Manny Must Go. The Worst Team Ever??

(Photo Credit: View From the Green Seats.)


Didn't watch the game, but listened to a bit of it on the boombox while I was doing some errands around the Capital town. The Nationals lost 4-2 and got swept by the Phillies after being swept by the Mets.

The radio crew was stunned that Hernandez didn't make the throw for the double-play which would've ended the the fourth inning and saved a run.

After the game Manny said, "[Hernandez] just couldn't get the ball out of his glove." I don't know, maybe some infield practice would help...

And how about this understatement, "This trip has shown us that we do have some catching up to do with these two clubs in our division."

With the loss, the Nationals (13-36/.265 percentage) are exactly on pace to tie the 2003 Detroit Tigers as the worst team in the modern era (43-119).

The good news: the Nationals still have a ways to go before they exceed the futility of the worst professional team in Washington - the 1904 Senators 38-113/.252 winning percentage...

Of course, if they get swept by the Giants, they'll be right on schedule.

Anyway, Manny must go.

Manny Must Go.

This game is killing me.

Dunn's dropped ball.

Hernandez booting a routine play.

Dibble made the point, again, that the team still doesn't do infield practice. He said that the team hadn't done it since leaving on the road trip.

This after watching the some of the worst outfield play I've ever seen last night.

What is it going to take for Manny to decide his guys need practice? Other teams are out there doing the little things. The Nationals are not.

Their the worst team in baseball because they give the least effort.

Manny Must Go.

Manny Must Go.

There's more stress in winning than losing.

To prove the point - Terry Francona was so pissed after a call this week that his blood pressure spiked...and elsewhere folks wondered if Manny Acta was "too calm to manage".

Manny Must Go.

Chico writes touching story about the 19-year journey of Manny Acta and his wife. Frankly, reading this, I feel even less affection for Acta - apparently that was possible.

He really doesn't care about the team or the season or his career...

Asked Wednesday if he felt stressed out about his job security, Acta said: "No. Because I've been up here for already eight years in the big leagues," including stints as a third base coach with Montreal and the Mets before coming to Washington. "My name is out there. I already told you that I started coaching making $10,000 in my first job [as a part-time coach in 1992], so I have lived and gone through from $10,000 to, let's say, half a million dollars. And I have lived in all that range. So I feel that I can live with any salary.

"I think you're managing for your career -- always. Not just next year. You still feel that if you do things right, maybe somebody else will notice. Or also, once you get to this level, I can probably go back and get a job in the minor leagues somewhere, so you don't worry as much. I think it's tougher when you're in the minor leagues. Because once you're in the big leagues, at least now you have a little bit of a name, and people know who you are. But there are tons of minor league people that nobody even knows who you are. So if you fall back, there is no safety net."

He thinks his name is out there? So was Pol Pot's - just because people know your name doesn't mean it's a good thing. It's not like his name is going to bring people to games - like Jimmy Dugan.

He's wasted a tremendous opportunity here in Washington. People expected very little here in Washington, he was able to deliver less.

Manny Must Go.

Nationals.com - home to such hard hitting pieces such as:

Detwiler relishes challenge of Phils

Villone provides veteran presence

Guzman aims to be more patient hitter

and, my personal favorite,

Zimmerman stoked for showdown vs. O's

actually allowed for a candid exchange between ace-reporter Bill "Don't Say I'm Not A Fan" Ladson and Manny "I'd Rather Be A Met" Acta.

After dispensing with the obligatory questions about the disappointing season and Acta running through his same tired old talking points that we hear every night on Nats Xtra, Ladson gets to the meat of it.

I'll paraphrase:

Ladson: Fans are don't seem to be happy with you right now, what do you think?

Acta: Couldn't give a shit.

For those of you wanting the actual words...

MLB.com: For the first time since you arrived in Washington, the fans are not on your side. They want to see a new manager. When you hear stuff like that, what is your reaction?

Acta: My reaction is, I can't control what people think or say. The bottom line is: they want to see the team win. Everybody is on board with the rebuilding. But that being said, not too many people are patient enough to lose while rebuilding. I have to respect their opinion, but I just prepare myself to go out there every single day and give this team the best possible chance to win.

MLB.com: How have you kept your composure this season?

Acta: I control it by not allowing any negative stuff to come to me.
I'm not searching for news. I'm not that type of guy.

MLB.com: Do you think you will be back as manager of the Nationals next year?

Acta: That's out of my hands. I can't answer that question because I'm not going to be making that decision. I want to be here for a long time. That's all I can say. I came here through the rough times. I would like to be here when things turn out for the best

So many things to say about this:

1. Obviously Ladson doesn't read HalfStreetBlues, because we have a long and storied history of thinking Manny sucks. [Admittedly, we were Frank fans, so he probably didn't get a fair shake to start, but we would've come around.] But now, we're happy to see other commentators FINALLY come over to our side and recognize that Manny won't stick up for his guys, rarely seems to care about jack, and has mediocre (at best) on-field judgement.

2. And this is so apparent it hurts...Manny really doesn't give a shit. He really doesn't.

3. If he actually believes he is giving the team the best chance to win - then he really should be fired. Because he has managed so many games so poorly.

Mock Draft Mania

HSB knows enough to know we don't know enough about the baseball draft to compete with Nationals Farm Authority. This is his moment. So we give him his due.

Check out the latest here.

Manny the Met

I’ve noticed the last couple of games that when Manny makes a pitching change its as if he is upset that he was bothered to have to walk to the mound. Probably not a credible argument coming from me since I think he is a joke as a manager.

I feel it is unfair to criticize his performance in New York though, he was focused on thinking about the glory days under Randolph and trying to balance his time catching up with friends and doing errands for Omar Monaya around the games.

(Please note in this picture that it is obviously miserable outside, people have their backs and are leaving the downpour, but Manny has a smile the likes I can honestly say I've never seen before on his face. Ah, the glory days of being a Met.)

We don't know nothing about no steroids...

Nationals Prez Stan Kasten says that he doesn't know what those silly people in Florida are talking about.

"I don't know anything more about this story than what you have read...Until I hear something from MLB, I don't have anything to be concerned about. I haven't been told anything to be concerned about by MLB at all. So, for now, the story is what it is. I don't know any more than that."

Then he went on to advise his players not to talk to reporters about it:

"I have asked my players not to comment on this...That was my advice to my team, and I'm sure they will follow up on it."

Ignoring his counsel, Dunn, Zimmerman, and Kearns all talked about it.

Dunn:

"I don't think anything of it. [Thomas] probably has his back pinned to the wall, and that's it. What else can happen to us? So it's just piling on. Again, that to me is the last thing I'm worried about, some guy saying whatever he said about us. After we get done here, I'll never talk about him again. I don't know who he is. I've never even heard of him."

Zim:

"You probably heard about it before I did. It's the way sports are today, and it's unfortunate. But I have no clue about any of it. I'm waiting to find out, like you guys are."

Kearns:

"I really don't have a reaction. I don't know who he is or what he is talking about. I just heard about it five minutes ago. I have no clue what he said. I can't even remember the guy's name."

Where is Villone in all this? Why didn't someone ask him. Even if he didn't do anything, it would be funny to see the rage.

Instead of getting his 100th win Zambrano assaulted an umpire...

Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano was hoping to get his 100th career win yesterday. Instead he threw a huge temper tantrum, bumped the umpire, got tossed, and engaged in other on-field theatrics.

Cubs apologists, and our friends, at Wrigleyville have two parter on this - here and here.

History in DC

The Big Unit could be going for win number 300 (the likely last time it will ever happen in baseball) next week in DC.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290527126

“Johnson likely will get his first chance to become the 24th major leaguer with 300 victories next Wednesday at Washington.”

Oh, and Manny Acta should be fired.

Steroid-gate: Caps say they're clean

USA Today is reporting that the Washington Capitals have come out with a statement saying their guys are clean and have never tested positive for illegal drugs.

The Nationals and Ron Villone remain silent.

No lie...

I thought they were talking about Cabrera when I saw this headline on Nationals.com:

NatsTown Cleans Trash Along Anacostia River

Cabrera gets his due. (And a $2.6 million parting gift.)

Half Street Blues speaks Truth.

Kinda like the Bible. And you cannot escape Truth forever, as Daniel Cabrera found out when he got cut.

Why did he get cut, you ask...

Because he sucks...really...

That's the reason...

Acting General Manager Mike Rizzo even said so:

I looked at the execution of the performance and it
wasn't up to par. I was tired of watching it.

You and me both Riz.

Cabrera, who will become a free agent and will collect his entire $2.6 million salary, wasn't too shaken up about things.

He went around the locker room to say goodbye to his boyz, then said, "I didn't do what they wanted me to do and I wasn't pitching well - and thanks for the money..." (he didn't really say that last part, but we all know that's what he's thinking).

In case you doubt that he really sucked:

He was 0-5 and was letting up almost 6 earned runs a game. He led the National League in walks (34) and wild pitches (9).

On Monday night, he was even able to hit his groove quickly and display the highest level of suckiness possible in less than an inning of work.

And with this latest development, Cabrera will have to give up his spot as the #1 Worst National according to HSB.

UPDATE: I completely missed Logan Kensing being sent down to Syracuse on Monday, so choosing the worst National now becomes a lot more difficult. Kensing was going to be HSB's next target (now that Cabrera is gone.)

Cabrera gets some work.

Daniel Cabrera got some work in yesterday.

He's still very bad.

Here's the line for 2/3 of an inning:

25 pitches. 10 were strikes.
Walked 3
1 Wild Pitch
0 Runs allowed*

*Thanks to Jason Bergmann who came in and closed out the inning.

Replay Conclusive - but umps rule against the Nationals anyway.

Nationals lose 5-2 - including a shady Mets homerun.

At least Manny went out there to argue...

"Daniel you suck," Manny...

Manny Acta is making it clear what he thinks about Daniel Cabrera - although I think everyone is pretty much in agreement...

He sucks. He really does. Get this, this season he's walked twice as many batters (32) as he's struck out (16) - and that doesn't count the two he hit. His WHIP is a staggering 2.039 and he's giving up an average of 11 hits and 7 walks every nine innings...

He's underperformed throughout his career and hasn't pitched in 9 days. So he's about as valuable to the team as the dog running around the dog park outside my apartment is. Here's Manny:

"We are waiting for a situation where he can come out, have a fresh inning, and the game is not late and tied. That's all. We have to do what's best for the whole team, and we are not going to rearrange everything around one guy."

So Cabrera sits, collects his welfare pay check and, as he says, "I just stay in the bullpen and watch the game."

That's pride for you...

The Quotable Manny Acta...

The Nationals win and Manny blesses the Lord.

"Bless the Lord, we won this one," said manager Manny Acta. "It was a really tough homestand, and that was going to be a long train ride to New York [if we lost]."

Manny, I don't think the Lord needs your blessings, I think your team needs His.

Maybe there's something to this "accountability" thing...

So, if your boss calls you into his office and he says you suck. That he knows you can do better. And if you don't, you might find yourself fired. How do you react?
Well, maybe you work harder to do your job better?

I don't know what to think about team meetings. I'm guessing they probably don't do that much. But at least it gets the conversation started. It shows the team that people are watching and that people care about how the team is performing. And it goes to Planetary's point that someone has to give a shit at the top, before the people at the bottom start giving a shit...(and all of us at the bottom know that shit flows downhill.)

I show I care, quite often, by booing and telling Manny Acta he sucks and by encouraging Nick Johnson to tell Manny Acta I think he sucks. (But believe me, nobody cheers more than I do, when there's something worth cheering.)

Well something must've clicked, because the team actually played pretty good ball last night and ended up with a 5-4 win.

The youngster Craig Stammen was successful at throwing strikes!


And, sure Hanrahan is still scary...but Cordero gave me cardiac arrest every time he took the ball. That's part of the beauty of having a closer...

I do have to wonder why Ron Villone spoke at the meeting...is he now the team's veteran? The guy players call "Suitcase Villone" has something of value to say? Or was he just in charge of bringing the cookies and juice? (You like how I set myself up for my own jokes?)



Oh and on a completely different note: I watched the game on MASN last night (Ron Dibble is starting to grow on me) and they were doing one of their player profile things - this time on Nick Johnson. It was fine, but I laughed out loud when a graphic appeared saying that Nick Johnson played football in high school "but didn't like the contact". Is that because dude is breakable?

It's the Battle of the Parkway!!

I'm probably not the first person to complain about this or the last... But I can't stand this "Battle of the Beltways" promotion.

I fully understand the need to brand it something - because marketing people need to do something when the product being marketed can't be...

Here's a Redskin blogger talking about a game between the Redskins and Ravens - also being called the BOTB.

But in essence, the teams are battling for "bragging rights" - for the best baseball team along the Parkway's corridor (although the Bowie Baysox may have something to say about that).

So why not call it the Battle of the Parkway - it just makes more sense. Here's a little history lesson about the B-W Parkway...

Plans for a parkway linking Baltimore and Washington date back to Pierre Charles L'Enfant's original layout in the 18th century but did not fully develop until the 1920s. Major reasons surrounding the need for a parkway included high accident rates on adjacent U.S. Route 1 and defense purposes before World War II. In the mid-1940s, plans for the design of the parkway were finalized and construction began in 1947 for the state-maintained portion and in 1950 for the NPS-maintained segment. The entire parkway opened to traffic in stages between 1950 and 1954.

ESPN-zone is hosting a Battle of the Birds (The Oriole vs. the no-longer fat Screetch) tomorrow. Even that's less of a non-sequitor than the Battle of the Beltways.

I don't know...what else are we supposed to talk about? The Nationals are about to get swept by the f-ing Pirates.

BREAKING: The Wall Street Journal Ranks the Nationals #1!!!

The Wall Street Journal used hard data and useless facts to rank our Nationals as "The World's Most Excruciating Baseball Team". We fans of the Nationals don't need data, just go to a game.

The WSJ charted their "misery index" using:

• Winning Percentage: (.297) [NOTE: After last night's loss it dropped to .289; a 47-115 pace.]
• Average Length of Game: (2:57 hours)
• Relievers per game: (3.50)
• Pitchers per Plate Appearance: (3.94)
• Years since title: (40)

"The Nationals rated in the bottom third by each criterion, and overall they easily surpassed such perveyors of joylessness as the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians."

Manny Must Go....

HalfStreetBlues.com just suffered through a weekend of some of the worst baseball ever.

Yes, ever.

And Manny Must Go.

To sum it up - check out his emotional outburst apparent indifference to the inexcusable fielding error in Sunday's game that cost the Nationals the game and headed the Phillies the sweep...

The bullpen was miserable. Aside from Lannan, the starting pitching was terrible. Olsen looked like he was auditioning for the only all-star position he could possibly qualify for...Home Run Derby pitcher. And Cabrera rivals only Rick Vaughn for wild pitches...

One more makes 30

Ryan Zimmerman wasted no time in getting a hit in tonight's game, marking the 30th consecutive game with at least one hit.

Zim lined a single into center in the top of the 1st in San Francisco.

Zimmerman gets to 25...

Ryan Zimmerman just hit safely in his first at-bat in tonight's game against the Manny-less LA Dodgers. His streak is now at 25 games.

CBS Sportsline Rankings. Nationals #Last.

HSB generally doesn't care about the meaningless rankings, but this is kinda funny.

Let's continue with last week's sunny-side-up approach to the Nats' blurb ... They're tied for the league lead in moral victories ... Daniel Cabrera refuses to be bound by the white male hierarchy's archaic notion of what constitutes a "strike" ... Several lifelong friendships have sprouted in the bullpen ... No major-league team scored more runs on Monday night ... Yay, Nationals!

Dunn is better than Teixeira.

There I said it. And I'll say it again - Dunn is better than Teixeira.

Thanks to the rain delay in New York last night and the fact there's not a Nationals game tonight, I've watched the Red Sox v. Yankee games the past couple of nights and I've noticed a few things on the YES Network...

First off...it's been odd, because the Yankees Network has spent the past two nights telling us how good the Red Sox are. They even ran a highlight reel on Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell.

Another thing, there is a commercial with this woman who has had, what she claims, is between 15-20 amputations because of poor circulation she's suffered due to smoking...



But to my point, I've watched Teixeira play the past couple of nights - and he's just too pretty...too cool for school...too much of a Playboy...he looks too sharp. And I don't think he'd fit in on the Nationals.

Dunn is a bit more dopey, smiles more, seems like he's having fun.

And he's had a better year so far.

Dunn has 7 home runs, is batting a solid .282, with .445 OBP, .565 SLG, and a 1.010 OPS, putting him in the top 10 in the National League in each category - not to mention first in walks (with 25).

On the other hand Teixeira, who admittedly has been struggling this season, is batting only .198, with a .352 OBP, .407 SLG, and a .759 OPS.

Sure, Teixeira's a better fielder, but their career stats are comparable, and our guy is less than half the price and I think he actually likes being here.

Maybe Teixeira turns it around, but who cares. Dunn's a better fit here. I'm glad we got him...

Undefeated in 3 straight...

There are no ties in baseball...but 2-0-1 in the past three days...I'll take it...

It was nice to see another team's bullpen implode for a change...although Tavarez and Mock did their damnest to give the game away.

And Zimmerman extended his hit streak to 23 games in a row.

Game Time!

HSB is headed to the game. In weather.com we trust.

Print off your game notes for the Astros and the Nationals before you head to the park.

A win tonight and we're streaking...(two wins in a row).

The Nationals might draft Aaron Crow...again.

The scouts are watching Aaron Crow and the Nationals might draft him, again.

It didn't work out so well last season. I guess we can blame Bowden and try again.

According to All Nats All the Time:

The Nationals have not ruled out drafting right-hander Aaron Crow for the second year in a row.

The Nationals are going to watch Crow pitch for the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball on Monday.

Martis with another fine outing.

Shairon Martis (3-0), in just his ninth big league start, got his first complete game win this afternoon leading the Nationals over the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1. It was a much needed boost for the team - and kept the bullpen out of the equation.

In stark contrast to Thursday night's game, Martis was very effecient throwing 110 pitches, 79 of them for strikes (72%), and allowing no walks, in the 2 hour 7 minute game.

While Martis cruised, Acta voiced his vote of no confidence in the bullpen.

Even in the seventh inning, I told Randy, 'Hey, right now he still has [better] stuff than anyone we were going to bring out of the bullpen.'

The Nationals' bats were effective too, scoring six runs on nine hits - the biggest one being Adam Dunn's three-run upper deck blast in the 5th inning.

Zimmerman keeps his hitting streak alive...now at 21.

Is Manny being prophectic?

In his fake blog, Manny Acta talks about the terrible first month the team had and closes us with the hope that "May, May (sic) come our way."

But then signs off with the prophetic(?)

So long Natstown.

Is the Manny Watch on?

Worst pitched game ever...

I've been thinking about what to say about last night's game. It was monumentally frustrating to watch the Nationals battery (frankly, I think Flores might need a big ole piece of humble pie.)

11 walks
1 hit batter
5 wild pitches
bases stolen even before the pitch gets to the catcher
a couple of past balls
a balk that scores a run
a dropped ball on a play at the plate

Imagine, the pitchers allowed 9 runs, on 8 hits! That math doesn't seem to compute.

Hinckley stunk. Tavarez stunk. Hanrahan still stinks. Flores seems to be jawing at his pitchers, not calling a good game, and doesn't get in front or OR catch the ball.

It's similar to my beef with Johnson at first...they never bail their guys out on tough plays.

And why didn't Acta put Justin Maxwell in for Dunn in the top of the 9th. He's made the defensive change with Dunn due up in an inning, but with Dunn struggling at the plate, and not due again for the night he doesn't? It doesn't make sense. It's possible that Maxwell makes the catch on Ankiel's double and changes the whole landscape of the inning.

I digress - this post is about the pitchers' inability or unwillingness to throw strikes. Of 173 pitches thrown, only 91 were strikes...that's 53 percent.

I'm glad that Manny shares my frustration...

"They just walked themselves into trouble, they walked themselves into losing the ballgame," Nationals Manager Manny Acta said. "Walks allowed [the Cardinals] to tie. Walks allowed them to take the lead. I mean, they didn't even hit the ball hard in the last inning they ended up scoring five runs. I mean, we walked [11] guys today. It's unacceptable."

Asked after the game how he could fix his bullpen's problems, Acta shrugged his shoulders and guessed, "Plan Z?"

"It's embarrassing," he added soon after. "This is not Philadelphia,
where a guy might be scared of throwing a pitch over the plate and a guy hitting it out. This is a pretty fair ballpark, and it's not gonna work.

"It's top to bottom. They just are walking themselves into trouble.
Over and over and over and over. Walking guys after 0-2 counts, walking guys in the bottom of the order. You shouldn't be afraid. You're pitching for a last-place team in a half-empty stadium. What can be intimidating right now?"

Hey Hanrahan, Rivera, and Hinckley...maybe this will help.

Do you think they have room for three more? The bullpen could use the help.