So I went to my first Nationals game Sunday, and it wasn’t pretty.
I’m far from any sort of expert on baseball (though I did read Moneyball) but unless the Nationals get somebody who can hit a little better than a blooper shot to right field, thy’re going to drop out of first place quickly.
I read something a few weeks ago about how they led the majors in wins where the margin was 1 run. Sooner or later, the law of averages will start working against you and those 1 run wins will turn into 1 run losses.
They may not win the division, but they do have a pretty good shot of getting the wild card.
Two words: Christian Guzman. This guy has a batting average worthy of a NL pitcher this year, and we’re paying him $4M a year, for crying out loud!
Four hits in fourteen innings! Yeesh. You know what the problem is?
Too many former Colorado Rockies on the team. When the Nationals traded for Preston Wilson, they tipped the balance and destroyed the team’s ability to get hits with two outs.
QiB, Rockies season ticket holder since 1993.
Actually, the Nats aren’t a bad team and they’re getting some mileage out of the fact RFK is a pitcher’s park, so they don’t have to put up a ton of runs.
While more power in the lineup is always nice–what the Nats need is a real leadoff hitter. Wilkerson’s a nice, versatile player but they need a guy who can deliver a decent on-base percentage and can reliably swipe some bags. Everyone wants big bats but let’s face it–where are they going to come from? Cincinnati might part with 1 or 2, Thome might be on the block–but who has the money to get a Griffey Jr or Dunn?
Regardless, Robinson’s done a fantastic job this year without a whole lot of talent. And Bowden just been masterful as GM, operating without ownership, getting some fine players in Wilson and Spivey and Drese and Byrd without giving up much.