Nats Delayed, Start Time Up in the Air

At least people have the bobbles to entertain themselves with.

Alan Goldenbach? CJ Holley? Who are these people?

Does anybody from the Post sports department cover baseball anymore?

must be another culinary camp weekend for harlan. bouillabaisse or baseball, chico?

shepdave

The real sports reporters are out at Fed Ex Field for a meaningless NFL pre-season game. Where for art thou, Barry? The Constituency turns its collective lonely eyes to you.

shepdave et al: The reason Chico is not covering tonight is $$$. The Post has made a decision not to pay overtime to its baseball writer, who in the past had covered the team seven days a week from February through October. No more. The Great Newspaper Decline claims another tradition. They're now working five days a week ... just like at a Wal-Mart.

Announced first pitch at 8 :25

"Interesting" line-up tonight . . .

AG, Belli, Padilla

Go Nats

Grounds crew is folding/rolling the tarp, marking the chalk lines.

Looks like a game is coming soon.

Go Nats

@onelegged

It seems that Riggs is playing his "it doesn't matter if THESE guys get hurt" lineup.

jd

is that why there is a plethora of writers covering the snydermen, so at least one (or two) of them is on duty each day? what's so irritating about the post is that the nats should be a two-man beat, like the times, where at least someone who's familiar with the team is working each day. the nats are a second-class team according to the post.

Someone needs to tell CJ or Alan that the game has started.

i would be in favor of tracee covering all home games chico misses.

@Surly: You are absolutely correct. Baseball is a grind, seven months, 190 games (including ST), it's ideal for a split beat. No offense to the rooks covering while filling in for Chico, but baseball is just too nuanced so it's hard to pick up a team's little habits on the fly in a pinch, like this poor kid Goldenbach is being asked to do. Obviously, Post management doesn't care about us, the readers, or they'd fork over the OT for Cheeks. It's not that big a number, maybe 10 to 20K for the season. But they're too cheap to do it. Sound familiar? That's how we got Daniel Cabrera as our opening day starter.

Good start, but AG kills any chance of a comeback...

@jd

I wonder who on blog will take the handle "PostisCheap?" LOL!

Ugh. Lannan has nothing tonight. Hello bullpen...

Any chance of another rainstorm moving in within the next two innings to spare us?

@Leetee: All of us!

Lannan is right. He is not an ace. Too bad.

See ya, Lannan.

What's wrong with Lannan?

Have I said I hate FLop lately?

It's actually still raining, but not enough.

We need Strasburg so bad. He could do better than anyone we have right now.

Lannan has been pretty bad his last few starts.

Wierdest play in centerfield I ever saw. The ball got caught on the fence. Cameron should have pulled that ball out!

That should not have been a ground-rule double - if the ump got the ball out, why the heck couldn't Cameron? Another sh--ty call by the umps. It should have been an inside-the-park HR. Ronnie should have circled the bases.

And another rally-ending DP. !#$%@~!!!!!

Lannan has been so off his last few starts...bump in the road or cause for concern?

I'd say cause for concern - he has definitely not been pitching very good at all.

How about that? Saul Rivera bats and gets his first ML hit!

Cue up the DP - Alberto G is up...

Veteran pitchers are what this team needs so desperately. Too bad there are none out there we can get. It just doesn't work when all your pitchers are rookies or second year players. Every pitcher we've had is a rookie. Stammen, Mock, Martin, Martis, Detwiler, Zimmermann, Lannan, and whoever else...

I'm betting Lannan's hurt.

See ya, Riggleman. You and Lannan have fun keeping each other company in the clubhouse.

BELLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Riggs is a genius. Gets run, and that dastardly Belli slams next pitch. Pure genius.

Back in the ballgame! We can catch and overtake them!

8 runs for Mil and not a soul left the park. Now it's a GAME.

Belli is my hero

Go Nats

I wonder what would have happened had Manny gotten ejected a couple times.

The Brewers must need a separate buffet table in their clubhouse just for Prince Fielder and their pitching coach.

Where were these 6 runs when we gave up 5 and lost????

I'm not listening tonight. How'd Riggleman get ejected?

Arguing a called 3rd strike on Zim - he thought Zim checked his swing (it was close, but I think he did go around).

This team is a joke! I mean, the Brewers, not the Nats. Perfect place for FLop to pad his individual stats.

and Rivera is on base again - walked on 4 pitches! We need to make them pay for doing that!

Bless Riggo for going out there and standing up for his player. The call was correct -- Zim didn't check his swing -- but I've got to believe the players appreciate a manager who will fight for them.

It's a brand new game - we're one hit away from taking the lead!

Wow...we were down by 7 and have now come back to tie the game at 8. What a game!

Totally agree, SS8. How many times did Nats have nobody (Manny) watching their back on bad calls. Riggs is proof you can argue with a purpose, not just Manny's lame excuse: "It doesn't do any good." Yes, Manny, it does. It can light a fire under your team. Witness tonight. Manny's still there, we're down 8-2.

Walgreen's ties the game!

Riggleman getting tossed had NOTHING to do with Belliard's home run. That is just wishful thinking.

Gonzo robs FLop. Awrightttt! Get back in the dugout, you jaker.

Add Chuck Merriweather to the list of sh--ty umps. The inning should have been over, but, no, of course not, and now we give up another run. THE UMPIRES SUCK!

Flock FLoop.

What ever happened to "Home field advantage"?

And with Riggleman already gone, Corrales won't come out to argue. The radio crew can't believe that Merriweather blew the call on the appeal.

I am really furious at Merriweather...every close call has gone the Brewers' way tonight, and there have been several of them between plays at first and appeal calls. Going to back to Zim's strikeout, FLop's was even more obvious, but the call went the other way. Jerk.

Umpires are bad, no question, but our pitching--except for Saul--has been god-awful. Even Sunshine sounds depressed...

ugh....hung with this one as long as i could. i guess sosa is replacing kensing as the current arsonist-in-residence. good night, gracie.

Belliard WAY ahead in fan poll for player of the game. How can you have a POTG when it's only the 8th & we are losing?

FLop is no longer a FLop.

Belliard WAY ahead in fan poll for player of the game. How can you have a POTG when it's only the 8th & we are losing?

Posted by: Nats_Lady | August 22, 2009 11:08 PM | Report abuse
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The Brewers picked Chuck Merriweather as their POTG two innings ago...

Hard to hit a grand slam and lose. We did.

"Belliard WAY ahead in fan poll for player of the game. How can you have a POTG when it's only the 8th & we are losing?" Nats_Lady
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hey Nats_Lady: That's how bad Belliard is, he can be player of the game and we STILL don't win.

And while I do like to blame the umpires, we can't give up 11 runs and expect to win. Starting pitching tonight (and lately) was lacking.

Oh well. We've got 'em tomorrow!

Way to go, Saul. Good long relief!

Alfonso Soriano is on another of his typical streaks, though it's not the kind the Cubs were hoping to see from him. After hitting .198 in June with two home runs, Soriano hit .345 in July with five homers, proclaiming, "I'm back," after a big game in Washington after the All-Star break. But entering Friday night's game, Soriano was hitting .162 in August with no home runs, four RBIs and a .183 on-base percentage. Asked by a local reporter if he ever considered sitting Soriano, manager Lou Piniella gave a long pause. "You ask tough questions," he replied.

Makes you wonder if the one that got away was not such a big loss for where the team is at today.

Just got home from the game and saw this which cracked me up:
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The Brewers picked Chuck Merriweather as their POTG two innings ago...

Posted by: BGinVA | August 22, 2009 11:29 PM | Report abuse
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Have to say, it was amazing that no one left after the 2nd inning. Guess them that stayed through the raindrops stayed through the rain of runs. Then we made it a game...than we lost. A long day and night for nothing. Oh, well. As usual the ushers and staff and the Park were outstanding.

Guess we are not getting a new post, so I will just blather on...

Went to park at RFK at about 5:30, then decided with the rain and all it would be better to either go home or drive nearer in and pay for parking. On my way out of RFK, I saw an UNBELIEVABLE number of United fans "tailgating" if you can call it that, with tents set up all over the place. Don't know what the attendance was at the soccer game, and of course Beckham being there draws a crowd--but I WISH we could get the NATS some of that spirit.

(BTW, the United beat guy has posted his story, with video clips.)

So I kept to my budget by paying $25 for parking and getting a $5 ticket (instead of free parking and a $20 or $30 ticket).

They gave me two bobbleheads because I got there at 8 o'clock and they weren't close to running out of them...

I distinctly got the impression Miss District of Columbia was lip-syincing the National Anthem but I could be wrong--anyway I wouldn't blame her on such a miserable evening.

It drizzled and misted until the 7th inning so I couldn't text much, hard to type while holding an umbrella and I was afraid of getting my phone wet. Discovered there is free wi-fi at the park if you want to watch MLB At-Bat on your iPod (can't watch the Nats, of course, stupid blackout...)

Prince Fielder is fatter in person than he looks on TV. The ump was really bad, but nine runs OUGHT to be enough to win a ball game.

It would really suck if the reason we get no Chico is because of the Post not paying "overtime".

I'm pretty sure the overtime thing was a joke. Chico is very likely on salary.

Hey NJers. Just catching up on what I missed. Thanks for the speculation about my absence. It had nothing to do with the Post's stinginess and everything to do with me needing a 24-hr breather after two weeks of insanity. But fear not, today I'll be back at the yard. I'll post once I get there.

Thanks so much, Chico. All due respect to the sub, he's not you. Glad you got a break on a rainy, losing day.

Hey Chico -

Great morning reading on McGeary: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/minors/articles/2009/08/23/minoring_in_baseball/

You leave, we lose. Stop doing that.

Should I really have to click through three levels on the Post's mobile site to even see a HEADLINE for the Nats gamer?!?

As crappy as our little baseball team is, they did play what the rulebook calls a "championship game" (i.e., one played in the season to determine standings, a real season game). Meanwhile, Washington's mediocre football team played a meaningless exhibition and got the section lead headline. Ridiculous!

>Riggleman getting tossed had NOTHING to do with Belliard's home run. That is just wishful thinking.

Posted by: poncedeleroy

The time it took to argue certainly can break a pitcher's rhythm. And that was really a thoughtless hanger the guy laid in there too.

>Add Chuck Merriweather to the list of sh--ty umps. The inning should have been over, but, no, of course not, and now we give up another run. THE UMPIRES SUCK!

Posted by: BGinVA

It ain't his fault that we're 43-80. The umps punish bad teams because they screw up and make them stand out there for longer periods of time when nothing's on the line.

Speaking of which, get in there Bryce Bryce baby! Still 5 games up on the comical Royals. Was watching the highlights of the KC game on MLB network (which was half-filled with Minnesota fans), and they were whiffing on pitches a foot outside. Kicking the ball around. I think we should deny them the #1 pick out of spite. That would show some cohesiveness on our part and earn Riggo a new contract. They can always say, 'hey - he helped us get Bryce Harper, and it helped get us over the top'.

Shepdave, I find that really annoying, too, even though I have the Nationals/MLP bookmarked on my mobile.

Another real annoyance is that when you refresh Nats journal, it takes you back to the top, and you have to scroll and scroll and scroll to get to the bottom of the comments. On a "real" computer, refresh takes you back to where you were.

The new "mobile" Post thingie is useless, you have to click on the the "full website" button to see Nats Journal. And then, yes, click through about three levels... Any Postie/Techie's listening?

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Should I really have to click through three levels on the Post's mobile site to even see a HEADLINE for the Nats gamer?!?

Yeah, and I can well believe the umps were not happy about a rain-delay and then 7 innings in the rain (and it WAS raining, even if it was just a "light" drizzle"). I know after the game starts the decision is up to the umps, but before that it was the Nats management, I assume, that decided not to postpone the game.

Maybe Milwaukee is still in the running for the wild card, but it was a pretty meaningless game for the Nats.

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It ain't his fault that we're 43-80. The umps punish bad teams because they screw up and make them stand out there for longer periods of time when nothing's on the line.

Posted by: Brue | August 23, 2009 8:40 AM | Report abuse

Say, Nats_Lady, you say you got an extra bobblehead... Might you be willing to part with it for money? I had to miss the game/rain to entertain out-of-town guests, else I would have gotten wet with the rest of you.

Shepdave, you are welcome to it, no charge. I was going to give it to one of my students, it's still in the box. It's pretty nice, too, not cheap looking (although made in China) with a heavy base.

Bless you, Nats_Lady! Email me: shepdave@gmail.com.

t's the perfect euphemism for the line that every Nationals' official has said all afternoon and evening at the ballpark -- they say the weather is supposed to be clearing, but I have no idea if they're right.

Why not? Does the Post not have access to the National Weather Service?

Nats_Lady

Bless you and and all of the other teachers.

From The Onion (short but sweet and thus no link)

Bat Boy Easily Holds Shane Victorino Back During Argument With Umpire
Bat Boy

August 14, 2009 | | Onion Sports
Bat Boy Easily Holds Shane Victorino Back During Argument With Umpire Twitter

PHILADELPHIA—Eight-year-old, 67-pound Phillies bat boy Joey Potts effortlessly restrained Shane Victorino from a dispute with plate umpire Ed Rapuano after the center fielder's ejection in the seventh inning Sunday night. "He was really light and easy to push down," Potts told reporters of the 28-year-old professional baseball player. "I was just trying to help because I didn't want Mr. Victorino to get in trouble, but then he was just on the ground screaming that I broke his back. He screamed kind of like a girl." Potts apologized to Victorino the following day during an emotional press conference in which both cried.

Whoops, the ump wasn't "Twitter." I just neglected to trim that bit out. Oy, I'm too old for these late nights at the ballpark.

And the ump wasn't "Bat Boy," either.

1A, you know they made that up, don't you?

Yep. I thought it was very funny.

'Twas indeed.

Does anyone else think that we need to find a way to give Lannan a rest. He looks out of gas and in need of a rest.

Maybe he has been pushed a little hard with all this "ace" stuff. Or, as someone (NatsNut?) suggested, maybe he is slightly hurt. Makes you wonder about how hard they are going to push SS when they feel they need wins.

I haven't read the comments from yesterday, but I had similar thoughts about Lannan at the ballpark last night. Have also wondered whether Zimmermann's going down might have had any psychological effect on our young pitchers.

Oh, and new post.