Now that I am finally over the hump with 30 in 30, I would like to extend a special thanks to my readers. I have been working to improve this blog in various capacities. You may have noticed my "team bar" on the left with the logos of my favorite teams from high school through professional leagues. I also removed that gaudy video strip and added a sources section to my links page. I advise you to check it out. I pride myself on the fact that I use sources from various local and national news outlets, as well as some sites that are either odd or a site that is trying to sell you some sort of t-shirt. Thank you to my readers around the world. Your feedback is very encouraging. Now let's get down to business
The Washington Nationals picked the right time time to suck. Everybody has known this for years as their two number one overall selections gave them Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. The hype around these two is what makes Washington a place free agents want to play in. Strasburg is the Cam Newton of pitchers. He came to San Diego State with raw talent and he came out of college as one of the most hyped pitchers in the history of the draft. He will head the rotation this year. Bryce Harper, meanwhile, is a month older than I am and is participating in his second Spring Training. Bitch Boy is expected to crack the big league roster in June and stay there. Anybody who follows baseball enough knows his backstory. What surprised me about his story is that I thought it would be a basketball player who finds a loophole to get out of their senior year of high school. Now I am done talking about these kids until I finish the article.
If you know me, I love to bust on failed Chicago prospects. From Curtis Enis and Cade McNown to Arnie Munoz and Danny Richar. If it is not a tragic case such as Rocco Baldelli or Hideki Irabu, I like to get a laugh at their expense. One that I joke about a lot is Jeremy Reed. We traded Reed to the Mariners as part of a deal to acquire Freddy Garcia. Reed, the centerpiece of the deal, turned out to be the least productive of the three players we traded. We also traded Miguel Olivo and a kid by the name of Michael Morse. Morse who had a relatively unproductive career with the Mariners, broke out last year in Washington. He quietly had a stellar offensive season hitting .303/31/95. Morse was easily Washington's biggest offensive threat last season.
Washington has doled out big bucks already to Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth. Signing Werth was almost as big of a mistake as the White Sox signing Adam Dunn. He may even be benched if anybody in the Nats' farm system plays their way up to The Show. If not Werth, than Morse moves to First Base and Adam LaRoche takes a seat.
Going into the rest of their lineup, Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond are a perfectly capable double play combination. It is always big to have your middle infield spoken for. As for Wilson Ramos, everyone's just happy he's okay.
A few of Washington's arms really blossomed last season as John Lannan, Jordan Zimmerman, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen are coming off tremendous seasons. Joining them will be Brad Lidge, Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez. These additions might just be enough to secure a Wild Card slot.
X-FACTORS:
Lineup: OF Jayson Werth/1B Adam LaRoche. Both came in as coveted free agents and both have disappointed. They both might be playing for their jobs with Bryce Harper expected to hit the big leagues in June.
Rotation: Edwin Jackson. Is there a more helter skelter pitcher in this rotation?
Bullpen: Brad Lidge. Pujols's Home Run ball from the 2004 NLCS still hasn't landed.
The Kids: Bryce Harper. At 19, he could debut to a pennant race. No better way to live the All-American Dream than to be baptized by fire.
ROYAL LIST:
#1 OF Bryce Harper: I didn't even have to check the list.
#19 3B Anthony Rendon: Unless Zimmerman has injury issues, I guarantee a position change is in this man's future.
PROJECTION: 2nd Place NL East
-I know this is going to sound strange considering the moves Miami made and how good Atlanta was last year. However, this team was 80-81 in 2011. That was with Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche not being healthy the whole season and an ineffective Jayson Werth. Stephen Strasburg was recovering from Tommy John surgery and was limited to five starts. The Nationals add Gio Gonzalez, Brad Lidge and Edwin Jackson. They will also debut Bryce Harper. This team, provided they stay healthy, will win 90 or more games and give the Phillies a run for their money. Bitch Boy will be in the middle of it all.
-P.S. This is the Kansas City Royals in five years but with a slightly bigger market and great draft fortune.
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| Can Michael Morse lead the Nationals to their first playoff appearance? |
If you know me, I love to bust on failed Chicago prospects. From Curtis Enis and Cade McNown to Arnie Munoz and Danny Richar. If it is not a tragic case such as Rocco Baldelli or Hideki Irabu, I like to get a laugh at their expense. One that I joke about a lot is Jeremy Reed. We traded Reed to the Mariners as part of a deal to acquire Freddy Garcia. Reed, the centerpiece of the deal, turned out to be the least productive of the three players we traded. We also traded Miguel Olivo and a kid by the name of Michael Morse. Morse who had a relatively unproductive career with the Mariners, broke out last year in Washington. He quietly had a stellar offensive season hitting .303/31/95. Morse was easily Washington's biggest offensive threat last season.
Washington has doled out big bucks already to Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth. Signing Werth was almost as big of a mistake as the White Sox signing Adam Dunn. He may even be benched if anybody in the Nats' farm system plays their way up to The Show. If not Werth, than Morse moves to First Base and Adam LaRoche takes a seat.
Going into the rest of their lineup, Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond are a perfectly capable double play combination. It is always big to have your middle infield spoken for. As for Wilson Ramos, everyone's just happy he's okay.
A few of Washington's arms really blossomed last season as John Lannan, Jordan Zimmerman, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen are coming off tremendous seasons. Joining them will be Brad Lidge, Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez. These additions might just be enough to secure a Wild Card slot.
X-FACTORS:
Lineup: OF Jayson Werth/1B Adam LaRoche. Both came in as coveted free agents and both have disappointed. They both might be playing for their jobs with Bryce Harper expected to hit the big leagues in June.
Rotation: Edwin Jackson. Is there a more helter skelter pitcher in this rotation?
Bullpen: Brad Lidge. Pujols's Home Run ball from the 2004 NLCS still hasn't landed.
The Kids: Bryce Harper. At 19, he could debut to a pennant race. No better way to live the All-American Dream than to be baptized by fire.
ROYAL LIST:
#1 OF Bryce Harper: I didn't even have to check the list.
#19 3B Anthony Rendon: Unless Zimmerman has injury issues, I guarantee a position change is in this man's future.
PROJECTION: 2nd Place NL East
-I know this is going to sound strange considering the moves Miami made and how good Atlanta was last year. However, this team was 80-81 in 2011. That was with Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche not being healthy the whole season and an ineffective Jayson Werth. Stephen Strasburg was recovering from Tommy John surgery and was limited to five starts. The Nationals add Gio Gonzalez, Brad Lidge and Edwin Jackson. They will also debut Bryce Harper. This team, provided they stay healthy, will win 90 or more games and give the Phillies a run for their money. Bitch Boy will be in the middle of it all.
-P.S. This is the Kansas City Royals in five years but with a slightly bigger market and great draft fortune.
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