Former hockey player (and Washington Nationals) Nyjer Morgan turned “chippy” in Milwaukee last night after striking out against Cardinals’ starter Chris Carpenter. Morgan had battled through the ten-pitch at bat and was headed back to the dugout when he said something to Carpenter and tossed his chewing tobacco at him. Albert Pujols sprinted down the line to confront Morgan and the benches emptied, but no punches were thrown. Morgan was tossed.
“I just got in the middle to make sure that Morgan didn’t jump on Carp,” Pujols later explained. “The last thing you want is our guy that’s trying a shutout game to lose his focus. I actually like that guy. I don’t mind having a guy like that on my team. He brings a lot of energy to the ballclub, and you want to have a guy like that. But sometimes I think he goes (a little overboard) and tries to put too much energy.”
After the game, Morgan claimed that Carpenter had cursed him from the mound, and Morgan returned the favor before tossing his tobacco and shouting at him. The Cardinals won the game, a pitchers’ duel that pitted Cardinals’ hurler Chris Carpenter against Milwaukee’s Zach Greinke. Carpenter pitched a beauty, blanking the Brew Crew 2-0 on a four hitter. But the Cardinals still trail Milwaukee by a wide margin in the N.L. Central.
Morgan seemed to shrug off the incident after the game . . . but wait, wait — there’s more. Later, on Twitter, “Tony Plush” talked about Pujols — as if the game was the baseball version of Hockey Night in Canada. “Alberta couldn’t see Plush if she had her gloves on!!!” he chirped. “Wat was she thinking running afta Plush!!! She never been n tha ring!!!” Ugh.
The incident overshadowed a very, very fine game. With St. Louis struggling to catch the Brewers in the N.L. Central, the team needed a good outing from Carpenter, and they got one. He struck out five and threw a complete game, despite being up and down (he’s 9-9 on the season), during the 2011 campaign. As important, perhaps, was that Carpenter threw this magic while facing Zack Greinke, who was nearly as effective (seven innings, two earned).
Adam LaRoche and Jayson Werth teamed up to give the Washington Nationals a 4-3 extra innings victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park on Friday. The victory came as a result of Werth’s heads-up base running: the Nats spark plug got on base as a result of a Brew Crew error, then took third during Milwaukee’s right side shift against Nats’ first baseman Adam LaRoche. When LaRoche bounded a grounder to Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, Werth hustled home on the drawn-in infield, beating the throw and giving the Nationals the victory.
The Nationals extra innings triumph came after solid pitching performances from starter Tom Gorzelanny (6 innings, 5 hits, two earned runs) and solid outings from relievers Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen. But current closer Sean Burnett gave up a double to Rickie Weeks in the ninth, which was followed by a Carlos Gomez ninth-inning game-tying single. It was Burnett’s first blown save of the season. Chad Gaudin pitched the 10th and notched the win. But it was Werth’s base running that manufactured the victory. “I come to the ballpark ready to play and play my game,” Werth said after the game. “I try to take advantage of certain situations, play the game hard, play the game the right way and good things could happen.”
Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines: Last night’s game provides an interesting score sheet. There’s a question mark on my scorecard in the 6th inning (and a footnote in the box score), when Riggleman decided to pinch run Laynce Nix for Michael Morse. Because Nix is faster than Morse? Well, he’s not. Because he wanted to get Nix’s bat in the line-up? That can’t be: Ramos was caught stealing by the Brewers in the bottom of the 8th — taking the bat out of Nix’s hands. Maybe Morse wasn’t feeling well, except that Riggleman did this same thing in New York. “I don’t get it,” a Section 1-2-9 partisan said. Yeah, well me neither . . .
There was an air of anticipation on Friday night, as fans awaited a chance to welcome Nyjer Morgan back to Washington. Morgan took a shot at his old team, and the city, during an appearance on ESPN radio in Milwaukee, implying that Washington wasn’t a good baseball town: ” . . . it feels good to be in a baseball city,” he said of Milwaukee, “[with] people who understand my game and love just the aggressiveness and the hard work and the hard play I bring.” Morgan should learn some history: Milwaukee has had as hard a time holding onto teams as Washington and in mid-August (when the Cubs are in town), the city turns into Wrigley North . . . Listen, I’ve lived in Milwaukee and I can tell you from my own experience, it can get downright pleasant in August . . .
Brewers semi-ace Chris Narveson has had a long road to the majors: drafted in the second round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2000, Narveson was shipped off to Colorado, then sent to Boston, then was claimed on waivers by St. Louis. He had elbow surgery in 2002. In 2007 he signed with Milwaukee as a free agent and made the team as a fifth starter in 2010. The Brewers have a hell of a rotation (Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Randy Wolf and the soon-to-return Zack Greinke), but Narveson is emerging as the surprising stopper. Prior to last night’s second inning debacle (three walks, two singles, a sacrifice fly — three runs), Narveson had thrown 14 consecutive scoreless innings, including a seven inning masterpiece against the Cubs. It’ll be fun to watch the Younts in July, when they streak past the Reds into first place in the N.L. Central . . .
The inevitable has happened: the Washington Nationals have traded Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers for prospect Cutter Dykstra. Morgan’s one-and-a-half season tenure in Washington was noted for its ups-and-downs — fans were in love with Morgan at the end of the 2009 season, as he gave the lowly Nationals a late-season lift after arriving from Pittsburgh. Last year was different. Morgan struggled at the plate and then, at the end of the season, engaged in a controversial confrontation with the Florida Marlins. Two days ago, Morgan told Nats’ beat reporter Bill Ladson that he thought his days with the team were numbered.
In Dykstra, the Nationals obtain a work-in-progress with good blood lines. Dykstra is the son of former MLB star Lenny Dykstra who was drafted by the Brewers in second round of the 2008 draft. Dykstra was a highly regarded prospect out of California. Dykstra has spent the last two years as an infielder with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, enjoying a solid 2010 when he hit .312 in 100 games. Dykstra has played most of his games at third base. “He is an athletic kid and he is a really good runner,” Rizzo said of Dykstra. “He has really good speed. He is a good offensive player, a high on-base-percentage guy. He works counts. He is the type of guy that could hit at the top of the lineup. He has a little pop and really commands the strike zone.”
There are plenty of unpredictable things in baseball, but here’s not one of them: Nyjer Morgan is finished in Washington. That was inevitable from late last summer, in the wake of Morgan’s now legendary dust-up with the Marlins, when fans decided that Morgan should either hit the waiver wire or submit himself to therapy. Or both. “I’m a realist,” Morgan told Nationals beat reporter Bill Ladson. “I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Oh, no. I want to finish my career here.’ I just think this place isn’t for me. I’m not saying there are bad people here. It’s just that, maybe, I’m not a fit here anymore. It’s time to move on.” The Nationals appear to agree: they’ve been shopping Morgan, albeit to an increasingly small number of teams. MLB Trade Rumors initially had the Brewers interested in Morgan, though now that no longer seems to be the case.
Morgan’s imminent departure clears the way for Rick Ankiel’s official crowning as the new Nats’ center fielder. Even so, a team that has been in search of a good starting pitcher can now add another outfielder to their wish list. Ankiel is a better center fielder than Morgan, and arguably a better hitter — but it seems unlikely that he’s the team’s long term answer for the outfield slot. The same holds true for Roger Bernadina who, despite all the praise from the front office, has gotten few votes of confidence lately. Which leaves the Nats with an unhappy reality: two kids in left, a journeyman sometime hitter in center and a solid presence in right. That’s one-for-three in a division where teams would kill for good hitting outfielders. In truth, there just aren’t that many around.
Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines: We emailed one of CFG’s tens of thousands of dedicated readers today about Opening Day, saying that it “should be fun” because at least we won’t have to put up with Philly fans. He gave a quick-witted and sobering response, wondering aloud about Opening Day sales, then providing his own answer: “I guess we’ll know if Mike Rizzo goes on an Atlanta radio station to encourage Braves fans to drive up . . . ” This same reader noted that Bill Ladson’s January predictions about the Nats haven’t exactly ah . . . er . . . ah . . . been accurate. So let’s take a look: Ladson said the battle in left field would be “between Ankiel and Roger Bernadina,” that Bryce Harper could very well make the team “out of Spring Training,” that Jayson Werth would play center field replacing Morgan when left handers are on the mound and that the Nats should sign Willie Harris (okay — well, that’s an opinion, not a prediction). Even so, that’s nope, nope, nope and nope . . .
Following last year’s on-field fiasco, we all knew that Nyjer Morgan’s future with the Washington Nationals was in doubt. But now it seems doubly so, as the fleet-footed center fielder is struggling with a slow start in Spring Training. Prior to today’s contest vs. the Yankees, Morgan was sporting an anemic.077/.077/.077 for the Spring. Washington Post Nationals’ beat reporter Dave Shenin says that “it’s still too early to question’s Morgan’s standing with the Nationals, but suffice it to say he will have to prove he can get on base at a healthy clip in order to maintain his hold on the leadoff job.” Shenin could have easily gone further: Morgan will not only have to do better than last year, he’ll have to show the team that he’s shaken off last year’s attitude — and he’ll have to play well. So far, at least, he’s done one, but not the other.
The challenge for Morgan is to not only overcome his poor leadoff stats, but to stave off competition from a trio of emerging younger wannabes and a wily veteran: while everyone believed that Roger Bernadina and Michael Morse would compete for playing time in left field, it would be easy enough to keep Morse’s bat in the line-up and shift Bernadina to center. Then too, as implied by Shenin, it’s going to be hard to ignore Jeff “Babe Ruth” Frazier, a former Rutgers boomer who’s spent most of his career in the minors. Frazier has been hitting the cover off the ball. Then there’s Rick Ankiel, the former Cardinals and Royals pitcher-turned-hitter, who’s viewed as a steady and veteran option. The message to Morgan is clear: the Nationals aren’t wedded to him, especially if he can’t show that he belongs.
Those Are The Details, Now For The Headlines: Jason Marquis has silenced Nats’ grumblers who remain skeptical of his worth. The pack-your-bags-you’re-going-elsewhere veteran seems in mid-season form, which will be a plus for the Nats so-so pitching staff. Marquis was a always a nose-in-the-dirt over achiever, but he’s performed up to expectations, and beyond, this Spring. Marquis was “exceptional” against the Braves on Friday, needing just 24 pitches to get through three innings. The Nats need him to return to form . . . the other piece of good news is that Jordan Zimmermann seems finally set to “arrive.” The hope of Auburndale, Wisconsin has shrugged off his Tommy John surgery, his moving stuff is breaking well and his fastball is about where it should be. Let’s see, that makes three pitchers the Nats should be able to count on: Hernandez, Zimmermann and Marquis. Still not enough . . .
By now, you would think, Nyjer Morgan is getting the message: on Wednesday, MLB Trade Rumors reported that the Nationals would sign former Cincy outfielder Laynce Nix to a minor league contract. The signing nearly overstocks the Nats’ outfield — particularly considering the team’s previous inking of Rick Ankiel. While Nix is only so-so against lefties, he will provide a steady presence off the bench and (perhaps more importantly) provide some competition for Morgan and the planned left field platoon of Roger Bernadina and Michael Morse. Put simply, the outfield is getting crowded — with Nats skipper Jim Riggleman now looking at a full complement of Jayson Werth, Morgan, Nix, Bernadina, Ankiel and Morse, which is not to mention the addition of MLB wannabe Corey Brown, who was acquired in the Josh Willingham trade to Oakland. Brown will pressure the likes of Nix and Morgan: which is just the kind of competition that Mike Rizzo and skipper Riggleman like.
Prior to Nix’s signing, the Nats parted ways with Justin Maxwell, ending an experiment that began in 2005 — when the Nats drafted the fleet-footed former Terrapin in the fifth round of that year’s draft. The rap on Maxwell is well known: he simply couldn’t hit and his speed on the base paths and talent with the leather wasn’t enough to keep him around. Maxwell brought a solid return (despite some skepticism in the Nats blogosphere) — Adam Olbrychowski isn’t exactly the second coming of Bruce Sutter, but he could eventually figure in the Nats’ mix as a solid middle innings reliever. River Avenue Blues wrote not all that long ago that “Adam O” needs to add a second pitch to his 91-93 mph fastball. Last week the Nats also added Cla Meredith, whose weird looking side arm motion once baffled hitters, though that now seems long ago. Still . . . still, Meredith is a solid veteran and certainly worth taking a chance on. He was pretty good back in San Diego (73 games, 4.09 ERA), but he struggled with the Showalters. Hardball Talk has this right: he will compete for a back of the bullpen job in Spring Training, though he might land in Syracuse.
You have to admit — all of this reshuffling is pretty impressive. The Nats outfield is nearly remade, the team has apparently made a long term commitment to a middle infield of very green youngsters, the signing of Adam LaRoche gives the Nats a new first baseman and (while Rizzo & Co. did not land that big front of the rotation guy we need), there’s a new mix on the mound — “filled with potential.” We say that advisedly — it was the same phrase we used last year. There’s probably more to come, but with Spring Training now an eyeblink away, the Nats are set to enter the season with a tougher defense and a newly reshuffled outfield. No one is predicting a trip to the World Series (or even a Wild Card berth), but there’s enough here to keep Nats fans in the seats until August. Maybe.
. . . and last in the N.L. East. The Washington Nationals fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 at Nationals Park on Wednesday night, but that was hardly a surprise. The surprise came when the cascade of Nats’ fans decided to stream from the park at the end of the game — shunning the last-at-home festivities planned by the Lerners and hosted by the glass-half-full team skipper Jim Riggleman. The departing throng joined those other fans who had left after the seventh inning stretch, knowing that the Half Street Nine were not going to catch the Ashburns, and knowing also that Riggleman & Co. would be recycling the message from last year’s end-of-game spiel — we’ve made great strides, the future is bright, we’ll be better next year (just you wait and see) and, oh yeah, thanks for coming. It’s not that the words weren’t heartfelt (they were), it’s simply that a large host of Nats fans (defined as those in the ballpark not rooting for the Ponies), are more skeptical than ever.
The Wisdom Of Section 1-2-9: Perhaps skeptical isn’t the right word. Cynical might be better. The section, at least last night, was livable — there were lots of Phillies fans in attendance, but they seemed mild in comparison with other nights. “They’ve clinched it, so they don’t have to be the selfish, rude and insulting little sh–s they always are ,” a fan said so every P-sketched hat would hear it. “Hard to blame them though when they’re invited in and there are plenty of seats.” A Nats fan sporting a Zimmerman jersey responded by raising his voice. “Yeah, maybe so. But you don’t see us doing this in Philadelphia.” This brought a laugh: “Three reasons. There aren’t that many of us. Citizens’ Bank is sold out. And why make the trip when ‘you can buy a family fun pack?’” More laughter — and then a general silence until the third inning, when it was clear that Ross Detwiler was going to pitch like . . . Ross Detwiler. So who’s going to be out there next year? “There’s Marquis and there’s Hernandez,” a fan said with practiced assurance. And nods, before a lone voice with a single question: what about Lannan? And then the low murmur amid the silence. “What about him?”
They’re either going to sign Dunn or sign a replacement free agent, one fan said. A fan next to me guffawed. “Why would the Lerners do that?” he asked. “Listen, this is real simple. They’re making a profit and they’re not doing anything special — and they can always count on Philadelphia fans to fill the park. Or Braves fans. Or Mets fans. Or Cub fans. They [the owners] really suffer when the Astros come to town.” Another fan shook his head. “I hear they’re interested in [signing] Carl Crawford, or Carlos Pena.” Another guffaw as a woman two rows down smiled to herself, then turned and shook her head. No way. Another fan, still in his business suit, agreed. “Carl Crawford? C’mon. Here’s what they’ll do. They’ll say that they offered Adam Dunn a contract for three years and he wanted four. And he’ll be gone. And Michael Morse is cheap. He can play first. Maybe we’ll resign Willie Harris.” A fan with a Phillies hat, listening, nodded his head. “He just needs to get his swing back,” he said — and there was more laughter.
In the fourth inning, The Racing Presidents stood in a line holding farewell signs in tribute to Stan Kasten. “We’ll Miss You Stan,” the signs read, and the crowd rose to give the outgoing Nats’ president a standing ovation. There was disbelief among the three Nats fans one row back. “Yeah, we love you Stan. But the Lerners? Not so much.” So then it started in earnest, in the 6th and 7th innings, as the fans in 1-2-9, now in the swing of things, compared notes, position-by-position. Nyjer Morgan? “Really? Give me a break. He’s gone.” Roger Bernadina? “He plays center, Willingham is in left and Morse plays right.” And at first? Silence on this, and then a consensus. “They’ll sign someone like Pena, he’s cheaper, but don’t worry — they’ll say they did it because he’s better defensively.” An unheard from voice chipped in: “He’ll break his league in May.” Nods and more nods. But then everyone agreed: Desmond and Espinosa were set up-the-middle and the bullpen was solid. A voice in the back piped in: “Riggleman says Batista is an innings eater.” The man next to me nodded. “Innings eater is code for ‘he’s not very good,’” he said.
By the 9th inning (and really, even before), the reality had set in. The game was lost, the Nats were headed to New York to finish the season, and once again Washington was in last place. It’s hard to deny the facts and Nats fans don’t really need a graph to chart the future, or understand the present. But for those of us who like these kinds of things, here’s a graph of just where this franchise stands. It recently ran in the New York Times and comes to us by way of our friends at Nats Triple Play.
Putting A Price Tag On Winning
From 2001 to 2010, the Yankees spent 42 percent more than the second-highest spender, Boston, and have also won more games than any other team — 6 percent more than Boston. Some of the lowest-spending teams, like Kansas City and Pittsburgh, were also among the worst. But there have also been some notable exceptions. Teams below the line, including Baltimore, Detroit and the Mets, have won less than might be expected. Teams above the line, including Florida, Minnesota and Oakland, have won more. Black outlines indicate teams that won a World Series in the last decade. Boston won two, and the 2010 World Series has yet to be played.
