The Chronicles of Redskins Quarterbacks Part 2: Jeff George

Jeff George (00-01) “Anne Boleyn”

7 starts (1-6)
Completion % = 57.6% (136/236)
1557 yrds-7TD-9INT-71.6-18 sck-0 gwd

The hotter pick.  Dan Snyder’s first attempt at sabotaging a sure thing for something he felt to be more exotic and exciting.  If Brad Johnson was Catherine of Aragon, Jeff George was a perfect Anne Boelyn.  Jeff George came to Washington on the heels of a season where he replaced Randall Cunningham in Minnesota.  You know.  The guy the Vikings decided to keep over Brad Johnson not a season earlier.  George would replace Cunningham during the 1999 season and lead Minnesota to a second round playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl XXXIV champion Rams.  That was good enough for Snyder to sign him to a four year $14 million contract to be Brad Johnson’s back up, and in essence creating the first quarterback controversy of the Dan Snyder era.

George had been the sexy gunslinger Snyder wanted to put butts in the seats.  Brad Johnson may have won and brought relevance back to the Washington franchise, but he was too ho-hum in his approach for Snyder’s liking.  Snyder’s prayers were answered 9 games into the 2000 season when the injury bug finally caught up to Johnson, and Norv Turner was forced to start Dan Snyder’s hand-picked quarterback.  George did not play as well as Snyder would have hoped, except for an improbable Monday Night win over the defending Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams.  That would turn out to be George’s only win as a Redskins starter, and George would go 1-4 in the 2000 season with neither Johnson nor George looking particularly good and the Redskins finishing 8-8 after being 7-4 at one point in the season.

Exit Brad Johnson.  Enter Marty Schottenheimer.  The next season saw the Redskins open up 0-2 with George at the helm, and Marty Ball had seen enough.  Two games into the season and Jeff George was released from the team that had signed him only one year earlier.  He would fade into obscurity after his tenure with the Redskins, but he will be remembered for his incredible win over the Rams.  His only win with the Washington Redskins.

The Chronicles of Redskins Qaurterbacks Part 1: Brad Johnson

The drafting of Robert Griffin, and his subsequent stellar rookie season, was supposed to have finally solved Dan Snyder's search for a franchise quarterback.  The past two seasons, though, have continued the Redskins quarterback parade out of the clown car in the circus that is The Redskins Franchise.  The quarterback situation this season has be written about ad nauseam, so I thought it fitting to look back at the quarterbacks that have had the pleasure of starting for this dumpster fire that has been burning since 1999.  There have been 15 different quarterbacks to have started at least one game for the Redskins in that span, and we will look back at all 15 in order over the next 15 days beginning with the quarterback that may have been the best one: Brad Johnson

Brad Johnson (99-00) “The First Wife aka Catherine of Aragon”

27 starts (17-10)
Completion % = 61.5% (544/884)
6510 yrds - 35TD - 28INT - 84.0 - 48sck - 8 game winning drives


That’s right.  I’m classing up this blog by giving all of you a history lesson that involves something other than sports.  Just as Catherine of Aragon was Henry VIII’s first wife, Brad Johnson was Daniel Snyder’s first quarterback, and he arguably had the most success out of any quarterback under Dan Snyder’s tenure.  Acquired from the Vikings after the 1998 season for a first and third round pick in the 1999 draft, and a second round pick in the 2000 draft, Brad Johnson became the original savior of the Redskin franchise under Dan Snyder.  Coming from a career that started at Florida State (where he barely started); to a ninth round selection by the Vikings in the 1992 draft that ultimately led to Brad starting for the London Monarchs of the World Football League in 1995 (I can’t believe the Rhein Fire passed on him), to coming back to the Vikings only to be banished from that snowy paradise in favor of Randall Cunningham in 1998; it was safe to say that Brad Johnson had something to prove when he came to the Redskins via trade in 1999.  And prove himself he did. 

Brad set a franchise record for completions in the 1999 season (316) and he threw for 4,005 yards which ranked second best for the franchise at the time.  He also led the Redskins to their first NFC East title since they won the Super Bowl in the 1991-1992 season.  Hindsight makes that division title that much sweeter considering it took 15 years to win the next one, but at the time it was the first NFC East title in eight years and they had Brad Johnson to thank for it.  Johnson would lead the Redskins to their best record since winning the Super Bowl in 1992, and he also led them to within a botched field goal snap of the NFC Championship Game.  But Brad wasn’t sexy enough for Dan Snyder.  Just like a Hollywood mogul who hits it big, Snyder dumped his reliable wife for a girlfriend who is hotter but more of a headache.  That girlfriend was Jeff George.  Johnson would end up starting only 11 games in the 2000 season, and he would be replaced outright by George by the end of the season.

Johnson would eventually leave the Redskins after the 2000 season, and we all know what happened from there.  Three years later Johnson hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the John Gruden led Tampa Bay Buccaneers against another former Redskins quarterback in Rich Gannon.  Johnson goes down as having the second most wins of any quarterback under Dan Snyder (17), he was one of only two Snyder quarterbacks to start all 16 games in a season, and he led the Redskins to one of the two playoff wins and division titles the franchise has had while Dan Snyder has owned the team.  Brad Johnson deserved better than what he received in Washington, and his Super Bowl ring should be a constant reminder to Dan Snyder about his ability to evaluate football talent.

 Coincidental Side Notes:  The Redskins acquired Brad Johnson in 1999 because Trent Green left Washington to start for St. Louis.  Green would suffer a season ending knee injury that year, which paved the way for Kurt Warner to lead the “Greatest Show in Turf” to two Super Bowls in three years.  Brad Johnson was also coveted by the Ravens in 1998, but they were unwilling to give up an extra second round pick for him.  Instead, the Ravens signed former Rams quarterback Tony Banks who was ousted from St. Louis in favor of Trent Green, and who would eventually start for the Redskins two years later because Trent Dilfer led the Ravens to a Super Bowl Championship after replacing Tony Banks 2 games into the Ravens’s 2000-2001 season. Remember that the Redskins passed on Dilfer in the 1994 draft in favor of Heath Shuler.  Dilfer was drafted two spots later by Tampa Bay, who would win their only Super Bowl with Brad Johnson after he left the Redskins following the 2000-2001 season. The Circle of Life.

The Vindication of Mike Shanahan

This weekend's loss to the Buccaneers has presented Redskins fans with the most sobering reality they could possibly imagine.  Mike Shanahan may have been right all along.  Griffin's performance on Sunday was the coup de grace of a season that has seen his fall as the savior of Washington to an oft injured, insecure, indecisive passer who is not living up to the price tag this franchise put on him.  You know who alluded to that during his tenure in Washington?  The same guy who, along with his son, were nicknamed "The Klanahans" for their insistence on running read option with Griffin even though it was obvious that those plays were putting him in harm's way.  Oh, what a difference 2 years makes.  Now we have people stating that Griffin needs to run read option to be successful.  Remember the uproar when we drafted Kirk Cousins?  All of a sudden that does not seem like a completely heinous move considering Griffin's injuries, although Cousins has proven to be a less than adequate replacement.  But remember that part of the scuttlebutt surrounding the Cousins pick was that Shanahan did not want to trade up for Griffin in the first place.  Rumor had it that he wanted to stay at six and draft Ryan Tannehill.  Look at what Ryan Tannehill has done in Miami with considerably less talent around him this year than Griffin.  And while were on the subject of talent, let's look at what Shanahan brought in in the way of talent.  He had the foresight to see the talent in Pierre Garcon who up to that point had been Reggie Wayne's understudy in Indianapolis.  He showed the restraint to pass on Blaine Gabbert and draft Ryan Kerrigan.  He took a flyer on a sixth round running back coming off a winless season at Florida Atlantic.  Trent Williams, Perry Riley, Keenan Robinson, Niles Paul, Roy Helu, David Amerson, and Jordan Reed round out a decent class of draft picks that still make contributions to this team.

These players comprise the backbone of the talent for the Redskins on both sides of the ball, and they are the centerpiece of Griffin's recent comments about needing his players to "play great".  Remember last year when he made equally polarizing comments?  People pointed to Shanahan as the problem. It was Shanahan who had lost the locker room, and Griffin's outbursts were a cry for order and leadership.  Now with a new regime in place it is apparent that Shanahan may not have been the sole cause.  Jay Gruden's comments about Robert Griffin on Monday show that Shanahan's apprehension about Griffin may not have been totally unfounded.  His reliance on the read option in Griffin's rookie year may have been disastrous to his Griffin's health, but it also may have been a passive aggressive way of Shanahan showing his opinion of what Griffin can and cannot do as a quarterback.  Finally, with all the talent that Shanahan brought in, it may be the one piece he possibly was forced to take that he was most right about.  With every waning moment, it seems that Griffin may not be the best fit for this offense here in Washington, and when the Redskins pass on a much needed safety or tackle to have Roger Goodell call Marcus Mariota's name in April; Mike Shanahan will be watching and loving every second of it.

A Message to Penn State and the Big 10

The Maryland Terrapins solidified their place in the Big 10 with their pregame actions on Saturday.  Just as Maximus deliberately turned his back on Commodus in Gladiator, the Terps showed an equal amount of disrespect towards the royalty of the Big 10.  Penn State is one of the premier programs in the Big 10, and their newly ordained subjects showed them what they thought of being perceived as their inferiors.  It is no secret that the Big 10 regulars and their fans were not too high on letting Maryland and Rutgers join their pretentious club, and the fans have gone out of their way this season to express how Maryland does not belong in this conference.  By not shaking Penn State's hands, the Terps showed Penn State what they thought of their program and the Big 10 as a whole.  Maryland has decided to embrace their Lone Ranger status once again as the outsiders of an established elite.  In the ACC they were looked down upon by the whole of Tobacco Road.  Now they reprise that role in the Big 10 as the misfit university who had the hubris to disrespect Penn State in their own house.  They are now the villains of the Big 10 with a newly formed border war and a bounty on their head. 

Whatever the end game was for not shaking hands, Maryland got a renewed rivalry with Penn State at least for the short term.  Penn State fans will not forget this, and they will be gunning for Maryland next season in Baltimore.  They also have placed a huge target on themselves when they face Michigan State and Michigan in the next three weeks.  They are part of the Big 10 elite, and while I'm sure these programs have no love for Penn State they are not going to let some Johnny-come-lately do that to one of their long time brethren.  Do not be surprised if Michigan State decides to run up the score on the Terps if they find themselves up by a healthy margin, and look for both teams to show Maryland no respect when they take the field.  The Terps must embrace the mentality that it is now the Big 10 against Maryland for the near future. 

All Big 10 teams, especially Pen State, will now be gunning for them and Maryland must weather the storm under the shelter of a unilateral vision, which is to embrace the role of villain and be the thorn in the Big 10's side.  Except Randy Edsall made some half assed apology for the team's actions in the post game interview.  Why?  You're telling me that the team made this decision without Randy Edsall's knowledge.  Bull Crap.  He knew they were going to do that, he may have even told them to do it, but what he should have done was not apologize.  Edsall's post game apology seemed insincere and backhanded.  Owning up to it would have been honest and it would have showed Penn State that we are serious about this annual match up.  Edsall should have framed his response in this manner:

"The no handshake is what it is.  We felt that Penn State was not taking this game as seriously as we were, and we wanted to show them that this is not just another game for us.  We wanted to show them how serious this matchup is for us, and how badly we wanted to be only the second Maryland team in history to beat Penn State.  They know how serious we are now about this annual matchup and we cannot wait to play them next year in Baltimore."

That is not too abrasive, and it frames the non handshake as a competitive gesture rather than a sign of disrespect.  It was disrespectful, but that response would have softened the blow a little by saying it was more about pumping up Maryland than disrespecting Penn State.  Whatever the motive, no one will debate the fact that Maryland is now a marked program by Penn State and the Big 10 elite, and we have carved out our place in the Big 10.  People will be writing how Maryland has no class and should be ashamed of their team.  I would be more ashamed if I were a Penn State fan.  Penn State let the Terps disrespect them like that in their own house and lost.  Its not like the Terps are Alabama.  Penn State could have taught Maryland a lesson in manners, but instead they must wait a full year to exact revenge upon their newfound nemesis.  Let the rivalry begin.

Richard Nixon, Oliver North, Roger Goodell.......

What is a criminal, a liar, and someone who is worse than both put together.  That's right.  Johnny Carson maybe dead and gone, but Carnac the Magnificent never dies.  I thought it seemed apt to present this post in this fashion because the NFL is doing everything short of reconvening the living members of the Warren Comission to investigate Goodell's actions, and the media played the video from inside the elevator like it was the Zapruder Film.  The media, and I mean ALL media, is spinning this story as if it were The Kennedy Assassination, Watergate, and Iran Contra all rolled into one, yet they choose to have the coverage be a parade of retractions, personal anecdotes, and self-righteous denunciations of Roger Goodell's actions.  They all failed to contemplate the biggest question.  Why. Why did Goodell only suspend Ray Rice two games in the first place knowing what kind of poop storm surrounded this story from day one?  The simplicity in the answers that have been given by the media to this question neglect some of the stories that surround this case, and it may point to a more nefarious answer that mirrors a totally different conspiracy the media does not want to touch.

People have likened this situation to the modern conspiracy situations, but one that may be the most accurate is the Julius Caesar conspiracy.  Think about it.  A ruthless leader who is perceived to have too much power is betrayed by the people around him in order to further their agenda.  It has been well documented that the NFL and NFLPA have been trying to get HGH testing in place since 2011.  Albert Breer and Dan Hanzus wrote about the breakdowns that occurred in the HGH testing talks a year ago.  The breakdown was caused by Roger Goodell's unwillingness to cede discretionary power in disciplining players to an arbitrator or independent council.  According to Breer and Hanzus's articles, this was a major sticking point for the NFLPA.  The NFLPA was unhappy with the way Goodell handled the Saints bounty case because they felt his decision was too punitive and unilateral. This ire for Goodell carried over into the HGH negotiations, and the NFLPA thought he should give up his disciplinary power to an independent judge or council.  Goodell thought otherwise, and we had a standoff of wills based on a dispute between a group of individuals who thought that one man had too much power in a given arena.  I say "had" because on Sept. 19, the NFL and the NFLPA magically agreed on a new drug testing proposal that included HGH testing protocol, and it set up a three to five person council to arbitrate appeals for violations of the substance abuse policy (funny how that little nugget is pushed towards the bottom of this EPSN article, and it is only stated in one sentence).  So the one thing that held up HGH testing for over a year is agreed upon by both sides merely days after the person whose discretionary power was the center of the dispute is publicly ridiculed by everyone in the country.  So did Goodell really believe that Rice deserved a two game suspension, or could he have been set up the NFLPA in order to get HGH testing in place and mitigate his role in substance abuse appeals?

There is a good amount of conjecture and circumstantial evidence that can support the possibility that the NFLPA may have been the impetus for Roger Goodell to hand down his lenient suspension on Ray Rice.  It is not hard to produce mens rea in this case. As stated above, the NFLPA was not happy with the way Goodell handled the Bounty Case, and they could not have been happy with the rate Goodell was suspending players under the old substance abuse policy.  Over 70 players have been suspended for substance abuse violations under Goodell's tenure.  So the NFLPA had good reason to want to marginalize Goodell's disciplinary influence on substance abuse violations, and they may have seen an opportunity in the Ray Rice incident to gain leverage on Goodell in this manner.  I have no solid proof that they set up Goodell, but I have a lot of conjecture and tantalizing coincidences that raise questions that will probably have no answer to them to support my claim, and here they are:

1) The NFLPA and owners needed to ratify the HGH testing procedures.  This is conjecture at its finest, but in this era of long term injury lawsuits that are being filed against the league, it may not be too far fetched to think of injury lawsuits buttressed by evidence of untested players using HGH to make them bigger and stronger.  "I got my concussions because the league was negligent in not testing its players for substances that enhanced their ability to hurt me" could potentially land a windfall decision for plaintiffs who decide to use it.  The NFLPA and the owners must have seen this possibility on the horizon and knew they had to get something in place to prevent this from occurring in the future, or to give them a plausible defense in case someone came out with that kind of lawsuit.  Goodell probably figured that out as well, and he publicly stated that he wanted to get a new drug policy in place, but he was unwilling to relinquish his power.  But the NFLPA had a plan.....

2) Lets assume that all the important people in this story knew that Rice knocked out his fiance, which is not that far fetched of an assumption with the latest information coming out.  This ESPN article alludes to a possible meeting between Steve Bisciotti and Roger Goodell at Augusta National Golf Course.  After returning from Georgia, Bisciotti publicly stated that Rice would be back.  It also states that after meeting with Ray and Janay Rice in June, Goodell made no concerted effort to obtain the entire video. Why would Goodell not want to see that video, regardless if Rice admitted to knocking out his fiancé? My assumption is that Bisciotti may have offered a quid pro quo to Goodell on behalf of the NFLPA at Augusta National.  Go easy on Rice and we'll agree to keep you on as the sole arbiter of substance abuse appeals and agree to your drug testing policy.  Goodell's megalomania got the better of him and he accepted without considering the position he put himself in.  Or, he felt that sacrificing a long term suspension for a man who deserved it in order to enact a drug policy that could help everyone in the long term was worth whatever public ridicule would ensue.  Or, Bisciotti knowingly deceived Goodell on the golf course in order to coax a lighter sentence out of him, knowing that it would make him look bad in the public eye that and lead to his credibility being tarnished.  Either way, Bisciotti may have deceived Goodell with a false offer or misinformation in order to set him up for a decision that would be tantamount to public relations death (E tu Brute?).  Doesn't this make more sense than Goodell suddenly going soft, especially when the public outcry to the first half of the video had been brewing for almost 6 months before he made his decision?  A trusted friend bringing a surreptitious offer of peace at a familiar place that keeps the king in power.  Sounds plausible, and it looks even better when you........

3) Remember that during this firestorm the NFLPA and owners agreed to a new drug policy that was being held up in large part to Goodell not wanting to give up his appellate power.  So they just miraculously came to a decision, on an issue that had been in dispute for three years, right in the middle of the biggest firestorm the NFL has ever seen?  Sounds like a pretty nice smokescreen to me, and even if Goodell wanted to say he was set up, would anyone believe him?  The Ravens and Bisciotti can sleep easy knowing that they have put enough plausible deniability in the public eye to keep the debate raging towards futility.  And they can also sleep easy knowing they left an out for their boy, namely Article 46 Section 4 of the NFL's CBA:
 One Penalty: The Commissioner and a Club will not both discipline a player for the same act or conduct. The Commissioner’s disciplinary action will preclude or supersede disciplinary action by any Club for the same act or conduct.
I wonder who turned the Ravens on to that little nugget when they released Ray Rice outright from his contract AFTER the Goodell suspension.

So there you have it.  I'm sticking to this story.  This whole domestic violence debate was created by the NFLPA and their vendetta against Roger Goodell.  The NFLPA used Steve Bisciotti to promise Goodell that he would retain his appellate power, a promise which they never intended to keep, so he would make a lighter sentence on Ray Rice.  The NFLPA knew this light sentence would set off a media bomb that would kill Goodell's public persona. They then used that media frenzy to push through a drug policy on their own terms; one that Goodell would be powerless to stop from going through.  You know, the one that got their players reinstated and allows them to do stimulants in the offseason without fear of suspension.  The one that also includes random HGH testing, yet the NFL is now keeping all of these violent offenders away from all team activities on the "Exempt List" citing that they need to take care of their legal issues.  It will be interesting to see if the new HGH testing only applies to "active players" because when a player is on the Exempt List they are not active, and only the commissioner can take them on and off the list. Think about it. What is worse than having your employees publicly ridiculed for being charged with domestic violence?  Having these same employees testing positive for a banned substance you knowingly did not test for in the past, and that may have led to their overly aggressive nature in those instances.  If that came out Goodell may go the way of Mussolini.  So Goodell has to do all he can to keep them away from testing, and in the NFLPA's mind their players (one of whom is a major money maker) are saved from more public scrutiny.  While everyone focuses on the domestic violence issue, which is big but no one will disagree that it needs to be changed, the NFLPA may have used it to pull of a massive coup and are now exploiting it for their own personal agenda. 

Houston: We're Thinking About Our Cousins

The Redskins 2014 season arrived, and not in the fashion that any Redskins fan could have anticipated.  If I told you that the Redskins would combine for 372 yards of offense, with 131 of those yards on the ground, plus Robert Griffin going 29 of 37; you would have thought we were going to score somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-30 points and beat a Texans team that had not won a game in almost a full calendar year.  Or, you would have thought that we were getting blown out, and Griffin had to put on another futile fourth quarter stat padder.  Alas, this team could only muster six points in a loss that can only be described as vintage post millennial Redskins football; two Redskin fumbles inside the opponent's ten yard line that came off of a tripped up handoff exchange and a receiver stripped of possession in the midst of executing a 48 yard pass play, giving up a blocked punt for a touchdown (our fourth blocked punt in two years), and allowing a 76 yard touchdown pass on a broken play where there was no pressure from the front seven and we relied on Bacari Rambo to A) single cover a speed receiver with no safety help on a crossing pattern because everyone else was out of position, and B) take proper tackling angles.  That's right.  This game came down to four plays that crippled a relatively well played game on both sides of the ball.  These four plays, along with a modest passing performance from Robert Griffin, have caused the Kirk Cousins fan club to furtively stroke their guns during Redskin press conferences in preparation for a perceived quarterback controversy.  A closer look at the positives and negatives of this game, however, make a quarterback controversy seem less imminent than one thinks.

Positives
There were a surprising amount of positives to take away from this 17-6 loss.  I agree with Griffin and Gruden that there are no moral victories, but isn't it nice to have a competent put/kick returner who can set up advantageous field position?  After Andre Roberts's first punt return, didn't you get that giddy feeling like "this guys is going to take it to the house on every punt return" a la Brandon Banks circa 2010?  It is nice to have that feeling again, and Roberts's 25 yard punt return set up the only score of the game for the Skins by giving them a 46 yard field to work with. 

Speaking of punting, how about Tress Way?  No, that is not another on-ramp project being built near Tysons Corner, he is the punter for your Washington Redskins.  His 49.2 yard punt average kept the Texans on their own end of the field when the Redskins offense could not get going in the first half.  This is a far cry from watching Sav Rocca, and his double chin, shank 15 yard punts from his own ten yard line.  I think we may finally have a challenger to Matt Turk's 99 Madden rating. 

The offense seemed to be clicking after the first quarter, and Griffin seemed to gain a more confidence as the game went on.  One needs to look no further than the third quarter stats.  Griffin threw for 123 of his 267 yards in the third quarter, and his touch on the Niles Paul fumble pass was exquisite.  Gruden was also able to mix the run and the pass with effectiveness in the third quarter, and credit needs to be given to the offensive execution after halftime.  Gruden also began moving the pocket for Griffin after the first quarter with the use of rollouts that kept the defense off balance, which allowed for the running game to open up. The offense did everything it needed to do to win the game, except score points, but their ineptitude at getting into the end zone should not be a prelude to an early Kirk Cousins appearance as the starter.  The offense played well enough to win, but the fact that they did not win leads to an analysis of the negatives

Negatives
Griffin has not learned how to maneuver in the pocket.  For all his athleticism, Griffin takes bad sacks in the pocket because he cannot avoid pressure in short spaces.  This is something that has plagued him his whole professional career, and it was on display against the Texans.  One sack came when he had DJ Swearinger bearing down on him and he did not throw the ball away.  One sack came when he chose to run outside the pocket and right into the pressure of three defenders, and the other came when he had JJ Watt pressuring him in full view from the right side and Griffin did not even attempt to avoid him.  I saw Colin Kaepernick yesterday avoid a sack from pressure that was behind him by stepping up in the pocket and throwing a 35 yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis.  Griffin does not have that kind of pocket awareness about him, and he needs to develop it if we want to have a more dynamic passing game.

For all the accolades bestowed upon the defense, they could not come through in the end, and their lauded front seven did not do much to unsettle Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Their only sack came when Fitzpatrick bobbled a snap, and there was no consistent pass rush throughout the game.  The Texans's lone touchdown pass came because Fitzpatrick had all day to let DeAndre Hopkins run across the field, and the last two drives of the game were extended because we could not get to the quarterback.  The defense kept us in the game with big stops, but it was not like we were playing Payton Manning either. The defense needed to get the stops at the end and they came up short. 

The glass is still half full
As frustrating as this loss was, there are still things to be optimistic about.  The biggest thing is that it is the first game.  The Redskins still have time to rectify these mistakes, and two big mistakes were the fumbles that cost the Redskins one score (you have to assume that one of the field goals they would have kicked, had they not fumbled, would have been blocked).  If the Redskins can clean up the red zone turnovers I see a Kai Forbath game winning field goal being set up by a questionable roughing the passer/illegal hands to the face penalty against the Jags.  If not, get ready for the Cousins fan club to start loading their guns in preparation for all out assault.  Hail to the Redskins, baby. 

Craft Beer of the Week (8/18)

The Craft Beer of the Week comes from the very familiar Heavy Seas Brewery in Baltimore, MD.  What may not be as familiar is their Cutlass Amber Lager, but it may be the best beer in their rotation.  It has a nice amber color that is accompanied by a refreshing crisp taste and a smooth malty flavor.  Good for any season, and better than the more common Loose Cannon, pick up a six pack of Cutlass if you're over 21 and enjoy all that Heavy Seas has to offer.  While you're at it, celebrate the Nats and their six game win streak as well.

Weekly Record: 6-0
Overall Record: 69-53
Standings: 1st in the NL East by 6 games over the Braves

The Nats swept both series this week against the Mets and Pirates to increase their lead in the NL East to six games, and they did so in a fashion that makes you think that this team may be building the moxy and resiliency it will need to make a long playoff run.  They won two games despite Rafael Soriano giving up a run in the bottom of the ninth with a two run lead, and they had two walk-off wins to end the week. One came on Saturday off of a Wilson Ramos double that drove in Bryce Harper.  The other came Sunday against the Pirates where the Nats squandered at 4-2 lead in the top of the ninth after Soriano gave up 3 runs in 0.2 innings.   Lucky for Soriano that Jayson Werth was feeling good enough to get on base to score both the tying run off of an Asdrubal Cabrera single, and the winning run off of a Scott Hairston sacrifice fly.  Wins are wins, though, and it is scary to think that they are on this streak without Werth or Ryan Zimmerman in the lineup. 

Happy firsts to Michael Taylor and Asdrubal Cabrera.  Taylor hit is first major league home run this week against the Mets on Tuesday, and Cabrera hit his first home run as a National the very next day.  Cabrera also hit .300 this week with a .391 OBP from the second spot in the lineup. Who was the genius who suggested that happen? It was Adam LaRoche, though, who came up big again this past week.  LaRoche hit two more home runs to go along with 6 RBI's, and his 7 walks gave him an OBP of .480 for the week.  Over the last 13 games LaRoche has hit 5 home runs and 10 RBI's.  If Harper can continue to hit 7 RBI's every week, and Ramos can hit .381 the rest of the way, that back half of the lineup gets to be as scary in real life as they are on paper.  And just think what will happen when Werth and Zimmerman come back into the regular rotation.  It would not be too shabby to have Cabrera come off the bench to add an incredible layer of depth to the infield. 

As I write this the Nats are in the top of the 11th inning against the Diamondbacks who have the bases loaded with no outs (C'mon Craig Stammen).  Lets hope they can come through and extend this win streak to seven games, and start this week's seven game home stand on a high note.

Craft Beer of the Week (8/4)

The Craft Beer of the Week comes from the Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri.  Their Double-Wide IPA is an awesome example of an IPA that has flavor other than just hops.  It has a bold sweet finish that is hinted at by the beer's medium caramel color, and it still has the hops for the IPA enthusiast.  Definitely worth a try for those who are looking for a new flavor of IPA, or for those who like a sweet taste to the beer without too much hops.  Double-Wide IPA is 8.5%, so be careful not to get caught up in the amazing taste of this beer.  Double-Wide is the theme for the Nationals this week as they doubled up positively in some areas and negatively in others.

Weekly Record: 3-4

Overall record: 60-49
Standings: 1st in NL East by 3.5 games over the Braves

The standings say it all.  Have a Double-Wide IPA to celebrate the Nats doubling their lead over the Braves in the NL East despite losing their first series post All-Star break to the Marlins, and having a week where they did not win at least one series since the week of May19th.  Hopefully you ordered a double-tall Double-Wide IPA this week whenever the bullpen was called up, because you probably needed the extra booze to ease the pain. The lauded Nationals bullpen threw 16 innings this week,  gave up 14 earned runs, blew a 6-2 lead after the 7th inning in Miami that lead to Rafael Soriano's fourth blown save of the season (where he gave up four earned runs in 0.1 innings), and generally not throwing well enough to support the Nationals starters who gave up 2 or less earned runs in six of the seven games this week.  Tyler Clippard cannot be expected to carry the bullpen for 50 more games, so the bullpen needs to come alive again.  Finally, have a Double-Wide IPA to celebrate Jordan Zimmerman's 50th career win in an 11-0 drubbing of the Phillies, to send off Zach Walters to Cleveland for new second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera and to wish Ryan Zimmerman an undisclosed amount of time for his speedy recovery.  Cabrera had a tough time this week at the plate (2 for 13), but he made some nice plays in the field that causes less worry about Zimmerman's timetable for return.

The Nats hitters had a rough five game stretch between the Marlins series and the first two games of the Philly series.  Through those five games they were 1-4, being outscored 15-25, and hitting .219 as a team. They finally pulled their heads out of their asses for the last two games to earn a split with the Phillies in dominant fashion with two shutout wins (11-0 and 4-0) and hitting .298 during those two games.  The Nats continued their dominance when scoring four or more runs as well.  The Nats are now 51-6 when scoring four or more runs and 9-43 when scoring less than four runs.  All the more reason to bring in a 40 RBI hitter like Cabrera to boost the offense while Zimmerman is away, and to read the riot act to the bullpen to not lose some of these close games.  Finally, the two hottest Nats this week have a win/loss stat all to themselves.  Denard Span and Anthony Rendon both scored runs in the win against the Phillies on Sunday, which makes the Nats 32-2 this year when both Span and Rendon cross home plate in the same game.  Lucky for the Nats that Span had his third consecutive week of having an OBP above .400, he has reached base in 29 consecutive games (the longest streak in MLB), and he had five more stolen bases this week to give him 23 for the season.  Rendon hit .300 this week, including four doubles, and had an OBP of .343.  A message to Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche: Span and Rendon will get on base, you need to get these guys home.  Finally, credit needs to be given to Danny Espinosa and Bryce Harper for having a quietly productive week.  Espinosa went 5-14 with 3 RBI's and was 2-5 with runners in scoring position.  Harper was not so hot with runners in scoring position (1-8), but he quietly hit .318 this week with 3 outfield assists and had an OBP of .375.  The front of the order maybe getting the spotlight, but if these guys can keep it up in the back end the Nats will be a formidable opponent come September/October.

A huge NL East week coming up as the Nats host the Mets for three games before going to Atlanta for a season defining series.  If the Nats can go into Atlanta and up their lead to 4 or 5 games over the Braves this week it may start putting the Braves on the hot seat with only 45 games left.  It all starts with a make up game against the Orioles so lets hop the Nats can put more distance between them and the rest of the NL East this week.

Craft Beer of the Week (7/28)

Since the Nationals have been away all week, I figured I could fight the homesickness by giving them a taste of home for the Craft Beer of the Week.  It comes from Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland.  It is called Agave Cerveza and it is the perfect summer beer. It has a light body with a lime taste to it, but not in a way that feels like you're drinking rancid lime soda like a Bud Light Lime.  The agave gives it a nice bitter sweet flavor to go along with the lime to make it a nice tasty beverage.  The refreshing taste, along with the 4.3% alcohol content, means that you should enjoy this beer as a nice summer refresher on hot barbecue days.  Get this beer while you can, though, as it is in limited release.  If you miss this beer make sure to try Flying Dog's Gonzo Porter, or another limited release made by Flying Dog and Evolution Brewery called Natural Selection Ale.  The Nationals may not need any tastes of home as they completed a successful road trip this past week.

Weekly Record: 4-2
Overall Record: 57-45
Standings: 1st place in NL East, 1.5 games ahead of Braves

This was an interesting week for the Nationals in terms of style of play.  The beginning of the week saw the Nationals in  Colorado where they faced one of the worst team ERA pitching staffs in the league.  They proceeded to hit .290 or better in all three games, and they needed it because the Nats' pitching staff had a relatively mediocre performance.  Jordan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg both gave up four earned runs in their starts against the Rockies, but Zimmerman was lucky enough to get the run support.  Strasburg was not so lucky, which gives him a 4-6 record with a 4.28 ERA in June and July, and he has lost 6 of his last 8 starts.  Couple that with the fact that he is 1-5 in his last 6 starts against teams with winning records (his last win against a winning team was June 9th against the Giants) and it may be time for the Nats to start getting him in the right frame of mind if they expect to make the playoffs.  But overall the Nats took two out of three games from the Rockies, and they had a chance to win the third game in the bottom of the ninth. The Reds series was quite different.

The Nats faced a much tougher pitching staff in Cincinnati and the hitting stats showed it.  The last two games in the series saw the Nats hit .148 and .161, respectively, but instead of beating the tar out of the ball the Nats were able to win on solid pitching and by getting on base.  The Nats starters (Tanner Roark, Gio Gonzalez, and Doug Fister) gave up a combined 2 ER through the entire series, and the only regular starters who had below .300 OBP this week were Adam LaRoche (.286 OBP) and Ryan Zimmerman who went on the 15 day DL after two games.  Even though they were more patient this series, the Nats still look out of sorts when trying to manufacture runs in tight games.  The second game in this series was a text book example of this manufacturing anxiety.  The Nats were down 1-0 with a chance to tie in the 9th with Ian Desmond taking a rare walk in the opening at bat.  Matt Williams decides to bunt with Bryce Harper (Cue Jimmy Dugan), who was already having a horrendous game running the bases, and who proceeded to pull up on a bunt that got Desmond thrown out stealing 2nd.  Harper struck out looking on the next pitch, Ramos struck out looking on the next at bat, and a great start from Gio Gonzalez went for naught. The Nats did come back the next day to win 4-1 on only five hits, but there needs to be more prudence in tight games.

Raise your hand if you had Tanner Roark and Doug Fister being the first two 10 game winners for the Nats, and Fister having the best ERA (2.69) of all the starters through the month of July.  Right.  If we can get Strasburg and Zimmerman back on track we may not need Denard Span to hit .434 and have a .551 OBP every week.  Span had the best hitting week of anyone by far and has silenced the detractors who were saying he should be replaced as our lead off hitter.  Keep it up Denard.  And kudos to Danny Espinosa for breaking his 0-26 slump by going 4-14 this week with 2 RBI's and a stolen base. 

The Nats continue their road trip in Miami for three games before coming home for a four game stint against the Phillies this week.  Hopefully they can pick up a few more games on the Braves who will be in California all week to face the Padres and Dodgers.  So all you 21 and overs go get some Agave Cerveza to celebrate another week atop the NL East. 

Craft Beer of the Week (7/21)

A strong welcome back from the All-Star break is in order for the Craft Beer of the Week.  It comes from the Weyerbacher Brewery in Easton, Pennsylvania and it is called Blithering Idiot.  The beer lives up to it's name by having an 11.1% alcohol content so be careful when drinking it lest yee wishes to become a blithering idiot.  Do not let the potency dissuade you from trying a really good beer that is sweet to the taste, smooth going down, and gets you tipsy in no time flat.  Please drink it responsibly while you celebrate a fruitful, although abbreviated, week for the Washington Nationals.

Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 53-43
Standing: Tied for 1st in the NL East with the Braves

The Nationals proved they can hang with the tops of the National League by taking two of three from the Brewers this weekend.  They had two hard fought games, and one that they ran away with, but it is good to see them come out on top in a series that was being heralded as a possible playoff matchup.  There was still some All-Star hangover for some, especially the pitching staff.  Gio Gonzalez's missed flight back from the All-Star break translated into three earned runs in three and a third innings yesterday which gave him an early exit.  Rafael Soriano blew his third save of the year yesterday when he gave up a tying run in the top of the ninth, and Stephen Strasburg picked up his fifth loss in seven appearances on Friday.  The Nats didn't necessarily give Strasburg the necessary run support going 1-10 with runners in scoring position, but this is the third time Strasburg has given up 4ER or more in his last seven starts.  Over those seven starts he has a 4.64 ERA, so it may not be time to push the panic button but it is cause for concern. 

Luckily, the Nats bats were cracking in this series.  The Nats hit .327 as a team for the series and they got 11 or more hits in every game.  Jayson Werth continues to show his clutch hitting with a walk off double to win the game on Sunday, and Ryan Zimmerman's performance this series proves why he gets paid the big bucks.  He was 6-12 with 5 RBI's, 1 HR, 2-3 RISP, and a .500 OBP. Keep it up Zimm.  It was also a pleasant return for Bryce Harper and Denard Span.  Harper went 5-10, Span wen 7-13, and both of their OBP's were above .500.  With Werth and Zimmerman hitting as well as they are, and with Ian Desmond continuing to drive in runs every time he makes contact (3 more RBI's this week to give him 60 for the season), it is good to see that these guys can have Span and Harper on base to make their hitting more damaging to the opposition.  The one hitter that may need a little more time to get back in the groove is Anthony Rendon.  Rendon followed up the All-Star snub buzz with a 1-14 performance against the Brewers.  If Span is getting on base at the rate he is going, we need Rendon to return to form. 

It is only a three game sample, and the Nats still find themselves in first place in the NL East, so no reason to panic yet., but the NL Wildcard situation should give us motivation to keep pace with the Braves.  There are now four teams tied for the NL Wildcard: Washington, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco; Two teams that are a half game back (Milwaukee and St. Louis); One team that is two games back (Pittsburgh); and one that is three games back (Cincinnati).  That leaves 8 teams for two wildcard spots.  Lets keep it going this week on the road against Colorado and Cincinnati and put some distance between us and the rest of the NL.

Grunfeld Gives Porter the Truth

          The signing of Paul Pierce has caused a mass hysteria of conjecture here in DC.  Pierce’s arrival, coupled with Trevor Ariza’s departure to the salary tax Shangri-La that is Houston, had Wizards fans immediately assessing whether or not Pierce could replace Ariza’s production on both ends of the court.  Once they figured out that Ariza had the best statistical season of his career last year (35.4 min, 14.4 pts, 6.2 reb, 2.5 asst.), and Pierce had his worst (28.0 min, 13.5 pts, 4.6 reb, 2.4 asst.), and they were more or less identical with Pierce averaging seven less minutes per game, people became a little less anxious.  But that was merely prima facie analysis used to provide instant fodder for the talking heads.  Wizards fans began to do their best Dave Kujan impression when the bigger picture came into focus.  Pierce’s contract allowed the Wizards to offer Kevin Durant a max contract in two years.  The Homecoming Part 2 set in DC starring Kevin Durant was already being written and it was all thanks to the Paul Pierce signing.  Pierce’s signing, though, may have more intangible significance to this team in the short term, especially in the development of Otto Porter.  Porter saw limited time last season due to injury and an unexpected boon of small forward talent on the roster, but Pierce could provide Porter with the tutelage he needs to become a key contributor to the Wizards in the future. 

          This idea of Pierce being a mentor to Otto Porter comes from the fact that they have similar styles of play.  Both are well rounded players who use basketball IQ rather than raw athleticism to break down their opponents.  Evidence of this can be seen in their sophomore year stats at Kansas and Georgetown.  Comparing stats between these two players is hard due to Porter’s small professional sample size and Pierce playing a third year of college ball that made his career stats at Kansas more imposing, but a comparison of their sophomore year stats looks like this:

   Pierce = 28.1 min, 48.8 FG%, 16.3 pts, 6.8 reb , 2.1 asst

   Porter = 35.4 min, 48.0 FG%, 16.2 pts, 7.5 rebs, 2.7 asst

 These stats are nearly identical except for the minutes, and within those minutes is where Pierce’s mentorship could help Otto Porter.  The knock on Porter has been that he can be too passive at times and waste offensive possessions because he has trouble creating scoring chances.  Passive has never been a word to describe Paul Pierce.  It is that fierce competitiveness coupled with Pierce’s ability to create his own shots, both off the dribble and in the post, that can help Otto Porter develop into the player the Wizards expected when they drafted him third overall in 2013.  Their similar style of play may allow for a small learning curve that can allow Otto Porter to emulate Pierce’s ability to create his own shot, create chances off the dribble, and draw fouls in the post.  This mentorship opportunity is what Ernie Grunfeld may have had in mind when he pursued Pierce in the first place.

          It is nice to have a small forward that can fill the void left by Trevor Ariza, and it is nice to save future cap space to try and sign Durant in 2016, but having Paul Pierce as a mentor in invaluable.  Grunfeld knows that he needs Otto Porter to be a part of the long term plan for the Washington Wizards.  That entails having Porter evolve as a basketball player, and who better to facilitate that evolution than a player with an identical playing style, superior skills, and a wealth of NBA wisdom to impart on the young mind of Otto Porter.  Paul Pierce’s narrative in Washington is already being linked to whether or not he can adequately fill Trevor Ariza’s shoes (and doesn’t that seem insulting to someone like Paul Pierce?).  What the narrative should be is whether or not he can help Otto Porter become a more complete basketball player by helping him develop a more dynamic offensive game.  If Pierce fails to do this in the next two years, there’s always a chance we can get Kevin Durant to come home. 

Craft Beer of the Week (7/14)

The Craft Beer of the Week comes from California, and it is a dandy of an amber ale.  It is the Red Rocket Ale from Bear Republic Brewing Company.  The color in the picture says it all, and the smooth sweet taste will make you forget that you paid about $15 for the six pack.  It is definitely worth a try, as are all the other beers that Bear Republic produces, so break one open if you are over 21 for the Nats finishing the first half of the season tied for first with the Braves. 

 

 

Weekly Record: 4-3
Overall Record: 51-42
Standing: tied for first place in the NL East with the Braves

The Nationals are exactly where they want to be at the All-Star break; Tied for first in the NL East, although this week saw its ups and downs.  The bullpen got hammered in a few games, giving up six runs in the top of the 11th to Baltimore last Monday and failing to bail out Jordan Zimmerman on Friday when he left the game with arm pain.  More specifically, Craig Stammen got hammered this week giving up 9 hits and 7 earned runs in only 4 innings of performance.  The Nationals still have the lowest team ERA in all of baseball, but Stammen needs to buck up after the All Star break.  Luckily, the Nats had another great outing from Rafael Soriano who made sure that Ryan Zimmerman's 2-out RBI in the top of the 10th on Saturday became the game winning hit by picking up his 22nd save of the year.  Soriano's ERA is now 0.97, and that will be greatly appreciated as the Nats enter the second half of the season.

The Nationals' hitting also saw its ups and downs as well.  Their weekly average got bailed out yesterday in a 10-3 win over the Phillies where they hit .324 as a team, but that could only bring up their weekly average to a paltry .224.  The Nats were also hitting 6-35 with runners in scoring position throughout the week, until yesterday when they went 6-7.  Adam LaRoche and Bryce Harper have been the main batting average killers this week going 3-24 and 2-19, and Wilson Ramos went 0-6 this week with runners in scoring position.  These three players combined to hit 1-13 with runners in scoring position, which comprised a third of the Nationals RISP at bats this week.  We could have used some of those runs, especially when Ramos flies out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles.  Not all was lost this week, however.  Jayson Werth hit 4 home runs and had 10 RBI's this week.  Werth has now hit as many home runs in July (6),as he has the rest of the season.  Ryan Zimmerman's aforementioned game winning hit on Saturday was a huge two out at bat, and Anthony Rendon continues to make the case for Nationals fans to complain about the All Star voting.  Rendon had the highest weekly batting average on the team (.346) to go along with 3 RBI's, 7 runs scored, and an OBP of .392.

The Nats don't play again until Friday when they start a three game series against the Brewers, so enjoy a Red Rocket Ale on your days off, boys, and come back ready to keep pace with the Braves. 

 

Craft Beer of the Week (7/7)

The craft beer of the week is a homegrown Maryland beer.  It is the Lucky 7 Porter from Evolution Brewery in Salisbury.  You will be hard pressed to find a better dark beer for the price.  Although it is not a light summer beer it is worth a try when eating any type of red meat.  It has a nice rich taste without being too heavy, and it is flavorful without losing the sense that you are drinking a beer and not some rancid milkshake.  Support Evolution Brewery if you are over 21, and open one up to celebrate the evolution that Nationals seem to be going through.

Weekly Record: 5-1
Overall Record: 48-39
Standings: .5 games behind Atlanta for first in the NL East

The Nationals found themselves in the midst of a five game win streak this week, and they have won seven of their last eight games.  Unfortunately, they are still a half game back of the Braves who had their nine game win streak broken on Sunday by the Diamondbacks.  This week saw a little bit of everything, which makes us hope that these wins are building character within the clubhouse.  The Nats won in a 13-0 drubbing against the Cubs on Saturday, they had to come from down 3-0 to beat the Rockies on Wednesday, and they were able to win a pitching duel 2-1 on Sunday in the bottom of the 8th on a 2 out double.  A big reason for this new found resiliency could be the new lineup with a familiar face that came back this week.

The Nats bats came alive with the return of Bryce Harper.  Harper only went 4 for 21 with a team high 9 strikeouts, but he adds an element to the lineup that allowed the Nats to have one of their best team offensive performances of the season.  They out scored the Rockies and Cubs 35-13 while hitting .302 as a team, and .369 with runners in scoring position.  The Rockies and Cubs are not necessarily the class of the National League, and the Nats had trouble with the bats on Sunday when they faced a tough pitcher in Jake Arrieta, but the big guns have come alive in a big way.  Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman brought the wood this week.  Werth went 9 for 20 with 2 HR, 9 RBI, and he hit .625 with runners in scoring position.  Zimmerman continues to come up big hitting 11 for 21 with 6 RBI's, three of which came with two outs, and one that gave the Nats the lead in the bottom of the 8th against the Cubs on Sunday.  Ian Desmond hit over .400 this week and now leads all MLB shortstops with 53 RBI's.  This overview would not be complete without mentioning Gio Gonzalez who got his third win in four appearances this week, and he has now pitched 22 consecutive scoreless innings. 

This week was really about who performed the least best.  Adam LaRoche cooled off a bit this week only hitting 3 for 21, but he got his 12th HR of the season against the Rockies.  Tanner Roark gave up 4 ER for the second straight appearance and received the only pitching loss of the week.  The Nats just need to keep the bats hot as they split a four game series with the Orioles this week before going on a three game road trip to Philly.  This will be the last week before the All-Star break, so lets hope the Nats finally break the Braves and go on break in first place. 

Craft Beer of the Week (6/30)

Another West Coast gem headlines our Craft Beer of the Week.  It is the Drop Top Amer Ale from the Widmer Brothers Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon.  It has a great amber color to go along with a smooth taste, and unlike my other suggestions this one is relatively affordable at around $10-12 for a six-pack.  Have it with you this Fourth of July weekend, or try any other Widmer products because these guys rarely miss on great beer.

Weekly Record: 4-3
Overall record: 43-38
Standings: .5 games behind the Braves for 1st in NL East

The Nats are a half game back of the Braves after being off on Sunday and because they refuse to keep any lead over the Braves for more than a week.  They opened up the Brewers series with two great starts from Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman and a bullpen performance that had them go a combined 13 innings with 0 ER.  The Nats then proceeded to lose their next three straight games, two to the lowly Cubs.  In those three losses their starters gave up 14 ER in 16 combined innings, including a 4.2IP, 7ER performance from Stephen Strasburg.  The Nats cannot afford stretches like that, especially when their team BA this week was .209.  The Nats still came out on the winning end this week, and winning both a 16 inning marathon in Milwaukee and sweeping the Cubs in a double header on Saturday gives fans hope that this team has enough character to carry them through the summer.

Paste a cut out of Adam Laroche and Gio Gonzalez next to the Amber Ale Dog because they were cruising this week.  Laroche hit .333 this week with 3 home runs (11 for the season), 7 RBI's, and hitting .333 with runners in scoring position.  Gio got two wins in his two starts where he combined for 13IP, 5H, 0ER, 12K.  It was also a week of firsts for the Nats, so all you 21 & overs crack open a Drop Top for Ryan Zimmerman's first home run this week since April 11th, Ross Detwiler's first career save, and Wilson Ramos's first game back since June 10th.  Ramos went 4 for 10 in his two starts and hitting his second home run of the season.  A nice change of pace from Jose Lobaton who went 0 for 14 this week, and 1 for 26 in Ramos's absence.  Please keep Ramos healthy.  Finally, big ups to Nate McClouth who started both games in the double header for Werth (Game 1) and Span (Game 2) and hit 4 for 7 with 2 doubles and scoring 2 runs.

After being on the road all week the Nationals finally come home for an eight game home stand.  They will host the Rockies and Cubs this week, and they'll prepare for the Battle of the Beltway next week as they host the Orioles.  There may even be a Bryce Harper sighting as Matt Williams has stated they are hopeful he comes back this week.  The burning question is, who will he replace?  The Zimmerman project in left field has proved serviceable at least and there is talk of sitting Span to get Bryce's bat back in the lineup, but there is a more radical option that may prove more lucrative on the offensive side.  Sit Danny Espinoza.  Espinoza is hitting .217 for the season and has only hit .169 over the last three weeks, and he went 0 for 18 this past week with 11 strikeouts.  Sit Espinoza, move Rendon to second base, put Harper in left field, and have Ryan Zimmerman go back to third.  It is a defensive gamble considering Zimmerman's recent history at third, but it puts more power in the lineup and could prove to be a useful combination if the Nats find themselves in an offensive hole later in the season.  Think of having a line up that has, in no particular order other than they would hit consecutively, Rendon, Werth, Harper, LaRoche, Zimmerman, Ramos.  Who can you pitch around? I say sit Danny Espinoza and see how bad of a hit our defense takes with moving Zimmerman back to third.  It is not what he wants, but it may prove better for the Nationals who have been prone to offensive lulls this season.  It will be interesting to see what Matt Williams does if Harper comes back this week, but whatever he ends up doing lets hope it gets us back in first place.

Craft Beer of the Week (6/23)

The craft beer of the week comes to you all the way from Maui Brewing Company in Hawaii.  Their Bikini Blonde Lager not only has a really cool looking can, but it is also an amazing summer beer.  It has a great taste, light body, and it is quite the refreshing beverage for all you 21 & over folks who like to have a beer or two out on the deck on a nice summer day.  You're going to need to get your wallet out for this one.  A six pack will run you about $15-20 because all of it comes from Maui, but trust me it is worth a taste every now and then.  Bring it to a party and you will instantly win the respect of your peers, or keep it for yourself and let it be a reminder that you are better than everyone else.  Whatever you do, make sure you crack one open for the Nats who find themselves in first place in the NL East.

Weekly Record: 4-2
Overall Record: 39-35
Standings: 1.5 games ahead of Atlanta for NL East lead

The team ended the week on a huge high note.  The two wins against Houston were hard fought, having to come from behind in one and nearly blowing the lead in the other.  After those games the Nats were in first by 1.5 games, but two consecutive losses to the Braves put them back at square one.  Huge starts from Doug Fister (who has won 6 of last 7 starts and given up two or fewer runs in 7 of 9 appearances)  and Tanner Roark in the next two gave the Nats the split in the series and sole possession of first in the NL East.  Hopefully the two wins give the Nats confidence that they can beat the Braves going forward.  The Nats are still 3-7 against their NL East nemesis this season, and they had dropped five straight to the Braves before these two wins.

It also would not be a complete week for the Nationals if they did not waste another gem from Jordan Zimmerman.  In the Nationals 3-0 loss to the Braves, Zimmerman went 7 IP, 2 ER, 6 K while the Nats could only hit 3 for 28.  For those of you keeping score at home, in Zimmerman's last two starts he has gone 15 IP, 3 ER, 11K, 2 BB while the team has been shutout both times while hitting 5 for 57 (.087).  How about some run support for Zimm, right Jayson Werth? Werth was the main culprit this week hitting 2 for 23 and 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position while striking out 12 times.  Jerry Blevins hopped on the down elevator this week as well, and blemished what was a fairly strong outing for the bullpen.  Blevins went 2.2 IP and gave up 3 ER including the two that would win it for the Braves in 13 innings on Friday.  He has given up at least one ER in his last 3 appearances, so lets hope he can get back on track.

Good news came from Denard Span and Anthony Rendon this week.  Span hit .400 this week with five extra base hits, 3 of 6 with runners in scoring position, three RBI's, and he had three stolen bases.  Rendon went on a tear this week hitting .360 with 8 RBI's (4 RBI's coming with 2 outs), 6 extra base hits including two home runs, one game tying 2 run homer in the ninth inning, and going 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position. These two provide a nice one-two punch at the beginning of the lineup that could be helped by Werth getting back on track.  Also good news that Wilson Ramos is back in Double A and is expected to be back this week.  That is a good thing too when Jose Lobaton and Sandy Leon combined to go 2 for 20 this week.

Ramos will be needed as the Nats are on the road all this week.  A tough three game series in Milwaukee will be followed by a four game series in Chicago that will feature a double header on Saturday, which sounds like a perfect time to enjoy a Bikini Blonde Lager responsibly.  So enjoy the feeling of first place and hopefully the Nats can extend their lead this week.

On the Public Relations Warpath

     Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins organization have handled this name change debate rather poorly.  Every time they have come to a fork in the road they have taken the road less traveled, and these roads are not the noble ones Robert Frost was talking about.  From publicly stating that the name will never be changed, to trotting out Native American representatives with dubious resumes to justify the non-racial slur connotation of “Redskin”, to openly defying congressional suggestions to change the name, Daniel Snyder has put himself in the position of Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burns in a fire he created and continues to fuel.  Public relations has never been Dan Snyder’s strong suit, but this name change debate conclusively illustrates that Dan Snyder does not care that he is despised by pretty much every human being with a pulse at this moment.  HogsHaven points out the consequences his actions have had on the changing of the Redskins name, and it is worth a read to highlight what keeping the name means at this moment and who is really on that side of the debate.  Despite all of this negativity coming down on Snyder and the organization, however, they can still win the PR battle.  With only a few minor changes, Dan Snyder can silence all of his critics’ rebuttals and pay his penance to the public and fan base for this egregious handling of the name change debate.  Please note that most of these are not my original ideas, but I hope the combination of these ideas are the way the team chooses to go.

1) Keep the color scheme and the logo

            This will soften the blow to the significant part of the fan base that thinks the name should not be changed.  Everyone loves the burgundy and gold, and I would hate to have to change that color scheme and wear some heinous concoction that some marketing “wizard” comes up with.  The Washington football team, whatever we end up being called, should forever be burgundy and gold.

            We can also keep the logo because that is not up for debate in the lawsuit being brought forth by Amanda Blackhorse.  The court decision was on the trademarking of the name “Redskins”, but the logo can still be trademarked.  Keep the logo and you win over more of the fan base, and it sets up the next two possibilities for Dan Snyder to win this argument

2) Change the name to the “Warriors”

            I must admit that I first heard this on the Sport Junkies radio show, and I’m sure that others came up with it before then, but changing the name to the “Warriors” while keeping the same logo and color scheme gives Snyder the high ground.  Snyder can brand it as an homage to the Native Americans who were the first “Warriors” of this country and who need to be remembered for their bravery in the face of tyranny and oppression.  He can say that we should never forget the injustices that were committed towards Native Americans in the past, and that this new team will serve as a beacon that will illuminate the sins of our past so we may create a brighter future for the Native American people.  He could set up charities and organizations to help the Native American community.  He could publicly entertain Native American leaders at Fed Ex field and turn this into a positive for him and the organization.  He can also use the name to honor the men and women of the Armed Forces (this idea came directly from the Sports Junkies).  Think about it; the team in the Nation’s Capital honoring those who defend this country with a rebranded name. 

            Who could argue against keeping the logo and color scheme now? I’m sure there will be many who say that Snyder is doing this to build his image back up from being a borderline racist, but now those people look cynical and inconsiderate of the Native Americans and those who fight in the Armed Forces.  Not exactly the most popular stance to take, and Snyder could reference that point every time someone decides to call him out on this PR move.   “Oh, I guess you do not support our troops?”, or “Maybe the plight of the Native American people is just a gimmick to you, but it is serious to us”.  As long as Snyder is committed to this idea the haters will slowly go away and his image will improve with time.  If he is not good with this idea, there is another solution that may win over most people.

3) Have no name at all

            This is somewhat of a Prince move, but keep the colors and logo and have no nickname.  Using the logo will open the door to say this move is out of respect for the Native Americans and to keep their legacy and struggle in the forefront of American culture like the “Warriors” idea, but it can also be used to galvanize the Washington area.  Snyder can do this by replacing the word “Redskins” with “Washington” on all organizational apparel and merchandise, and he can brand it as being a move for the Washington DC area.  He could say something like:

            “This football team has been a unifying force for this city for over 75 years, and everyone who has lived in this area knows that the name symbolizes a community coming together to support a common interest.  This team transcended all boundaries of social stratification to create a positive experience for everyone in this city regardless of how good or bad the times were.  The fans of this team knew that the name was not a symbol of hate, but it was a moniker that brought people together in joyous celebration of what has become an American tradition.  Football.  But over the years, the outside focus on the negative connotation of this word has grown to a point that cannot be ignored by anyone, especially myself (Dan Snyder) and the leaders of this organization.  We understand that the name conjures feelings of hate and bigotry in members of the Native American community, and we cannot continue to put our fans in the position of being perceived as racists simply for wearing the name of their favorite team that has meant something positive to them for their entire lives.  We also understand that this team has been a part of three generations of fans living in this area, and to use a different name would be turning our backs on the one tradition this city has been able rally around since FDR was in office.  That is why I (Dan Snyder) and the leaders of this organization have decided to adopt no name for our organization.  In this way we can carry on the tradition that we have always known, while moving forward with a respectful representation of the Native American community that has felt marginalized by the use of a term they felt was demeaning towards their people.  We will keep the logo in remembrance of the legacy and struggles the Native American people have had to endure to make this country what it is today, and to create a partnership that will help them continue to create a positive story for their people in the future.  We will keep the logos and colors to honor the tradition that has been Washington football for over 75 years.  Not having a nickname now puts the focus on what this team was, and always has been, about.  The fans and the people of this city.  We will forever be the burgundy and gold, and we are Washington Football.”

Cue Agent Smith.  This speech would hit a home run.  It will rally the fan base, something Snyder has never done, and it would put the idea that this team was about unity to the forefront of the argument.  He could also continue to hit that point home, that this is about the Washington community, and give this area a sense of self.  Everyone always says how transient this area is and how it has no identity.  This move could give the fan base an identity it has never had before, and a sense of unity that could make it stronger than ever before.

I implore Dan Snyder to take this PR advice but I know he won’t.  He’ll continue on his litigious warpath that will alienate everyone, including the fan base, until he perceives to get whatever delusional reward he has in mind as the end game to this scenario.  Thanks Dan, and keep up the “good?” work.

Craft Beer of the Week (6/16)

The SweetDCSports Craft beer of the week comes from the Six Point Brewery out of New York.  Their Bengali Tiger is a great beer for the summer with a crisp hoppy taste that has just enough citrus flavor to set it apart from the rest.  It usually comes in a 4-pack of 16 ounce cans but try to savor it in a pint glass if you can.  Everything from Six Point is worth a try, so take a look at their website to check some out for yourself.  I recommend the Righteous Ale and Resin.  Please remember that the tiger is an endangered animal so please do not drink these to an excess and never drink and drive.

 It seems the Nats may have cracked open the Bengali Tiger a little too early last week.  After taking three straight from the NL leading San Francisco Giants, the Nats lost their next four in a row including three in St Louis.  In their three wins the Nats outscored the Giants 17-5, but in their four losses they were outscored 4-17 including a 1-0 shutout loss in St. Louis that wasted a Jordan Zimmerman 8 IP 1ER performance.  Their abysmal performance in St. Louis brought their weekly batting average down to .230 and they only batted .214 with runners in scoring position.  Against the Cardinals, the Nats were 2-13 with runners in scoring position.  When all was said and done the Nats position in the NL looks like this:

Weekly Record: 3-4
Overall Record: 35-33
Standings:  1 game behind Atlanta in the NL East

Break out the Bengali Tigers for Jason Werth who lit it up this past week.  Werth hit .269 with 8 RBI (4 of which came with 2 outs in the inning), 2 outfield assists with one being a throw out at home in a 2-1 win over the Giants, one stolen base, and he hit his 6th HR of the season.  Werth's average was only outdone by Jose Lobaton and Wilson Ramos who went 5-11 and 4-8 respectively.  They also accounted for 5 of the 21 runs scored this past week so maybe Werth can take two Bengali Tigers and give the others to his solid catchers.

After an amazing week last week, Denard Span came down to Earth.  He had a great first game against the Giants, and proceeded to go 0-20 the rest of the week.  Not exactly what you want out of your lead-off hitter.  The people who Matt Williams should feed to the Bengali Tigers at the National Zoo on the Nats's Day off today should be Ryan Zimmerman and Danny Espinosa.  Zimmerman went 3-27 over the week.  Espinosa managed to strikeout in 9 of his 20 at bats this week, plus only getting 3 hits and 3 walks.

The Nats better get right this week and end this four game skid.  The Astros come to town for 2 games before a four game home stint with our NL east nemesis, the Atlanta Braves.  Jordan Zimmerman will kick off this pivotal series where the Nats can regain sole possession of first place in the NL East if they play well, so pick up some Bengali Tigers this week and hopefully we will be toasting them to a fist place standing come next Monday.

  

Craft Beer of the Week

In honor of Nationals Park selling craft beers this season and because there is nothing more American than summer, beer, and baseball, SweetDCSports is covering the Nationals this summer by giving you the SweetDCSports craft beer of the week.  These are beers that I like so individual satisfaction is not guaranteed.  Finally, please drink responsibly, don't drink and drive, and only enjoy these beers if you are over 21.

This week's beer is Boont Amber Ale from Anderson Valley Brewing Company.  In my opinion it is the best beer on

the planet.  It has good hops with a nice smooth/sweet finish, and it still tastes like beer at the end.  If my public service announcement at the beginning did not deter you from drinking to excess then maybe the $15-$20 price tag for a Boont six pack will do the trick.  Trust me, though, it is worth it and if you shop around you can find it for around $10.  Boont will come in handy as the Nats take on the best team in baseball this week, the San Francisco Giants, but here's a look at how they fared last week.

Weekly Record: 5-2
Standings: Tied for first in NL East with Atlanta and Miami

Team Stats
The Nats went on a heater this past week, outscoring their opponents by a margin of 34-10 while hitting .254 as a team.

A Boont Amber Ale toast to Denard Span and Jordan Zimmerman.  Span hit .343 this past week including four doubles, 2 stolen bases, six runs scored, and 2 RBIs.  Not too shabby for your lead off hitter, and it is fantastic when you can couple that with the games Jordan Zimmerman had this week.  In his two starts, Zimmerman went 2-0 including a complete game shutout against the Padres where he also truck out twelve and gave up only two hits.  Zimmerman is slated to get the start Friday in St. Louis, so here's hoping that the rest of the pitching staff can follow the example he set this past week.

Someone who should lay off the Boont while in California is Wilson Ramos.  Not the best week for Ramos as he went 4 of 19 in five starts with four strikeouts and he left eight runners on base.   He'll need to get back on track if the Nats are to come out of this week's road trip to San Francisco and St. Louis still in first place in the NL East.

The Nats are in first, however, so enjoy some Boont Amber Ale responsibly if you're over 21 and GO NATS!