 yet? No? Well, while we're waiting around for the future, let's answer the latest edition of the Nationals.com mailbag! As usual, keep those e-mails coming to Nationals.com, and we'll keep copying and pasting them over here and giving our half-assed answers! Here we go:

What's your take on Wily Mo Pena?
-- S. C., Washington, D.C.

Ok, I'm gonna say this quietly so nobody starts throwing things at me: Shhhhh...I think it's still too soon to give up on Wily Mo. (*ducking*) Sure, there's nothing to even remotely suggest he'll come around. WiMP hasn't homered in almost a month; hell, he's now getting out-homered 4-1 by Willie Harris; oh yeah, he's an absolute nightmare in left, too. BUT -- I still think the Nats should at least start him in left for the final 18 games before the All Star break, just keep running him out there. I don't believe the real Wily Mo is as bad as the 2008 Wily Mo. I also don't believe Wily Mo is as good as the ~40 games he played for the Nats in 2007. I think the truth lies somewhere in between. Play him another few weeks, and if he keeps stinking it up, move on.

I have to ask whether it's time to re-evaluate Lenny Harris as a Major League hitting coach. The offense is terrible.
-- T. H., Virginia Beach, Va.

It's a little surprising Lenny Harris still has a job.

When Chad Cordero is activated from the disabled list, will he be the closer?
-- Z. L., Cincinnati

Not immediately, but definitely sometime after Jon Rauch gets dealt to a contender before the Trade Deadline.

Is there any chance we could see Ken Griffey Jr. in a Nats uniform next season?
-- J. D. Alexandria, Va.

None. Wait - it would probably be dumb to completely rule out the chances of *any* former Red coming to the Nationals as long as Jim Bowden is still around (which won't be the case if the folks at Fire Jim Bowden -- our new favorite entry in the Natosphere -- have anything to say about it.)

How much of the Nats' most recent swoon can be attributed to the absence of Ryan Zimmerman and Nick Johnson?
-- T. D., Gettysburg, Pa.

Between 8.5 and 33.6%.

Jon A., of Stony Brook, N.Y., hit the mark with his e-mail. You are nothing more than a shill for the organization. Wake up and smell the coffee. Jim Bowden is a lousy general manager. Evaluate how much of the team was in place before he became the GM, and then honestly tell me that he is a good GM. Of course, you'll never publish this e-mail. Stop being a shill and call it correctly.
-- M. W., Springfield Va.

This much I know: you're an ass. How's that for calling it correctly? Ha! "Evaluate how much of the team was in place before he became the GM, and then honestly tell me that he is a good GM."?? What does that mean? You're an idiot. And Ladson's no shill.

Is John Lannan the real deal? Is he a future ace?
-- J., New York

We love Lannan. We think he'll be a fine #3 starter in the majors for many years to come.

How much longer do the Nats wait for Felipe Lopez to realize his potential? It seems like he always loses focus, doesn't run out ground balls, and hits around .250.
-- T. O., Washington, D.C.

Well, there's no chance he gets moved at the Trade Deadline, so you should probably get comfortable with seeing FLop hang around the rest of the season coming off the bench. Look on the bright side, though: after September 28, you won't ever see Felipe Lopez in a Nationals uniform again.

Enquirer Exclusive! How do the Nats spell relief? M-A-U-R-Y

"He's like a 68 year old Jeff Brantley; he has Lee Smith's eyes and John Wetteland's arm." 
(Jim Bowden, via Nationals Enquirer sources, 6/22/2008)

WASHINGTON - JUNE 23: According to  sources with no direct knowledge of the situation, the Washington Nationals have signed television talk show host Maury Povich to a major league deal after Povich's impressive performance throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Sunday's game between the Nationals and the Texas Rangers at Nationals Park, which was followed by another meltdown by the Nationals bullpen. Povich was at the game for the dedication of the press box to his father, the late Shirley Povich. According to baseball sources, Povich will pitch out of the bullpen. Nationals pitching coach Randy St. Claire may or may not have told a baseball source: "He didn't leave it out over the middle of the plate, unlike some of the [guys] we've been throwing out there recently. He executed his pitch." Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden reportedly gushed: "Think: John Wetteland. Without the firecrackers." Povich unavailable for comment.

Meantime, sources with no knowledge of the situation confirmed that the Nationals are looking for additional bullpen help, and are actively pursuing a deal with former Washington Senators reliever and WWII vet Bert Shepard, who passed away last Monday.

(Photo by Greg Fiume Getty Images)

TEXAS TOAST

 

"It's struggling right now, over the last few weeks. They are just making mistakes, leaving the ball over the middle of the plate. I don't think it's too much mechanical. They are not executing their pitches."
(Randy St. Claire, via Nationals dot com, 6/22/2008)

Rangers 5, Nats 3: It's the bullpen, again.

Hanrahan gives it up with 2 outs in the 8th: WP, BB, 1B, 1B. Mostly a lazy Sunday for the offense, too, again.

Unfortunately, John Lannan didn't pitch a perfect game, so no W, again. Oh, and we should probably mention that he's likely out for the season after getting hit on the right wrist with a Jarrod Saltalamacchia liner in the 5th: According to Chico (not Matt), X-Rays were negative, he'll get a CAT scan tomorrow, and the team is calling it a simply a "right wrist contusion". Converted to Nationals injury terms, that means at least a 15 day trip to the DL.

Meanwhile...the other half of the wildly popular Ryan Langerhans/Nook Logan Nationals CF platoon, Nook Logan, has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent Atlantic League.

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

SATURDAY NIGHTMARE

"Definitely, after a night like last night, we wanted to build on that as a team. The bottom line was that I didn't do my job."
(Brian Sanches, via Washington Post, 6/22/2008)

Senators 13, Nats 3: Bullpen Meltdown! Charlie Manning and Brian Sanches combine for maybe the worst 2/3 of an inning ever pitched by the Nationals bullpen: .2 IP, 6H, 7R (7 ER), 2 BB.

Meanwhile...

Sanches and Mock: DOWN. Orr and Shell: UP.

Injury setback shocker: Nick Johnson done for the year. Well, it's not official yet, but you know as well as I do that it's coming. Really feel bad for the guy. He's off to the Mayo Clinic on Monday to get his wrist looked at.

Yeah, the news on Chris Marrero (done for the year with a broken leg) isn't good.

We refuse acknowledge Daryl Thompson's start yesterday at Yankee Stadium. Here's a quote for you, though, and we'll move on: "...Amazingly, Washington insiders said Thompson was included in the deal because he had major shoulder surgery in 2005 (torn labrum) and Bowden didn't think he would last. As one Bowden acquaintance said, 'Bowden thought he was sticking it to the Reds with Thompson.'" In the end, poor Wayne Krivsky may get the last laugh over "The Trade."

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Pete Orr.

Pete Orr.

Pete Orr.

Pete Orr?

Yup, via Nationals dot com:

"The Nationals are expected to recall infielder Pete Orr as early as Sunday afternoon. Orr will be a backup infielder, who will get occasional starts. Entering Saturday's action, he was hitting .267 with two home runs and 30 RBIs for Triple-A Columbus."

Ok.

DOUBLE CLUTCH

“He was a one-man show tonight.”
(Manny Acta, via Washington Times, 6/21/2008)

Nats 4, Rangers 3: Dukes ties it (HR, 8th inning), wins it (single, 14th), earns big hug from Da Meat Hook.

(Oh, don't forget the bullpen.)

Heckuva night for Elijah: 5-6, 2B, HR, 2RBI, 2SB. It seems like only yesterday he was hitting .038.

Guzman's hit streak ends at 12 (0-7 night...)

Langerhans is the odd man out to make room for Mock

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

ANOTHER UP HILL BATTLE

"I have to somehow bounce back. It's getting a little tiring at this point for me."
(Shawn Hill, via Washington Post, 6/20/2008)

Twins 9, Nats 3: Tiring. Painful. Twins sweep. Did we miss anything?

(AP Photo/Hannah Foslien)

TAKING THE FUN OUT OF FUNDAMENTAL

"I am not disappointed. This is what we have. We're going to battle every single day. We're going to win some and we're going to lose some."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 6/19/2008)

Twins 11, NAAAts 2: That was ugly! Errors (3). Miscues. Exploding bullpen! 12 LOB: in fact, as of 6:30 this morning, several Nats' baserunners were still stranded at the Metrodome. But Manny's not disappointed.

Umps blow Lo Duca triple play call in 8th (the box score says GIDP, but if you saw it you know better).

Silver Lining(s): Jason Bergmann didn't blow up. Oh, and 3 more hits for All-Star shoe-in Guzie. Oh, and 3 more hits for Elijah Dukes.

Meanwhile...

• Congratulations to Cristian Guzman for being named starting second baseman on Baseball's All-Time Worst Contract Team by Bugs and Cranks.
• Manny Acta's BFF Tony Bernazard is getting killed in the NY papers over his involvement in the Randolph firing; NY Daily News calls him a 'bad, bad guy'.
• Mock, up. So who's going down? WiMP would definitely clear waivers, right?
• Speaking of Wily Mo, at what point is it ok to stop classifying his struggles as a "rough start"? Love the headline from Nationals dot com: Pena off to rough start for Nationals.
• Sunday's Kid's Jersey giveaway promotion has been cancelled: instead, our sources are telling us the first 10,000 children 12 and under entering the ballpark will be given free beer.

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)

MANNY THE MET DENIES NY TIES

"I think most of those comments are blown out of proportion. People are really mistaking my relationship with Omar Minaya and (Mets VP of player development) Tony Bernazard. We are friends. Those are two guys I talk to during the season, and during the offseason, too, because they are my friends. It has nothing to do with Expos, Mets, Nationals or anything. Its a friendship. Im a National. I'm very happy here, and Ill be here as long as the Lerners, Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden want me to be."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Times, 6/18/2008)

Denial is not just a river in Southeast (that's the Anacostia, actually): Manny says he's a Nat.

But the Wilpons will keep the seat warm for Acta for as long as it takes. Manny's under contract through next season, and the Nats have a club option in hand for 2010, but...

Chico (not Matt) reports that the Nationals wouldn't even consider letting the Mets talk to Manny; this, of course, according to Jim Bowden, who very well might not be around to make that call when the time comes (via Washington Post, 6/18/2008):

General Manager Jim Bowden, asking how Washington would respond if New York sought permission to speak with Acta, said via e-mail that "Manny Acta is our manager. Permission would be denied."

Meanwhile, the one thing everyone seems to be able to agree on is that the Mets' organization is a joke -- starting with the Wilpons -- in the wake of the botched Randolph firing. Joel Sherman of the NY Post lights 'em up (via NY Post 6/17/2008):

"Mets ownership, Fred and Jeff Wilpon, completed the impossible: They have made Hank Steinbrenner appear the level-headed baseball owner in town...

It would have been impossible to believe the Mets would approve a dumber cross-country flight than the two they allowed Ryan Church  to take with the lingering effects of a concussion. But move over into coach, Ryan, here is Randolph flying 3,000 miles to manage a game before being fired. That dismissal was made official at 3:14 a.m. Tuesday with a fax statement."

(Photo of Manny Acta on TV by The Nationals Enquirer Staff)

ONE MISTAKE

"It was a curveball up, and he hit it a long way. I threw a good one to him the first at-bat. He's right. I shouldn't have been throwing that pitch in that situation. It was just a mistake."
(John Lannan, via Washington Times, 6/18/2008)

Twins, 2, Nats 1: One mistake was all it took; Lannan had to be perfect. Livo outlasts Lannan in one hour, fifty-nine minute sprint to the postgame spread.

All Star Guzman's hit streak hits 10.

Meanwhile...

• Well, Livan had been giving up hits by the boatload (his last five starts, he'd given up: 12, 8, 13, 13, 10 hits). Just 5 hits last night for the Nats.
• Dmitri vs. Delmon?  A Dud: The Brothers Young go 0-6.
• Lo Duca starts at DH: 1-3, R, GIDP.
• Steinberg on Shirtgate.
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer puts Mike Rizzo on a list of potential candidates to replace recently-canned GM Bill Bavasi. But who'll replace Jimbo!?

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)