Nationals Nation: Blog

NatsNation on a Leave of Absence

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:33:40 GMT

I honestly thought I would be able to do this - it's why I decided to gear my blog on the P-Nats instead of the big club in Washington, but it looks like I'm going to have to hang-up the keyboard for at least the near future.

Baseball is my passion - it's the incurable virus in my bloodstream that excites me and brings back memories of my childhood. It reminds me of the summer days I spent sitting in the stands with my Pop. It also brings me back to the mid 1980s when I played the game myself in little league on a public school diamond with the red letters, "Virginia Concrete" printed along the front of my chest.

But I can't be a kid right now. Once again it's time for me to step up to the plate but this time in a different sense: as a responsible father and husband. Anyone will tell you that parenting is a full time job all in itself...and I can whole-heartedly agree with that sentiment. This is my second child and there is a rather large difference in this one contrary to my first.

In this second marriage of mine, my wife is a hard-working career woman who (bless her heart) often goes overboard in worrying too much about the routine stresses in life. With the arrival of our son three weeks ago, her anxiety level has taken on a whole new magnitude that even I couldn't have anticipated.

Through these past couple of weeks, I've made the observation that she will require both my undivided attention and dedicated full-time support. With that in mind, I intend to do my best to help her in any way that I can both physically and emotionally. It would be selfish and irresponsible of me to continue going to ballgames and spending hours of my free time processing photos and writing entries for "fun stuff" while my wife is left to take care of the dirty diapers, baby crying and countless feedings.

As a result of these conclusions, I've come to the decision on what the priorities should be in my life and hereby announce that Nationals Nation will be downgraded to include only occasional editorial content and announcements. Most of the posts will now be photographic in nature and reduced to a handful of contributions per month.

I will still be here - just not in the sense of a true Nats blogger. As things at home slow down and the little guy needs less attention, I hope to one day return to form and reopen the turnstiles at my own little ballpark in the Natosphere. Thanks to all my loyal readers and I will see all of you at Nationals Park and The Pfitz throughout the season.

Astros Affiliate Makes First Appearance at Pfitzner

Fri, 23 May 2008 06:38:42 GMT

The Potomac Nationals continue chugging along the minor league ballparks with potent offense and sharp pitching, retaining their first place position atop the Carolina League North. Culminating with a 10-3 victory last night in Wilmington, Delaware against the Blue Rocks, the P-Nats are now 28-16, one game ahead of the Frederick Keys.

Starter Adrian Alaniz protected his undefeated record last night pitching 5⅓ innings with 3 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts and allowing 3 runs. His current ERA stands at 2.85 and is now the top Carolina League pitcher in wins with a perfect record of 6-0. Potomac took the series against the Blue Rocks 2 games to 1.

The Nationals now have an 11 game homestand starting against the Houston affiliate Salem Avalanche. Along with CHiPs star Erik Estrada, fans can get a gander at Roger Clemens 5'11", 193lb son; catcher Colby Clemens. The top prospects on the club to watch however would probably be left-handed pitcher Polin Trinidad and outfielders Jordan Parraz and James Van Ostrand.

Readers must forgive me for the sparse coverage in this post and over the upcoming homestand. My wife and I are celebrating the birth of our son which occurred yesterday at 8:10AM. The Nationals newest hot prospect weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces and was measured 19¾ inches long. Look for him to suit-up in a Potomac uniform around 2017.

Washington Fires Nats: Gives Uniforms To Homeless

Thu, 22 May 2008 06:11:12 GMT

Let me tell you something, I'm one happy camper that I chose Tuesday to go to Nationals Park and not last night (photos from the game are in the blog album in the upper right corner). What a catastrophe this team looks like right now. When is it all going to end? Where I wonder is the light at the end of the tunnel? Is someone in the front office going to grow a pair and make some hard decisions or not?! They didn't seem to have any problem dropping the axe on John Patterson before the season started, what's the deal now?

An obvious move has already been discussed and is a very hot topic in the media and especially on the internet: should hitting coach Lenny Harris stay or go? Harris joined the Nationals mid-season 2007 after taking over for Mitchell Page and remained in the position for the 2008 season. Jim Bowden in an open press interview with the media yesterday immediately voiced his confidence in Mr. Harris regardless of the current team hitting situation.

Lenny Harris in 2004 with a very young Juan Pierre

Of course, when players struggle offensively, we shouldn't place the blame strictly on the hitting instructor. There can be many factors that can cause players to go into a funk. Sometimes these slumps can seem to go on too long and when fans demand results the media starts looking for a skapegoat - sometimes unfairly.

Case in point: when Cristian Guzman first started with the Nationals, he couldn't hit a ball to save his life. Nobody could figure out how a man that went from being an all-star slugger in Minnesota batting .302 with 10 home runs to redefining the Mendoza line and hitting .192 at the end of August 2005 with Washington. All that changed when it was discovered that Guzman's vision was impaired and he opted for corrective surgery during the off season. This year he has been the most productive hitter on the roster.

Cristian Guzman Has Improved Immensely Since Having Lasik Surgery

Guzman's story however was an example of an individual player having a specific problem, and not the entire team as a whole. By contrast, when evaluating a coach's performance the employer evaluates all the players under his care as a unit.

The GM in charge needs to first establish a goal for his hitting coach based on offensive expectations. He then determines which players are having problems and require help to get to or remain at a productive level. Afterwards he evaluates whether the players that are having issues are improving under the instructor's tutiledge and whether the lineup as a whole is reaching the minimum goals set forth by the club.

Now let's look at the most basic of numbers currently facing Jimbo and the Lerners - batting average:

• Lopez            .259                  • LoDuca           .200

• Guzman         .307             • Macowiak       .171

• Zimmerman   .256                 • Nieves          .326

• Young            .250                  • Harris            .170

• Milledge         .241                  • Kearns        .187

• Flores             .357                 • Belliard          .194

• Peña               .220                  • Johnson      .220

• Dukes          .067                  • Estrada          .179

• Boone             .323

Well at least we've won something. These pathetic digits give us the coveted honor of being last in the major leagues in team batting averages with a whopping .234. Sigh.

Man, this is just not acceptable at the major league level no matter what stage you claim to be in "the rebuilding process". And the offensive woes are not just specific to a few players having problems here and there, but a conglomeration of the entire Nationals lineup. If there's anything consistant about this team, it would be that they are consistantly failing to be productive.

In addition to the anemic averages is the frustration of not being able to do anything once you get guys on base. Washington has only a 20% success rate on bringing in runners from third base...not scoring position - but third base!

Owner Mark Lerner and GM Jim Bowden

So what's the solution? GM Jim Bowden chimed in yesterday with these pearls of wisdom from a press meeting at Nationals Park:

"I've been surprised, but we're 15-12 in our last 27 games. We are playing good baseball. We are catching the ball. Our starting pitching has been really good, so that's encouraging. We have to get the bats going. We have a lot of young hitters in the outfield that are learning and developing in the Major League level. It's going to take patience."

"Lenny is a part of the solution. We may not have the results, but we are making progress. They look better. You haven't seen it in the game yet, but we are seeing it outside of the game. It's coming. You may see it by the end of this weekend."

Great. So now it looks like Jimbo's reverted to sounding like Baghdad Bob right before the tanks rolled across the Tigris. We are making progress? Progress from where, opening day when all the stats were zero?! Playing good baseball?! What team are you watching?!

It's now time for reality to set in. Real ownership on real teams make changes when the team is a walking disaster. If Manny Acta was managing his old team in New York I'm sure he would be feeling the hairs on the back of his neck these days - which coincidentally is exactly what's been happening to Willie Randolph by the way.

Team President Stan Kasten At Nationals Park May 20th

As a manager, sometimes it's your fault and sometimes it's not - but when your team sucks and you're the skipper, it's your head on the block. Usually an assistant coach, (i.e. Lenny Harris) is the first to get their walking papers to serve notice from ownership that things are not hunky dorey. Then if things still don't improve it's usually time to clean house with a new manager. GASP! Did I say that?!

This is just the way things are done at the top level of professional baseball and every major league manager knows it - unless you work for the Washington Nationals apparently. Nope, sorry Stan... No regurgitated Nationals kool-aid on this blog.

Potomac Nationals: Showing How It's Done

Mon, 19 May 2008 01:34:50 GMT

While the well paid, big bats in Washington remain all but silent these days, the P-Nat offense appears to be firing on all cylinders. This weekend the Potomac Nationals took on the Houston Astros affiliate Salem Avalanche and continued their relentless assault that started midweek against the Pelicans.

Witnessed by a combined attendance of 9,021 fans through two games at Lewis Gale Medical Center Field in Salem, the P-Nats put on quite the display as they netted 21 runs on 29 hits (only one of which was a home run).

The Junior Nats set the bases ablaze with 13 doubles and 20 RBIs beating the Avalanche 11-5 and 10-1 on two nights that must have been pretty miserable for the home crowd. Amazing as those numbers stand by themselves, it's almost frightening when you realize that Potomac still left 19 men on base when the smoke finally cleared Saturday night. Game three scheduled for Sunday was postponed due to rain.

Potomac Starter Adrian Alaniz Has A Perfect 5-0 Record

Featured in game one was the 6'2" right-hander Adrian Alaniz who is now tied for the Carolina League lead in wins with an unblemished 5-0 record. Alaniz struggled a bit in the first inning giving up 3 walks and 3 earned runs, but the P-Nats had already put six runs on the board before he had even set foot on the mound. Alaniz now has a 2.57 ERA and the team's most strikeouts at 42.

Carlos Martinez was called in the sixth with an 8-3 cushion and allowed a couple of runs to score, but the Avalanche never really threatened. Josh Wilkie finished the game by pitching the last inning with a walk, a hit and no runs. He lowered his already low ERA to an even lower 1.50.

Edgardo Baez Went 3-5 with 3 Doubles and 6 RBIs Saturday

Saturday night had California native Joey Norrito complete his first start for Potomac since arriving from triple-A Columbus. Norrito had an almost perfect night with only two hits through 5 scoreless innings and struck out three. The player of the game though had to be Edgardo Baez who whacked three doubles and collected 6 RBIs in 5 plate appearances. Baez is now tied with shortstop Seth Bynum in team RBIs with 25.

The P-Nats continue on the road this week for three games in Wilmington before returning to Woodbridge for a non-stop 10 game homestand against Salem, Lynchburg and Kinston. Current standings: Potomac remains first in the CL North with 2 games over Frederick.

The Meek Shall Not Inherit The Post Season

Sun, 18 May 2008 07:27:56 GMT

Here's a shout-out to Mr. Lerner, Ted or Mark (I don't care which) just please, somebody do something! A brand new state-of-the-art stadium doesn't mean jack if watching the team is as painful as staring straight into the face of the sun.

Somebody needs to open up the checkbook, trade, negotiate, blackmail... assasinate somebody... something ...ANYTHING! Just please get us at least one dependable pitching ace and some real offensive power on this team, I beg of you!

The Washington Nationals have the weakest, non-clutch hitting, peter-out, spit and sputtering offense I have ever witnessed in my life. On top of this, they continually make goofy defensive mistakes and hit weak rally-killing grounders at the worst of times.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, all of this misery shatters team confidence and frustrates the already in-over-their-heads pitching staff. These unfortunate souls are not only trying to pull rabbits out of their <cough> hats, but most of them are overworked and the rest are just plain unhealthy.

Hmmm, Seems Like There Might Be A Pattern Emerging Here...

Mr. Lerner, it's time to stop keeping the new car in the garage under canvas. It's time to actually drop some cash for some gasoline and drive it around town. Washington is a major metropolitan area with an avid and loyal fanbase that until 2005 had to wait 34 years to finally reclaim a team of it's own. So you must excuse us for being a little frustrated for having our collective rears handed to us this weekend by the Asbestos King, the very same schmuck that kept us from having a team for so many years.

Hey, I've heard the mantra. I know that owning a major league baseball team is no easy task and that it is indeed ultimately a business. I also acknowledge that in their final years, the Montreal Expos under the care of MLB owners became a sort of halfway house for homeless athletes - the farm system depleted and the infrastructure delapidated. But all the same 'ol stories and lamentations begin to fall on deaf ears when progress appears to be going in the wrong direction. It's now time to stop making excuses and start getting serious.

I don't know about you, but it's frustrating for us fans when nobody seems to gives a rat's derrier. Manny Acta has his same monotone and meaningless press conferences loss after loss. MASN relentlessly continues vomiting the same propagandic kool-aid that makes even the most avid National fan nauseous and Kasten and Bowden keep talking about "being patient". All the while ownership says nothing at all.

Oh, The Humanity! Barf.

We are not a no-name town in North Dakota, we are the nation's capital. As a population hub and economic engine, Washington deserves a team to be proud of -

a serious contender, with star players who won't dread being assigned here, but instead will hunger to play for DC and would wear the curly-W with pride.

Nationals fans don't want Nationals Park to be a place where people go to catch the Mets, Phillies, Braves and Cubs while they are in town. On the contrary, we want fans from other teams to feel intimidated enough to keep their pieholes shut at our house.

I'm sure there are many who want to pat me on the head and tell me that I'm too naive and just don't understand the inner workings of today's free agency, the economics of modern baseball and complications of legal contracts between ownership and players. This may indeed be true, but be that as it may I think I certainly understand the inner workings of my own wallet...

And in that vein, I find myself having a problem with spending $80 for a tank of gasoline, wading through the country's second worst traffic to a stadium with no decent parking, eating outrageously overpriced food and watching a team stocked with walking wounded and mostly second to third tier major leaguers.

End Rant. I don't feel any better. Still depressed.

P-Nats Split Series, Offense Running Hot and Cold

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:30:19 GMT

Game one of the Myrtle Beach series started Monday with a rain-out that was postponed until the next evening. The two-game double header on Tuesday night ended up as a couple of heartbreakers for P-Nat starters Jhonny Nuñez and Terrence Engles.

Despite another well fought appearance pitching four innings with four strikeouts and no runs, Nuñez still awaits his first victory. Carlos Martinez came to the mound in the sixth inning of that game and gave up three runs followed by Adam Carr with another three. Potomac was soundly defeated 6-1.

The second game was almost a repeat of the first but this time it was Terrence Engles left out to dry on a day in which the Potomac bats were just unable get any runners home once they were in scoring position. Engles pitched 6 innings with 2 walks, 3 hits, 7 strikeouts and one earned run. The P-Nats left 10 men on base with 7 hits but were unable to score a single run. Game two final: 0-1 Pelicans.

I was able to get to game three myself and it seemed like a totally different team. Potomac lit up the night sky with three solo homers by Michael Martinez, Seth Bynum and Matt Rogelstad. Starter Ross Detwiler remains a little shaky (3 walks, 5 hits, 3 runs) but appears to be steadily improving as he pitched 5 innings with 6 strikeouts and was able to secure his third win of the season. He is now 3-2, with a 4.58 ERA.

Matt Rogelstad Has Connected Twice With the Long Ball In The Last Two Evenings

Last night's series ender closed as the series opened - with another system of heavy rain blanketing the area. Fortunately, the weather did not cool-off Potomac's bats as the rain of home run balls continued over Pfitzner stadium. Edgardo Baez and Brian Peacock laced a couple in the 5th and 7th innings respectively. Matt Rogelstad sent his second dinger over the wall in two nights which proved to be the game winner in their 4-3 victory. Thursday's victory keeps the Potomac Nationals in first place in the CL North with a two game lead over Frederick.

Potomac To Take On Red Hot Pelicans

Sun, 11 May 2008 22:21:37 GMT

The Potomac Nationals arrive home in Woodbridge tomorrow after a seven game road trip to the Carolinas against Myrtle Beach and Kinston. Potomac tallied three victories and four losses when they fell to the Pelicans two games to one and split with the K-Tribe two and two. The Nationals remain 2 games in front of Frederick with a record of 22-13.

Potomac righty Craig Stammen opened the series with Myrtle Beach in his first game as a starter with the P-Nats on May 5th and pitched a brilliant game going 5 innings with only 3 hits, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. Potomac was unable to hold on though as the Pelicans overcame the 2 run Nationals lead when the P-Nat relievers allowed three runs to score during the remaining three frames.

Craig Stammen Has Been Excellant In His First Two Starts With Potomac in '08

Game two placed Nationals Adrian Alaniz against Myrtle Beach right-hander Deunte Heath. Despite seven strikeouts, Alaniz struggled in five innings allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a homer. He outlasted Heath however who was immediately in trouble from the start when leadoff batter Jemel Spearman hit an infield single and third baseman Leonard Davis reached on an error in the first. After Spearman stole a base and with two men on, Marvin Lowrance smacked a two run dinger over the center field wall and gave the P-Nats an early lead of 3-0.

Regardless of the three runs off of Alaniz, the Pelicans were never able to gain the lead as Davis drove in Spearman in the third inning which scored the fourth run for Potomac. It was all they would need because relievers Yunior Novoa and Carlos Martinez effectively shut the door with seven strikeouts out of 12 hitters - allowing only one to reach base: a fruitless walk in the 8th. P-Nats win 4-3.

The rubber match saw team strikeout master but winless starter Jhonny Nuñez have yet another rough night. The Myrtle Beach bats exploded and scored a season high eight runs in one inning. It all unraveled for Nuñez in the fifth when he allowed a walk to the leadoff batter, immediately followed by a single and then a base-clearing double.

Randy Knorr brought in Clint Everts to try and stop the bleeding, but the misery continued for Potomac as the Pelicans continued pouring it on with a single, double, a hit batsmen, a sacrifice fly and then another double - putting Myrtle firmly in the win column with an 11-5 victory. One of the only bright spots of the evening for Potomac was a two run homer by first baseman Chris Marrero in the eighth off of Pelicans reliever Brett Butts.

The P-Nats started the Kinston series on May 9th with Terrence Engles' second start for Potomac since being promoted from single-A Hagerstown. Terrence continued his struggles Thursday as he allowed 5 hits, 5 walks and 4 earned runs - the last being a free one after giving up a walk with the bases loaded. Potomac lost by a final of 6-4.

On Friday Nationals prospect Ross Detwiler finally had his day with a commanding performance against the Indians defeating them 5-1 at Grainger Stadium. Detwiler allowed only 1 run on two hits in 6 innings of work with 6 Ks.

Seth Bynum also had a great night with both an RBI double and a home run in the game - the latter coming after Bynum was given a spare chance at the plate due to umpire Anthony Johnson calling a balk instead of strike three. Reliever Yunior Novoa got his second save of the season that night when he retired nine out of the 10 batters he faced striking out four and lowering his ERA to 1.29.

Marvin Lowrance Has Tagged Three Homers In The Last Six Games

Saturday featured Craig Stammen returning to the mound versus newly promoted Kinston right-hander Carlton Smith. Stammen pitched another gem but again suffered minimal run support resulting in another loss as the Nationals fell to the Kinston 3-1. Craig's numbers for the night were 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 run with 3 strikeouts. The only Potomac run was in the last inning when Marvin Lowrance punched an RBI double down the left field line scoring Matt Rogelstad from second base.

The Potomac offense came back with a vengeance in the final game this afternoon scoring 8 runs on 13 hits. The P-Nats were relentless in their assault on Indians pitching scoring in every inning except three. Designated hitter Marvin Lowrance struck yet again today with a 2-run bomb in the third over the right field wall. Edgar Baez also scored a two run homer of his own early in the second.

Nationals starter Adrian Alaniz cruised to his fourth consecutive decision with only 2 hits, 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. Relievers Jack Spradlin and newcomer Chris Lugo pitched the remaining three innings to end the game 8-2 P-Nats.

Potomac will have their hands full tomorrow as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans come back to Pfitzner after just completing their eighth consecutive series victory, first series sweep of the season and the best record in the Carolina League.

P-Nat fans might want to keep an eye on Pelican first baseman Ernesto Mejia as he attempts to extend his current 13 game hitting streak. Meanwhile, shortstop Brandon Hicks continues to be the biggest long ball threat from the club with a team high 5 homers so far this season.

Game 1 is scheduled at 7:05pm tomorrow night and it's a "Washington Post Dollar Night" - meaning all grandstand tickets and hot dogs will cost you only a buck. Pitching probables should be Deunte Heath (4-1 2.14) vs. Jhonny Nuñez (0-4 6.16).

DC Nats Still Have A Long Way To Go

Sat, 10 May 2008 03:30:12 GMT

Since Potomac is currently on a long road trip against Myrtle Beach and Kinston, I'm going to take this opportunity to express my frustration with the parent club in Washington. This posting is a summary of my thoughts on our major league team a month after the season opener:

Tonight, as I watch the triple-A Marlins circulate the air at Nationals Park with their baserunners trotting over the plate seven times - it reminds me of how far we really have to go as a major league ball club.

I was honestly hoping to watch some really exciting baseball this year - especially in offense, but that offense certainly hasn't materialized with the addition of Willy Mo Peña or Lastings Milledge yet, and only time will tell if Elijah Dukes will produce any fireworks since he has just returned to the active roster. In fact, offensively the Nats haven't changed much: they've scored three runs or less in more than half of their 34 contests.

Even with his youth and enthusiasm, the guy that took Ryan Church's spot (Milledge) is currently 7 for 38 with a .184 batting average since April 26. Meanwhile Church is 12-39, .328 with 4 home runs in the same time frame (six this season). Has Ryan Church really changed so much in a year? I can picture catcher Brian Schneider and Churchie sharing a beer together in the video room at Shea clinking bottles while watching opponents steal base after base from us.

Despite how this might sound, I think the catcher situation will improve now that LoDuca and Estrada are back on the DL...I personally prefer Nieves and Flores rather than Estrada and LoDuca. Nieves is a well-liked, experienced guy who's been around (he used to play for the Yankees) and Jesus Flores is a talented kid who's certainly going to be our backstop of the future.

Pitching is still a catastrophe regardless of the MASN kool-aid you might be hearing on television. We have an aceless rotation with no dependable starter. The guys you see starting are a hodge-podge of fill-ins and mediocracy. The only decent horse is Shawn Hill - if he's healthy. I only really like Ayala and Rauch in the bullpen and I think Cordero is done.

You know, when I watch the Nationals these days they remind me of the second version of the Washington Senators. The expansion club that was created in 1961 to replace the original Senators and later moved to Dallas (this team became what is known today as the Texas Rangers).

While in Washington the Senators II had a history of having one or two great names on it such as Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams (manager) or 4-time all star slugger Frank Howard. But despite the fanfare and the most modern stadium of the era (which was then District of Columbia Stadium: now RFK), the team never reached a level of competitiveness let alone the post season.

It is my worst nightmare that we might find ourselves repeating that history and end-up becoming the National League version of the Kansas City Royals - a team that constantly finds itself not battling for post season play, but struggling each year just to end the season without being in the cellar.

Catcher Paul LoDuca Returned to the DL After Suffering a Right Hand Injury May 8

Look, most of our players have talent buried somewhere deep in their DNA that seems to wink into view from time to time. Talent that shows through in brief moments, just long enough to give hope to the faithful. But time and time again, as if by some curse it seems like this team always finds some way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Baseball seems to me to be a game that relies on three key aspects for success: teamwork, talent and poise. In my opinion, we appear to have a great deal of teamwork, a limited amount of talent and a complete lack of poise.

How much talent you have on a team is dictated by the draft, trade moves, player development and payroll - factors that often times are beyond immediate control. Teamwork is controlled by personalities, relationships between players and shared experiences on the playing field. Poise is the mental aspect of the game (a key part that I think is often overlooked by both players and the fans). Poise is influenced by the advice given by the veterans on the team, practice regimen, work ethic and coaching.

Washington doesn't have many problems in the teamwork category. Manny Acta seems to epitomize the definition of a "players manager" and all of the players appear to respect and admire him as a skipper. You can see the comraderie between the Nats when you watch them in the dugout and hear them horse around, or when they are "miked up" by the various networks on television. You can also see it when the players show joy when one of their team-mates succeeds such as when they huddled Wil Nieves after he belted his first career home run - a walkoff on April 25th against the Chicago Cubs. I have no doubt these players have a true bond and affection for one another.

Washington Nationals Manager Manny Acta

The talent aspect of the game however is not something that can be acquired, it's something players are born with - they either have it or they don't. The Washington Nationals are not devoid of talent...there are players on this team that have the potential to be all-stars and break it big one day. But unfortunately for us, it's exactly that - only a handful, the rest are just good players. A team full of "just good players" doesn't get you to the post-season...it gives you series wins against bad teams (the Pirates) and one out of three games against good ones (The Astros). We beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3 games to 1 not because we "all the sudden" got our act together...but because we were the better team.

Which brings me to the final aspect of success and the major gripe I have with this team: poise. From what I have witnessed so far this season and especially during the first two games of the Houston series, the Nats have at times shown a lack of professionalism or appear to be giving off an image of being lackadaisical and uncaring.

Fly balls going over the heads of outfielders, pitchers turning to throw to empty bases, pitchers not running to cover first, opponents stealing bases at will, dropped balls, passed balls, players not running hard to first and even fielders giving up on live balls before the game is over! All of these things are just inexcusable for men that claim to be major leaguers. Whether it is his fault or not, repeated errors in fundamentals and lazy play falls on the shoulders of the manager and I think Manny probably sat out Lastings Milledge and Willie Mo Peña on Thursday for that reason.

Chad Cordero Remains a Large Question Mark and is Expected Out 4-6 Weeks with a Shoulder Tear

It is my opinion that a lot of these mistakes are a result of a lack of confidence. Good teams find a way to win when the chips are down...bad teams always seem to get bad breaks. If you expect to commit and error - you will commit one, if you think you are going to strike out because you are slumping, then you find yourself doing so. During bad streaks frustrated fans can often be heard muttering that "we must be the most cursed team in baseball". But it's usually not bad luck that's the culprit, it's more often because of giving up a walk here or a bad defensive play there - it's the little mistakes like these that create opportunities for your opponents to capitalize on and they always end-up affecting your team mentally on the field.

The Nationals need to start playing with some arrogance and pride. Not to say they should start being jerks, but they need to start acting like professionals - giving off a cockiness that comes with an expectation to win. It seems to me that from top to bottom the Nationals organization is content with just being above Florida in the standings this year. When asked, Kasten & Co. will admit that they are not totally where they need to be yet and that the team is still a work in progress. I agree, indeed it is...unfortunately the players appear to be playing exactly to that standard.

Zimmerman Named Pitcher of the Week & Sent To AA Harrisburg

Tue, 06 May 2008 06:01:30 GMT

One of the coolest things about watching minor league ball is that you get to see bright-eyed, talented athletes up close and personal. Often they come from towns most people never even heard of such as Versailles, Ohio. Or they might be trying to make it big after immigrating from another part of the world such as Las Matas de Farfan in the Dominican Republic or Barran Quilla, Colombia. But no matter where they come from, all these young men share the same dream that looms larger than life: to one day be a major league baseball player.

As exciting as it is to watch these guys at the birth of their careers, in order to enjoy the minor leagues you have to adjust to a new way of watching the game. Unlike in the majors, players in the minor leagues hope to do well in order to get OFF the team, not stay on it. That being said, when one of your favorite players advance you are really happy for him and can't wait to see him one day suit-up in a major league uniform. But at the same time you can't help missing the sight of him in your minor league ballpark during a clutch moment on a given night when the chips are down.

Pitcher of the Week Jordan Zimmerman was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg May 5th

This first month of the 2008 season has seen a great deal of success at Potomac, especially in the pitching department and yet another P-Nat starter was rewarded for that success. Jordan Zimmerman was named Carolina League pitcher of the week for April 28th through May 4th and was promoted yesterday to join his teammates Cory VanAllen and Zech Zinicola in double-A Harrisburg.

I was always excited to see Jordan play at Pfitzner and will hate not being able to watch him pitch on a regular basis, but I certainly wish him a speedy climb to the majors.

Joining the P-Nats from triple-A Columbus yesterday was pitcher Giuseppe "Joey" Norrito who was immediately pressed into service and pitched in relief last night against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. In his first appearance for Potomac he unfortunately didn't fare well as he ended up blowing a save, giving up two walks, two doubles and a couple of runs.

Norrito played in two games with Columbus this season and his only big mistake of note was giving up a two run homer to Louisville Bats outfielder Jay Bruce on April 27th. He was originally acquired by the Dodger organization as a 48th round pick in the 2004 MLB draft.

Arriving from single-A Hagerstown is Venezuelan 23 year-old outfielder Francisco Plasencia. Plasencia has been at Potomac before: he started there last year but unfortunately struggled with 33 hits in 158 at-bats and posted a .209 batting average. This season with the Suns however he has managed to put up much better numbers: a .282 average, 6 RBIs and two home runs in 21 games.

Plasencia was scouted and first brought into the minor leagues as an undrafted free agent back in 2000 by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was released by the Brewers in 2003 and then signed by the Montreal Expos on December 14, 2004. He has seen time in Savannah, Vermont, Hagerstown and Potomac. Managers have always been excited about his potential because of his impressive size, speed and power behind the plate.

The weekend series with second place Frederick ended with the P-Nats splitting the four game set and with both teams losing their respective games last night, the result was no change in the standings. The Potomac Nationals remain in first place in the Carolina League North by two and a half games.

Pitching Shuffle: VanAllen & Zinicola To Harrisburg

Sat, 03 May 2008 22:11:15 GMT

Cory VanAllen

The Potomac Nationals FO announced that pitchers Cory VanAllen and Zech Zinicola have been promoted to Double-A Harrisburg. Craig Stammen will return to the P-Nats after appearing in one game with Triple-A Columbus. Indications are Stammen will be rejoining the team in a starting role along with promoted right-hander Terrence Engles from single-A Hagerstown. Congratulations and good luck to Cory and Zech!

Terrence Engles (3-0, 1.89 ERA in Hagerstown) will make his Potomac debut at Pfitzner Stadium tonight against Keys righty Pedro Beato (3-1, 3.38 ERA). Potomac has so far taken both games at home versus Frederick and now has a 4.5 game lead in front of them for first place in the Carolina League North.

Zech Zinicola Craig Stammen

P-Nats to Battle Frederick for Top Spot

Thu, 01 May 2008 08:44:17 GMT

The Frederick Keys arrive in Woodbridge today to begin a four game series that will determine who will remain on top of the Carolina League North. The Keys took two games out of three against the P-Nats last weekend and just defeated Wilmington in another three game series with the same result. As of today, Potomac remains in first place and was even able to add an extra game of breathing room when they swept the Winston-Salem Warthogs last night.

On Tuesday, Cory VanAllen pitched yet another gem in the first of a two-game doubleheader. VanAllen went 7 innings with only one hit and 4 strikeouts. Unfortunately for him, Warthog starter Michael Dubee matched him inning for inning until the eighth at which time reliever Mike Carr took over for Potomac. It was then that Washington Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes hit a two-out single in the 8th bringing in baserunner Steve Doetsch and ending the game with a one to nothing Potomac victory.

Elijah Dukes At Pfitzner Stadium April 30th

In game two, Ross Detwiler attempted to try and recover from his painful outing last week in Frederick. He managed to make a much better appearance this time around and remained in the game for five innings with 3 strikeouts. He began to unravel in the fourth however when he allowed three consecutive singles, loaded the bases and permitted two runs to score. His outing ended after he walked 3 batters in the fifth.

Despite an anemic offense from Potomac, Yunior Novoa managed a win and Zech Zinicola the save when Winston-Salem committed a cacophony of mistakes in the bottom of the sixth: the Hogs loaded the bases with an error and two walks after which a pass ball scored a run. Then, they intentionally walked Leonard Davis to load the bases when Warthog pitcher Kanekoa Texeira walked-in the tying run. The game ended when Dee Brown beat out a double-play ball allowing Jemel Spearman to score.

Game three was yet another low scoring affair as Jordan Zimmerman pitched a solid seven innings with only three hits and a season high nine strikeouts (Zimmerman now has the lowest ERA in the Carolina League at 0.66). Potomac secured the victory when relievers Carlos Martinez and Zech Zinicola shut the door in the 8th and 9th innings. Zinicola last night logged his third save and hasn't allowed a run now in 12 and a third innings.

This weekend the Potomac pitching staff will have their work cut out for them in the form of Keys backstop and top Orioles prospect Michael Wieters. Wiethers has had no problems getting the job done both in front and behind the plate. The "best catching prospect in the minors" quoted by MiLBInsider and Scout.com has accumulated a team high 5 home runs, 15 RBIs and a .338 batting average. Another threat behind the plate is first baseman Chistoper Vinyard who currently holds a .301 batting average and has belted 3 home runs so far this season.

Potomac's bats on the other hand have seemed utterly silent lately and it is essential for the P-Nats offense to get hot and match the Keys hit for hit if they hope to stay on top of the division. The Keys have right-hander Brandon Erbe who was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for April 21-27. Erbe won both of his starts last week, allowing just two earned runs in thirteen innings. He made his first complete game of his professional career on April 22nd when he went the distance against Wilmington winning that game 4-1.

In his last start against Potomac, he held the P-Nats to one run on three hits, walking three and striking out six, in six innings. So far this season, opposing batters are hitting just .183 against him. Teammate and fellow right-hander Jake Arrieta is also having a good start so far this year, he is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA and has 32 strikeouts.

The showdown begins at 7:05pm tonight with Adrian Alaniz (2-0, 2.70) going up against Kyle Schmidt (1-0, 4.50).

Carolina League Rematch Coming To Woodbridge Starting Monday

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:59:29 GMT

The P-Nats hope to exact some revenge on Winston-Salem this week as the Warthogs arrive in town for a three game series starting April 28. The two teams just completed a series earlier last week with Winston-Salem coming up on top two games to one.

The Warthogs are well stocked with some promising prospects within the Chicago White Sox organization starting with left-handed starter Aaron Poreda. Poreda was drafted out of the University of San Francisco last year and before concentrating on baseball he dabbled in football during high school which might account for his impressive size at 6'6" 240lbs.

He features a 91-94mph fastball with late movement, and is currently working on honing an off-speed pitch to broaden his repertoire. In the Carolina League so far this year, he is 0-2 with 14 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA through 21 and a third innings.

Another pitcher to watch while the Warthogs are here is former University of Miami Ohio right-hander John Ely. Ely has a 92mph fastball and changeup combo thrown with a herky jerky motion that can be very effective in distracting hitters. In addition to these pitches, he'll throw a curveball once in a while, a weapon that he is still attempting to perfect and add to his arsenal.

The two main offensive prospects from this team feature 22 year old John Shelby III and former VCU and Richmond, Virginia native Sergio Miranda. Both these players however are currently struggling at the plate with .222 and .133 batting averages respectively. Warthog 2nd baseman Javier Colina and 3rd baseman C.J Retherford are the hot bats so far this season both posting .300+ averages and sharing 5 home runs.

Potomac meanwhile remains teetering precariously on top of the Carolina League North by one and a half games after losing two out of three games in Frederick over the weekend. P-Nat favorite Jhonny Nuñez had a game he wished he could forget on Sunday as he was uncharacteristically wild and labored through inning after inning with multiple baserunners. Nuñez threw three wild pitches and had two hit batsmen in 4 innings. He gave up a walk, 8 hits, 6 earned runs and two home runs, the second one being a three run jack in the fourth by Keys first baseman Chris Vinyard.

Washington Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes joined Potomac during the series for a rehab assignment and went 0-3 with three walks through the past two games. The P-Nats tested his injured hamstring Saturday by having him try and steal a base but was caught by Keys catcher Matthew Wieters. On Sunday, he was nailed in a run-down play between first and second in the 5th inning. Accompanying his teammate for the upcoming homestand will be DC Nats catcher Paul LoDuca hoping to make his return to Washington after being on the DL for two weeks.

The story on offense for Potomac remains to be third baseman Leonard Davis as he notched yet another home run on Saturday and now leads the team this season with 4 home runs in only seven games. Davis went 0-3 with a walk on Sunday.

The Winston-Salem series begins at 7:05 PM Monday at Pfitzner stadium. Fans should be prepared to host some visiting ball players in a pretty foul mood after just being swept by the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

Pitching probables for the opening game should be a rematch between Cory VanAllen (3-0, 0.89 ERA) and Matthew Zaleski (0-1, 7.71 ERA) which last time resulted in a low scoring pitcher's duel that ended with the P-Nats shutting out the Warthogs two runs to nothing.

Potomac Finds Strength In Pitching Staff

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:52:43 GMT

The Potomac Nationals held on to first place in the Carolina League North during week three of play with some really solid pitching and timely offense. The Winston-Salem series started Monday and began with a defeat on April 21st, but the 0-2 score tells the story. Despite the loss, P-Nat starter Jhonny Nuñez made a stellar performance on the mound racking up 10 strikeouts in 6 innings with only 3 hits and one earned run. Nuñez currently holds a 3.48 ERA in 20 and two thirds innings and places second in the Carolina League in strikeouts with 27 Ks.

Another pitcher's duel ensued the following night when Potomac's Cory VanAllen took on Warthog pitcher Matt Zaleski. This time the P-Nats reversed the score and came away with a 2-0 win at Ernie Shore Field in Winston-Salem. VanAllen, now 3-0 in four games, pitched 5 innings with 4 strikeouts and only a single hit. Cory is now holding a miniscule .084 season ERA which currently ranks 2nd in the Carolina League only behind Myrtle Beach Pelicans starter Thomas Hanson (3-0 0.31 ERA).

The final game on Wednesday proved to be a different affair as P-Nat Lefty Ross Detwiler again came up shaky on the mound and was unable to find location. Detwiler made 40 pitches in only two thirds of an inning - and in that two thirds he gave up a single, a double and a two run home run. One of the brightest spots for Potomac that night however was the Los Banos, California native Leonard Davis hitting his third home run in only four games with a two run tater to left center. Davis appears to be on fire since being activated from the DL on April 19.

Chris Marrero on the other hand continues to struggle both on the field and behind the plate as he committed another error on Wednesday and has slipped to a .197 batting average. He was 0-2 with two walks on Monday, 1-4 (single) Tuesday and 0-5 on the Wednesday the 23rd. I definately hope to be in attendance to watch him turn it around in the next home stand which will be against the same team starting this Monday, April 28th. In the meantime before that, there will be a three game series against the second place Keys this weekend in Frederick, MD. The Keys are currently two and a half games behind Potomac in the CL North.

Gas prices notwithstanding, as planned I was able to get up North this past Tuesday night and catch a game at Memorial Stadium on a gorgeous evening in Hagerstown (photos in album). As is usually the case in such things - you usually have something to spoil your good fortunes. That night it was the Suns who reaped the suffering as they fell 10-3 to the Philadelphia Phillies affiliate Lakewood BlueClaws.

Even though the home team lost...I was happy enough just to be there and watch a great game on a perfect night in Western Maryland. Hagerstown is a city not far from where my father was born and raised (Cumberland) and I am very familiar with the area and people. Anytime I can get an excuse to get up around there and away from the city is a treat for me - add baseball to the mix and it's all gravy.

Michael Burgess

This was my first chance to have the opportunity and take a gander at Nationals prospect Michael Burgess and despite a slow start this season he's been kicking it into high gear lately. He's hit three homers in the past five games - a three run deal last night. If he can get his plate discipline down, improve his batting average and lower his strikeout totals, he'll be climbing the ladder sooner rather than later.

As many of you may have noticed I haven't written much about the parent club yet this season. In fact, I haven't written about them since their glorious home opener. It's not that I haven't been following them because I have (unfortunately). I just don't want to dwell on the negativity that's been pervading most of the Natosphere recently and just add gasoline to what is already the towering inferno in Washington.

I will only say that like all of you I am tired of losing and think some changes need to be made. Whatever the plan was for this season, it most definately isn't working. The Nats are the worst team in the majors and I just can't stand seeing Met fans, Phillie fans and Cub fans making Screech cry in our brand new multi-million dollar stadium. Superman? Where are you now when we need you?

P-Nats Remain On Top of Carolina League

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:23:09 GMT

Potomac continued it's winning ways over the weekend taking two games out of three against the Wilmington Blue Rocks at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium. The fourth game of the series that was scheduled on Sunday afternoon was rained out and will be made up in a double header June 7. The P-Nats are still the hottest team in the Carolina League and remain in the first place spot in the CL North, now 3.5 games in front of Frederick.

I was able to attend the first game against the Blue Rocks and took some images that currently reside in the photo album for your viewing pleasure. Thursday night was my first look at Ross Detwiler which was something I had been looking forward to this season. Unfortunately, it was not Ross' night as he labored through four innings with 5 walks, loaded the bases in the second and allowed two earned runs. His velocity seemed there - his location not. Potomac remained in the game throughout the contest but ended up snapping their 10 game winning streak by losing 5-4.

Ross Detwiler

On Friday the P-Nats picked up the pieces and went right back to work with Jordan Zimmerman on the mound. Zimmerman had yet another great outing with five scoreless innings, six strikeouts, only three hits and two walks. He now has a 0.61 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 14 and two thirds innings. The Blue Rocks were immediately knocked on their heels when Potomac scored five runs in the first frame followed by a solo homer in the third by outfielder Dee Brown. Eight of the nine P-Nat batters in the starting lineup scored a hit that night culminating in a 6-1 victory.

The only player who didn't notch a hit on Friday was Chris Marrero. Chris appears to be struggling through an adjustment period as he attempts to take on his new role at first base. As should be expected, Marrero has had some defensive issues this year. In fact, he's now committed a team high five errors through 14 games.

However what may be surprising to some is that he's also having problems getting going with his bat: he's currently batting a team low .218 average among starters. Since Chris was not in the lineup on Saturday, I assume Manager Randy Knorr was probably trying to give him a day off to try and shake off the funk.

Having to learn first base involves a big mental adjustment because it involves a larger percentage of outs in each inning (almost every ground ball is coming your way at some point). I would imagine with the errors Chris has made, he might be feeling a little uncomfortable in his new role. If so, I'm sure it would directly affect his confidence not only on the field but also offensivley. As he becomes more profficient at first base...he will become more like himself behind the plate, of that I have no doubt - his two home runs so far this season are the proof.

Saturday featured the Blue Rocks top prospect Blake Wood taking on Adrian Alaniz and it didn't have the result Wilmington quite had in mind. In fact, Potomac took Wood to task as they tagged him with four runs on eight hits and gave him his walking papers after four innings. Potomac third baseman Leonard Davis was just activated from the DL that day and he scorched a two run jack in the second inning over the centerfield wall.

Less known but no less talented Adrian Alaniz was lights out as he pitched a career high seven innings with three strikeouts and only four hits. Left-hander Yunior Novoa took the reigns in the eighth and closed the door through the last two innings as the P-Nats booked a 5-0 shutout.

Today, Potomac will be in Winston-Salem to take on the Warthogs (7-6, 2nd in CL South) in a three game set, then they will be in Frederick, Maryland to play the Keys over the upcoming weekend. The P-Nats will return home to Woodbridge on Monday, April 28th against Winston-Salem at Pftizner. Barring any unexpected issues...I will probably be making a road trip to Maryland tommorow to take a look at the single A Nationals affiliate Hagerstown Suns.

Potomac On A 10 Game Tear

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:54:43 GMT

P-Nats! Get Your Red Hot P-Nats! The Potomac Nationals are now on a 10 game winning streak and show no signs of cooling down as they return home today to start a four game series against the Kansas City Royals affiliate Wilmington Blue Rocks.

Potomac has accomplished this great start not just from their expected star prospects, but from the entire team as a whole. Home runs from the club are spread among all the bats in the lineup: not only has Chris Marrero scored a dinger (actually 2) this season, but so has Matt Rogelstad, Edgar Baez, Seth Bynum, Marvin Lowrance, Dee Brown, Devin Ivany, Frank Diaz and Brian Peacock (grand slam April 13). That's basically the entire Potomac lineup save three. As long as this team continues to have this type of offensive parity out of their batting order, we can expect it to reek havoc on the young pitchers throughout the Carolina League.

Frank Diaz Hits Homer In Weekend Game Against The Kinston Indians

Potomac pitching has been no less impressive. We have seen some fantastic starts so far among players that were expected to excel in high-A ball. Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler have been fantastic and cool under pressure. Zech Zinicola has been lights out in relief with nine strikeouts 2 hits and a 0.00 ERA spread over 4 games.

But how about the other hurlers that may not be on the top of the Nationals headlines? Last night's winner left-handed starter Cory VanAllen leads the team with a 2-0 record in 15.1 innings and a 1.17 ERA. Johnny Nuñez currently leads the P-Nats in strikeouts with 17 which ranks 5th in the Carolina League. This team is showing a great hunger for winning and obviously hopes to impress whoever's willing to notice.

What's also satisfying in addition to the individual accomplishments, is the way this club appears to have the ability to rally from behind and/or stay within striking distance even when the chips are down. The April 12th game, being down 7-0 was an amazing display of grit. It is noteworthy that these kids didn't just settle into mediocrity and give up which can be common among minor league blowouts. Instead, they displayed the determination not to panic and slowly chipped away at their deficit through the next three frames...placing the game into extra innings and coming out a winner.

This weekend, the P-Nats will host the Wilmington Blue Rocks which are a team currently in transition. They started their changes from the top with the promotion of a new manager. Minor League manager of the year Darryl Kennedy was skipper of the Rookie-level Burlington Bees in 2007 and has taken six teams to the playoffs in his 10 year career. He now takes over in Wilmington for the 2008 season.

Last year Wilmington boasted one of the best pitching staffs in the Carolina League. Led by right handed pitcher Daniel Cortes, the Rocks included pitchers Carlos Rosa, Julio Pimentel and Blake Johnson all of which have moved on to the AA level for 2008. For this season Wilmington retained the 22 year old right-hander Blake Wood. Wood had a great start on opening day and he's struck out 18 batters so far, but struggled with control in his last outing against Kinston as he walked 5 batters and got tagged with 3 earned runs through only three innings of work. He will probably pitch in Woodbridge on Saturday against Adrian Alaniz.

Offensively the Blue Rocks have some promising young prospects. Derrick Robinson (OF) is a super fast switch hitter that led the entire Kansas City farm system in stolen bases in 2007. Other names to observe as Wilmington takes the field will be outfielder Joe Dickerson and shortstop Jeff Bianchi.

Tonight's matchup starts at 7:05pm at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium. Ross Detwiler (1-0, 3.86) is scheduled to take on Jason Godin (0-0, 4.70).

Peacock's Grand Slam Highlights Seventh Win For Junior Nats

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:45:33 GMT

The Potomac Nationals this weekend achieved what Nat fans across the Washington area wished they could have gotten out of the major league squad to open the new season in their new multi-million dollar stadium - a winner at home. In fact, the P-Nats have now won 14 consecutive games in Woodbridge since 2007 and are on a seven game winning streak in 2008. Today's victory places them at the top of the Carolina League North Division by one game over last year's champion Frederick Keys.

Jordan Zimmerman

The starting pitcher for Potomac today; 21 year old Jordan Zimmerman, has been dominating opposing hitters so far this year. This afternoon he went 5 and two thirds with six strikeouts and one hit. His only earned run came when he allowed a walk in the 6th followed by an RBI double by Kinston centerfielder John Drennan. I would just like to say that it appears to me that Zimmerman's fast ball has great snap and cutting action - you can hear the pop of the catcher's mitt with each throw and the opponents are swinging behind or getting knee-tied. His stuff looks great so far, but it's still early.

Catcher Brian Peacock appears to have found his bat in this first week and a half of baseball. He currently leads Potomac with a .357 batting average, 7 RBIs and a grand slam that he belted this afternoon in the sixth inning which pretty much sealed Kinston's fate for the remainder of the cold and windy afternoon.

Brian Peacock Celebrates After Hitting a Grand Slam in the Sixth Inning In Woodbridge

Reliever Craig Stammen ran into a little bit of trouble in the 9th when first baseman Chris Marrero committed an error on catching a throw by Ofilio Castro. Two consecutive singles followed and a couple of Kinston runners were able to score. But Stammen was still able to seal the victory when he forced a grounder and then struck out Indians outfielder John Drennan to end the game.

After sweeping both Kinston and Myrtle Beach, the P-Nats will now go on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Pirate affiliate Lynchburg Hillcats. They will return home on the 17th against Wilmington for four games.

This is the View From Our Seats At Nationals Park Friday Night

As some of you might have noticed, I included photos from the first game I attended at Nationals Park into the photo album Saturday. I am going to go ahead and upload the photos from Sunday's game at Potomac today. My next entry will probably be sometime in the middle of this week before the Wilmington series.

Weekend @ Potomac vs. Kinston Indians

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:10:15 GMT

vs.

Potomac Nationals Kinston Indians

(Washington Nationals) (Cleveland Indians)

Cheer up Nationals fans. Although our beloved team in the nation's capital is indeed struggling with seven consecutive losses, the P-Nats in Woodbridge have just won four games in a row. Tonight, they will embark on their first weekend series at home by taking on the Kinston Indians at 7:05pm. The Indians are struggling mightily so far this season - they finally acheived their first win last night with a dramatic 16 inning, five hour long victory over the Frederick Keys.

Despite the rough start however, Kinston has an impressive roster with some real offensive power. Top of the list of prospects on this club is probably first baseman Beau Mills. Mills was Cleveland's 13th pick in the draft last year, and is the son of Boston Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills. He has already racked up 6 hits, 5 runs, 3 RBIs and a home run through only 14 at bats. That's a current batting average of .429.

Another player from Kinston to keep your eye on should be their 19 year old shortstop from Venezuela, Carlos Rivero. He's been compared by scouts as a young Miguel Cabrera and has started the season on fire. Rivero has a .471 batting average , 8 hits, 2 runs, 5 RBIs and two doubles in 17 ABs. Two other offensive players to watch out for are third baseman Jared Goedert and outfielder Nick Weglarz, both are considered top tier prospects within the Cleveland organization.

As far as Potomac is concerned, they are currently tied for first place with Frederick in the Carolina League's Northern Division with a 4-2 record. Last night's finale against the Pelicans featured two P-Nat homers from catcher Devin Ivany and second baseman Matt Rogelstad. Rogelstad's homer being a walkoff game ender in the 10th. Adam Carr was able to improve upon his numbers when he took the mound in the 9th and 10th innings. He scored a win after facing 6 batters with only one hit and two strikeouts.

I will be going to my first visit to Nationals Park tonight and hope to be able to take photos during the series versus the Atlanta Braves. I can't wait to finally be able to experience the sounds and smells of our national pastime in it's permanent venue. On Sunday, I hope to catch an afternoon game of the Kinston series in Woodbridge. Day games work so much better for me because I can take images at higher shutter speeds which does wonders to eliminate motion blur. Professional photographers have these really fast lenses for night work that typically cost over $3,000. That's just a little too steep for me just to feed a hobby.

If you hadn't noticed already, I added images from the Potomac Home Opener on April 8th to the photo album and created a new video featuring footage from activity in the ballpark before the first pitch that night at Pfitzner Stadium.

Potomac Home Opener April 8th

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:11:58 GMT

VS.

Potomac Nationals Myrtle Beach Pelicans

(Washington) (Atlanta)

The P-Nats' home opener will be against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium tonight, April 8th at 7:05pm. It will also be Kids Night: every Tuesday night at Potomac kids 12 and under receive free admission with a paid adult. In addition to kids getting in free, all fans in attendance will get a free schedule magnet. Washington starter Shawn Hill is still expected to take the mound for a five inning rehab.

As is typical for most teams within the Atlanta Braves farm system, the Pelicans are one of the most competitive and well organized clubs in the Carolina League. This year they will showcase 20 year old outfielder Gorkys Hernández.

Hernández was acquired by the Braves as part of an off-season trade with the Tigers that sent major league shortstop Edgar Renteria to Detroit. He is considered one of the most exciting prospects in the Braves system and was voted as the Midwest League's Most Valuable Player in 2007. He finished last year with a .293 batting average and 54 stolen bases.

After losing the first two games against the Avalanche, the P-Nats return to Woodbridge for their home opener on a high note. In game 3 of their series yesterday in Salem, Nationals top pitching prospect Ross Detwiler logged a commanding victory in his first appearance of the season.

Detwiler faced 18 batters in 5 innings of work, striking out 7 and allowing no runs. The P-Nats offense meanwhile were able to capitalize on some wild pitches in the top of the 4th inning and catcher Devin Ivany tallied a couple of RBIs in the 9th with the bases loaded.

Myrtle Beach is just coming off a series win in Wilmington as they defeated The Blue Rocks 3 games to 1 over the weekend.