Huh? I don't get it.

Posted by Mo Vaughn on July 21, 2005 at 12:26 AM

I'm through man.

Seriously, I can't wait to find out what's going on with Livan.

In other news, there's now a 99.9% chance the Nationals miss the playoffs. And, a very good chance they don't even win 85.

The WaPo story up now is revised with quotes.

But then...came a bizarre postgame interview session with ace right-hander Livan Hernandez...

"I'm not going to say nothing," Hernandez said. "...And this is the best organization. After the season, I'm going to tell you something. Don't worry about it."
...
But after last night's outing, he said something or someone had made him upset enough that he would consider having surgery -- whether he needed it or not. "The knee is okay," Hernandez said. "I not say nothing about my knee is hurt. Nothing. I don't say nothing about my knee."

Yet at one point, Hernandez said the chances that he would decide to have surgery were "99.9 percent." In the next breath, he said he wouldn't abandon his team.

I think Livan has gone crazy...

Well this is, uh, weird.

I think Livan has gone crazy...

Was this an open question? I think he hit crazy a few years back.

I’m not happy for three years

The grammar here is poor, but I think he means that he hasn't been happy four three years. This is ironic, because this is his third straight year pitching well after being terrible in San Francisco.

I think he just said this out of frustration. He might have surgery, but I think he will reconsider coming back by next year.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Another fantasy player BITES THE DUST!

Was this an open question? I think he hit crazy a few years back.

That whole attacking people with golf clubs thing?

Whiskey tango foxtrot! Has anyone checked on Jim Bowden? His heart rate probably has a comma in it right now.

Hell, I'm edgy enough, and I only have Livan on my fake baseball team. Crazy or no, if he throws in the towel, the Whippets are going to have to settle for the division and let the overall title slip out of reach. I am suddenly super double glad I traded a high draft pick next year for Clemens.

They showed part of the interview on ESPN2 just now; he didn't seem like an upset guy. Kind of calm, actually.

Bowa talking about it now. You KNOW he's going to hit up his nephew for the inside scoop :)

I know who will solve this problem...Barry Larkin!

Maybe Jose Rijo will come out of retirement.

Well, that's what losing to the Rockies (by giving up a homer to JD Freaking Closser, of all people) will do to you.

Also, #15 - that is a fabulous handle.

This is completely nuts! Does he realize what he's saying?

Maybe something to do with the fact that he blows away the field in Pitcher Abuse Points every year?

Has to eventually take its toll.

Also, #15 - that is a fabulous handle.

It is. Every time a ball bounces away from him in right field, however, the announcer should be obligated to say, "That ball took a Brad Hawpe."

Wait, I remember some talk about a balky knee for him a couple of weeks ago. It's entirely possible that he's pissed off enough about something to consider not pitching in pain for the rest of the year even though he could. I don't think he will though; maybe he's trying to get traded.

I'm not sure but I think PAP is only supposed to measure physical abuse.

Maybe something to do with the fact that he blows away the field in Pitcher Abuse Points every year?

I don't think that has much to do with it. Livan appears to be the last of the old-school 80% effort junkballers.

If he's having knee problems, his weight is probably the culprit.

Also, #15 - that is a fabulous handle.

Just trying to be hip and cool.

Has Hawpe been that bad in the field? I don't watch that many of the games, but he caught what was hit to him when I was watching. His ZR looks bad, so he must not have range, but he gets in good position to throw, so he's not completely uncoordinated.

Maybe he's going to come out of the closet.

Wait, did he get hurt or something? Or is this just out of the blue? Was there something that I should look at tonight's game recap for?

this is crazy

Hopefully Bowden is able to land Oddie Perez, thus helping Livan and settling him. I wonder if he just feels a little alone on the bump?
I mean, other than Chad Cordero, who pitches for this team? I wonder if Livan has toiled long enough, and is starting to play GM himself? The team could use a SP other than Livan (does he pitch on one days rest?). He sees a pitcher leave to get another CFer, there are middle infielders flying all around the AL trade wire but none to WAS (while Guzman goes to the bench, and all Livan hears about is...trying to coax Larkin off the couch?)
Hopefully this is the extent of it, and he's just blowing off steam (in a non-traditional, language-barriered way).

Re #25.

I do not mean to speak for others, but I assume Drop it like it's Hawpe and the other quote about a ball taking a "Brad Hawpe", have less to do with his defense and more to do with witty wordplay.

Classic lines from the article:

All of a sudden, the hallmarks of the Nationals' early success are failing them: winning at home and winning close games. They have lost five straight one-run decisions, and five of their last seven games at RFK Stadium.

Hilarious. Yes, one-run games are lucky wins. Welcome to the real world, Natspos.

And;

"To win two games in this series by one run is ironic," Closser said.

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

I wonder if he just feels a little alone on the bump?
I mean, other than Chad Cordero, who pitches for this team?

John Patterson and Esteban Loaiza are having pretty good years; Drese has also been OK since acquired.

I am still confused as to why in the hell he is unhappy though, but I can dig it, seeing as how the less he is happy, the more the braves are.

I do not mean to speak for others, but I assume Drop it like it's Hawpe and the other quote about a ball taking a "Brad Hawpe", have less to do with his defense and more to do with witty wordplay.

That's what I was going for, although "witty" might be stretching it.

Maybe he misses Omar.

--Livan's had a knee problem all year. It didn't just pop up.

--PAP is crap when it comes to Livan. I've drawn the analogy to Christy Matthewson or [insert old tyme pitcher] here. He's where you need to scout, not look at the numbers. He rarely throws with max effort. Hell, he rarely walks with max effort.

--He's probably feeling frustrated with the losses and the lack of run support. Plus Wife Beatin' Wil Cordero was wacked earlier in the day, and he's apparently close to him.

What someone says as reasons in the heat of the moment is usually different than the actual reasons.

--He and Frank have had run-ins in the past, including some hissy fits of the kind that got Zach Day and Tomo Ohka run out of town.

The two reached a detente last year, and Livan does whatever the hell he wants. He essentially calls for his own pitching changes; Frank rarely makes that decision.

--Frank has had runins with almost every pitcher on the staff who's been around a few years. I don't know quite what it is but it seems to be of the sort that he doesn't view them as tough enough.

--The Nats' problem isn't pitching as 29 suggests. John Patterson is 5th in the league in ERA. Esteban Loaiza has pitched well and eaten up innings. Ryan Drese has been fairly effective when he can remember to keep his arm angle high. Tony Armas does blow, though.

--Middle infield is a problem, especially with Guzman's suckiness. Piling on now is a problem, especially among the stathead community, but no one, not even the most cynical would've predicted how horrible he's been this year.

I suspect much of the reluctance to make a change has been JimBo's desire to look good for the new owners. Everyone associaed with the team has no guarantee of being around once the deal is made.

And ideally, they'd promote Frank to some figurehead job in the front office.

When you see him from a distance (and you're not an Angels fan) it seems like he's a pretty good manager. When you follow him on a daily basis, there's a lot to grind your teeth over. (As there are with most managers, I suppose)

Mayday! Mayday! All hands on deck!

Livan to the Red Sox for ???... Is this a precursor to a "trade me" stance?

Seriously, this is really ****ed up.

OK, the Hawpe thing:

There's a Snoog Dogg song (with someone else, because no one knows how to do a rap "song" alone) called "Drop It Like It's Hot."

That is all.

"Bring out your Hernandez's, bring out your Hernandez's"


First Ramon, now Livan?

There's a Snoog Dogg song (with someone else, because no one knows how to do a rap "song" alone) called "Drop It Like It's Hot."

For what it's worth, there are entire rap albums without guest appearances.

I think it's just a ploy to get out of his contract so he can sell cartoon balloons in town.

The only explanation I can think of is that Livan wants a new contract and the mid-season negotiations haven't been going the way he would like.

What else could possibly fit these comments?

Livan just saw how well it worked out for Clemens when he was 99% sure he was retiring. Look for a Hernandez Cy Young Award next year.

All of a sudden, the hallmarks of the Nationals' early success are failing them: winning at home and winning close games. They have lost five straight one-run decisions, and five of their last seven games at RFK Stadium.

This was always going to catch up with them. I just didn't figure it would be five in a row...

For what it's worth, there are entire rap albums without guest appearances.

I'm skeptical, but I will go ahead and believe that rap albums exist without singles.

How ya gonna top this, Pedro? Two midgets?

rap "songs", more like CRAP "songs"

pull your damn pants up!

When you see him from a distance (and you're not an Angels fan) it seems like he's a pretty good manager. When you follow him on a daily basis, there's a lot to grind your teeth over.

Grind your teeth, slap your forehead, shout abuse, throw furniture out the window…

For what it's worth, there are entire rap albums without guest appearances.

Next you'll be telling us that Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings....

(Of course, for around 3 years in the early 90s, you couldn't buy an alterno-modern-whatever rock album without a guest appearance from one of the following: Peter Buck, Michael Stipe, Kirsty MacCall, Johnny Marr, or Alain Jourgensen. I was waiting for all three to show up on the same track, but the closest was all but Uncle Al and his party machine appearing on Billy Bragg's Don't Try This at Home though even that was only in pairs.)

But...of greater importance...Nationals LHP Mike Stanton made his 1,000th major league appearance, the 10th pitcher to reach that milestone.

and this includes his 7 blown saves for Roger Clemens.

Congrats Mike!

kirsty maccoll / johnny marr on "walking on madison". does that count?

MMMMM..... JOHNNY MARR.......

kirsty maccoll / johnny marr on "walking on madison". does that count?

Well, the two of them did more together (and better) than that (Marr plays on around half of Kite). And both of them were on "Sexuality" and "Cindy of 1000 Lives" on DTTAH -- Buck and Stipe were on "You Woke Up My Neighbourhood." No Uncle Al though, unless he did some unreleased remix of "Sexuality" nobody knows about.

Of course, some tcwuantt and his speedboat made the Marr/MacColl/Buck/Stipe/Jourgensen mass guest spot impossible, unless we cheat and use technology.

OK--this is bizarre, but potentially very good for the Cubs' wild card hopes, so I won't complain.

Of course, for around 3 years in the early 90s, you couldn't buy an alterno-modern-whatever rock album without a guest appearance from one of the following: Peter Buck, Michael Stipe, Kirsty MacCall, Johnny Marr, or Alain Jourgensen.

This is very similar to Bill Szymczyk's name being on every bad album during the 70's.

A Porky Pig Cut for ya!

A Porky Pig Cut for ya!

either i don't get the reference, or you're mis-remembering all those "porky prime cut" messages on lots & lots of run-out grooves ...

rap "songs", more like CRAP "songs"

pull your damn pants up!


No, no, no...it's "get your damn hands up!"

because no one knows how to do a rap "song" alone

I can rap a rap song by myself. In fact, that is what I always do. I write my own songs too.

areddershadeofneckonawhitershadeoftrash

Here is a rap I wrote about baseball:
Yo, my homie
I bat better than Jim Thome
I can belt home runs
knock them just for fun
I can take a walk; I cut down on my whiffs
And when I'm playing short stop; I field like Ozzie Smith
I'm Ryne Sandberg at second; Don Mattingly at first
Clemente in the outfield; I'm the farthest from worst
I'm Brooks Robinson at third base; Johnny Bench behind the plate
And with bringing my great bat, winning games is my fate

That is just the first of three verses. I will not print more, because somebody might steal it.

Disclaimer: My song is completely fictional.

I bet battlefob drops mad science...

Yo that was dope....Now itz Ron's turn to BUST SOME RYHMES!

Yo!, I gots mad hops like Mark Grudzielanek.....

..............I give up......

How did we get to 63 posts without someone thinking its steroids?

Perhaps Livan's "mysterious" injury is related to his possible, suspected, rumored use of steroids?

Gagne_55, that looks more like a poem than a rap song. Every line does not have to end with a word that rhymes exactly with the last word from the previous line.

Yo!, I gots mad hops like Mark Grudzielanek.....

When Alou pees on his hands, I don't panic?

Every line does not have to end with a word that rhymes exactly with the last word from the previous line.

Yes. Rappers are big fans of adding '-ah' or 'yeah' to the end of lines to make it rhyme.

I hear Kenny Rogers likes to drink tonic....


I got nothin'.

My boy Soriano is hooked on phonics.

Wonder Dog Hudler boosted all my chronic.

But them fools in san diego is just cheefin' on chronic.

Argh! mattbert beat me!

i forgot bragg's sexuality...i loved that song. it's been a while....

so, has anyone got the 411 on why livan went wacky?

so, has anyone got the 411 on why livan went wacky?

McDonald's refused to add the Big Mac to their dollar money, so he's a little down on life these days.

menu, not money. Duh.

Wonder Dog Hudler boosted all my chronic.

Primey

And for what it's worth...

Yo!, I gots mad hops like Mark Grudzielanek.....

I think I just saw Kruk eating dinner at Sonic
(Watching him on ESPN is like having the bubonic)

And FWIW:

Yo!, I gots mad hops like Mark Grudzielanek.....

I think I just saw Kruk eating dinner at Sonic
(Watching him on TV is like having the bubonic)

Sorry, I thought the first one didn't go through.

Of course, for around 3 years in the early 90s, you couldn't buy an alterno-modern-whatever rock album without a guest appearance from one of the following: Peter Buck, Michael Stipe, Kirsty MacCall, Johnny Marr, or Alain Jourgensen.

Does this make them the Kevin Bacons of music?

Does this make them the Kevin Bacons of music?

That would be Warren Haynes (if you count live albums).

I can never remember if Gruzielanek's name is pronounced like panic or chronic.

it's closer to "chronic"

Always bet on the 0.1%

Yo!, I gots mad hops like Mark Grudzielanek
I got Barry's knee problems and I think they're chronic
And as a pitcher I'll tell you what they do
They mess me up on my follow through
But I can still throw soft just like Chris Hammonds
Which will get me praise from Peter gammons

I think I just saw Kruk eating dinner at Sonic
That he doesn't go to Subway is quite ironic
His appetite he needs to train
To get the fatty deposites off his brain