Four Score and seven years ago, Thomas Jefferson declared that all Fridays were created equal, but I've got to say this Friday is slightly better than all of the previous Fridays on record. Why? Because it's today and I can enjoy the weekend in just a few short hours. And central to my fun-plans? Watching the Cubs go for their third sweep in their last four series.
Anyhow, to get back on track with our Back-Channel Relations feature, I asked Chris Needham of Capitol Punishment to answer my five questions on the Nationals.Update: Here's the link to the questions I answered for Chris. GROTA Answers.
The Nationals are in last place. Why? Is it because they are a bad team? Or are they just off to a slow start? Or is it some combination of the two?
Both. They're not a great team, but they're not as bad as theyr'e playing either. They should be a 75ish win team, but their batters have been in a collective slump. Of the 8 regulars, only Cristian Guzman (Yes, that Cristian Guzman) are hitting at or above what the average player at their position does. Most of the rest -- Zimmerman, Kearns, Belliard (who's lost his job already) -- are well below. When they start hitting better, they'll win more.
Ted Lerner and his sons/sons-in-law bought the club nearly two years ago. They brought in Stan Kasten, the former-Braves President, but they haven't done much more than fleece Wayne Krivsky in a trade. How are the Lerner's as owners, and is Kasten building an organization from the foundation up, or are they flailing about aimlessly?
On the Lerners, it depends on who you talk to and how cynical you are. The fact is that the first thing they did was slash payroll, and even now, it's below the level that MLB ran the team at in '07. Their '06 starting payroll was the lowest for the franchise since 2000 when they were back in Montreal.
Now, as any Cubs fan can attest, payroll does not equal wins, but the jury is still out on whether they'll eventually run this like the big revenue franchise it is (on par with Philadelphia).
At the same time, they have spent a bunch of money in improving the minors. They've hired better (and more) scouts, hired away farm people from other teams -- including the guy who drafted all those good young Diamondbacks players -- and have been willing to go over slot on their draft picks. Consequentially, the farm system has gone from "Ye Gods, they stink!" to "Hey, there are a few interesting guys here!"
If we as Cubs fans didn't tune in to opening night, or the Pope's speech, we don't know anything about the new stadium. Tell us about it. Have you been to a game yet? What's the best feature of the ballpark, and what already needs improvement?
I've been to four games or so there already. It's a perfectly nice place to watch a ballgame. It won't be a life-changing experience, but you'll be entertained as Aramis takes Matt Chico deep for the 4th time in the game.
Good parts: Open concourses allow you to stand and get good views of the game from behind more expensive seats! The Red Porch bar is a pretty good place to burn an inning or three, drinking up and watching the game unfurl below you.
Bad parts: Indifferent concessions workers sometimes make for slow lines and some of the prices for the seats -- in the outfield mostly -- are ridiculous. On TV, it's going to look like the park is much more empty than it is. We're just all crammed up into the seats that are reasonably priced!
Recap the Nats off-season for us. Who'd you get, who left, who's going to make an impact in 2008? Also, are you okay with 'the Nats' as a nickname?
The big move was trading no-hit catcher Brian Schneider and Ryan Church to the Mets for Lastings Milledge. At this point, I don't think that either team is unhappy with the move. The "big" free agent signing was bringing in Paul LoDuca, who's already proven to be a waste of money. They also signed Johnny Estrada (who you guys probably stole fifty bases off last season). Odalis Perez was the only SP they brought in, and he stumbled into the opening night assignment, which tells you all you need to know about the general quality of the Nats pitching staff! (truthfully, it's not as bad as advertised... nobody is going to gut out a 9-inning CG for you, but they'll give you five innings of fury!)
As far as the Nats nickname, it works for me!
Chad Cordero just underwent an MRI. (When I glanced at your roster, he and Ray King were the only bullpenner's I've heard of.) How'd he lose the closer's role, and how critical is he to the bullpen?
Well, Ray King is now gone. They shipped him to the minors (an assignment, I assume he'll refuse). While the bullpen has been shakier than in the past, I'm not sure it's Cordero's fault. Some will point to a shakeup in roles leading to the difficulties, but that's not something I agree with -- they'd be giving up runs whether pitching in the 8th or 6th.
Cordero just had his shoulder checked out, and everything was ok. He's working on some strengthening exercises and has to improve his conditioning. They'll probably give him a few weeks before turning him back over into the closer's role. Although with the way this team has been playing lately, that's not their most pressing need!
Once again, thanks to Chris for answering my questions. Now, loyal goat readers, your turn. Am I over confident to be thinking sweep? What are your predictions for the upcoming series?
