Baseball in D.C.

For the past two years, the Big Donkey has been grazing all across the Nationals Park grass, whether in the outfield corner or down the 1^st base line. Nearly two full seasons after signing a 20 million deal with the Nats, Dunn’s contract is set to expire at the end of 2010, which begs the question, should the Nationals re-up with an extension or is it time to let the Donkey roam free?Over the course of his Major League Baseball career, Dunn has been impressively productive at the plate. Since his breakout season in 2004, in which he ballooned his long ball total from a previous high of 27 all the way up to 46, Dunn has never managed fewer than 38 dingers over the past 7 seasons. He has been a model of consistency with the bat, swatting exactly 40 home runs in 4 straight seasons from 2005 to 2008, dropping off the torrent pace by just 2 in his first year with the Nationals. Sure, he has been rated as the worst fielder in baseball, but when signing Adam Dunn, it’s not as if a team doesn’t know what they’re getting into. Read the rest of this entry »

Nyjer Morgan has been suspended 7 games by MLB officials, a penalty he will appeal, for hurling a baseball at a Philadelphia Phillies towards the end of a game in which the Nationals actually bested the Phillies 8 to 1. Granted, you probably shouldn’t pelt hard objects at ticket-buying customers, unless of course upon request, in support of Nyjer Morgan, it’s been a long season in the nation’s capital, better yet, a long tenure. Let’s take a look at Morgan’s best possible defenses. He could claim ignorance, saying, “Mr. Selig, it’s been a while since we we’d scored 8 runs, I simply didn’t know it was inappropriate to throw baseballs at fans,” or maybe try to sell that he was just a follower, claiming, “I saw Strasburg go on the Disabled List after throwing a baseball and I figured if I gave it a try, maybe I wouldn’t have to play for the next 12 months either?” Of course he could just be honest, admitting “Sir, I know what I did was wrong, but I’ve spent my 5 MLB seasons with the Pirates and Nationals, isn’t that punishment enough?” In all seriousness, baseball in Washington D.C. may have reached an all time low, and through nearly 6 seasons of cellar-dwelling with nothing but 5^th place division finishes to show for it, that’s really saying something. Read the rest of this entry »