What started as a fantastic spring training devolved into a miserable regular season for Rule 5 pick, Brian Broderick. Early Saturday morning the Nats decided to finally cut bait with the big right-hander. Being a Rule 5 pick, if Broderick clears waivers the Nats will have to offer Broderick back to his original team, the Cardinals. After that happens the Cards can either take him back or choose to make a trade with the Nats so that Broderick would be assigned to the minors.
Coming up into his place is going to be 6' 3" righty and 2006, 12th round draft pick, Cole Kimball. Who has put up fantastic numbers at AAA Syracuse this year.
Kimball started his professional career as a starter, but after two years of struggles someone decided to make him a reliever. And after getting the kinks out in 2009, Cole really made the leap to excellence in 2010. His ERA dropped from 6.36 to 2.17, WHIP from 1.65 to 1.13, and strikeout totals nearly doubled from 52 to 101. It seemed that Kimball, at age 25, was ready to take the next step into the majors.
So far this season, Kimball has appeared in 12 games, is a perfect 5 for 5 in save opportunities and has yet to allow a run. His 9.2 K/9 ratio and 1.17 WHIP against AAA opposition should fare him well in the Majors.
At the very least, it offers the Nats some confidence in the bullpen that they lacked with Broderick.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Former Nats Greats - #21
Every now and then we stumble across a player at the end of his line, ending his career in the former-wasteland that is DC Baseball. And even rarer is when we can find a player that returns to his former stomping ground to finish his career. Today's edition of Former Nats Great started his career way back in 1994 with those crazy Expos in Montreal. You could've fooled me that this player was able to play 10 seasons in MLB, but he did.
Today's Former Nats Great belongs to cult-hero and LOOGY Joey Eischen!
The danger of being a LOOGY is that you usually just get one chance in a ballgame. You are out of the game after your batter regardless of success or failure. Here, in the twilight of his career, Eischen had much more of the failure than anything else - and as usual, the decline was helped along by injury.
In his first month in DC, Eischen was an integral to the overachieving 2005-edition of the Nationals. He had just 15 appearances, though, before things started going downhill. On May 1st, 2005 Eischen went diving for a ball and broke his arm - shelving him on the DL for several months of rehab time. And by the time he came back in July, the Nats luck had started to change and Eischen fit right in. In just his third appearance back from the DL, he went on an epic streak.
July 6 - 0.0 IP. 1 H.
July 8 - 0.0 IP. 2 H.
July 10 - 0.0 IP. 1 BB.
July 14 - 0.0 IP. 1 BB.
July 17 - 0.0 IP. ROE.
Five straight appearances without retiring a single batter. Ouch.
The rest of the season wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great either. He was able to finish the year with some decent stats.
3.22 ERA. 3.79 FIP. 1.46 WHIP. 6 SD. 6 MD. 0.2 WAR.
But, as is the case with many of these players, the worse was still to come.
His first five games of 2006 served as a horrible harbinger of rough seas ahead.
April 3 - 0.1 IP. Nothing.
April 6 - 1.1 IP. 2 H. 3 R. 3 ER. 3 K. 3 BB.
April 9 - 1.0 IP. 2 H. 2 R. 2 ER. 2 K. 2 BB.
April 11 - 1.0 IP. Nothing
April 13 - 1.0 IP. 5 H. 5 R. 5 ER. 2 K. 2 BB.
That's 10 ER in 4.2 IP if you are scoring at home.
His season improved substantially until he experienced shoulder discomfort when pitching on May 29th. He would go on the DL, never to appear in the big leagues again.
His 2006 Numbers - 22 Games. 8.59 ERA. 6.56 FIP. 2.52 WHIP. 0 SD. 5 MD. -0.3 WAR.
When he first came to DC, he became a folk hero for telling O's Owner Peter Angelos to "suck on it and like it". But he left a broken man, only to be rejoiced by Capitol Baseball 5 years later.
Congrats to you, Joey Eischen. Thanks for always making us laugh.
Today's Former Nats Great belongs to cult-hero and LOOGY Joey Eischen!
The danger of being a LOOGY is that you usually just get one chance in a ballgame. You are out of the game after your batter regardless of success or failure. Here, in the twilight of his career, Eischen had much more of the failure than anything else - and as usual, the decline was helped along by injury.
In his first month in DC, Eischen was an integral to the overachieving 2005-edition of the Nationals. He had just 15 appearances, though, before things started going downhill. On May 1st, 2005 Eischen went diving for a ball and broke his arm - shelving him on the DL for several months of rehab time. And by the time he came back in July, the Nats luck had started to change and Eischen fit right in. In just his third appearance back from the DL, he went on an epic streak.
July 6 - 0.0 IP. 1 H.
July 8 - 0.0 IP. 2 H.
July 10 - 0.0 IP. 1 BB.
July 14 - 0.0 IP. 1 BB.
July 17 - 0.0 IP. ROE.
Five straight appearances without retiring a single batter. Ouch.
The rest of the season wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great either. He was able to finish the year with some decent stats.
3.22 ERA. 3.79 FIP. 1.46 WHIP. 6 SD. 6 MD. 0.2 WAR.
But, as is the case with many of these players, the worse was still to come.
His first five games of 2006 served as a horrible harbinger of rough seas ahead.
April 3 - 0.1 IP. Nothing.
April 6 - 1.1 IP. 2 H. 3 R. 3 ER. 3 K. 3 BB.
April 9 - 1.0 IP. 2 H. 2 R. 2 ER. 2 K. 2 BB.
April 11 - 1.0 IP. Nothing
April 13 - 1.0 IP. 5 H. 5 R. 5 ER. 2 K. 2 BB.
That's 10 ER in 4.2 IP if you are scoring at home.
His season improved substantially until he experienced shoulder discomfort when pitching on May 29th. He would go on the DL, never to appear in the big leagues again.
His 2006 Numbers - 22 Games. 8.59 ERA. 6.56 FIP. 2.52 WHIP. 0 SD. 5 MD. -0.3 WAR.
When he first came to DC, he became a folk hero for telling O's Owner Peter Angelos to "suck on it and like it". But he left a broken man, only to be rejoiced by Capitol Baseball 5 years later.
Congrats to you, Joey Eischen. Thanks for always making us laugh.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Coffey Time
Todd Coffey started the year in a bit of a rough patch, allowing 3 ER in his first 2.1 IP of the year - in addition to 3 walks. Things weren't looking good for the Nats bullpen - Gaudin was struggling, Coffey was struggling, and only Clip/Storen/Burnett were able to get consistent outs. Eventually both pitchers went on the disabled list; with Coffey returning on the 25th. Since then, the big man has been absolutely lights out. Let's take a look at how he has done since his return.
Since May 25th, Coffey has pitched 8.0 innings and allowed just 1 earned run, on a solo home run. He has only allowed 3 walks compared to 13 strikeouts, raising his K/9 ratio to a career best 10.95. Even more impressive is that he has just seemed to get stronger in the past few appearances.
For example:
May 5 - The Great Bloody Nose Incident
2.0 IP. 1 R. 1 ER. 1 HR. 1 H. 5 K. Coffey racked up 5 strikeouts in 7 batters.
May 8 - Filleting Fish
1.0 IP. 0 R. 0 ER. 2 H. 1 K.
May 11 - Last Night
1.2 IP. 0 R. 0 ER. 1 H. 4 K. 4 Strikeouts in 5 batters.
So if you are keeping track at home, in his last 3 outings. Todd Coffey has struck out 10 batters in 4.2 IP - averaging out to about 19 strikeouts in 9 innings.
If Coffey is able to keep these numbers up he should register Career High numbers in several pitching categories - ERA, K/9, FIP, and WHIP.
It's definitely an encouraging sign that the Nats bullpen has another guy to rely on for consistency, especially with Slaten and Rodriguez's struggles. The more we can see the (generously listed at...) 240lb Coffey sprint in from the RF bullpen, the better.
It's Coffey Time indeed.
Since May 25th, Coffey has pitched 8.0 innings and allowed just 1 earned run, on a solo home run. He has only allowed 3 walks compared to 13 strikeouts, raising his K/9 ratio to a career best 10.95. Even more impressive is that he has just seemed to get stronger in the past few appearances.
For example:
May 5 - The Great Bloody Nose Incident
2.0 IP. 1 R. 1 ER. 1 HR. 1 H. 5 K. Coffey racked up 5 strikeouts in 7 batters.
May 8 - Filleting Fish
1.0 IP. 0 R. 0 ER. 2 H. 1 K.
May 11 - Last Night
1.2 IP. 0 R. 0 ER. 1 H. 4 K. 4 Strikeouts in 5 batters.
So if you are keeping track at home, in his last 3 outings. Todd Coffey has struck out 10 batters in 4.2 IP - averaging out to about 19 strikeouts in 9 innings.
If Coffey is able to keep these numbers up he should register Career High numbers in several pitching categories - ERA, K/9, FIP, and WHIP.
It's definitely an encouraging sign that the Nats bullpen has another guy to rely on for consistency, especially with Slaten and Rodriguez's struggles. The more we can see the (generously listed at...) 240lb Coffey sprint in from the RF bullpen, the better.
It's Coffey Time indeed.
Desmond's Been Clutch Since Becoming a Papa
Ian Desmond's stats this season are really nothing to write home about. His slash line is a meager .224/.254/.384. That's right, Desi's slugging .384. That's, well, not very good. But the story that hasn't yet been told is what's happened since he's become a dad. And it goes beyond the stats.
Desmond returned to the Nats on April 28th, and his numbers since then haven't been much better. He brought up his batting average to .255 and his OBP stayed the same at .254. But since his return, Desmond's obviously just playing better baseball with a clearer head. And who can blame him? A 25-year-old becoming a father for the first time is certainly a nerve-wracking experience.
Desmond's managed to get clutch hits, most notably his 2-run RBI in the 11th inning on Wednesday in Atlanta, which gave the Nats a 5-3 lead. He finished that game 2 for 6 and made some solid defensive plays. In his first game back from paternity leave, on April 28th, he went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI in another winning effort for the Nats. On the season, Desmond is hitting .273 in tie games and .350 in late and close games according to Baseball-Reference.
Perhaps the most staggering statistic since Desmond's return, though, is his incredible drop in fielding errors. This season, he has 8 errors; 7 of those 8 errors happened in the first 4 weeks of the season. Since returning 2 weeks ago, Desmond has committed just 1 fielding error. He's gone from committing almost 2 errors a week to 1 error every 2 weeks. Considering he is still on pace for 36 errors this season, the improved defense since his return is sorely needed to get him down to a much more reasonable level.
Despite his explosion in the 11th last night in the #2 spot in the order, Ian Desmond looks to be slated best for the 6 or 7 hole in the lineup based on his production so far this year. He's gotten less opportunities, so it's a bit smaller sample size, but in the 6 hole, Desmond is hitting .417, and in the 7 hole, he's hitting .316 with a .435 OBP. While his speed suggests he could be at the top of the lineup, his 33 strikeouts and just 5 walks lend him well to the lower-middle end of the lineup.
So we know people are hot and cold on Desi, but we say let's give him another shot now that he's been playing more confident baseball. What do you say?
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Education Day with Bryce Harper
(All images courtesy of Craig MacHenry/Capitol Baseball 2011)Yesterday afternoon, I ventured into small, and somewhat backwards, town of Hagerstown to watch a 10:35am ballgame. The day's promotion, Education Day, brought in about a thousand elementary/middle school aged students, to cheer on their beloved Suns; but more importantly, to eat gallons of Dippin' Dots Ice Cream of the Future. It was the earliest game I have seen since little league. And though some of the on-field play was little league-esque, the Suns were able to take advantage of the miscues to pick up a 7-3 win.
Let's take a look at some of the highlights from the day.
- Most importantly - Bryce Harper was able to come back from 2 early strikeouts to finish the day 2 for 5 with an RBI. Here is his At-Bat rundown:
1 - Fly out to CF on the first pitch of the AB.
2 - Strikeout swinging against Luis "Father Christmas" Noel.
3 - Strikeout on a check swing and rung up by the Home Plate ump.
4 - 2-out, RBI single but thrown out going to 2nd base (was sent by his coach).
5 - Single to RF.
- In addition to his day at the plate, Harper had an eventful day in the field. Recording 3 outs - 1) A brilliant catch at the wall for the first out of the game 2) A foul out in the 6th and 3) A great catch in the gap in the 9th.
- The most interesting Harper play of the day was in the 2nd when he tried to throw a runner out at the plate - the throw, from deep right, went well over the catchers head and into the netting. If on target, it would've been a photo finish.
- 2008 18th Round pick LHP Bobby Hansen picked up his 4th win of the season with a quality start, though he seemed to struggle early in his outing. 6 IP. 7 H. 3 R. 2 ER. 3 BB. 3 K.
- The Delmarva Shorebirds (seriously, that's their name) starter, Luis "Father Christmas" Noel, had a very rough outing, lasting just 3 innings. In those three innings he managed to allow 4 runs on just 3 hits, due to the fact that he walked a whopping 7 batters.
- Shane McCatty, son of Nats pitching coach Steve McCatty, threw 2 innings of 1 hit ball in the 7th and 8th.
- Chris Manno, 26th round pick from this past year, closed out the game with his herky-jerky mechanics. It was a 1-2-3 inning with 2 strikeouts.
- Other standouts for the Suns were...
Blake Kelso (10th rounder from 2010) - 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI.
Adrian Sanchez (International FA in 2007) - 2 for 5 with a double and 2 runs.
Michael Taylor (6th rounder from 2009) - 1 for 3 with a double, walk, 2 RBI, and a run.
So, if you ever find yourself at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, MD be sure to pack the sun screen and the ear plugs (the announcer yells everything!). And make sure you don't go on Education Day - cause that was loud.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Standouts - Pitcher-Edition
The season is still young, and the Nats are not in last place (thanks Mets!). Events on the field have been the complete opposite of all pre-season prognostications; starters have been the stars of the team, everyone else taking a back seat. Knowing what we do a month into the season, lets take a look at some of those players that are playing above/below expectation. Make sure you check out the Non-Pitcher Edition that ran this morning!
Jason Marquis - Career Year
12 Months ago who would have thought that Jason Marquis would be right there with Jordan Zimmermann as the Nats' best pitcher - most, if not all, votes for best pitcher would've gone to Strasburg. Marquis has gotten the sink back on his sinkerball, registering a career low GB% so far at 56.3%. Also way down is his BB/9 ratio, which Dave Nichols noted is more than 50% better than his career rate (1.60 BB/9 in 2011, 3.46 career). It should be mentioned that his HR/FB rate is also at a career low, 5.9%.
There will be some regression as the year continues as his BABIP is a bit above his career average, but he is on his way to a career year. Look for Mike Rizzo to flip Marquis for prospects come the July trade deadline.
Drew Storen - Storen Saves
Storen has shown veteran poise in placing his horrendous Spring Training in the distant past. As a quick refresher, here are his numbers from March 2011...
11 Games. 11.1 IP. 24 H. 16 R. 14 ER. 2 BB. 11 K. 2 Saves. 11.12 ERA.
Flash forward to the regular season, and the difference has been night and day.
17 Games. 18.2 IP. 11 H. 2 R. 1 ER. 5 BB. 14 K. 7 Saves. 0.48 ERA.
Wow, what a difference real games make.
Armed with ice-water running through his veins, combined with a new beard, Storen has been dominating all challengers. Announcement or not, Storen is the Nats closer until further notice.
Tyler Clippard - Clippard with a K
There hasn't been a better reliever in baseball than Tyler Clippard - that's not opinion, it's fact. Clippard leads all relievers with a 0.8 WAR, 11 Shutdowns (0 Meltdowns), 1.99 WPA, 17.7% Swinging Strike %, and 27 Strikeouts.
Oh, and who could forget his most recent appearance. 6 batters faced. 22 pitches. 19 strikes. 6 strikeouts. Dominance.
His numbers more than speak for themselves. Tyler Clippard is one of the Nats most valuable assets.
Well, CapBallers, what are your thoughts on the pitching standouts of 2011 thus far? Tell us in the comments.
Jason Marquis - Career Year
12 Months ago who would have thought that Jason Marquis would be right there with Jordan Zimmermann as the Nats' best pitcher - most, if not all, votes for best pitcher would've gone to Strasburg. Marquis has gotten the sink back on his sinkerball, registering a career low GB% so far at 56.3%. Also way down is his BB/9 ratio, which Dave Nichols noted is more than 50% better than his career rate (1.60 BB/9 in 2011, 3.46 career). It should be mentioned that his HR/FB rate is also at a career low, 5.9%.
There will be some regression as the year continues as his BABIP is a bit above his career average, but he is on his way to a career year. Look for Mike Rizzo to flip Marquis for prospects come the July trade deadline.
Drew Storen - Storen Saves
Storen has shown veteran poise in placing his horrendous Spring Training in the distant past. As a quick refresher, here are his numbers from March 2011...
11 Games. 11.1 IP. 24 H. 16 R. 14 ER. 2 BB. 11 K. 2 Saves. 11.12 ERA.
Flash forward to the regular season, and the difference has been night and day.
17 Games. 18.2 IP. 11 H. 2 R. 1 ER. 5 BB. 14 K. 7 Saves. 0.48 ERA.
Wow, what a difference real games make.
Armed with ice-water running through his veins, combined with a new beard, Storen has been dominating all challengers. Announcement or not, Storen is the Nats closer until further notice.
Tyler Clippard - Clippard with a K
There hasn't been a better reliever in baseball than Tyler Clippard - that's not opinion, it's fact. Clippard leads all relievers with a 0.8 WAR, 11 Shutdowns (0 Meltdowns), 1.99 WPA, 17.7% Swinging Strike %, and 27 Strikeouts.
Oh, and who could forget his most recent appearance. 6 batters faced. 22 pitches. 19 strikes. 6 strikeouts. Dominance.
His numbers more than speak for themselves. Tyler Clippard is one of the Nats most valuable assets.
Well, CapBallers, what are your thoughts on the pitching standouts of 2011 thus far? Tell us in the comments.
Standouts - Non-Pitcher Edition
The season is still young, and the Nats are not in last place (thanks Mets!). Events on the field have been the complete opposite of all pre-season prognostications; starters have been the stars of the team, everyone else taking a back seat. Knowing what we do a month into the season, lets take a look at some of those players that are playing above/below expectation.
Rick Ankiel - Mystery Man
Several things have been evident through his career - 1) Guy can seriously throw the ball and 2) He doesn't get on base much, but can hit for some power and 3) Aside from his arm, his defense is mediocre. So how is he doing so far in those departments.
Fielding - 2 assists thus far and a 1.6 UZR (7.6 UZR/150) placing him 7th in the NL.
Power - Way down, his wOBA is nearly .050 points lower than his career average.
OBP - At .302, .012 below his career average.
Wilson Ramos - Pudge 2
We knew that the kid was going to be good, being listed in the top 5 of several Nats Prospects lists. I don't think anyone really expected him to be this good. Right now he leads the Nats in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage, and WAR. His rookie ranks are just as good, 1st in MLB in Batting Average, 1st in MLB in WAR, 3rd in MLB in OBP, 4th in MLB in Slugging. Expect to see Ramos as the #1 contender for NL Rookie of the Year.
Oh yea, and he has thrown out 4 of 11 would-be base-runners. And the pitchers have a better ERA than when Pudge is behind the dish.
Kid could be Pudge 2.
Danny Espinosa - Slick Danny
Lately he has struggled at the plate, then again so has everyone on the Nationals. But the front office brass isn't at all worried. Second base offense is a luxury, and most teams choose to focus on top notch defense at the position rather than power or batting average. IE his bat will come around, but his defense is already top notch.
Given the job in spring training it was all but assured that Espinosa would have some struggles in his first full season in the big-leauges. But so far his defense has proven to be extremely high-value to the team - racking up a 0.7 UZR thus far and a 0.7 WAR (3rd on the Nats behind Ramos and Zim).
Consider that just 3 weeks ago when the first UZR ratings came out when Espinosa was just at 0.1 he has added 0.6 to that since. Espinosa has really adapted to the Majors really quickly.
Adam LaRoche - Anti-Dunn
So far, once again, his offense hasn't been what we expect but a quick look at the numbers shows that he isn't far off his career numbers. LaRoche is a notoriously slow starter, having a .254 AVG before the ASG and a .296 AVG afterwards. Now, his numbers are even close to .254 right now but he has plenty of time to raise that numbers. For the record, here are his averages by month; April .208, May .255, June .263, July .289, August .314, September .287. Things will get better in time.
His offense, however, isn't what makes him Anti-Dunn - that would be his defense. LaRoche's calm demeanor on the field transfers good vibes to our young and replacement infield. It seems like every game LaRoche digs a ball out of the dirt, or scoops up a short hop saving the team precious runs. It should be noted that LaRoche is one of 4 MLB First-Basemen that still has a 1.000 Fielding Percentage.
Stay tuned for the Pitcher edition coming up around lunch time. But for now, share your thoughts on these Standouts in the comments section!
Rick Ankiel - Mystery Man
Several things have been evident through his career - 1) Guy can seriously throw the ball and 2) He doesn't get on base much, but can hit for some power and 3) Aside from his arm, his defense is mediocre. So how is he doing so far in those departments.
Fielding - 2 assists thus far and a 1.6 UZR (7.6 UZR/150) placing him 7th in the NL.
Power - Way down, his wOBA is nearly .050 points lower than his career average.
OBP - At .302, .012 below his career average.
Wilson Ramos - Pudge 2
We knew that the kid was going to be good, being listed in the top 5 of several Nats Prospects lists. I don't think anyone really expected him to be this good. Right now he leads the Nats in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage, and WAR. His rookie ranks are just as good, 1st in MLB in Batting Average, 1st in MLB in WAR, 3rd in MLB in OBP, 4th in MLB in Slugging. Expect to see Ramos as the #1 contender for NL Rookie of the Year.
Oh yea, and he has thrown out 4 of 11 would-be base-runners. And the pitchers have a better ERA than when Pudge is behind the dish.
Kid could be Pudge 2.
Danny Espinosa - Slick Danny
Lately he has struggled at the plate, then again so has everyone on the Nationals. But the front office brass isn't at all worried. Second base offense is a luxury, and most teams choose to focus on top notch defense at the position rather than power or batting average. IE his bat will come around, but his defense is already top notch.
Given the job in spring training it was all but assured that Espinosa would have some struggles in his first full season in the big-leauges. But so far his defense has proven to be extremely high-value to the team - racking up a 0.7 UZR thus far and a 0.7 WAR (3rd on the Nats behind Ramos and Zim).
Consider that just 3 weeks ago when the first UZR ratings came out when Espinosa was just at 0.1 he has added 0.6 to that since. Espinosa has really adapted to the Majors really quickly.
Adam LaRoche - Anti-Dunn
So far, once again, his offense hasn't been what we expect but a quick look at the numbers shows that he isn't far off his career numbers. LaRoche is a notoriously slow starter, having a .254 AVG before the ASG and a .296 AVG afterwards. Now, his numbers are even close to .254 right now but he has plenty of time to raise that numbers. For the record, here are his averages by month; April .208, May .255, June .263, July .289, August .314, September .287. Things will get better in time.
His offense, however, isn't what makes him Anti-Dunn - that would be his defense. LaRoche's calm demeanor on the field transfers good vibes to our young and replacement infield. It seems like every game LaRoche digs a ball out of the dirt, or scoops up a short hop saving the team precious runs. It should be noted that LaRoche is one of 4 MLB First-Basemen that still has a 1.000 Fielding Percentage.
Stay tuned for the Pitcher edition coming up around lunch time. But for now, share your thoughts on these Standouts in the comments section!
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