Congratulations to NATS for being NL EAST CHAMPS !!!!!!!!
Woo-Hooooooooooooo
-- Modified on 9/16/2014 9:54:28 PM
They clinched the AL East tonight with their win over the Jays!!
This team is so FRIGGIN AMAZING!! They lose Wieters, then Machado, then Chris Davis!! It doesn't matter-- the train just KEEPS ON ROLLING!!
A message to the other American League playoff teams---DON'T SLEEP ON THE O's!! Our bullpen is among the best in baseball and we got guys who'll run through a wall to win for Buck!! Christ I wish the playoffs would start TOMORROW---don't know how I'm going to be able to wait for 2 weeks LOL!!
-- Modified on 9/16/2014 10:43:26 PM
talk of the town just a few miles North of DC...In one aspect they are lucky as they clinched it at home. Its something to witness your team clinch the title at home vs away.
In hunt for November, their biggest threat comes from the Angels, and ours comes St Louis.
Best luck to the O's.
I'd be very interested in your evaluation of Matt Williams---and here's why!!
Wayyyyy back in April I actually made a little side-trip to DC to check out a 3 game weekend series in Nats park against the Cardinals. (I believe that was also on Easter Weekend so I was also visiting family). During the Saturday afternoon game Bryce Harper hit a comebacker to the pitcher. Instead of running it out Harper sulked and practically made a beeline to the dugout---made no attempt to run to first. Williams YANKED him from the game the next inning and replaced him in the outfield.
I applauded the move and loved the message Williams was sending--but I remember listening to the post-game show on the radio and neither Harper nor the other players interviewed gave anywhere close to a "ringing endorsement", shall we say, of that move. I'm listening to this thinking to myself "damn--it's only APRIL and this guy is on the verge of losing the clubhouse."
Obviously that didn't happen as the Nats sprinted to the NL East title. My question to you, Curly, is---did the team kind of eventually "buy-in" to Williams style at some point or were there other catalysts that led to their great regular season? Would be very interested to hear your take on this. Part of the motivation for this topic is comparing the situation to the culture that Showalter's established in Baltimore---I'm telling you those guys would, to quote Pete Rose, "run through hell in a gasoline suit" for the guy---and he's got them playing their ass off EVERY NIGHT!! NO WAY that franchise had anything CLOSE to that kind of spirit before Buck came along!!
(PS---Ben's Chili Dogs----CULINARY HEAVEN---MY MOUTH'S WATERING JUST THINKING ABOUT THEM!!)
And had my doubts about his attitude towards star player such as Harper. First of all, he benches him for not running hard enough. If there is any player in the clubhouse that needs to calm down a bit, that's Harper. So trying to send a message not just to Harper, or NATS, or their front office, but to the whole fan base and bigger MLB family that "new sheriff is in town" was a bit much IMHO.
The other side of the story, which didn't get much of a media spotlight was the fact that the had held a team meeting the day before outlining to the players the team philosophy that the players are to run first 90 feet real hard. No matter what. Harper broke the rule and got the punishment.
Just like you said, I was afraid that the whole clubhouse could turn on him and lose faith in him as the manager. But I am glad that didn't happen. It seems that the players have bought into his "tough love" approach. A totally different personality and a stark opposite of Davey Johnson's grandfather like figure that people have gotten used to for last 2-3 yrs. Given the fact that Matty's father was a Police Officer, it doesn't surprise me much.
As far as managing the game is concerned, he is doing a hell of a job managing the bullpen. He changed the closer from Soriano to Storen in last 2 weeks, and I applaud him for making that decision just at the right time.. Not when it was too late.
Mike Matheny, Brad Asumus, John Farrel, and now Matt Williams seems to be the new crop of rookie managers that inherited very good teams and didn't fuck it up.. We will see how Matty does next year in 2015.
Anyone who remembers Williams from his days in San Francisco and Arizona would expect nothing less from him. He gave all he had when he was playing, and he expects nothing less now that he's managing.
Coach Followme
2015 = 28