DC Sports Nexus ---- Wednesday, September 17, 2014
After the Washington Nationals clinched the NL East Division Title last night, MLB released a whole line of championship gear for fans to purchase. One of these designs on a sweatshirt was a little bit odd because as you can see from the picture, it basically uses a giant cursive O that looks eerily reminiscent of the Baltimore Orioles logo (with a tiny Nats curly W logo in the bottom right). WTF? Get yours today for just $70. Here is what the Orioles shirt looks like:
Here is the Washington Nationals mascot Screech on the Ice at Verizon Center during Saturday afternoon's New Jersey Devils vs Washington Capitals matchup.
Screech, G-Wiz, and of course, because Ted Leonsis thinks that Washington DC and Baltimore are the same city, the Orioles bird among others took place in this exciting event.
Hey Ted. This is Washington, DC. We have a baseball team. It's called the Washington Nationals. Get that bird out of our faces! I hope it doesn't get back up!
The MLB trade deadline is still a few weeks away (July 31st), but the Orioles aren't waiting around to start making moves and for the first time in awhile they are buyers.
A few days ago, the O's sent two single-A prospects to the Philies in exchange for Jim Thome. Jim-freaking-Thome. Jim "That Guy is Still Playing" Thome. I'll move on.
I loved the idea that the O's were confident enough in the team THIS season to go out and make a move to better their shot at the playoffs. At least that's how I felt at first.
The more I thought about it, the more the Thome move felt like grasping-at-straws. I mean, I've never been a fan of Thome, I'll admit that. Let's check the numbers...
Our Chance to Complain About Things We Think We Know About
Salary Caps. They are nothing new to professional sports. In fact, almost every major sport in America other than Baseball has one.
The discussion about a lack of a cap in baseball is nothing new and the things I'm about to say are not revolutionary, but I feel that they can't be said enough...
The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) (Owned by both teams) has an interesting idea for getting local players voted into the All-Star game. They want Washington Nationals fans to team up with Baltimore Orioles fans in order to help the other team's cause. They are dubbing it "The Beltway Ballot" as in if you vote for President Harper, you also vote for Vice-President Hammel.
Two Opposite Parties?
Well Earth to MASN, I don't think you are thinking straight. I don't think that the 'beltway teams' are one big happy family. This isn't one ballot. This is an American and a National. A Democrat and a Republican. A Washingtonian and a Baltimorian. The two do not belong on the same ballot.
One Sided?
First of all, this is not a 2 sided idea. The Nationals don't need help from Orioles fans to get Bryce Harper voted into the game. Harper is one of the biggest names in baseball, and the All-Star vote is a popularity contest. Bryce Harper is a national story, a national player. Q-Rating = Votes. Having a few people that are fans from a team an hour away N.E. Votes. Throw performance out the window.
The NL vote is going to come down to Chipper Jones and Bryce Harper, and with Matt Kemp out of action with an injury, both players can conceivably end up on the roster.
The Orioles are the ones who are going to need the help from the Nats fans. People outside of Baltimore or Colorado are unlikely to have ever heard of Jason Hammel. Maybe if dyslexic Phillies fans think they are voting for Cole Hamels he will get some votes. But other than that, Nats-only fans aren't going to vote for an Oriole because they are a "family". They will do it for other reasons maybe.
The AL vote is going to come down to Yu Darvish vs Jake Peavy. It isn't necessarily fair, but it is a popularity contest. Jason Hammel will be left out.
Why Would Either Fanbase?
I'm wondering why Orioles fans would want to help out the Nationals. I don't see what is in it for them. Do they want to help out a team that came into town and stole many of their fans away. Maybe to stick it to Peter Angelos.
And why would Nats fans vote for the O's. If they were true Orioles fans they wouldn't have jumped ship as soon as a team came to DC. If they weren't Orioles fans then they probably could care less what happens to a random organization that happens to be nearby.
Do Dual Fans Exist?
Yes. There are plenty of people who like both of the teams. These people are the ones who would vote for Jason Hammel and Bryce Harper...without MASN needing to prompt them to. That is why this idea is so stupid. MASN is asking the NON dual fans to vote. You may as well ask Mets fans to vote for Yankee players. It will never happen.
So?
So get the Orioles announcers out of the booth during interleague play. Get the Nationals announcers out of the booth during interleague play. Fans from DC will drive up to B-More to watch games anyway. Fans from Baltimore will drive down to DC to watch games anyway. Stop trying to make 2 opposites attract. Stop trying to create a "family".
Nats fans vote for Nats. Orioles fans vote for Orioles. We'll come to your city, you come to our city, we will all have fun. But will will all root for our respective teams. MASN should know better...
Matt Weiters hit a 2 run homer off of Sean Burnett in the 8th inning to help the Orioles defeat the Nats and win the series on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards. Neither team had much offense and any scoring opportunities they did have were wasted, so the Orioles 2 run homer was all they needed for the win.
Ryan Zimmerman reappeared for the Nationals, getting 2 hits and driving in the Nats only run. Bryce Harper also had a decent day with 2 hits, including a single to the outfield that he hustled into a double. Fun to watch.
The Orioles efforts were led by starter Jake Arrieta who pitched 6 innings of 5 hit baseball, only allowing one run. The Nats got a typical 5th day outting from Detwiler who lasted only 5 innings, getting out of several jams to keep the O's scoreless. Ross gave up just 4 hits while striking out 3 Orioles.
The game ended on a strike'em out throw'em out double play which is just terrible.
If the Nationals want to win ballgames they are going to have to score more runs. It was inevitable that the power-hitting O's would knock one out of the park, and they just happened to have a man on base when they did it.
All 3 games in this series were extremely "boring", with both teams struggling on offense. The way each team is hitting does not look good for each team's playoff chances.
Nats head to Colorado to hit some homers in the thin air tomorrow night...
Edwin Jackson improved to 4-4 on the year and the Nationals gave themselves to take their three game series in Baltimore with their 3 to 1 victory tonight over the birds. The Nationals scored twice in the second inning on a throwing error that allowed Morse and LaRoche to cross homeplate.
That would turn out to be all the run support Jackson would need on the night, as he cruised through 6.1 innings while giving up only 1 run on a homer via Adam Jones in the 7th. Chen pitched good, but not great as Morse and LaRoche came alive at the plate. LaRoche notched his 13th homerun of the season in the 4th to give the Nats an extra insurance run.
Ryan Zimmerman continued to look lost at the plate and committed his 4th fielding error at third base this season...Yikes. The defensive play of the night has got to go to Ian Desmond, who recorded an unassisted double play at second base.
Finally, all is well at the back end of the bullpen as Burnett and T-clip used their 1-2 combo in the 8th and 9th inning to close out the game, Clip's 12th of the season. The rubber game of the series is tomorrow.
You may or may not have notice my absence from the blog last week. Well that was because I was in the magical world of New Jersey. I saw a Snooki and I lost money in Trump's Casino. I also made it into NYC to catch a game at the Mets stadium when they faced the O's...
The Nationals dropped the first game of their three game set in Baltimore tonight despite a strong performance from Jordan Zimmermann. The game was delayed an hour because of rain, but the park was still packed when the first pitch was thrown out.
J-zimm didn't have his best stuff tonight, but he limited the Orioles lineup to 2 runs and pitched 7 good innings. He gave up 1 run on a Mark Reynolds homerun and another on a J.J. Hardy double.
Unfortunately for the Nationals, Jason Hammel pitched even better for 8 innings. He recorded a career high 10 strikeouts. The Nat's only run came off of a throwing error in the 5th. Hardy made a couple of leaping catches at shortstop to rob the Nats of base runners that are so hard to come by these days.
Ian Desmond was about the only Nat to have a decent night at the plate, going 2-3 and scoring the only run of the night. There were no signs of life from Zim, Laroche, or Harper tonight. Jim Johnson came into the 9th to close things out for save number 21.
The Orioles have lost 3 straight games and fallen into second place in the AL East.
The Nationals rebounded from their 4 game losing streak with two wins against Tampa Bay.
Both teams are having difficulty putting up offensive numbers right now.
The last Beltways series the Nats only won 1 game out of 3 in Washington.
Pitching Match Up:
Jordan Zimmermann
3-5, 2.92 ERA
Cannot buy a win despite solid pitching.
All his wins have come on the road.
Jason Hammel
7-2, 2.87 ERA
Frequently pitches deep into games, last time out he went all 9 innings.
Has lost a No Hitter in the late innings multiple times this season.
Guys to Watch:
Ryan Zimmerman
Get it going! Only hitting .125 since June 15th.
Has faced Hammel more than any other Orioles pitcher (19 at bats).
Bats .412 vs Hammel with 1 homerun.
Adam Jones
Get it going! Hitting .250 with 0 RBIs since June 15th.
Has faced Zimmermann the most out of any Orioles (9 at bats).
Bats .222 vs Zimmermann with 1 homerun.
Keys to the Game:
J-Zimm pitches 7 innings. Get the game to Burnett/T-clip 1-2 punch.
Get to Hammel early. Hammel is good, but the O's have one of the best bullpens in baseball.
Keep guys off base. The O's have homerun threats up and down their lineup and J-zimm has given up the most homers on the team (10). Limit them to solo shots.
It's that time again, the Battle of the Beltways resumes with a three game series in Baltimore. Last time B-more and the Nats met both teams were in first place. Now Baltimore has fallen back behind the Yankees and the Nats have been dealing with offensive struggles and their fair share of losses. Here is how the series stacks up:
Friday: 7:05 PM, Zimmermann (3-5) vs Hammel (7-2).
Saturday: 7:15 PM, Jackson (3-4) vs Chen (7-2).
Sunday: 1:35 PM, Detwiler (4-3) vs Arrieta (3-9).
Just like the first time around, this series is going to come down to how well the Nat's pitchers can slow down the big bats of the O's. It'll be a little harder this time around because the Nats have the DH to worry about. If Adam Jones has a big series it probably will end up being an Orioles win.
Game of the Series: Friday. Zimmermann will look to set a tone against arguably the best pitcher for the O's. Starting off the series by keeping the O's bats silent will be vital if the Nats want to win in Baltimore this weekend.
Sound of the Series: Comes from the Rough Silk. When I heard Detwiler was back in the rotation I knew I needed to make the song Take a Chance on Me. To keep my man-cred I went with this metal-cover of the ABBA song.
Prediction Time: Putting my reputation as a "baseball guy" on the line by predicting
the outcomes of each series. Feel free to yell at me in the comments or
on twitter @dru90.
You know how they say "good pitching beats good hitting"? Well they say it for a reason...
Putting the 'O in Offense.
During the first Beltways series I talked about how offensively the Orioles were a superior team. Even in the darkest stretchs of the past few seasons of Baltimore baseball the team has always been able to put up runs.
This season, with the emergence of Adam Jones into a true superstar, there is no question about the offensive capabilities of the Orioles. For a long stretch of this season the O's lead major league baseball in home runs and were among the top teams in terms of runs scored.
Starting pitching was the one area that I thought the Nat's had an advantage over Baltimore. With Strasburg and Gio leading the way, and the potentials of Zimmermann and Jackson, everybody knew the rotation could be pretty good. I'm not sure anyone thought it could be THIS good.
The Nat's lead all of baseball with a collective ERA of 2.97. The second team on the list has 3.22. Youth and injury have lead to questions about the consistency of the Nat's offense, but no one is doubting what they will get off the mound.
The Dark Times...
The Orioles and Nationals started the season in first place as both teams were firing on all cylinders. Life was good. Then weaknesses for both squads emerged. All of a sudden the Orioles pitchers, who had been exceeding all expectations, came crashing down to earth.
In Washington, the Nat's saw their offense dry up as key players like Zimmerman, LaRoche, and Espinosa got bogged down in slumps. In the face of adversity, both teams relied on their strengths to carry them through. The Orioles kept hacking away at the ball and the Nat's pitchers kept hurling.
And Here We Are.
The Nationals are still in first place, but the Orioles have dropped to third. Even when it felt like the Nationals could only score 1 to 2 runs a game I wasn't worried because a lot of the time that's all it took to get a win.
On the flip side, I have to watch the Orioles play games were they put 6 runs and watch them lose because they gave up 9. Sure, putting up all those runs is exciting, but I'm going to take the lights out pitching 100% of the time. Wouldn't you?
The next two weeks are going to be rough. We have to play against the Phillies, Pirates, Braves, and Mets. This stretch of games could make or break the team. Oh...did I mention I was talking about the Orioles? That's right everyone, interleague baseball is upon us and Nat's and O's are switching places for the next couple of weeks.
Here We Go Again...
The second half of the Battle of the Beltways will take place two Fridays from now in Orioles Park at Camden Yards. Last time the Nationals and Orioles met the O's took 2 games in Washington. You can bet that the Nat's will be out for a little revenge this time around in Baltimore. But hey, lets hold up on that for a second and take a look at where things stand for each team.
First Place for Everyone!
The Orioles are in first place. The Nationals are in first place. So neither team is worse the wear from their first meeting. This is not the time for players and fan-bases to be worrying about each other because both teams are fighting for their first place lives everyday. A bad series for either team could be enough to not only knock them out of first place, but send them hurtling towards 5th place. Yikes, no pressure!
One Big Happy Family?
Remember during the first Beltways Battle how MASN combined the O's and Nat's broadcast crews so they could talk about how happy they were to be together and how the Baltimore/Washington area should be one big happy baseball family? Sure it felt forced at times, but if you think about it why can't it be true? I like both teams. Why shouldn't I? Are we really rivals?
We Aren't Rivals...
Anybody who says the O's and Nat's are rivals doesn't understand the meaning of the word. Rivalries start when teams hate each other based on a history of meaningful games between them. Frankly, who cares if the O's sweep the Nat's or vice-versa if both teams find themselves in last place at the end of the season. When the O's and Nat's become perennial contenders then we can talk rivalry, but right now both teams are just fighting to be playing meaningful baseball games in September.
You Help Me, I'll Help You?
Before the Nat's and O's face each other, they will have to face all of the others' actual division rivals. So hey, why not help each other out. O's fans...lets go out and show some Natitude. Nat's fans...lets embrace a little Orioles' magic. Even if you truly hate the other team for some reason, during the next four series the Orioles and Nationals really should be one big happy family.
See You in October!
So lets hope each team goes on a 12 game winning streak. That way when we get to the next iteration of the Battle of the Beltways the O's and Nat's will comfortably be sitting in first place and we can get back to our little local area "rivalry". If we help each other out here and each team keeps doing what they've been doing, the next Beltways Battle could happen in October!
In 2005, local legend Frank Robinson watched as his Washington Nationals team exceeded all expectations with their play on the field. By the time the All-Star break hit, the Nats were in 1st place in the division with a 52-36 record. Was a World Series possible for a new team?
In 2007, Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan stood on the sidelines in Las Vegas coaching NBA stars like Shaq, Lebron, and Dwayne Wade. It was the NBA All-Star game, and Jordan was given the coaching position because his Washington Wizards had the best record in the Eastern Conference. NBA Finals talk began.
In 2008, the Washington Redskins cruised through the first half of the season going 6-2 in their first 8 games. While they were still one game back of first place, the city was starting to think Super Bowl.
-------COLLAPSE-------
That Washington Nationals team collapsed and finished the season at 81-81 (.500). That Washington Wizards team collapsed and finished the season at 41-41 (.500). That 2008 Washington Redskins team finished (.500).
In 2012, right now, the Nationals and Orioles are both in first place. Each team started out smokin' hot, outshining all expectations. However, fans in DC and Baltimore aren't getting overexcited. They have seen this before with the examples above (and with the O's shorter term examples not listed).
And now things are starting to turn the other way. The Nationals & Orioles have lost a combined 8 games in a row. The O's now share the division lead and the Nats are only 1/2 a game up. The All-Star break is still a month away but are things collapsing a little early?
As a fan of either team, you have to take a deep breath and hope this is just a blip in the radar. Just a snag. You have to read the examples from past teams and believe that history will not repeat itself. You have to pray that the teams won't collapse down to .500. It's DC Sports...you have to hope...you have to believe...you have to pray...
Each Sunday we like to take a look at both of the local area teams. This Sunday we're talking about two young stars who their respective teams hope will become long term pieces of championship rosters.
Bryce Harper:
19 years old, first round draft pick, "the chosen one". Since being called up to the majors, this is his stat line:
Its hard to argue Harper wasn't ready for the big leagues. Since the day he arrived in Washington, Harper has been contributing with his bat, his legs, and his fielding. There are bound to be growing pains with a kid so young (like a bat-to-the-head), but it is safe to say he is no where near the threshold of his potential. Getting Morse and Werth back in the lineup will also certainly help with his development.
Dylan Bundy:
19 years old, first round draft pick, "hope for the future". Since drafting Bundy, this is his stat line from the minors:
There have been rumblings in Baltimore about speeding up Bundy's movement through the minors. When you see that the kid has 46 strikeout in only 35 innings of work it is hard to argue with those rumbles. However, the team is smart for taking their time with their number one draft pick. Bundy has all of the tools to become a stand out major league pitcher, but until he makes his debut in Baltimore fans can only wait and hope.
Question:
Harper has proven that he belongs in the majors and it seems like only a matter of time before Bundy will get a chance to do the same. Before teams have tons of great young talent that makes the future of local baseball extremely bright. For the sake of discussion, who would you rather have in your organization right now Harper or Bundy?
My take:
I love what Harper has done so far and there is no doubt he is the safer pick at this point. Still...the thought of a Strasburg-Bundy duo at the top of the Nationals rotation is to frighteningly awesome to pass up.
Let me know in the comments below, via email (dru@dcsportsnexus.com), or on twitter (@dru90), what you think!
I've been an Orioles fan all my life, but I'm not old enough to remember the "glory days". This season I decided to root for the Nats as well and lo-and-behold I found myself with TWO first place teams. This is the story of my visit to Camden Yards for the O's 8-2 win over the Royals last night.
Tickets...
Friday night at Camden Yards has always meant one thing for me, 9 dollar upper deck student tickets (no one tell them I graduated). It also meant having an empty seat in front of you to stretch your legs out on and laughing at paying 9 bucks knowing that you could move down to the lower decks after a few innings had passed. Tonight the tickets were still 9 dollars, but everything else was...a bit different:
"Even the crowd is in uncharted territory with the 28,954 assembled at
Camden Yards featuring nearly 11,000 walk-up tickets purchased, a new
stadium record." -Brittany Ghiroli (O's Beat Writer)
What is Going on Here?
So I didn't get to stretch out my legs and I didn't get to go down to lower seats. You know what else, I also can't remember a game in recent memory that has been so much fun. I've seen Camden Yards filled for games against the Yankees and Red Soxs, but that's mostly because it was filled WITH Yankees and Red Soxs fans. For a game against the Kansas City Royals the atmosphere of the park was unexpected and unbelievable. Dare I say that during the Oriole's 5 run fifth inning the park even took on a "playoff-like" feel.
Even the security guards were feeling the energy tonight:
Not So Fast...
I'd be lying if I told you that the park was filled with 29,000 hardcore fans who were lingering on every pitch. During the 5th inning that statement would have been mostly true. Two innings later however...most people in my section were more focused on starting the wave. They had their efforts halted when Chris Davis hit a monster homerun in the 7th, which reminded them about the baseball game. Fear not though, they actually succeeded in getting a stadium-spanning wave going before the end of the game and it got cheers that rivaled any cheers a baseball play got the entire night.
Being In First Means Fighting?
The attendance might of been announced at around 29,000, but it was much less by the end of the night. I can say that with confidence because I saw 3 different groups of people escorted out by the police from my section, all of them for fighting...with other O's fans. Apparently it wasn't only my section because after 2 1/2 innings played I heard my usher say that 40+ people had already been ejected from the park. I guess O's fans have spent so long having Baltimore invaded by Yankees and Red Soxs fans that they just assume drunken fighting comes with the first place territory.
The Right Direction.
I don't want to leave you with a negative impression of the game. In fact, as I said at the start, it was one of the best times I've had at Camden Yards. The crowd was loud, rowdy, and came to cheer on their team. After 14 losing seasons it's going to take a lot to get Baltimore to return to being a "baseball" town, but tonight showed me that things are moving in the right direction. If the crowd was that electric for a game against the Royals in May, I can't even imagine what it'll be like if there is still meaningful baseball being played in August and September.
What About the Nats? Sadly, I haven't gotten an opportunity to make it out to Nationals Park yet, but I am aiming to rectify that situation as soon as possible. I've heard that Washington just "isn't that into baseball", but tonight has shown me that winning can really change that. We've already had some coverage comparing the about baseball experiences in Baltimore and Washington (Here, Here, Here, and Here) and I'd like to contribute to that once I get out to see a Nats game in person. Until then, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject in the comments section below or on twitter @dru90.
Have you ever spent a weekend up in Baltimore for a baseball
game? It is amazing. The stadium is nice, the fans are passionate,
and the pregame & postgame nightlife is great. I don’t care what team you root for, you will
have a good time in Charm City.
The baseball experience in DC is slightly different, but you
can still have a great time. While the
stadium may have been built with no charm at all, and our bars are a cab ride
away, a baseball weekend in the Nation’s Capital is quite an experience.
People that live in D.C. and Baltimore may be very fervent
and particular about their home cities, but it doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy
taking a short road trip for a new experience every once and awhile. And as a baseball fan, who doesn’t want to
check out one of America's baseball towns.
That is one of the things that makes the Battle of the
Beltways series so amazing. Two cities
that are less than an hour apart, each with their own charm & uniqueness,
coming together for some summer baseball.
You can grab your friends & family, drive a short ways, and have a
baseball experience.
Non-Rival Rivalry
The other great part about the series is that you have a
National League team playing an American League team. That means that the games, while not meaningless,
are not as important as most other games during the year. That should lead to an environment where the rivalry
is fun, instead of vicious as in division rivialries.
A “light-rivalry” such as this one, caused by geographical
location, should be a time when fans of opposing teams jab and jeer each other
in a friendly and...
