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Before it’s too late

By Maggie on October 11, 2012

Once again I could make an excuse about being a terrible blogger. I could apologize for not posting my September predictions. For not posting anything really at ALL during the month of September. For not having the time to acknowledge the amazing things that this team has done (other than clinching the postseason back on September 20).

Instead I’ve been at games – doing the thing I promised I was doing instead of posting. I’ve been a fan – eating hot dogs, drinking beer, cheering myself hoarse, high-fiving strangers. I’ve still been taking lots of pictures and thinking critically about this team, but without the pressure of “How will I write about this for the blog?” I’m able to enjoy this last and sweetest part of the season, and everything amazing that has happened all year long.

I promise to do more later. There may be some catch up posts with links to pictures if I ever get them from my computer to our picture site. For now – have this one. It’s totally out of focus. But I think it expresses a little bit of the exuberance that was palapable even from the “cheap seats”. The Nats are going to Game 5. They’re still in it. The season isn’t over yet…and I think they can do it!

Goodbye and Good Luck!

By Ashley on April 24, 2012

There is always something in the news about baseball, and the First Ladies usually don’t mention it here. However, we can’t let this week go by without saying farewell to Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. Pudge retired yesterday after 20 years playing professional baseball.

Even though we only had him in Washington for two years (and didn’t have enough chances to watch him play due to injuries), he was one of our favorite players. Even approaching the end of his career, he could still grab the ball and rocket it to 2nd to score an out.

So, good luck in all of your future endeavors Pudge – we’ll miss you!

April 14, 2012: Nationals vs. Reds

By Maggie on April 21, 2012

I have a very busy spring ahead of me, and this last Saturday wasn’t much different. I had three items on my agenda: visiting the zoo in the morning, baseball game in the afternoon (main goal: Strasburg bobblehead), and birthday party in the evening. Since my afternoon and evening agendas overlapped quite a bit, I had to split my time. This meant arriving early for the game in order to guarantee getting a bobblehead, and leaving about halfway through to make my next event. But the time I had at the ballgame allowed me to get in some quality portions of the game, and to appreciate what’s happening with the Nationals this season.

Before the game even started I was hanging out with some Nats fans (including @tracytran, who sold me my ticket), talking about the team, and what we thought of the way things were going so far, and our hopes for the future. In the middle of that discussion, we were approached by the Nat Pack who asked if we wanted to participate in a trivia game on NatsHD. Tracy and I agreed, and played “Ross or Ryan” (Detweiler or Mattheus) with Clint. Apart from the first question (who wears #48?), most of the answers were not things that either of us readily knew because Ryan Mattheus and Ross Detweiler aren’t given the Tiger Beat treatment the way that Zimmerman and Strasburg are. Through sheer luck (50/50!), I ended up winning the game, and was given a prize pack which included a knit cap, a frosty mug and an Ian Desmond bobblehead. Since I already had a Desmond bobblehead, I gave mine to Tracy so he could complete his collection.

On to the game – we sat up in section 222, which has a nice view along the first base line, but not so far in the outfield that it’s hard to see. We were a little worried after the top of the second when the Reds scored their first run, but with some timely walks, a hit by Flores and great base-running by Jayson Werth, things were tied up 1-1 at the end of that inning. In the third inning, LaRoche smacked a double and batted in two runs that would be enough for the Nats to win.

The third inning is also when I think the crowd started to notice that Jackson was pitching really well. With the exception of the 8th, he would continue to take down the Reds hitters in order, 1-2-3. It was really an impressive outing, and I’m sad that I didn’t get to see all of it. And while I’m praising Jackson’s performance, I think now is the time to mention my ESP. During the third or fourth inning, I turned to Tracy and said, “Since Gio had his first hit ever at the home opener, I think Edwin should get a hit in this game to balance things out.” I had promised myself I would stay through the president’s race, and so was actually walking towards the metro when I heard the cheers for Jackson as he made his first hit of the year!

And that’s it. I watched the end of the game in awe from the bar where the birthday party was being held. I actually drew the attention of the entire table to what was happening when I noticed that Jackson was still pitching in the 8th. I’m pleased to report that after his amazing complete game, everyone at the table was talking about the Nats and the fantastic start to the season they were off to. And because I have no pictures from the bar, here are a few more pics from the game.

Full album can be found here.

N.B. – I held off on writing this post until I had time, which meant I had the opportunity to go to Jackson’s second outing at Nats Park on Thursday which wasn’t quite as good. I’ll address that game in a post tomorrow.

2012 Pre-Season Predictions

By Maggie on April 4, 2012

With the start of the season fast approaching (Yesterday was the last spring training game? Tomorrow is opening day? Eep! Where has the time gone!), it means that the First Ladies are back with their pre-season predictions. As members of the DC-Internet Baseball Writers of America, we participate in a survey every spring and an awards vote every fall. We tend to like the predictions best because it’s something we can watch and judge ourselves against. As a note, most of these predictions were made while the First Ladies were out of town, so if things seem slightly off…we’ll just blame foreign air. Here’s our thoughts on this spring’s survey (which can be found here).

1) Who will lead the Nats in home runs in 2012?

Ryan Zimmerman

Zim seems to be back and healthy this spring (we’re very thankful for that), so with a full season ahead of him, we’re pretty sure he’ll make a mark. And with that lovely extension – he’ll want to prove he’s worth every penny and more.

2) Who will lead the Nats in RBI?

Danny Espinosa

This is one that after watching the Nats-Red Sox game we’re beginning to question (Wilson Ramos looked REALLY good). But now is not the time to go back on guesses. After a fall that looked more crash-and-burn than rookie of the year, we think Danny will come back to the season with something to prove, and that may manifest itself in pushing guys across the plate.

3) Who will lead the Nats in stolen bases?

Roger Bernadina

This is another hopeful pick. With the Shark back on the Opening Day roster, we’ve got high hopes that he’ll stick around for a while. And when you’ve got Bill Ladson trying to force the name “Speed Racer” on twitter…well, he’ll have to live up to that somehow. If the Shark doesn’t get a chance to munch on bases this year, expect to see Ian Desmond in this spot.

4) Who will lead the staff in wins?

Jordan Zimmermann

This was probably the easiest call we made. J-Zimm is back and fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. He has no innings limit (unlike Strasburg), and based on the glowing reviews of his shortened season last year, we can’t wait to see what kind of magic he makes.

5) Who will pitch more innings for the Nats this season? (Wang, Lannan or Detweiler)

Ross Detweiler

This was more strategy than anything else. By the time we made our guesses, Wang had already been injured, and he has a history of being a delicate flower. That leaves the choice between Lannan and Detweiler. Lannan had options left, and considering the shocking fact that the Nats exercised these and are having him start in Syracuse, this pick is looking pretty good so far…

6) Who will get more at bats for the Nats this season? (Ankiel, Bernadina, Harper)

Roger Bernadina

This is another shot in the dark, and here’s the reasoning: Ankiel is injured, and also old (and seems to be a placeholder for Harper). Harper is starting out in the minors, and while he will likely get to the Majors this season, he’s not going to play every day. That leaves Bernadina – who is on the opening day roster, and will likely fill in for both Ankiel and the also-injured Morse, before slipping into a more utility-outfielder role.

7) Date of Bryce Harper’s Major League debut?

June 2

Fact: Maggie guessed this without looking at her calendar to see if there was a game being played that day, or even what day of the week that was. Turns out it wasn’t a terrible guess – it’s a Saturday game at the start of a homestand against the Mets. It potentially gives the team enough time with Harper in the minors to delay him being a Super-2, and would give the fans a lot of chances to see Harper play.

8) Which minor leaguer are you most interested in keeping tabs on this season (not Harper)?

Anthony Redon (or Matt Purke)

Rendon has a chance to make a splash this year. He was highly touted and while his position (3B) is fairly locked up at the big leagues, it will be interesting to see him develop starting at Potomac and working his way up. Other than Rendon, we’re eager to see what Matt Purke can do. Lefty pitchers can be VERY interesting.

9) How many all-stars will the Nats have? Who?

2: Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg

If Zimmerman bounces back from his shortened season the way we hope he can, he’ll be back at the all-star game. And what sort of NL manager would be able to resist the name-recognition and electricity of Strasburg on their pitching staff?

10) Total wins and what place in the division?

85, 2nd

This is where Maggie and Ashley had their only real disagreement. Maggie was more optimistic with 88 wins (probably because she was on vacation when she made her picks), and Ashley was more realistic with 82 (she was traveling for work). We’ve split the difference at 85 and will keep our fingers crossed that this is enough to get the DC boys of summer into second place.

Essay: What is the single most important development for the Nats this season?

We read this as more of “will the team need to develop over the season to be a winning team”, so here’s that answer:

The team needs to stay healthy. Physically, this includes trying to avoid silly injuries early in the season that could be avoided, and not overworking injury-prone players. Mentally, the team needs to keep up camraderie in the clubhouse and not get caught up in the early-season hype until they’ve proven themselves on the field.

So…with all that said – what do you guys think? Are we totally off base? Agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments.

DC-IBWA 2011 Player Awards Voting

By Maggie on October 7, 2011

As humble information managers (read: librarian & records manager) in our day jobs, it delights us to no end to have our little blog be called an “online media outlet” in the company of some fantastic Nationals baseball blogs. Even more enjoyable is being able to participate in the biannual rites of prediction-making and survey-taking that we milk for as many posts as we can. The most recent of these was the 2011 DC-Internet Baseball Writers Association Player Achievement Awards. Want to know how we voted, and why we chose who we did? Then read on. We’ll be presenting our first, second, and third place choices, along with the consensus winners of the award from the DC-IBWA.

Goose Goslin MVP: Michael Morse
First Ladies’ Choice: Morse/Zimmerman/Espinosa

Has any player meant as much to the Nationals this year as Michael Morse? Not only did he hit a lot of home runs, but he managed to knock in a lot of runs, and play good defense at both 1B and LF, but he cheered the spirits of Natstown with his catchy at-bat music and initiation into the joys of “Beast Mode”.

Walter Johnson Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Zimmermann
First Ladies’ Choice: Zimmermann/Lannan/Strasburg

Recovering from Tommy John surgery is a very big deal. Recovering and thriving the way that Jordan Zimmermann did is nothing short of fantastic. He has definitely earned his place in next year’s rotation.

Frederick “Firpo” Marberry RP: Tyler Clippard
First Ladies’ Choice: Clippard/Storen/Coffey

Who else would we choose? If you look at his stat line for this year, it’s just ridiculous. Clippard more than deserved his spot as an All-Star, and proved it from March to September.

Sam Rice Hitter of the Year: Michael Morse
First Ladies’ Choice: Morse/Zimmerman/Desmond

This award is for “all-around hitting, situational hitting and baserunning”. Well, if you look at the National League batting average leaderboard, who sits at number 9 this year? Michael Morse. In fact, go to the National League batting leaders page of Baseball Reference, and do a Ctrl-F search for “Morse”, and his name comes up a LOT, and not in any embarassing categories either (I’m looking at Espinosa and Werth in Strikeouts). Seriously good stuff.

Frank Howard Slugger of the Year: Michael Morse
First Ladies’ Choice: Morse/Zimmerman/Ramos

How many times can we lavish praise on Mikey-Mo? One more official award will do. When you’re on the big board for Slugging, OPS, Home Runs, Doubles and Extra Base Hits…that’s the very definition of a slugger of the year.

Joe Judge Defensive Player of the Year: Danny Espinosa
First Ladies’ Choice: Espinosa/Ankiel/Ramos

This is the time on FLoB where we remind ourselves that Danny Espinosa is a ROOKIE. Yes, he made quite a few errors, but how many other seemingly impossible defensive plays did he treat Nats fans to this season?

Mickey Vernon Comeback Player of the Year: Jordan Zimmermann
First Ladies’ Choice: Strasburg/Wang/Zimmermann

Here is the first place where the First Ladies differ from the final standings, and from the voting tally, we weren’t the only ones who thought Stephen Strasburg belonged at the top of the comeback standings. Our reasoning for putting Stras as our first place vote is simple: 1 year ago at this time, Stephen was recovering from Tommy John surgery. In less than a year, he came back, lit up the minor leagues, and showed the Nationals that he is back and perhaps a little wiser than before.

Josh Gibson Humanitarian Award: Ian Desmond
First Ladies’ Choice: Desmond/Zimmerman/Lannan

Ian Desmond is this year’s nominee from the Washington Nationals for the Roberto Clemente award, which is given for positive contributions both on and off the field. Desmond has given so much back to the DC community, a fact that is evident in the predominance of his face at Nationals community events. Surely there are easier ways for a young father to spend his free time and off days, but Ian simply proves that he is more than deserving of this award.

Minor League Player of the Year: Bryce Harper
First Ladies’ Choice: Lombardozzi/Peacock/Harper

One last award where the First Ladies didn’t go with the crowd. Yes, Harper was the obvious choice, but as good as he’s been, he’s still young, and he didn’t get past AA-ball this year (a purposeful decision by the Nats management). Instead, we went with Maggie’s gut instinct of Steve Lombardozzi, who despite a potentially disappointing month in the MLB, displayed spectacular potential in both Harrisburg and Syracuse. We look forward to seeing Steve develop.

Biggest Surprise: Michael Morse
First Ladies’ Choice: Morse (seconded by Coffey’s enthusiastic running)

There are few among us who once the regular season started were saying that Michael Morse would be the biggest contributor to the Nationals this season. Oh, how he proved us wrong.

Biggest Disappointment: Jayson Werth
First Ladies’ Choice: Werth

Jayson Werth made 10 million dollars this year. As an outfielder, was he worth that? Not really. As a batter, was he worth it? Definitely not. Here’s hoping this was just a fluke, and that he proves his mettle in the years to come.

Will Ryan Zimmerman sign a contract extention before end of 2012: Yes
First Ladies’ Answer: Yes

If the Nationals don’t sign him to an extension before the end of 2012, they are stupid. And we think [and hope] they aren’t stupid.

Who won’t be on the Nationals 2012 Roster:
First Ladies’ Answers: Slaten / Gorzelanny / Maya / H-Rod / Wang / Cora / LaRoche / Marrero / Bixler / Brown / Gomes

It’s not that we don’t like these guys (well…some of these guys). We just think that some make better trade bait, and some just don’t fit the direction that the team is headed. This will be something to re-evaluate in the spring.

Favorite Professional Nats Writer:
First Ladies’ Answer: Mark Zuckerman

He’s really good at what he does – concise, appropriately humorous, with lots of interesting posts. If you’re not reading his column, you should be.

Favorite Nats Blogger:
First Ladies’ Answer: Andrew Kinback, Nationals Inquisition

We love bloggers with a sense of humor, who alternately do and don’t take things too seriously. He’s also active on twitter (@natsnq), which makes for good in-game commentary.

What do you think? If you had a chance to vote too, where would you differ from our (or the group’s) picks? Any other players on the Nats that you think could make a good candidate for team MVP?

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2011 End of Year Prediction Round-Up

By Maggie on October 2, 2011

We’ve reached another October, and our beloved Nats have gone into hibernation, yet again. At some point in the next few years reaching real fall weather won’t mean it’s time for Nats park to close up – hopefully it will mean sweater and oat-weather games with desperate hope to keep going. This year, our boys are done, but with more accomplishments for the team record books and more hope for next spring.

Back in February, Ashley and I made some predictions about how this year would turn out. We did a mid-season re-evaluation of those predictions, and now present our final scores. Here’s how the scoring works: 1 point for a correct pick (if not revised), a half point for a correct revised pick, minus 1 for every win off on win total, minus 1 for every place off in the division.

1) Who will lead the Nats in home runs in 2011?

First Ladies Answer: Jayson Werth
Revised Prediction: Michael Morse
Final HR Leader: Michael Morse

Sticking with Mikey-Mo halfway through the season was the right choice. Our buddy ended up with 31 homers for the year, while Jayson had 20, which was good enough for third. (Points Total: 0.5/1)

2) Who will lead the Nats in RBI?

First Ladies Answer: Adam LaRoche
Revised Prediction:Danny Espinosa
Final RBI Leader: Michael Morse

If only Danny hadn’t slumped in the late summer. But it also helps that Michael had a lot of homers this year. Sadly, we get no points. (Points Total: 0.5/2)

3) Who will lead the Nats in stolen bases?

First Ladies Answer: Nyjer Morgan
Revised Prediction: Roger Bernadina

Final Stolen Base Leader: Ian Desmond

Another wrong answer. Bernadina had 17 total for the year, while Desmond closed things out with 25. (Points Total: 0.5/3)

4) Who will lead the staff in wins?

First Ladies Answer: Jordan Zimmermann
Winningest Pitcher: John Lannan

If J-Z had run support, or had the opportunity to pitch more games, he would definitely have been more of a contender for this, but we don’t begrudge Lannan his winningest season ever.. (Points Total: 0.5/4)

5) Who will lead the staff in saves?

First Ladies Answer: Drew Storen
Savingest Pitcher: Drew Storen

43 saves for Drew! Hot Damn! (Points Total: 1.5/5)

6) Which starter will lead the team in starts?

First Ladies Answer: John Lannan
Pitcher with Most Starts: John Lannan

It’s easy to get the most starts when you’re allowed to pitch through an entire season. (Points Total: 2.5/6)

7) Who will pitch more innings for the Nats this season: Chien-Ming Wang, Yunesky Maya, Ross Detwiler?

First Ladies Answer: Chien-Ming Wang
Revised Prediction: Ross Detweiler
Most Starts: Ross Detweiler

Detweiler got the most innings pitched, but not by a lot. He had 66 over Wang’s 62 (Points Total: 3/7)

8) Who will get more at bats for the Nats this season: Rick Ankiel, Jerry Hairston, Alberto Gonzalez?

First Ladies Answer: Rick Ankiel
Most At Bats: Rick Ankiel

With Gonzo traded before opening day, and Hairston traded mid-season, Ankiel is the last man standing. (Points Total: 4/8)

9) Who will get more at bats for the Nats this season: Ivan Rodriguez, Jesus Flores, Wilson Ramos?

First Ladies Answer: Jesus Flores
Revised Prediction: Wilson Ramos
Most At Bats: Wilson Ramos

With the Nats keeping Pudge and Ramos in the bigs to start, and Flores only coming up to the Show mid-season, Ramos got all the attention. (Points Total: 4.5/9)

10) How many all-stars will the Nats have? Who?

First Ladies Answer: 2; Ryan Zimmerman and Tyler Clippard.
Real Answer: 1; Tyler Clippard.

This is actually two questions. We didn’t get the number of All-Star players right, but we did get one of the players (Goggles the Vulture!), so we give ourselves 1 point out of two available. (Points Total: 5.5/11)

11) Total wins and what place in the division?

First Ladies Answer: 78 Wins; 3rd Place
Total Wins; Place in Division: 80 wins, 3rd place

Another stealthy two-part question! But since this one is more about how “off” we were with our predictions, we stick with our 5.5 point base from the last question, and realize that since we got the third place part right, we get 1 point, but two points off for two wins off (though I think we should get points for predicting the close to 10-point leap). (Points Total: 4.5/11)

Final Point Total: 4.5 – Less than 50%, but considering we made these guesses 7 months ago, we did pretty good.

September 3, 2011: On-Field Photo Day

By Maggie on September 6, 2011

On Saturday, September 3, the Nats gave their fans a chance to get up close and personal with the team. Fans stood on the warning track, while players, coaches, and broadcasters walked the field to shake hands, take pictures, and sign memorabilia (even though they weren’t supposed to).

We had a chance to talk to some of the players and shake their hands. Here are a few of the things we said to them.

To Rick Ankiel: “My mom loves you!” “Awesome – tell her I say hi.”

To Ryan Zimmerman: “Hi Ryan!” “…” [As you can see, he waved instead of responding. We forgive him, because he was on his way to talk to the Wounded Warriors.]

To Jonny Gomes: “Can I get a picture of your hair?” “Sure” (turns around) “Can you take off your hat?” “Sorry – gotta keep my costume on.”

To Stephen Strasburg: “I saw you pitch in Syracuse last Saturday – you were great!” “Wow, thanks for coming out.”

Also to Stephen Strasburg: “I like your socks.” (he wears them tall) “…Thanks?”

To Collin Balestar: “Big fan of the ‘stache” “Thanks – I’m thinking of growing it out again” “You should – get it full and powerful”

To Roger Bernadina: “I saw you play last Saturday in Syracuse – that was an amazing home run!” “Really? Thanks!”

If you had a chance to say something to any player, what would you say? Is there anyone you would be/were too nervous to talk to? (Maggie only managed to squeak out “Big fan!” to both Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen).

As always, the full album is here.

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August 27, 2011: Syracuse Chiefs vs Rochester Redwings

By Maggie on August 28, 2011

Every year when I was a child, my siblings and I came to Syracuse to visit our grandparents. My dad grew up here and his mother still lives here. A week and a half ago my mother sent me an email saying they were thinking of heading up to visit her over this weekend – would I like to join them? Sure thing – the New York State Fair is going on, we have dear family friends who live nearby that I don’t get to see nearly often enough, and when I checked the schedule, I noticed that the Syracuse Chiefs (Triple-A Affiliate of the Nationals) would be in town. I told Ashley that I was going out of town, and she replied back saying, “I hear that Strasburg might be making a rehab start on Saturday – you should get tickets!” I saw one more rumor on Twitter and thought, “Heck – if he doesn’t start, the tickets are still cheap enough that it won’t be a big deal.”

It turned out that I was very lucky. I snagged two 4th row from the field seats to see one of Strasburg’s best starts yet since coming back from Tommy John surgery. 7 strikeouts, 64 pitches, 47 of them for strikes, and a fastball that topped out around 98 (according to the most-likely broken Alliance Bank Stadium scoreboard). Strasburg knew he did well too – his quote from after the game was “The numbers did the talking.”

After five innings of no runs, no hits, no errors, Strasburg proved he was human by allowing two singles (only one of whom would go on to score). The Chiefs would go on to win the game 4-3…though they did it in dramatic fashion in the ninth with two runners on before getting the third out.

Not only did we get to see the spectacular pitching by Strasburg, we got a sneak preview of some of the other guys who will likely be called up in September – Roger “The Shark” Bernadina (who is already a Natstown favorite) who had a homerun and a double which provided the bulk of the Chiefs’ offense…

…Steve Lombardozzi Jr. who made a couple of amazing plays, as well as helping the offense with a hit and a stolen base, and Matt Antonelli who made the most incredible diving catch you’ve ever seen to end the painful 6th inning.

Chins up Natstown…September looks bright from Syracuse.

The rest of the pictures from this game can be seen here.

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Mid-Season Review: “Apparently we have a thing for pitchers”

By Maggie on July 14, 2011

Back in late February, the First Ladies (as members of the DC-IBWA) were asked their thoughts on the upcoming Nationals season and to make some predictions . Since we’re past the halfway mark of the season (that was the end of the Angels series), and at the end of the All-Star Break, now is as good a time as any to revisit our predictions, and to think about how things will go for the rest of the season.

1) Who will lead the Nats in home runs in 2011?

First Ladies Answer: Jayson Werth
Current Answer: Danny Espinosa

Well, that wasn’t quite right was it? Jayson Werth has proved to be less than productive at the plate (which is an understatement), but looking at the stats, Beardface himself is in fourth on the team with 10 homers this season. He’ll have some work to do to catch up, but if baseball players really do revert to their means…this pick still has a chance.Revised Prediction: Michael Morse

2) Who will lead the Nats in RBI?

First Ladies Answer: Adam LaRoche
Current Answer:Danny Espinosa

Ouch – literally. Adam LaRoche was sent to the DL back in June due to a season-ending shoulder surgery. But even before that, his shoulder must have been bothering him, because despite being a known slow-starter, he performed abysmally at the plate. Currently sitting in 10th place in team RBI standings…he won’t be there for long.

Revised Prediction: Danny Espinosa

3) Who will lead the Nats in stolen bases?

First Ladies Answer: Nyjer Morgan
Current Answer: Ian Desmond.

When we’re wrong, we’re wrong. Although in our defense with this answer, Morgan hadn’t been traded to the Brewers yet when we wrote this prediction back in February.

Revised Prediction: Roger Bernadina?

4) Who will lead the staff in wins?

First Ladies Answer: Jordan Zimmermann
Current Answer: Jason Marquis

This is one we’re not too far of with. Jordan Zimmerman has been having a stellar season, and if he’d had some run support in a few games, we would currently be correct (though that’s true for a lot of the Nats pitchers). In any case – it’s very possible that Z’nn gets the most wins. He’ll just have to be extra-efficient in the remaining starts he’ll have this year due to recovery from Tommy John surgery.

5) Who will lead the staff in saves?

First Ladies Answer: Drew Storen
Current Answer:Drew Storen

This is one we feel pretty confident in saying we’ll be correct with. Drew currently has 23 saves, and the only other Nationals reliever with ANY saves is Sean Burnett. We would be just fine if Burnett found his way back and racked up a couple dozen saves, but the chances of that happening (or anyone taking over the closer role for real) are slim. The only limiting factor? If the team decides to use Storen less in order to preserve his arm.

6) Which starter will lead the team in starts?

First Ladies Answer: John Lannan
Current Answer:Livian Hernandez and John Lannan (19)

This is another answer we feel pretty good about. John has been consistent all season, and as such, will likely take him through a full season of regular starts, barring injury.

7) Who will pitch more innings for the Nats this season: Chien-Ming Wang, Yunesky Maya, Ross Detwiler?

First Ladies Answer: Chien-Ming Wang
Current Answer:Yunesky Maya

This was a very hopeful pick on our part. And considering the fact that Wang has been making rehab starts with Nats affiliates up and down the east coast, it’s possible that he’ll get to the bigs at some point this year. But with Yunesky Maya building up a 25 IP lead (replacing Gorzelanny in the rotation when he was injured), and Detweiler already having made ANY appearance with the Nats…this pick may be a little harder to justify come late August.

Revised Prediction: Ross Detweiler

8) Who will get more at bats for the Nats this season: Rick Ankiel, Jerry Hairston, Alberto Gonzalez?

First Ladies Answer: Rick Ankiel
Current Answer:Jerry Hairston

Well, it wasn’t going to be Gonzalez (traded to the Padres before the season started), so the Ladies have a 50/50 shot on this one. Hairston currently leads by less than 20 at-bats, but since he’s on the DL with a fractured wrist, and Ankiel is back in the OF…this one could go either way, so we’ll stick with our first answer.

9) Who will get more at bats for the Nats this season: Ivan Rodriguez, Jesus Flores, Wilson Ramos?

First Ladies Answer: Jesus Flores
Current Answer: Wilson Ramos

Back when we made these predictions, the talk around Natstown was, “Who will be the Nats catchers this season?” Everyone was back and forth about whether it would be Pudge and Ramos, Pudge and Flores, or if the Nats would trade Pudge to a team looking for a veteran presence behind the plate and hand catching duties to two youngsters. Well, the Nats didn’t get rid of Pudge (with 117 appearances), and have decided on Ramos as their future-full-time catcher. We chose poorly.

Revised Prediction: Wilson Ramos
10) How many all-stars will the Nats have? Who?

First Ladies Answer: 2 – Ryan Zimmerman and Tyler Clippard.
Real Answer: 1 – Tyler Clippard.

So we get half-credit on this one, but what credit it was! We were the only writers to correctly pick Clippard before the start of the season as a Nats All-Star representative (and game-winning pitcher). The Nats should definitely had a second representative too…we just didn’t pick the one it should have been.

11) Total wins and what place in the division?
First Ladies Answer: 78 Wins, 3rd Place
Current Answer:46 wins so far, currently 4th place (but only .5 game back from the Mets/3rd place)

This one is an answer we’ll just have to wait and see, but considering the Nats have played .500 ball for the first half of the season, and that they would “only” have to go 32-38 to meet our prediction, I think it’s very possible. Especially if the Mets collapse like they have done in the past.

12) Single most important thing for the Nats this season?

First Ladies Answer: “Consistent starting pitchers – if the pitchers can hold out longer in the games, then we won’t have to worry so much about the batters dropping the ball at the end of the game!”
Current Answer: How do you explain the Nats successes? Consistent starting pitching is usually part of that answer. So is improved defense, and an offense that occasionally wakes up.

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Meet the catcher!

By Ashley on August 19, 2010

Meet John Hester! He’s the backup catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and went to high school with Ashley!

Ashley got to Sunday’s game early and walked down to the visitor’s bullpen. There was one D-Backs player signing autographs (everyone else was inside because of the rain). Ashley asked him if he would see if John Hester would come out and say hello. A little bit later, a tall, scruffy player walked out and started throwing a ball in the outfield. Ashley kind of waved and he waved back. She hadn’t seen him with a beard before, but he was throwing with a catchers mitt, so she was pretty certain it was him. As you can see from the high school picture, he’s grown up! It’s amazing what a difference a decade can make!

After a few minutes he came over. He did remember Ashley from high school, although he is a year younger. Ashley has always been a sports fan and was the manager for 4 years of football and 2 of baseball, so most of the players remember her as the “water girl”. Ashley and Hester chatted for a while, and the whole time he was signing autographs for fans. I guess players learn how to do that without paying attention!

Hester made it to the majors this year and doesn’t get to play a lot, but Ashley was pretty excited to see him anyway! It sounds like life is tough for a rookie player, but hopefully he’ll get more time on the field soon. To read about Hester’s major league debut, click here. (Spoiler alert: He hit a home run. Video included.)

Ashley’s brush with fame was brief, but she’s excited that someone she knows is living the dream.

Posts from the “Players” Category