Sunday’s News & Notes

20 Commments

1. I suppose it’s good news that Hood was able to leg out a triple. But it could also just mean he’s able to play with pain, too.

2. Matt LeCroy was ejected while exchanging line-up cards. That has to be a record for the quickest ejection.

   1. A tie for it at least. I keep hearing Johnson will want to have Pat Corrales as his bench coach, which means the current DC bench coach might need to find a new assignment…

3. When is Chien-Ming Wang pitching for Hagerstown? I saw some indication of it, but never the full article from Ladson.

   +1/2St.

   1. Tomorrow in Hagerstown. If you could convert my excitement into electricity, you could toast a piece of bread… lightly.

      1. The big unspoken part of him pitching in Hagerstown tomorrow is that it starts the clock…….. they will then have 30 days to add him to the big club. Makes you think he has reached that point where he’s actually ready

         1. Or its part and parcel of convincing everyone, including Wang that he is done. He will likely never start but, if he could learn a few tricks from the El Duque/Livo bag of tricks he might make a very nice reliever.

            Who cares about Wang at this point? He’s done. I think losing El Duque from the system hurt more. They should have brought the guy up last year made him happy and then sent him back down to work with the plethora of arms they are trying to develop. Especially the really young DR arms we are seeing in the GCL. El Duque could have been invaluable to this organization IMHO as a coach/instructor.

4. Thanks, SoulD, there’s a lot to chew on here, certainly a lot more fun than reading about the parent club.these days.

   I wanted to dig up some info on Manny Rodriguez, who has been untouchable at Auburn. It’s a little harder this year as Andy Seiler has taken the year off in 2011 but I have this from John Sickels — “Big-time sleeper prospect, converted 3rd baseman with untapped potential, 90-95 fastball, curveball and changeup are coming around”. In 113 IP a 126/35 K/BB ratio from a very small college. I read somewhere also that said he could be one of the great steals of the draft, but can’t find the quote. You have to think he’ll be in Hagerstown sooner rather than later.

   This hopefully offsets the bad performance by Solis, who was expected to make quick work of Low A on his way up the system and has not been very good at all.

   1. It’s a bad outcome by Solis yesterday because he got hit around a bit early, but this is the minors. He did settle down and manage to pitch 7 innings. Also he had a nice 5:1 K:BB ratio. I’m not but so worried about Solis at this point. I would love to get more scouting on him. Out of all of the Hagerstown pitchers, he’s probably the one that I’d most like to see in person this year. I get the sense that his stay at Potomac could be brief if he pitches well, unlike Ray and Cole.

      1. Right now Ray looks like he is ahead of Solis as far as left-handed starters. And he is younger than Solis.

         They have a couple of guys in this year’s draft, particularly the guy from Santa Barbara CC that look interesting in that regard. Then there’s the X-factor Purke.

         Robbie Ray looks Potomac bound.

5. I don’t have the time to do this right now, but isn’t it getting to the point where it’s worth some real WaPo journalism to dig into the field situation and ownership issues in Potomac. Right now, the Washington area might miss seeing Bryce Harper play minors games locally in part because of field issues (other part might be makeup). There was that veiled Rizzo comment that “we have a lot of money invested” in prospects that seemed to indicate it could be playing a role.

   We have a lot of people who read this site consistently who are angry about the field issues in Potomac. If all of flooded somebody’s inbox(es) at WaPo, I’d imagine that they’d get the sense that there’s a real core of sports fans who would appreciate a story about the issue. If they were willing to send Kilgore (am I right about that?) to do all of that research on the DR awhile back, couldn’t they send somebody down to Woodbridge for two days to investigate the field issues, what makes the drainage so bad, the clubhouse and comfort issues for the players, and who is to blame between the city and the ownership as far as getting major renovations or a real stadium built.

   I’m so torn on this issue because I associate the Pfitz with many of my finest baseball memories, sitting close to the field with my then 90-year old grandmother and having great conversations with the friendly season ticket holders during my first real minor league games. That said, it’s a business as well and the business of the Nats says get out of Woodbridge at the earliest opportunity to something more local. I’m so jealous of the Orioles in beautiful Frederick by the way.

   1. The best you’ll get is the Potomac News and its single-source story: http://t.co/X6zLexk

      Maybe Daski couldn’t get a PWCPA official on record, but the lack of a reference to an inquiry indicates to me he didn’t try. Likewise for not getting a quote from any Nationals officials. Again, it’s one thing if they won’t return your phone calls, but you tell your readers that you tried so that they can’t accuse you of being lazy. At least that’s what I was taught in J school.

      1. I’m going to believe InsideNova knows about the field issues and lacks the journalistic muscle, either in hours or respect from the P-Nats, to make such an inquiry happen. WaPo or The Enquirer of the revamped Washington Times or MASN or Zuckerman or somebody with a Nats Park credential needs to get involved in this issue in my opinion.

         Some of the people I’d like interviewed:
         – The off the record player. How do Destin Hood and the other outfielders feel playing on such a surface. Remember how Mickey Mantle’s career was curtailed somewhat due to an injury sustained on that bad sprinkler in Yankee stadium. How much money did that injury cost the Bombers.

         –PWCPA Clearly necessary from your comment.

         –Silber (with some biographical background for the uninitiated)

         –Minor league field officials from the Carolina League to verify some of what Silber was talking about.

         –Scott Boras (Imagine what he’d think about having a client play on that field!)

         –Nationals minor league scouts and reps

         –Carolina League alums from the Nats

         –Nats Front Office people

         If it’s an expose, extended article, from WaPo more of these people will talk I feel. It’s a news story. It’s a travesty, and it’s costing devoted fans games and the opportunity to watch a prospect. If this was going on at Pawtucket, Salem, Coney Island or one of a more prestigious team’s affiliates, I believe that this would be a much bigger story. Sadly, our beat writers and fans haven’t generated enough interest on this one.

      2. I follow Rizzo’s comments pretty carefully. (Everyone surely knows that …) and I did see him say that he and the organization have a plan for Potomac. They understand the field situation. He said if it had been serious enough he would have pulled the team (even without Harper) off the field. They have plenty of very valuable prospects there sans Harper. So, let’s exclude that possibility?

         Rizzo also said that he and the organization had a plan they would implement during the offseason. He didn’t provide details. But I think that would be a start. You see? This is where those press credentials Brian Oliver wrangled plus his
         connections would invaluable because that’s where I would start. With Rizzo or perhaps Scialaba who might have all the skinny and could disseminate enough to convince everyone that something was going to be done about it.

         1. Forget WaPo-Kilgore et al/MASN/CSN-Zuckerman; the only guy there willing to write anything that even seems slightly politically incorrect is Boz. Hell, he’s the only guy ready to mix it up ( along with his high school homies) with the Phillies Phans in the stands.

            If you want WaPo action talk to Boz. Try to get him on his chat on Mondays.

            1. You’re making a false assumption that Boswell even follows the minors, much less has an opinion. I haven’t heard comment on anything minors except for Harper.

            2. Boz does keep up with the minors. (Well, not as much as some.) And has in fact commented on the situation in Potomac during one of his chats. He’s been to Hagerstown and Harrisburg at the very least this year.

            3. The dichotomy is kind of ironic.

               Here the Nats have one of the most popular and storied minor league parks to go to and see a game and play according to players (Harrisburg) and what might be one of the very worst (Potomac).

6. Ah, the Boswell who thought the Nats should have signed Dunn. That Boswell.

7. Anyone looking at who could get a September callup. Some guys I have in mind

   Steve Lombardozzi- continues to produce at every level, showed a power boost making the jump to AA, if he stays consistant the rest of the year, I could see him in DC come Spetember

   Chris Marrero- Hasnt looked lost at AAA, but hasnt looked that great, I think the only way he gets the call is if he goes on a tear from here on out, but that could happen

   Tom Milone- I think he will replace Zimmermann when he hits his inning limit if he can just keep going on the same pace he is now.

   Corey Brown- Only on my list because he is on the 40 man, will have to show he can make contact to get the call IMO

   Jesus Flores- He has always hit better in the majors, has looked better as of late. I think that he will get the call over Soloano as the 3rd catcher, I think Solano would get a look, if it wasnt for Flores

   Zech Zinicola- Will have to keep up his AA numbers in AAA to get the call. He was good enough to be taken in the rule V draft that he could get a look with the big club

   Josh Wilkie- Maybe another outstanding year at AAA will make Rizzo give him a look, has been the same as every other year so far. I hope to see him in DC

   Ryan Tatusko- Rizzo appears to like him, will have to get more AAA time to get a serious look though IMO

   Atahualpa Severino- On the 40 man, the team might want to give him a look as a LOOGY as Slaten has not been good

   Brad Meyers- Will have to learn to give up less hits at the AAA level to get the call to the big team.

   Matt Antonelli- If he continues the way he was going I think he will get the call, he was a high draft pick for a reason, and I think we are seeing that reason now.

   I will post my opinion on some of the AA guys later, obivously I havent even looked at 40 man moves to add some of the guys who arent curently on the 40 man roster, I tried not to focus on the OG type guys or the guys who have been up with the big club (see Detwiler, Ross)

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