Master Index of Archived Threads


KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

bmfc1 Aug 17 2012 06:03 AM

For the third straight month, the Mets visit the Washington Nationals. Well planned MLB! The Nationals are the #1 team in baseball, per smart guy Jonah Keri (the Mets are number 19). The Mets are 3 and 9 against the Nationals this season, including 0 and 4 with me in attendance. The standings: The Nationals are 73-45, the best record in baseball, and in 1st place in the NL East by 4 games ahead of the Braves. The Nationals host the Braves on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so perhaps they’ll be looking ahead to that series. The Mets are 56-62, 3d place but only 3.5 games away from last place. The Nationals have the 2d best run differential in baseball. They do everything well, with the only possible question being in the bullpen as Drew Storen regains his strength following elbow surgery. The current closer is Tyler Clippard who has 25 saves. Davey Johnson keeps three left-handers in his bullpen (Sean Burnett, Tom Gorzellany, and Mike Gonzalez) so expect a lot of pitching changes. The managers: The selection for the all-time best Mets manager, Davey Johnson, is the manager of the Nationals. The Mets manager is Terry Collins. Areyoufriggingkiddingme? The opposing lineup: I could cut and paste the names and numbers, but they are right here. Bryce Harper is something to behold. Sure he’s a punk but I wish he was our punk. His swing is an act of violence. Still, he’s been slumping of late. You know the locals love him because they are making excuses for him. He’s not arrogant, he has “self-assurance” and “unassailable confidence”. The matchups, with a nod to the classic Elias Baseball Analyst: August 17 (7:05): Johan Santana, LHP, 6-8, 4.58, 1.33 WHIP Loves to face: Michael Morse, 0 for 8 Hates to face: Jason Werth, 8 for 20, 1 HR v. Ross Detweiler, LHP, 6-5, 3.18, 1.16 Loves to face: Jason Bay, 1 for 9 Hates to face: David Wright, 5 for 12, 1 HR, 4 RBI Weather permitting, I will be in Section 115, Row V and it’s my last chance to see the Mets win in DC this season. It’s also “Retro Cap Night.”. August 18 (7:05): Jonathon Niese, LHP, 9-6, 3.67, 1.18 Loves to face: Ian Desmond, 2 for 11; Jayson Werth 8 K’s Hates to face: Ryan Zimmerman, 4 for 11; Adam LaRoche, 2 HR v. Edwin Jackson, RHP, 7-7 3.74, 1.21 Loves to face: Scott Hairston, 0 for 7 Hates to face: Jason Bay, 3 for 11, 1 HR Third Eye Blind will be performing after the game. August 19 (1:35): Jeremy Hefner, RHP, 2-4, 4.76, 1.38 Loves to face: Ian Desmond, 0 for 3; Jesus Flores, 0 for 3 Hates to face: Michael Morse, 3 for 6, 1 HR; Adam LaRoche, 3 for 6, 1 HR; Danny Espinosa, 3 for 6, 1 HR v. Gio Gonzalez, LHP, 15-6, 3.29, 1.14 Loves to face: Jason Bay, 0 for 8 Hates to face: Ike Davis, 3 for 5, 1 HR Once again, the Mets miss Stephen Strasburg. He only has two starts this season against the Mets in five possible series. You will still probably hear several discussions between Gary and Keith or Ron about the innings limit that will shortly end Strasburg’s season. The locals: I’ve been told that I repeat myself in these KTE’s and I will do so again. Sports here (DC) is not like sports there (NY) as almost all of the locals root for the same team. There are plenty of transplants that retain their allegiances but a vast majority of the people in Washington, DC and the DC suburbs of Maryland and Virginia root for the Redskins, Nationals, Capitals, and Wizards. Oh, how insufferable Redskins fans are; loud, rude, arrogant, and that’s only for starters. I was at their crappy stadium last season when Sanchez hit Holmes for the go-ahead TD and it was one of the best sports moments I’ve had in a long time. After another terrible season (but great to me), the locals have bounced back as the Redskins did what they do best: win the pre-season. The fans have “RGIII” fever and their expectations are sky-high, as usual. There’s no middle-ground with them, no incremental progress. I look forward to their being disappointed once again. Schadenfreude, bitches! Nationals fans don’t deserve the joy of a pennant. That doesn’t mean they don't deserve happiness as at least two or three of them might otherwise be good people, but baseball happiness, no. They haven’t suffered. They don’t know what it’s like to collapse at the end of a regular season or lose in the playoffs. As a result, I don’t believe that they can appreciate winning a pennant. The Nationals have been no better than .500 since their arrival in 2005 so for their fans, it’s “my team sucked and now we’re great.” It shouldn’t be that easy. Winning now would be unfair to those of us that have felt so much pain. As a result, I have to confess that I have been rooting for the Atlanta Braves (other than when they play the Mets, of course). Not because they are the Braves but because they are not the Nationals and have the best chance to overtake the Nationals. I know that we hate the Braves (and wish nothing but the best for Davey Johnson) but I don’t live in Atlanta. I don’t have friends that are Nationals fans. I don’t work with Braves fans. Besides, it would be better for them. After some heartbreak, winning in a subsequent year would taste sweeter. I’m really doing them a favor. Victory Song: ”Raise Your Glass” by Pink. After hearing it so often while departing Nationals Park, it’s achieved “The Pina Colada Song” status for me so whenever it comes on the radio, I slam the button. Let’s hope we don’t hear it this weekend. Thomas Boswell: The once great but now awful columnist must have oozed Nat juice all over himself writing his latest piece of dreck. Just about anything he's written about the Nationals over the past year is similar. The Nationals TV announcers: suck

Gwreck Aug 17 2012 07:17 AM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

Nicely done. No shame in rooting for the Braves as the lesser of evils. With the exception of Larry, all the former perpetrators from the Mets-Braves are long gone. The division title streak stopped a long time ago, and we've had to hate the Phillies for quite a while now. My animosity towards them has cooled quite a bit, I will reveal. Side question for those in the DC area: How does the split run in fans between the Orioles and the Nationals? Did the Nationals take over a substantial part of the Oriole fanbase when they came to town? Are they capturing some of those fans now due to a bandwagon effect?

Edgy MD Aug 17 2012 07:30 AM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

Posting this without comment: Bryce Harper PA: 418 OPS: .718 Juan Pierre PA: 330 OPS: .722

Frayed Knot Aug 17 2012 07:44 AM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

Yeah, calling what Harper is going through right now a "slump" is being kind to him. He's sitting at .171/.257/[u:1ot8l10a].244[/u:1ot8l10a] since the ASB with 17 of his 21 hits being singles - something that seems almost impossible with that swing. SS Ian Desmond has been DL'd and I believe still will be all weekend. Just about everyone else in that lineup is hot though.

Frayed Knot Aug 17 2012 11:09 AM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

Frayed Knot wrote: Just about everyone else in that lineup is hot though. Expanding on this point a bit, in the early part of the season this team was simply out-pitching everyone and winning mostly close, low-scoring games. But by now they've worked their way up to 6th in RS/G (just ahead of the Mets in 7th) which doesn't sound all that impressive except when compared to where they came from. Put another way, their Runs Scored per/Game stats for the season look like this: April = 3.36 May = 4.21 June = 4.46 July = 5.08 Aug = 5.31 So, with the exception of catcher where they've struggled since the season-ending injury to Wilson Ramos, the much-hyped Harper is about the only one NOT hitting for them these days. Even Jayson Werth is off the DL and hitting better than at anytime since his Philly days.

G-Fafif Aug 17 2012 12:58 PM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

[youtube]i2XTuc6i1Uo[/youtube] What time is it? It's time...it's time...ah! It's time to hate the Nats! Quite clearly bmfc1 has convinced me of that with a thorough thrashing of those capital clods. (I'll get back to ya on rooting for the Braves, however.)

bmfc1 Aug 17 2012 01:09 PM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

Gwreck wrote: Nicely done. ... Side question for those in the DC area: How does the split run in fans between the Orioles and the Nationals? Did the Nationals take over a substantial part of the Oriole fanbase when they came to town? Are they capturing some of those fans now due to a bandwagon effect? Thank you Gwreck. Baseball fans in DC reluctantly supported the Orioles until the Nationals arrived. Once they did, the Orioles were forgotten and their ticket office at Farragut North, within walking distance of the White House, closed. The split occurs at approximately the Montgomery County/Howard County border (in Maryland). I live in Montgomery County and if I drive 20 minutes north into Howard County, the clothing changes from Redskins to Ravens and from Nationals to Orioles. "Nova" (Northern Virginia), DC and Montgomery County, MD are within the DC TV markets and are Nationals areas. The other parts of Maryland are for the Birds. Each team is shown on cable (MASN 1 and MASN 2).

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 17 2012 01:40 PM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

As a result, I have to confess that I have been rooting for the Atlanta Braves (other than when they play the Mets, of course). Not because they are the Braves but because they are not the Nationals and have the best chance to overtake the Nationals. I know that we hate the Braves (and wish nothing but the best for Davey Johnson) but I don’t live in Atlanta. I don’t have friends that are Nationals fans. I don’t work with Braves fans. Besides, it would be better for them. After some heartbreak, winning in a subsequent year would taste sweeter. I’m really doing them a favor. I have to admit; a similar sort of calculation went into my throwing in with the Phils during the '08 Series. I can't bring myself to root for the Coke Gang; but I have to say, I've been hearing a LOT more shit-talk (electronic and verbal) from Washington-area friends than you'd expect from a fanbase lucking into their first bout of success in a while. (In similar circumstances, my Pittsburgh friends are a LOT more gracious and circumspect, while still being excited.) Given the imminent Strasburg shutdown, they could be in trouble if, say, Zimmermann pops a ligament or Gonzalez strains his groin, no?

Edgy MD Aug 17 2012 01:45 PM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

My wife is at the point where she says she'd root for the Yankees over the Nats. I kinda hate myself for letting her still sleep in the house. Have I taught her nothing? "Try and think globally, honey!"

G-Fafif Aug 17 2012 01:53 PM Re: KTE, Mets @ Washington Nationals, 8/17-8/19 2012

On the surface, from a distance, the Nats are an alluring story; and the '05-'12 rise chronologically at least mirrors the '62-'69 rise toward The Greatest Story Ever Told. Yet based on reliable briefings I've received (this series of informed and passionate KTEs among them), I totally buy the unworthy fans angle. Only reason I can't fully root against them in a non-Mets context is that it would benefit the Braves. FWIW, I can't fully root against the Braves in a non-Mets context because it would benefit the Nats. In theory, I'd like the N.L. East to look good come October but I guess divisional unity is an oxymoron.