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Wednesday, July 15, 2009
nbcwashington: Nats Get No Respect—Not Even From Obama
President Barack Obama dissed the Nats in more ways than one way Tuesday night at the All-Star Game in St. Louis.
First of all, him just showing up to throw out the first pitch at the game was a slap in the face, since he has yet to do that at Nationals Park (But don’t worry, Nats, you’re not alone in this one. The Caps are still waiting for Obama to drop a puck at the Verizon Center, too.)
But for Obama to walk out onto the field in a White Sox jacket ... well, that almost made the Lerner family stop swimming in their big swimming pools full of money just long enough to cry. Almost.
After throwing out the first pitch, Obama then made his way up to the broadcast booth to talk some baseball with Joe Buck and that McGruber guy. The boys start discussing parity in the league, and Obama drops a bombshell:
“There’s a lot of parity, which I think is terrific, because it means everybody around the country has a little bit of hope for their team,” Obama said.
Wait for it… Wait for it…
“Maybe with the exception of the Nationals.”
Coot Veal and Cot Deal taste like Old Bay
Posted: July 15, 2009 at 12:34 PM | 112 comment(s)
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Mind boggling, the depths of their suckitude... but also mind-boggling because on paper, I just can't see how they are this bad.
I'm not claiming they've got championship quality talent, but Lannan and Zimmerman are legit mid-rotation starters, and they've got at least 3 or 4 bats that could start for most teams. I know the bullpen's been putrid and the rotation's 'depth' alternates between really awful and not ready, but how is this team in a position to challenge 120 losses, especially in the NL?
I'm not sure I understand what the problem is. He's from Chicago. If, God forbid, the country lost their collective mind and elected me president in three years, I'd trot out to the mound in an Indians jacket. I'm fairly certain the first President Bush is an Astros fan and the second is (obviously) a Rangers fan.
Hell, I'd sign an executive order requiring the Nats to trade Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn to the Royals for Yuniesky Betancourt.
I'll say this - Cubs fans, Sox fans, Obama lovers, Obama haters - universally chided the new WGN morning guy for being such an idiot about it.
I know that he and Barbara attended both World Series games held in Houston in 2005, and both seemed to be into the games. IIRC, they even kept score.
Fangraphs has them as hte unluckiest team--by far--in the majors. I think they'll improve in the second half just from regression, which is bad news for Acta's future unfortunately. Really, they aren't as putrid as their record and there's more reason for hope for the Nats than is commonly thought. I can see them having a quick Seattle-like rennaisance next season with a couple of savvy moves.
Bad defense, terrible bullpen, worse luck (bad hitting with runners on base, by pythag, they're 34-53, as opposed to 26-61).
Yep, but I think what we've learned the last 6 or 7 years is that the quickest aspects of a team to fix are the defense and the bullpen.
Very different situation.
Bush was throwing out the first pitch at a Nats game.
Obama was throwing out the first pitch at the All Star Game, which represents all teams.
Obama was throwing out the first pitch at the All Star Game, which represents all teams.
Yep. There was nothing wrong with what either did. I can't believe anyone is even worrying about it.
Bush I, of course, played college ball at Yale. About 10-15 years ago when I spent a lot of time in Maine, he'd show up to a Seadogs game now and again. To be sure, he's a baseball fan.
Right. If Obama ever threw out the first pitch at a Nats game, it would probably be inappropriate for him to wear a Sox jacket.
I don't get why he would wear a Nats jacket to the All-Star game. Because he lives in D.C., he must form an allegiance to the local team?
Because there are some people who will worry about anything. After all, there was a mini-kerfuffle about which mustard the president preferred.
The irony is that those who complain about the cult of personality about Obama are the ones who fixate the most on this petty BS. Actually, I shouldn't say it's ironic. More like predictable.
I think if I were to rank Presidents by baseball fandom, it would probably go:
1. Bush I
2. W.
3. Nixon
4. Obama
5. Reagan
I haven't heard much about any other presidents being huge baseball fans. Ford seemed to be a sports fan in general, but more into football. Ike and Kennedy seemed like jocks, but I haven't heard much about them being baseball fans.
Man, those are ugly. Especially when they're worn with the matching leather hat.
It seems to me that the Nats could be much better in 2010 ifthey focus on:
1) bullpen depth (Burnett seems a move in that direction)
2) one or two league-average veteran starting pitchers (that is, pitchers who will give them 30 starts of 6 innings at 4 to 4.5 ERA)
3) another OF bat with a high OBP and a little power
4) defense in CF (Morgan?)
5) a 2B with defense and a league-average bat.
I know that's a lot, but only #3 is likely to cost meaningful dollars and years.
If I'm the Nats, the next two weeks is an opportunity to get a head start on finding these pieces: Nick Johnson, Ron Villone, Mike MacDougal, Joe Beimel...these are veteran guys having decent years that don't bring big return, but may be of interest to contenders for short help - and might help provide bullpen depth for 2010 and beyond.
FWIW, the more I think about the Milledge trade, the more I like it from the Nats' perspective. They took a resource of limited value (Milledge) and turned it into two pieces of a well-constructed roster (a 28-year-old OF who can hit a little and play very good defense, and a 26-year-old lefty who has the ability to be a useful member of an effective bullpen).
So is #2. League average starting pitching on the free agent market seems to got for around $10M a season, with a preferred commitment of at least 3 years.
Actually, when Warren Harding was a Senator from Ohio, just prior to being President, he used to pass many an afternoon sitting with the bookies at Griffith Stadium, puffing on cheap cigars and making bets on every pitch. And he wasn't alone among his Senate colleagues in this pre-internet pastime.
Move Johnson to the Mets and make Dunn work at his 1B skills.
profit! wait, they already do that!
I'm fairly certain the first President Bush is an Astros fan
- correctamundo.
they have season tix in the expensivo section. and they go whether or not the team is good or bad. which i like
and barbara always keeps score in her SCOREBOOK!!!! which is why i like her
hey, Clinton was a huge baseball fan! Bigger baseball fan than Bush 41, Buch 43 and Obama combined! Just ask him!
I also remember one of the 19th century presidents described as a baseball fan on the History Channels "The Presidents" series. I think it was Garfield, but I'm not sure.
Oh, and Mr. Obama -- Ben's Chili Bowl has a stand at Nats Park. Get yourself a half-smoke and bring the U Street experience to South Capitol Street.
Never once during his eight years in office did I hear him publicly lobby for the return of baseball to Washington. I bet when he was a student at Georgetown in the mid-sixties, he never went to a Senators game.
As for Dunn, if I was going to move him to 1B in 2010 (as long as he stays in the NL, he will eventually have to learn to play 1B), I'd try to extend him an extra couple of years, and make the move a real commitment.
Johnson is their best trade piece this July. Rumors earlier this year had the Red Sox and Nats talking about Delcarmen for Johnson, but the Red Sox refusing. Is this realistic? Does Delcarmen represent the ceiling for what they can get for two months of Nick Johnson? Or is the ceiling (as the Red Sox clearly thought) even lower than Delcarmen?
Ford would have escaped had he not fallen down those steps.
He did, but he never inhaled.
What about Presidential candidates? Kerry professed to be a baseball fan, but it seemed rather disingenuous. McCain seems to be a decent Diamondbacks fan.
Veeps? Was Spiro Agnew a big Orioles fan? Hubert Humphrey a Twins fan? Garrett Hobart a Newark Peppers fan?
Regarding Obama's rank at #4, where's the evidence that he's an actual baseball fan, as opposed to a Southside Chicago pol voting for the Sox in the city's baseball primary?
no, but man, you should see some of the dirt he dug up on Boog Powell
And that he was drafted by the A's, despite the fact there was no draft back then.
Maybe he thought it was a bad idea.
I seem to remember Romney and Rudy bantering about the Red Sox and Yankees during the debates last year.
(Yes, I hate the White Sox. Why do you ask?)
...all while filling out the Friday NYT crossword puzzle with a Sharpie.
Hilarious tidbit, from a staffer buddy: apparently McCain thought that the Eric Byrnes contract was a disaster too. And said so to anyone who would listen. No joke!
I think he's genuinely a White Sox fan, to the extent that he's a baseball fan. IIRC, he got his start in Chicago working as a community advocate on the South Side. I'm sure most of his clients were Sox fans, and he picked it up from them.
Just a gut feeling, but he seems like a real sports fan, but sort of a casual fan when it comes to baseball. He obviously likes hoops, and he has an opinion on the BCS.
"Obama had the Cubs and their fans seething last year before the election when he was asked if he would be rooting for the White Sox or Cubs if he took office.
'Oh, that's easy,' Obama said. 'White Sox. I'm not one of these fair-weather fans.
'You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer; beautiful people up there. People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball. South Side.'"
Taken from this article:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2009-04-05-obama-white-sox_N.htm
Why are so many Washington figures, including a long list of Supreme Court justices, so devoted to the game? Easy, said Carter G. Phillips, a Washington lawyer and an old softball teammate of Judge Alito: "Baseball's the perfect sport for nerds."
btw: Costas had a good interview with BO on MLB Network regading mostly baseball. You can tell, he likes baseball, but it isn't a passion of his. Seemed like he was a front runner as a kid, pulling for the A's and then the Reds in the 70s.
Obama seemed pretty knowledgeable when he was in the booth last night. He follows the game closely enough to know that Buehrle got lit up in his last start.
It was also funny to see him in the clubhouse before the game, congratulating Prince Fielder on winning the home run derby and giving Pujols the business for letting that happen in his home park.
His family owned the Cubs for a few years, so it's probably safe to assume he had more than a passing interest in baseball.
Calvin Coolidge may or may not have been a baseball fan. We never found out because he never actually had a conversation with anyone.
Actually, I thought his explanation of that made some sense, and I write this as a Yankee fan/Red Sox hater. When he was growing up in Mexico, he became a Yankee fan because all they would ever hear about down there was the Yankees and Mickey Mantle. He probably wasn't immersed in the day-to-day of the major leagues like someone in the U.S. Then he went to high school and college near Boston, and became a Red Sox fan. This was in the '60s when the Sox stank and the Sox/Yankees rivalry was not what it is today (so I've heard). So while his claim sounded stupid on its face, he may actually feel like a fan of both.
Don't most kids from areas without MLB cheer for good teams?
Obama seemed pretty knowledgeable when he was in the booth last night. He follows the game closely enough to know that Buehrle got lit up in his last start.
He supposedly watches Sports Center every night. I'd agree he's a good sports fan who is probably just a casual baseball fan.
Also, when it comes to baseball fans on the Supreme Court, nobody comes close to Samuel Alito.
The only Cubs game at Wrigley I ever attended, was also attended by Justice John Paul Stevens, who was wearing a custom made Cubs jersey.
Odds are he just brushed up on how the Sox and Buehrle have been doing recently since he knew they were going to ask him about it. It's not a knock on him, but I have the same feeling as Dewey that Obama really doesn't follow baseball that closely.
kids like that are everywhere, I remember a junior in high school wearing a Buffalo Bills hat, and then two days after the Redskins hammered them in the S.B. he had a Redskins hat on.
Frontrunning and Bandwagoners hit its peak in high school. My fellow college football friends and I used to corner unsuspecting kids that wore Notre Dame shirts, or Michigan sweatshirts at our school and demand that they name the coach and several players.
But that would be betraying his Kenyan loyalty.;)
They didn't ask him about it. Obama brought it up.
I'm not so sure, I'm beginning to believe they are as putrid as their record.
They have three big problems, in approximate order of significance:
1) The bullpen is beyond-words bad. Beimel is one of the best relievers they've got, and he just can't hold a game close on a consistent basis. Every reliever has a stats-demonstrable drawback that detracts from their strengths. Sticking with Beimel, he's good on BB/9, LD% and HR/FB, but his K/9 is below average. Because he can't strike out enough guys, his mistakes really hurt.
2) The fielding, especially in the outfield, has held them back. The Morgan trade was a big help, although Harris was doing almost as well. Dukes and Willingham have been decent in right. Dunn is Dunn. You don't pay him for his glove. And consequently the problem is now about as fixed as it's going to get. A lot of their worse pitchers out the bullpen (Hanrahan, Colome, eg) were really hurt by that. The infield isn't quite such a disaster area. Guzmán is the main problem here, but there's no alternative to him.
3) The lineup has no leadoff man, and fades badly after the 5th spot. That's why they aren't scoring enough runs, too much of their offense is tied up in spots 2-5, so if Dunn doesn't come through there isn't enough after him to drive the runners home. Production out of the 6th spot has been especially poor relative to league average.
Every move I've seen discussed will make the situation worse. They need to keep Johnson, not trade him, because anything he'll bring in will not cover for his absence in the lineup. The only players whose trades might bring in a benefit are guys nobody wants, like Guzmán, or players they don't want to trade, like one of their young pitchers.
Did Buehrle express the proper amount of disdain for Obama to satisfy Black Jack McDowell? He at least spit on Obama, right?
Yeah. I bet he follows it more than he watches it.
My understanding is that SCOTUS has its own rotisserie league (as I recall, a while back when MLB trying to charge for stats became a court case, there was an open question about whether the entire court would need to recuse itself).
Given there are only 9 justices (unless staff plays perhaps?) -- probably a sissy universe league where the burning question is whether to start Prince Fielder or Mark Teixeira.
Anyway, FWIW everyone around Hyde Park will tell you that Obama is really a basketball fan to the exclusion of all else. Sox baseball and Bears football are a casual following at best.
If I was president I would work four hours per day max so I could make all the important decisions with a clear and untroubled mind.
Which leads to the next question: Did Obama ever see a game at the beloved old Comiskey before it closed in 1990? I'm trying to imagine him quaffing an Old Style at McCuddy's...
From what I understand, this is essentially what he does. He gets up, works out, and then has his briefings with the minions until noon where decisions are required of him. After that, I'm sure there's a lot of reading, diplomatic, ceremonial, etc. stuff to take care of. I don't know if W. or Clinton worked this way, too. My guess is each president has a pattern they're most comfortable with.
From what I understand, W. worked in a similar manner; not exactly the same, but comparable. Clinton, as I understand it, was a fiercely disorganized workaholic. GHWB I don't know about. Reagan worked a steady 9-to-5, very rarely any overtime. Carter was incapable of delegating anything, worked his ass off 25 hours a day, and pretty much drove everyone crazy.
Hmm. Those work habits strangely correspond to how I perceive their relative their personalities.
Well, it would be odd if work habits bore no relationship with personalities, wouldn't it.
I am glad he said Comiskey and not the Cell, but he was most certainly referring to the ballpark, when he mistakenly said "Comiskey Field." No big deal, just tells me he isn't hard core Sox, which is no big deal either.
Costas asked him if he was at Demolition Disco Night. Obama said no, but he did talk about how he liked the old park, sitting in the nosebleeds and contrasted the 'side of town' issue from Wrigley again, but wasn't as direct as he was during the campaign.
I've read Reagan delegated a LOT, which honestly, is how I want my President.
Yeah, but I don't actually know these guys.
There's a limit, obviously, but I think that for a high-level executive in any organization, a high degree of delegation is a very good trait: it focuses the exec's time & energy on the truly top priorities, and it empowers & develops the staff.
* As I said, he knew Buehrle had been hit hard in his last start.
* When he saw Buehrle, he referred to the last time the two had seen each other.
* He recognized Prince Fielder on sight.
* He knew that the Sox had closed out the 2005 season with eight straight wins.
* He knows that the Nationals are terrible.
I didn't see the Costas interview, so I don't know what he said there, but I think this shows he's more than a casual fan. I guess it depends on your definition of "casual."
whoever gives him free tickets in the front row, on camerathe Yankees.Things which live in caves at the bottom of the ocean know that the Nationals are terrible.
I'm amused you are completely certain we have no idea, when you really have no idea if we have no idea. For all you know, I could be Michelle Obama!
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