Nats Enquirer

It's all fun and games until the bookies come calling...

"My heart pumps more than when I'm up to the plate with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run. It's definitely nerve-wracking, definitely weird."
(Paul Lo Duca, via Washington Post, 3/25/2008)

From AP/SI.com:

Paul Lo Duca spent a good chunk of his Monday meticulously updating the NCAA tournament pool charts hanging in the home clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium.

There he was in the morning, down on the floor, using a metal rod to help make sure the lines he drew were straight. And there he was in the afternoon, up on a stool, filling in the points accrued by teammates with their picks.

Hopefully he's that meticulous about poring over pitching charts and learning all the pitchers he missed out on catching this spring while sitting out with a bum knee? Or at least the starting four? Paul Lo Duca: Starting catcher, Bracketologist, racehorse owner. Let's just hope the bookies don't come looking for him at Nationals Park this summer.

Meanwhile...

• Redding ready to go?
• Hill feels pain but is "encouraged".

(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Untouchable

Sure, Spring Training stats may be stupid, but dammit all if Joel Hanrahan's spring numbers aren't stupid good!

After today's appearance (1.1IP, 0H, 0R, 1K, 0BB), that makes: 12 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs,  2 walks, 14 Ks.

Then again, last spring, Levale Speigner didn't give up any runs either in ~12 IP...so there you go.

(Photo by Eric Risberg/AP)

Tim Redding: Back breaker

"It just feels like it's a knot. Nothing major, day-to-day. It could go away tomorrow. It could be there a day or two and then go away."
(Tim Redding, via Washington Post, 3/23/2008)

Sure, that's what Alex Escobar said.

Tim Redding suffering from back spasms; says he doesn't expect to miss April 2 start. Thank God for Lannan.

Video above: a riveting interview with Tim in happier times, last summer in Columbus.

Meanwhile...

• Jimbo shopping Felipe Lopez. Thankfully, FelipE won't pout if he gets benched (via Nationals dot com): "If Manny says, 'You are going to be on the bench,' what am I going to do? Sit here and pout? I'll be rooting for Cristian and Ronnie to do well. I'm not going to root against them."
• MLB.com says the Rangers are "close" to signing a minor league deal with old buddy John Patterson...
• Thom Loverro on the new ballyard.

Odorous Perez

"I feel very fortunate to be able to come into this team just trying to make the team, and to hear the news that I'm going to be the No. 1 guy, that makes me feel the job I have done came out with good results. I'm happy I'm getting this opportunity that a lot of people wanted."
(Odalis Perez, via Chatter, 3/22/2008)

"He won more games [eight] than any one of our starters last year in the big leagues...And he has pitched well in spring training, too. So he earned it..."
(Manny Acta, via Nationals Journal, 3/22/2008)

This stinks! He's #1!? Odalis Perez named Nats Opening Day starter.

He's our Ace: Let's review. 8-11, 5.57 ERA last year; 2 starts this spring (10 innings, 5.23 ERA, but we'll throw those out); career sub-.500 record. But he won 15 games 5 years ago!

Redding got robbed: If anyone "earned" anything, as Manny claims, wasn't it Redding?

(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Chico's in, but Who's #5?

"We almost have our minds made up. We haven't made the final decision yet, but I don't think a good or bad start is going to change our mind...Our decision is almost made."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 3/22/2008)

Starting 5: Odalis Perez. Tim Redding. Jason Bergmann. Matt Chico. And TBD?

We say: TBD will be Lannan (pitching today); no way Hill is ready in time (is he even healthy?). On Hill, from Nationals Journal this morning:

Shawn Hill threw a bullpen yesterday, reported some slight soreness in his elbow afterwards, but is still on track to throw two innings in a minor league game on Monday, in hopes of getting himself ready to pitch for the Nationals on April 13

Meanwhile...

• O'Connor and Whitney both get cut. Mark Zuckerman takes a crack at projecting the final 25.
• A few weeks ago, Home Run Derby predicted the 2008 Nats would be the worst team in baseball -- and that was WITH John Patterson in the starting rotation. So does his departure give their prediction even more ammo? I still think they've upgraded, IF...
• Zuckerman: it'll be Hudson vs. Someone Opening Night (still looking like it'll be Odalis by default)
• OMG's take on JP's release is worth a read (comments, too)...
• The Felipe Lopez Watch continues: Play, Trade, Release, or Bench him? Will FelipE be a Cubbie?

(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

John long gone; long time coming

"We got him finally healthy. We got him where he was never on an injury list. But he never got the stuff back, unfortunately."
(Jim Bowden, via Nationals dot com, 3/20/2008)

"I don't think I was progressing as fast as they wanted me to progress. They didn't see what they wanted to see."
(John Patterson, via Chatter/Washington Times, 3/20/2008)

"...We'd rather let the younger kids go out there and develop. This had nothing to do with one particular start or outing. It was the whole spring training."
(Manny Acta, via Nationals Journal, 3/20/2008)

Time, time, time: Time runs out for the (former) almost-Ace...

Time for Nats, fans, to stop holding their collective breath waiting for the Real John Patterson. Time to scratch one big "If" off the list for the rotation (and replace it with another).

But -- did Patterson just need a little more time? Was Jimbo too hung up on velocity? Is JP a lost cause? Watch your back, Shawn Hill?

Well, at the very least, if he doesn't catch on with another big league club, there's plenty of room in Columbus.

Meanwhile...

The Big Nasty Truth: Ted Lerner reportedly seen this afternoon burying the ~$600K he saved by releasing JP today under home plate at Nationals Park. Kidding, of course.

JP or not, we're still feeling sick about the '08 rotation.

Best of luck to you John, wherever you end up.

(AP Photo by Nati Harnik)

Holy [bleep]! The John Patterson era is over!?

Wow. As reported in the Washington Times/Chatter, Nationals Journal, and Nationals dot com, John Patterson has been released by the Nationals.

"They told me I didn't blow the doors open and that there were other pitchers pitching better." (John Patterson, via Nationals.com, 3/20/2008)

Good luck, John. We hardly knew ya.

Give Tim the ball on Opening Night.

"I hope I feel like crap for 34 starts."
(Tim Redding, via Washington Post, 3/19/2008)

Why the [heck] not?

Just thinking about the '08 rotation, let alone the Opening Night starter, is making us feel like crap; but hopefully not for 162 starts.

Meanwhile...

• The guy who should've taken the hill at Nationals Park Opening Night is busy fighting the flu and getting shelled this Spring for Minnesota...
• Hill, no pain after BP session (yet). Ready by mid-April?

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Felipe Lopez says: There is no "I" in team, but there is a "ME".

"No. Bench? No. I've already said that. Hell no. I feel good out there. The numbers do not show that I'm hitting the ball hard, playing great defense. I feel [expletive] great. You can put that, too. I feel great."
(Felipe Lopez, via Chatter, 3/18/2008)

Booooooooooooooooo! Odd man out better get used to the idea of riding the pine.

Unlike Mr. "There is no I in Team", Ronnie Belliard will take whatever role he can get (via Nationals.com): "It doesn't matter to me. Whatever they decide. I already said that to them. I'm not going to get upset...Whatever my role will be, I'll take it." Guess that's easy to say when you're not hitting .205 for the spring.

Meanwhile...

• Hey Jimbo, can't you call the Cubs, see if they've got any spare fungo bats they'd like to trade for ol' Felipe? Or maybe call the Birds after they finally deal Brian Roberts to Chicago?
• Farewell, Alex Escobar.
• Paul the Pusher is ready to start tomorrow Thursday?  Apparently he's still mad at Omar Minaya for not calling him about a job in the offseason.

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Has anyone seen Pedro Astacio?

Luck of the Irish fails O'Connor (4.2IP, 7H, 4ER, 1BB, 1WP), ticket to AAA punched.

Meanwhile, we're wondering if it's time for Jimbo to put in a call to Pedro Astacio at his nursing home in Florida...

...or just wait for Sidney Ponson to get cut from the Rangers. Or keep holding out hope for Patterson and Hill.

Meanwhile...

• Don't forget to register for tickets to Opening Night.
• Hill, pain free.
• Dukes' hammy still 'tender'.
• Zimmerman returned (2-4) today!
• Just what the world needs: another Nationals blog!
• I love WTOP: People are already lost getting to Nationals Park! The sky is falling!

(Photo by Rudi Riet, via Flickr, licensed under cc-by-sa)