All posts in blog

03Jun

cue the clown music

In baseball, blog by b murf / June 3, 2009 / 2 Comments

(photo by Nick Wass)

Win, lose or draw there’s one thing you can definitely say about the Washington Nationals – they’re entertaining.

Clinging to a 2-1 lead heading into the fifth inning, the Nationals showed why they lead the league in errors (and comically bad defense) with 50. Starting pitcher Craig Stammen allowed San Francisco Giants outfielder Fred Lewis and shortstop Juan Uribe to reach base on a pair of singles and then they advanced to second and third after a sacrifice by Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum.

The rookie pitcher would have walked the bases full but his offering to outfielder Aaron Rowand was in the dirt and got past Nats catcher Josh Bard, allowing one runner to score. Had that been the end of it, no one would have given the play a second thought. But for some reason, Bard decided to slide on his knees and blindly throw the ball in the general direction of home plate in a futile effort to get Lewis out. Unfortunately Bard’s throw was nowhere near the plate and sailed past Stammen, allowing Uribe to easily score as well. The only thing the play was missing was clown music. Or maybe Bob Uecker as the voice of a drunken Harry Doyle doing play-by-play.

Sure the Nats ultimately beat the Giants 10-6 and snapped a six-game losing streak, which is no small feat for a 14-36 team. But this play illustrated once again just how far this team has to go before it can reach a point where people feel like they’re watching a legitimate professional franchise. The New York Yankees set a major league record this week by going 18 games without committing an error. Conversely, the Nationals can’t go 18 batters without finding a way to screw up a seemingly routine play.

It’s too bad the Chicago Cubs have coined the term “Loveable Losers.” These Nats might not win very often, but you honestly can’t help rooting for them. The best part of gameday at Nats Park is watching the Racing Presidents just to see Teddy Roosevelt find a new heartbreaking way to lose every night. It’s not any different when the Nats take the field. They’ve got the worst earned run average in baseball (5.69). They’ve blown the most saves (13). They’ve committed the most errors. But at the end of the day, these guys are our losers.

We’ll rally around them now during the tough times just so that once they finally turn the corner and look halfway respectable it’ll be that much more gratifying. It happened for the Capitals. Hopefully, one of these days, the same will hold true for the Nationals.

02Jun

a good time was had by all

In blog, football by b murf / June 2, 2009 / 8 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

You might have heard that the Washington Redskins invited players, team employees, their families and select VIPs out to Six Flags yesterday. Well, for some reason, an invitation was extended to us (even though last we checked, we are not a player, team employee or VIP).

And right out of the gate, let us say this event was a blast. The environment was completely family friendly and the weather was absolutely perfect. We never waited more than a few minutes to ride any of the roller coasters and regularly ran into many of the players and their families, who were more than happy to pose for photos and/or sign autographs for fans. Clearly these guys were just as happy to be at an amusement park as the fans who flocked to see them.

We want to take a minute to specifically mention Clinton Portis, Rocky McIntosh, DeAngelo Hall and Mike Williams.

We hope anyone who has ever dreamed of being a superstar athlete saw the hoard of fans surrounding Portis throughout the event. We never actually saw him partaking in any of the rides or festivities because any time we ever caught a glimpse he was simply signing autographs for dozens and dozens of burgundy and gold fans. Here’s hoping the players got in before the gates were opened to the fans just so C.P. might have actually had some fun too.

McIntosh was great because, as noted by Redskins blogger Matt Terl, he loves roller coasters. But unlike his teammates who happily used “jump-the-line passes,” he had no issue standing among the unwashed masses and waiting in line like the common folk. He was all smiles and was happy to chat with whoever was nearby (which is something media types rarely see from him). We’d be shocked to hear that anyone at Six Flags had more fun than Rocky did yesterday.

When we caught up with Hall he was busy scamming one of the guys from Comcast Sportsnet. He was playing one of the games where you have to sink a basket in a ridiculously tall hoop to win a prize. He paid his money and took a couple warm-up shots, all of which he missed. Once he and the Comcast guy (who shall remain nameless) had a dinner wager, Hall promptly sank three out of four shots while letting his buddy know he got played. All of this was going on while Hall signed autographs and posed for photos with dozens of ‘Skins fans (who also enjoyed the show).

And finally there’s Williams, who up until yesterday we had had little to no interaction with. At 6-5 and roughly 400 lbs., it’s impossible not to notice when he’s nearby. And every single time we saw someone go up to Williams, he kindly stopped what he was doing and was happy to oblige. Dan Steinberg just did an interview with Williams and said it’s tough not to cheer for the guy. We walked away with the same feeling.

All in all, yesterday was a very enjoyable evening that was made possible because the Redskins decided to do something nice for their extended family. We were lucky to be able to attend and immensely enjoyed seeing many of our favorite people – from both on and off the field. For better of worse, the Redskins brain trust gets blasted whenever someone feels they don’t get the job done, but let us take this moment to thank everyone who made this possible. We can’t think of a single way to improve the event.

01Jun

a new-look heyer?

In blog, football by b murf / June 1, 2009 / 3 Comments

(courtesy photo)

When news broke that the Washington Redskins released offensive lineman Jon Jansen Friday, the team’s longest tenured player, an overwhelming theme began to make its way around town.

For whatever reason, whenever someone brought up the move to us over the weekend, they inevitably ended up saying, “They must really like what they see in Mike Williams to let Jansen go now.” To which I replied,”Not if they’re going off of what they saw at minicamp.”

You see, Williams barely participated in minicamp. At 400 lbs., Williams is simply in weight-loss mode so he can get down to a realistic size and then the evaluation phase could begin. For most of camp the rotund lineman was rocking a pair of sweats bigger than most camping tents and was “jogging” around the field while offensive players were busy actually working on drills and such.

But the player who surprised us most that weekend was offensive lineman Stephon Heyer, the third-year pro who was the first player to break Jansen’s stranglehold on the right tackle position a season or two ago.

We’ve never been overly enamored with Heyer’s game in seasons past, but during camp we noticed something that gives us hope this is the year he makes the jump from a so-so player who folks typically only notice when he makes a poor decision, like costing rookie wide out Devin Thomas his first-career receiving touchdown because Heyer took a cheapshot at an unsuspecting Arizona Cardinals player 20 yards away from the play, to a bona fide NFL starter.

And here’s the kicker – it had nothing to do with being on the field.

After practice on the third and final day of minicamp, we ran into Heyer while waiting to knock out a couple of interviews. We started chatting and were immediately shocked at just how different the former University of Maryland product came across. In our interactions in previous seasons Heyer always was a quiet kid who tried to keep his head down when the media was around and in the rare cases when he was asked to speak, often appeared to lack confidence in what he was saying. But on this day it was as if Stephon had taken a crash course in swagger with Fred Smoot.

He volunteered that as far as he was concerned, this was his junior year as a pro and therefore it is officially time to get past the “rookie mistakes” that plagued his game in the past. He said that a lot of people have high expectations for him coming into this season, but that no one expects more than he does of himself. He talked about not being in a learning phase anymore, rather he knows what the plays are and is comfortable with what the coaches are asking him to do.

After we finished talking about that, the topic of conversation switched to the Washington Capitals, who had just advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Again, Heyer seemed like a completely new person as he told us about attending his first-ever Game 7 of any sport and how much he appreciated seeing the town rally around one of its teams. You could easily sense that Heyer would love to see the town in a similar frenzy over an extended Redskins playoff run.

When we walked away, we stopped some of the other media types and asked if they had noticed the same transformation. All agreed that this was our first glimpse at a new and improved Stephon Heyer. Even though we’re one of his biggest critics, Heyer spoke with and carried himself with a level of confidence that had us halfway convinced that he’s turned the corner and is ready to anchor the line on the right side for the foreseeable future.

If we picked this up in the matter of a couple days during minicamp, then there’s little doubt the team is fully aware of it. And if this newfound swagger carries onto the field and translates into improved play, then there’s little doubt that it will be Heyer, not Williams, who will be lining up at right tackle for the Redskins this season.

28May

take the money and run

In blog, hockey by b murf / May 28, 2009 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

[Editor’s note: Sorry for the lack of posts over the last week or so. A hectic work schedule and a quick trip to Denver prevented us from our regularly scheduled programming. Things should be returning to normal now, so let’s get on with it.]

The Washington Capitals season has come and gone and now it’s time to start thinking about the future. Now, the Caps face several questions as far as which of the team’s pending free agents should be resigned and which minor leaguers can/will make the jump to the big show next season.

Compounding matters is the fact that the NHL’s salary cap will more than likely either stay the same (it was $56.7 million this season) or possibly even go down, giving a team like Washington (who was nearly maxed out this year) even less wiggle room to operate.

For starters, the team has three forwards scheduled to become unrestricted free agents July 1st – Sergei Fedorov, Viktor Kozlov and Donald Brashear. Each player brought a very different skill set to the team this season and all three, at various times, have been linked to reports that they’ll be leaving the NHL in favor of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

We’ll start with Fedorov, the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer who was brought in to show this young and talented team exactly what it takes to win at this level. On the ice, Fedorov is savvy veteran who is above average in the faceoff circle and can even drop back and play as a defenseman in a pinch.

Some might think he’s simply a big-name player collecting a paycheck (he made $4 million last season) because he was great a decade ago, but that’s not the case. He may not be among the league’s point leaders anymore, but Fedorov is still a contributing member on the Caps as evident by his 11 goals and 22 assists in 52 games.

At 6-5 and 235 lbs., Kozlov is a bear of a man. He’s a big body who, when he feels like it, can do the dirty work and dig a puck out of the corners. The 13-year-pro finished the season with 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points in 67 games and was often paired with Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom on the Caps’ top line.

One of the 34-year-old’s biggest assets is the fact that he excels at the shootout, which is helpful during the regular season. Unfortunately for Kozlov (who made $2.5 million last year), there is no shootout in the postseason. In a related story, Kozlov has just four career postseason goals in 35 games (with all four coming this season).

Rounding out the trio we have Brashear, a soft-spoken 37-year-old who prefers to let his fists do the talking for him. We’d list his statistics, but honestly, who cares? He’s on the roster to ensure other teams don’t take liberties on the Capitals’ top players. Brashear dropped the gloves 11 times last season, according to HockeyFights.com, and made $1.2 million. Sounds fair to us.

So at the end of the day, we’ve got three players who made a total of $7.7 million last season. Nothing against Kozlov or Brashear, but they are both ultimately expendable. Out of the three, if the team is going to bring anyone back, Fedorov makes the most sense. But if reports are correct and he’s been offered a two-year deal worth $7.6 million (tax free) to play back home in Russia, the Capitals aren’t going to be able to match it. They’ve got one year left to lock up Backstrom and/or Alexander Semin to long-term deals, so that kind of money simply isn’t available.

It’d be nice to get some, if not all, of the three forwards back. But if one final payday is out there and the Caps can’t match it, then they should each take it. No one is going to begrudge them for cashing in one last time and honestly, each of them helped to turn this franchise around. Their veteran presence in the Caps’ lineup will be remembered long after each has hung up their skates.

28May

note: that’s how you do it

In blog, note to self by b murf / May 28, 2009 / 1 Comment

(courtesy photo)

While there is much to like about the summer (long days, better weather and the prospect of exotic vacations) there is one obvious drawback to this time of year – there’s never anything worth watching on TV.

Because the networks conspire to force folks outside to be productive or some such nonsense (those bastards), we’re stuck with reruns and reality crap that I wouldn’t force my enemies to suffer through.

The reason I bring this up in a sports column is because this is where things currently stand for the NHL playoffs. After a wonderfully exciting season and an even better Stanley Cup playoffs, we’re now left with the one finals matchup no one wants – the Detroit Red Rings versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Nothing against these two obviously talented teams, but this wasn’t exactly the greatest series in the history of hockey when these same two teams faced off a year ago. Let’s be honest here – no one outside of those two cities is jazzed at the prospect of a repeat, and yet, that’s where we are. The only story line even remotely different from last year to now is Red Wings forward Marian Hossa, who left Pittsburgh during this past offseason to get paid in Detroit.

But really, is that enough to get casual sports fans to tune in? Uh … no. And really, it’s probably not enough to even get hockey fans (outside of Detroit and Pittsburgh) to watch more than the highlights, which is too bad. Like I said, this season has been a renaissance campaign for the NHL. It’s too bad this is how things played out.

Conversely, the NBA is firing on all cylinders these days. After a so-so season in which everyone assumed it was a forgone conclusion that the L.A. Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers were a lock for the finals, things haven’t gone exactly according to plan.

When they’re not battling the WWE, the Denver Nuggets are actually fairing better than to be expected against Kobe Bryant and friends. Ever since Chauncey Billups came to town, the Nuggets have turned into a bona fide team. No longer are Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson seeing who can jack up 30 shots a game first. Instead, everyone now has a defined role and (for the most part), they’re able to remember that working together is much easier than five individuals all looking out for themselves.

Click here for the full article.

Note to self is a weekly sports column written for HoboTrashcan.

19May

call it baby steps

In baseball, blog by b murf / May 19, 2009 / 1 Comment

(photo by Evan Vucci)

All eyes were on the mound last night as Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Ross Detwiler made his professional debut.

As previously mentioned, the 23-year-old was forced into action because of injuries and ineffectiveness with Scott Olsen. Things got off to a rocky start for the Nats when shortstop Christian Guzman picked up two errors in the first inning, but Detwiler still looked sharp. In fact, Detwiler was all fans could have asked for – throwing 84 pitches, 61 of which were strikes. Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse after Detwiler hit the showers.

Nats pitcher Garrett Mock entered the game in the sixth inning. He threw just 15 pitches and here’s what happened – a walk, a wild pitch, a hit batter and a two-RBI double for good measure. No sense in letting the kid get a win in his first outing. Wouldn’t want it to go to his head, would we now? So Mock did us all a favor and picked up another loss for the league’s doormat, who are now 11-26 on the year.

Here’s the part where we state the obvious about the Nats’ 12-7 loss to the Pirates Monday night. They lost while scoring seven runs. For those who haven’t been paying attention (and judging by the attendance figures, that’s the majority of you), this has become a troubling trend for the home team.

Over the last nine games, the Nats have scored 57 runs (for the mathematically challenged, that’s more than six runs per game). There’s just one problem. The Nationals have gone just 1-8 over the same span because they’ve given up an astounding 78 runs (more than eight runs per game).

So while it’s awesome to see Guzman batting an NL-best .385 on the season, followed by first baseman Nick Johnson (.336 batting average), third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (.358 batting average) and outfielder Adam Dunn (.286 average and 11 homers), they basically need to score double digits just to have a chance at victory these days.

Oh, and just so we’re not only blaming pitching, the Nationals lead the league in errors with 37. Yes, they have 37 errors in 37 games. And yes, if you found a way to screw up every single day you came to work, you certainly wouldn’t be a millionaire. You’d be unemployed. But these are growing pains.

And while there are plenty of negatives begging to be dwelled upon, we’re choosing to focus on a positive. In his first pro game, Detwiler delivered. There are a dozen things around him to be concerned about and there’s no guarantee that he’ll be nearly as sharp his next time he takes the mound, but on this night, Ross Detwiler gave Nats’ fans a reason to smile.

18May

stepping up to the plate

In baseball, blog, football, hockey by b murf / May 18, 2009 / 2 Comments

(AP photo)

We’re headed into uncharted territory here on the blog. With our hockey season having come to an abrupt ending and football season not quite here, we’ll be turning our attention to that local baseball team that continues to try and find its way. Before we get to the on-the-field stuff, we wanted to take a broader view of the state of the franchise.

Let’s start with what we know.

The biggest reason the Washington Capitals have become one of the best and brightest teams in hockey is because general manager George McPhee and his talent evaluators are consistently able to turn high draft picks into name contributors.

Forget about top five picks like wing Alex Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom, the Caps are also able to find guys later in the draft. Defenseman Mike Green (29th overall), goalie Simeon Varlamov (23rd overall) and forward Alexander Semin (13th overall) are just a few of players who fit into this category that will keep the Capitals competitive for the next several years.

Conversely, we have the Washington Redskins, who seemingly show up on the day of the draft with a plan to “just wing it.” When a team like the Baltimore Ravens or New England Patriots goes with the “best player available” draft strategy, more times than not they come out on top and walk away with a cornerstone for their franchise.

When the ‘Skins front office tries the same approach, they end up using three second rounders on pass catchers who fail to contribute. Sadly, this is actually the preferred method, since their other alternative is to give away draft picks for guys named Jason Taylor, Brandon Lloyd and T.J. Duckett. This is why clown music should be played in the Redskins’ war room on draft weekend.

Somewhere in between the Caps and ‘Skins we have the Washington Nationals. Like the Caps during their vaunted rebuild, the Nats seem content to suffer in the short term while stocking up the franchise for better long-term stability and depth. Fans might have to partake in a 100-loss season now, but the promise of better days led by Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann and others is supposed to ease the pain.

It’s great in theory to say “we’re blowing it up and rebuilding through the draft,” but at the end of the day you’ve got to have the right people in place to identify and select talented players in the draft. Otherwise, you’re destined for mediocrity.

So what can we say about the Nationals front office and the job they’ve done thus far in restocking the proverbial cupboard?

Um … not much. Other than guys named Zimmerman(n), the jury is still out. Last year’s first rounder was spent on Aaron Crow, a wonderfully talented pitcher out of Missouri. But the team failed to sign him and basically has nothing to show for the ninth pick in the 2008 draft.

The first rounder from 2007 is a pitcher named Ross Detwiler from Missouri State. He’s currently the second ranked prospect in the Nats’ farm system (behind Zimmermann) and will be taking the mound for Washington tonight. Ideally Detwiler wouldn’t be pitching at the major league level today (he’s 0-3 with a 2.96 ERA with Double-A Harrisburg), but such is life with the Nats. Injuries and ineffectiveness with Scott Olsen mean we get our first glimpse at Detwiler sooner rather than later.

Regardless of how Detwiler fares tonight he’s in better shape than Chris Marrero, the team’s 2006 first rounder (and the third ranked prospect in the organization). We attended a Potomac Nationals game last week and saw Marrero strike out in consecutive at bats in a total of just six pitches. This guy makes a living as a power hitter and it’s okay to swing for the fences on occasion, but he wasn’t even close to making contact on this day. We’re hoping we just caught him on a bad day.

And don’t even get us started on Marrero’s Potomac teammate Stephen King, a third rounder from the same 2006 draft. We’ve nicknamed him “Dorn” because it looked to us like he was fine playing third base as long as he didn’t have to get his uniform dirty.

As a rule, baseball players take longer to develop than football or hockey players. We know this and fully understand it. But because the situation is so destitute with the big league club, a lot of these youngsters are naturally being asked to play at an accelerated level. Some are responding well. Others are not.

So while we’re only 36 games into the season and it’s already safe to say the competitive portion of this season has come and gone, there are still reasons to tune in. Tonight, it’s Detwiler. And who knows, maybe the kid comes out and is able to put it all together against a very beatable Pittsburgh Pirates squad. And if he can stick around, then suddenly you’re looking at a rotation with John Lannan, Shairon Martis, Jordan Zimmermann, Detwiler and a spot reserved for Stephen Strasburg come this summer. If that doesn’t give you a reason to smile then nothing will.