Shooting for the Stars: The 2009 Nationals Look To Escape the Cellar of the MLB

Cody Rind — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:03:41 -0500

As the temperature increases, so does the anticipation for spring training and the upcoming 2009 season. So I decided now is as good a time as any to preview the team everyone hates to love; the one and lowly Washington Nationals.

After an abysmal 2008 season finishing dead last in the majors, the Nats are looking to turn things around. So we begin our journey at the top of the organization:

Ownership/Management: Being a huge Reds fan, I want to give Jim Bowden the benefit of the doubt but after losing season after losing season you have to raise the point that it may be time for a new GM that’s not as eager to sign players notorious for off the field problems (Elijah Dukes). I have to admit I am impressed with some of his more recent signings such as Ross Detwiler, Lastings Milledge, Jordan Zimmerman, and Josh Smoker. I am a little surprised at their lack of moves this offseason especially with Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson still on the market. If they wait until spring training starts and these players are still unsigned there’s a good possibility they could sign both for less than $20 million per year. I like Kasten as team president, he has a good track record with the Braves and the upcoming season has a lot of potential.
Players: The thing the Nats really do have is a slew of up and coming players who should see playing time this season. As I mentioned earlier LHP Ross Detweiler will be a stud and OF Chris Marrero will be sure to put fans in the seats. Then there are the obvious question marks: Can 1B Nick Johnson stay healthy and blossom into the player everyone expected so many years ago, and can 3B Ryan Zimmerman produce as his production was lagging towards the end of the season. The outfield is young and full of talent I especially like Josh Willingham and Wily Mo Pena and I am expecting them to put up decent numbers. The infield defensively is a bit of a mess with Cristian Guzman not anywhere near able to cover as much range as he did in his younger years and if the Nats are able to sign Orlando Hudson, their middle infield will be drastically improved. Not too mention they could use the extra bat.
Fans: Despite opening a brand new $611 million park the Nats still wound up ranking 20th in the league in attendance. The key to turning this around is very simple: win. Washington DC. is notorious for having a die hard fanbase (Hogettes) and if the Nats can start winning they’ll develop a stronger following which leads to increased sales, better marketing, etc. The key thing to remember is that the ballclub is still a business and the objective is to make money and clearly the Nats need to rethink their business model. I suggest creating a marketing campaign geared towards fans ie family night and then the Nationals can expect to turn a profit and can then go after bigger names on the free agent market.

And that concludes my analysis for the upcoming season. Whether you agree with my points or not we can all agree on one thing: the only place the Nats can go is up.

Despite Lineup Shakeup Reds' Season Continues To Slip Away

Cody Rind — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:56:14 -0400

The Reds lack of hitting so far this season has caused manager Dusty Baker to juggle the lineup, moving Griffey into the two hole.

The result: exactly the same production from the middle of the order in Friday’s game with Phillips, Votto, and Encarnacion combining for one hit.

On the bright side, starting pitcher Matt Belisle had a strong outing throwing 5.1 innings and only giving up two runs on eight hits.

But the Reds’ horrific bullpen combined for seven earned runs in just 2.2 innings.

The Reds have dropped the last four games in a row and now face a seven-game deficit for the NL Central Lead.

There are many explanations as to how the Reds ended up in this situation ranging from their shaky bullpen to their inability to score runs. Dusty Baker was a great offseason addition, but if the players aren’t producing, Baker can’t work his baseball genius on the diamond.

If Cincinnati can’t figure out a way to turn things around somewhat soon, they will be facing their eighth straight losing season. They have plenty of young talent to build around such as Joey Votto, Homer Bailey, Edwin Encarnacion, Jay Bruce, etc.

And with the veteran leadership of Baker, Griffey, and Harang the Reds should be able to salvage the season.

The key right now is to get the hitting back on track. The starting pitching has been sufficient so far with Aaron Harang and Edinson Volquez pitching well.

But it doesn’t matter if a pitcher gives up one or two runs over seven innings and gets absolutely no run support. The hitting ranks well into the bottom half of the NL and this reflects in the 12-19 record.

Fans are frustrated because the team has been building up a solid farm system over the last couple of years, but at some point it has to become more than a rebuilding process.

Steps have been taken in the right direction with the addition of Walt Jocketty, a proven World Series championship caliber G.M., and bringing in Dusty Baker to manage the team.

If the team continues to slide, expect top prospects such as Homer Bailey, Jay Bruce, and Drew Stubbs to see MLB action well before the expanded September rosters.

The Reds have the pieces to contend for a division title. They have a solid starting rotation, and the hitting will come in time.

But until then we can only watch and hope. One thing is for sure: Reds fans are in for a wild roller coaster of a 2008 season. Who knows, maybe Dusty Baker will take a page out of Yankee Legend Billy Martin’s book and pick his next lineup out of a hat. What do the Reds have to lose?

Bleacher Report - Articles by Cody Rind

Shooting for the Stars: The 2009 Nationals Look To Escape the Cellar of the MLB

Despite Lineup Shakeup Reds' Season Continues To Slip Away