Charlie Klein
Few Washingtonians journey over to Nationals Park these days. Even fewer exit the Navy Yard Metro Station expecting their hometown nine to get that elusive curly "w" to break what is now a seven game losing skid. Each night the team finds a new way to lose a ball game, including last night when Freddy Sanchez scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth for the Pirates to take a 2-1 lead. Hanrahan labeled his wild pitch to the Washington Post as an "unfortunate break. When thinks are going bad, bad things happen." That has been the rule and not the exception for the team with the worst record in baseball.
The team has been doing so poorly that in fact people in the District are beginning to pay more attention to the Nationals expected number one overall MLB Draft selection Stephen Strasburg. The San Diego State ace throws a 99mph fastball and has 180 strikeouts and an era under three for the Aztecs this season. The Lerner family is going to have to cough up more dough than Krispy Kreme in order to sign this guy, but here's to hoping that they do just so DC baseball fans have something about which to be excited.
The main cause for the team’s worst record in baseball has been its pitching. Few Nationals starters are able to make it out of the fifth inning of games. What's more, the relievers that enter have caused manager Manny Acta to buy copious amounts of Rolaids. Free agent signing Daniel Cabrera, who was supposed to be the team’s No. 2 starter behind staff ace John Lannan, has been moved to the bullpen by Acta today.
How does this team get better? Well there does not seem to be too much light at the end of the tunnel for the boys in red and white. There really are no young studs waiting to be called up nor do the Nationals have a lot of options in terms of trading bait. Ryan Zimmerman is the franchise and to trade him away would take the Nationals far too many steps in the wrong direction. Adam Dunn, who is amongst the NL leaders in terms of home runs, is a tradeable commodity, but considering how many teams were unwilling to sign him as a free agent may be an insight into just how much any other team may want to trade for him.
In all likelihood, the Nationals will end up firing Manny Acta. A losing streak of this nature really is not the fault of the manager, but at the end of the day it is the only thing that can be done. I expect that they will hire from within and promote Jim Riggleman to acting manager for the rest of this season.
The Nationals are a team severely lacking a direction. The ownership is not concerned with putting a winning product on the field, this is shown by them not wanting to pay to sign the Nationals first round selection of last season, but is more worried about having weeds in plant boxes surrounding Nationals Park. The poor Nats do not even have an actual GM. When Jim Bowden was fired amidst the child smuggling scandal, they never replaced him. The impact of having a legitimate GM is immeasurable on a franchise. Look at the effects that Theo Epstein, Brian Cashman (how appropriately named is he?), Jack Zduriencik, Billy Bean, etc. have had on their franchises. Until the Lerner family realizes the reality of their team, the Nationals will remain in the cellar. Maybe the Lerners will install a finished basement, so at least whatever scrubs take the field for their team is comfortable.
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