The Half-Assed Fan

Adrift. Confused. Discombobulated.

These all describe my feelings last week, during which time I was on the other coast in a time zone not friendly to catching the Nats. Sad but true. My return to DC was accompanied by the realization that the Nats had actually…wait for it…won a series!

Adrift. Confused. Discombobulated.

Oh, but it was true. As I began catching up, I learned several things:

• Kearns is still breaking my heart.
• Lannan is next line for the fleeting type of love so treasured by Nats fans.
• Nieves went and got all grown up on us (and we really don’t need Doubting Lo Duca).

So, here goes a glance at what some other folks are saying:

Capitol Punishment takes a surprisingly optimistic look at the last few games. Noting that three out of four ain’t bad at all, my boy Nieves tops the list of positives, while Kearns tops the list of “What’s Bad.” Sadly, I can’t disagree on that. All in all, I gotta say I dug all of the latest over there.

Walking away with the “Case of the Mondays” award, Oleanders and Morning Glories proceeds to call out Nieves, Kearns, Chico and Lannan. Here’s the part that I actually do disagree with:

No Wil Nieves is not this good. This 30yr old is not going to be the Nats answer at catcher. Not in 2008 and certainly not beyond. What he is is that odd player that helps carry the team when the stars are struggling. Which is fine for me, what about you?

Well, let’s see… Odd player, check. Struggling team, check. Helping carry the team, check. Yep, that’s fine with me, actually. I mean, with Lo Duca injured, he can’t run around with his usual level of enthusiasm and positive energy, so Nieves has gotta pick up the sla…oh, wait. I just got my own joke.

Oh, man! I really do love Miss Chatter’s photos. My favorite, and her’s too, apparently, is this shot of Kearns missing the play. Really, the look on Kearns’ face is emblematic of the season. The Miss goes on to make an excellent point near the end of her post.

The first month of baseball ends in a few days. When will the Nationals open up their eyes, relax, and stop pressing? Please?

Combine that advice with a couple healed injuries and I think we could all feel a little bit better.

One of the guys over at Nats Triple Play hilariously disassembles Thomas Boswell’s recent column, which seems to try and connect bad plays with a new ball park. My favorite part:

The Nats are surrounded with everything money can buy.

Except major league caliber starting pitching and a middle-of-the-order impact bat. But why quibble.

It’s funny because…it’s true (and sad). I mean, I rarely fault the management of the club. They’re walking a fine, and perfectly appropriate line, between a good business and a good team. But, man, the more I learn…I understand where this frustration comes from, even though I think most of these decisions have been made in good faith.

I love it when you guys out there agree with me. Thank you, Nationals Pride:

…who would have thought that Will Nieves could play a major role on this team?? Okay, there are two hands, and they are from Mike and I, the two Yankee followers.

Needless to say, that particular post goes on to run down Nieves’ strengths, eventually attributing his demise in NYC to being squeezed out of an offensively overloaded lineup.

Ok, so I was kinda hard on O&M, but here’s why–they’re right! In the long term, we have to get Cordero back up to strength, Kearns has to start performing, Lannan will have a slump, Nieves will have a bad game (and then everyone will wonder why he hasn’t gone back to Columbus yet) and Lo Duca will (most likely) not get a personality. So, as I said previously, there’s a long season in front of a Nats fan, but let’s enjoy the excitement of a soundly won series while we can.

• Sorry for the late notice folks…taking a short hiatus. Returning in a few days. #

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Sorry for the late notice folks…taking a couple days of hiatus, but will return in full force next week.

• Top of the 8th when I’m back, and 6-4 Nats! #
• Game going well, though I’m having a few issues with twitter. #

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• Johnson, 2 run homer. Sutton very excited. 4th inning. #
• Lannan just struck out number 10. He’s looking great tonight. #
• Stretch fact: Apr 17, 1964 the Mets played first game at Shea and lost to the Pirates. #
• One run basehit for the Mets. Tied. Wouldn’t be this way if Belliard hadn’t blown an easy grounder 2 batters ago. Rauch pitching. #
• Out of the inning on a nice pitch by Rauch. Still, it’s tied and I think most Nats fans are finding it hard to forgive Belliard. #
• Man in scoring position and Rauch gets Beltran to swing at breaker. Extra innings. #
• Belliard just snagged a line drive to end the inning, maybe redeeming himself, assuming we win. #
• Bottom of the 14th, 3-2 Mets. Scored on a wild pitch by Hanrahan. #
• Game started. Best team in the league. I’m hopeful, but not optimistic. #
• 1-0 nats! #
• Wow. Inning ends at 3-0 nats! #
• Wow. Inning ended 3-0 in the nats favor. #

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• Kearns: One run homer. It looked pretty, too. #
• Reyes’ first home run of the year ties it up in the bottom of the 5th. #
• Beltran. Another solo homer. #
• Sorry, Beltran’s was a 2-run homer. #
• 7th inning stretch. Stretch interesting fact of the game: Nats have left 7 stranded tonight. #
• Cordero’s throwing…he’s not looking great though. #
• And that’s it. 2-5 Mets. #
• Bottom of the first, 0-1 mets. #

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Uh, who is this kid? Well, apparantly, he was called up after about 12 years in AAA for his first game as a Nat tonight. (Update: I’m not sure the 12 years were consecutive…he was obviously a Yankee at some point.) Anyone notice how into the game he was? All through extra innings, I’m looking forward watching the guy catch and bat because he…wait for it…cares! Not to mention that awesome throw to second to catch the steal in the 11th…possibly the best throw by a catcher this season.

Nieves’ enthusasim stands in stark contrast to what I saw from many other team members the whole night–apathy. Guzman’s lack of interest, Belliard’s phoned-in performance, and Harris’ general strange demeanor during the entire night spoke of low morale and clubhouse apathy. Jim Leyland might’ve called clubhouse morale a “bullshit” concept, but it’s there, and it brings an entire team down.

And, it frustrates me, as a fan. I want to see these guys running, hustling, and getting plays turned around. I don’t even care if the plays aren’t that good, but don’t walk around in a city (DC, not NYC) where you have universal love and new ballpark with a pissed off look on your face. Guys like Nieves and Lannan deserve better than that.

Man of steel.

We don’t need no stinkin’ facial expressions around here.

I often ask myself what Bill Campbell is talking about. He just said Mobile, Alabama is home of the original Mardi Gras. This is one of those times.

A quick google reveals nothing. Anybody got any ideas? Please? I’m from Alabama, and I have a very hard time believing this…

St. Claire just came out to have a chat with Rivera. Don Sutton says, “Somewhere in there the word ‘fastball’ was said twice. That was all I could pick up. Oh, and “job.’”

Hah. Ya think?