Nats Enquirer

Ryan Zimmerman wins Silver Slugger, reminds Mike Rizzo (again) to please sign Adam Dunn

(Ryan Zimmerman, all smiles. Photo by Jonathan Ernst, via Reuters.)

Congrats to Ryan Zimmerman on his second straight Silver Slugger award. Not only was Zim unofficially the best defensive third baseman in the National League this season (Gold Glove robbery by Scott Rolen aside), he's now officially recognized (again)for being the best hitting third baseman in the NL.

Here's Zim during a conference call with the media Thursday night, via Nationals Journal, making another desperate plea to Mike Rizzo:

"As much as this award was mine...having those guys behind me [was] important. Having Adam come back needs to be a big priority for our team -- for everyone, but it obviously helps me out a lot. ...

"[Having Dunn in the lineup] changes when [teams] do and don't pitch to me. When there's runners in scoring position, if they're going to pitch around me, they have Adam to deal with. -- It absolutely helps."
(Ryan Zimmerman, via Nationals Journal, 11/11/2010)

Fear not, Zim: Once Adam Dunn signs his 4 year deal with the Yankees this offseason, you'll have plenty of help from Dunn when you're both in pinstripes together following the 2013 season.

And of course, when Adam Dunn isn't around next year and Ryan Zimmerman misses out on a third consecutive Silver Slugger award, we can all blame Adam Dunn; just like Dunn was "partly responsible" for Zim losing the Gold Glove.

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Zim: "I don't understand why Adam gets crushed on his defense."

On the same day he lost his Gold Glove to Scott Rolen (he was robbed - and don't blame Adam Dunn!) and served as a runway model for the Nationals new unis, Ryan Zimmerman came to the defense of Adam Dunn's defense. In the video above, he also talks Cliff Lee. Here's ZIm on Dunn (transcribed by Pete Kerzel of MASN):

"We got to get Adam, I think. ... For some reason everyone thinks his defense cost us 27 losses a year or something like that, but just the presence that he has in this lineup, the presence he has in this clubhouse, the consistency that you get out of him - if you take him out of the middle of the lineup, it's going to be hard to replace him. It's going to do a lot (of harm) to our team. ...

Ryan Howard probably makes a lot more money than (Dunn). He's not winning Gold Gloves. I mean, I love Ryan, he's a great player. But nobody ever says anything about his defense. ...There's maybe three or four guys in the big leagues that play good first base. I don't understand why Adam gets crushed on his defense. From the time he started playing defense in spring training to the time he ended the season, I can honestly say he's 10 times better."
(Ryan Zimmerman, via MASNSports.com, 11/10/2010)

Amen.

Meanwhile, it sounds like Wil Nieves is in the Carlos Pena camp with Mike Rizzo (via Nationals.com):

"Carlos is open to anything. I told him that Washington is a great city and that the Nationals are going in the right direction. He can help Ian Desmond and Ryan Zimmerman when it comes to picking up their throws at first base."
(Wil Nieves, via Nationals.com, 11/10/2010)

But really, WHO cares what Wil Nieves thinks? Anyway, more from Zim, who would believes the Nationals have "other people" (*cough* *cough* Dunn *cough*) to take care of first before going after Lee:

So this is what the New Nationals 2011 Home Jerseys Look Like

 

(Goodbye, ugly block font! Goodbye, interlocking "DC". Farewell, gold. The Nationals new 2011 home jersey. Photo by Dan Steinberg via Twitter.)

Put down your barf bags, NatsTown: They didn't screw it up. The ugly block letters are gone; same goes for the interlocking "DC" and beveled numbers. Gold: Gone. Same goes for the word: "Nationals", replaced by a curly W on the left breast.

And so, the Nationals new home jerseys have been revealed at a fashion show attended by the muckety mucks. Based on the early photos we've seen Tweeted so far by the best and brightest online media outlets in the DMV, the Nationals have now effectively spared themselves from another embarrassing jersey malfunction/misspelling going forward. They should be okay as long as they don't flip that curly W.

We're fine with the new home whites. Yeah, the design is sort of boring, but much better than the old model.

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So this is what the Nationals 2011 Alternate Jersey looks like?

(The Nationals "new" 2011 alternate jersey? Image via MLB.com by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

[UPDATE: So this is what the 2011 Home jersey looks like.]

H/T to commentor Rob and also @ Stupidsuck, apparently this is what the 2011 Alternate Jersey looks like, from this MLB.com product page. Very nice!

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So this is what the Nationals 2011 Road Jersey looks like?

(The Nationals "new" 2011 road jersey? Image via MLB.com by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

[UPDATE: So this is what the 2011 Home jersey looks like.]

[UPDATE: So this is what the 2011 Alternate Jersey looks like?]

Funny, that looks almost exactly like last year's road model.

The Nationals team shop on MLB.com now has the above "Washington Nationals Authentic 2011 Road Cool Base Jersey" up for sale on the site on the jersey page. Although it looks quite similar to the road jersey used last season, the piping on the sleeves appears to now be flush with the cuff, where as the old model had gray between the red & blue stripes and the cuff. It will go nicely with the road cap which was up online yesterday but is no longer available. And as of 9:00 this morning, almost all of the "old" jerseys have disappeared from the online shop.

Oh, and a source with knowledge of the situation put the question of pinstripes to bed with a definitive "No". The home unis will not have pinstripes. Breathe easier, NatsTown.



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The fakest new Nationals jersey design you ever saw

 

[UPDATE: So this is what the 2011 Home jersey looks like.]

[UPDATE: No pinstripes. And 2011 Nats Road Jersey for sale on MLB.com?]

Nationals Enquirer gets plenty of email in the ol' inbox each day, most of it containing bogus information. True to form, earlier this evening we got an email with the above photo attached, claiming to be a leak of the new Nationals home jersey, to be revealed Wednesday night at Nationals Park during an exclusive fashion show for the muckety-mucks.

First, you'll notice the pinstripes, suspiciously similar to those of a certain NL East team located, oh, just about ~140 miles north of Washington D.C. Next, you'll notice that the font looks too small, almost like it was pasted on top of the image in MS Paint or Photoshop or something. So, not surprisingly, we're calling bullshit. Despite the claims by the emailer that the Nationals will be unveiling pinstriped home unis tomorrow night. Thanks for the tip, though.

Meanwhile, somewhat interestingly, the 2011 alternate Nationals cap which was up for sale on MLB.com's Nationals team shop earlier today (as flagged by D.C. Sportsbog) has at this hour mysteriously disappeared from the team's authentic cap page on MLB.com. 

We'll go out on a limb and venture a guess that if you go to the Nats' authentic jersey page on MLB.com between now and the "reveal" Wednesday night and keep clicking refresh every few minutes, eventually they'll blow it and post the new jerseys for sale by accident. 

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't note the passing of one of the last great Nationals blogs still standing (until Sunday): Rest in peace, Fire Jim Bowden. Steven's voice will be missed around the Natmosphere.

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Another Sad Chapter in the Elijah Dukes Story

That's Elijah Dukes in court in Florida on Wednesday in an orange jumpsuit, telling a judge he's done with baseball and wants to go to school and get a regular job so he can take care of his kids. Video clip from WTSP in Tampa/St. Pete. Sad, sad stuff.

Life hasn't been kind to Elijah Dukes following his surprising release by the Nationals last spring. After playing out the summer  with the independent Atlantic League Newark Bears, Elijah Dukes is once again in trouble for failing to pay child support; arrested on Monday. Dukes appeared in court in Florida on Wednesday; the gut-wrenching proceedings are captured in the video clip above, and captured in words on Tampa Bay.com:

He owes ex-wife NiShea Gilbert $74,000 in child support and alimony. And court records show that as of September, he owed $35,000 to Carla D. Bryant and $34,000 to Porcia Reneal Daniels, also mothers of his children.

"Jesus, I hate this," Dukes said at one point as he put his head on a table and sobbed.
(via TampaBay.com, 11/3/2010)

The Elijah Dukes story is tragic on many levels that we won't rehash here. But after failing to live up to his great potential as a baseball player (see also this piece by Jack Moore of Fangraphs on the lost potential of Elijah Dukes ) Dukes is basically broke, out of work, had his car repossessed (according to the SP Times) and is at best searching for a minor league invite to Spring Training -- if there's a MLB club out there willing to take a chance on him. But given the lack of interest around baseball after being dropped by the Nats last spring, and his baggage, and the fact that Jim Bowden is no longer employed as a general manager by a Major League ballclub, the odds aren't looking good. Chances are, Dukes will never play in the majors again.

One Adam down for Mike Rizzo, one to go...

(A rare photo from the 2010 season, in which Adam Kennedy cracks a smile. Photo via picapp.)

"I'm all right with the decision. It wasn't the right place for me to be playing. I didn't fit well into their plans. It's OK. I like [manager Jim] Riggleman. I like [general manager Mike] Rizzo. They are a good group of guys."
(Adam Kennedy, via Bill Ladson/MLB.com, 11/3/2010)

Nationals decline $2 million option on Adam Kennedy, buy him out for $500,000.

The Adam Kennedy Era is over. After failing to lure Orlando Hudson to the Nationals last winter, Adam Kennedy was Mike Rizzo's fallback plan. Instead, he became Jim Riggleman's biggest regret last season.

And with that Adam gone, it's just a matter of time before Mike Rizzo shows that other guy named Adam the door -- you know, the guy named Adam who mashes baseballs.

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Bo Porter's hiring as Nationals new 3B coach obliterates the early 2011 World Series odds

(Bo Porter appears to be a capable addition to Jim Riggleman's coaching staff, judging by this photo. Photo via Newscom.)

"I had a very long conversation with Bo yesterday. Before that, Mike's conversations with him were some philosophical, some contractual, Bo is clearly the choice for both of us."
(Jim Riggleman, via Ben Goessling/MASNSports.com, 11/2/2010)

And so the Nationals have hired a replacement for former third-base coach Pat Listach: Bo Porter.

Now, maybe Nationals Enquirer staff knows nothing about Porter, but the rest of Jim Riggleman's 2010 coaching staff returns intact: John McLaren (bench coach), Steve McCatty (pitching coach), Jim Lett (bullpen coach), Rick Eckstein (hitting coach), and Dan Radison (first base).

Meanwhile, via Hardball Talk: online gambling site BoDog.com has released its earlybird odds for the 2011 World Series; with the Nationals sitting at 80/1 odds to win it all. Unfortunately for BoDog, the news of Porter's hiring by the Nationals came after the odds were set, obliterating the early odds: bet the house on it, NatsTown!

After the jump, the complete text of the press release from the Nationals earlier this afternoon, announcing the Porter hiring and the return of Riggleman's Listachless 2011 coaching staff:

Meet Me In Chicago: First Listach, Next Dunn?

(A familiar scene: Pat Listach congratulating Adam Dunn after a home run. Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters.)

So Pat Listach has been hired by the Cubs to be Mike Quade's bench coach.

And Adam Dunn could be joining him there soon. According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the Adam Dunn Question will be front and center at Cubs organizational meetings starting today:

The Adam Dunn question will be debated in Arizona, with the Cubs apparently ready to pursue the left-handed slugger to play first base and protect Aramis Ramirez in the lineup. Hendry has a long relationship with Dunn, as does pitcher Ryan Dempster, while Zambrano has already lobbied for the signing.

But with the second-worst National League fielding percentage and a shortstop in Starlin Castro who committed 27 errors in 123 games, can the Cubs afford to sacrifice defense for offense at first?
(via Chicago Tribune, 11/1/2010)

Seems Mike Rizzo made up his mind on that one a while ago.

Just a minutes after the San Francisco Giants recorded the final out to beat the Rangers and win the World Series last night, Mark Zuckerman Tweeted a friendly reminder that the Nationals' exclusive window for negotiating a deal with Dunn is closing soon:

Unless he re-signs with #Nats in next 5 days, Adam Dunn officially becomes a free agent Saturday night at midnight. (via Mark Zuckerman/Twitter,  11/1/2010)

In other words, Adam Dunn could be joining Listach in Cubbie Blue as soon as next Sunday morning.

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