2012 media power rankings

[daaskins]

Grantland

7. Washington Nationals, 7-3 (39 RS, 27 RA) (Last week: 10)

First place in the NL East and the best run prevention in the senior circuit … but it all feels a little fleeting. Drew Storen's visit to Dr. James Andrews didn't result in Tommy John surgery, but a procedure to remove bone fragments from his right elbow will likely keep the Nats closer out until the All-Star break. You can recover from the loss of a short reliever, especially when you've got a fireballer like Henry Rodriguez hitting triple digits in Storen's stead.

The bigger problem is Mike Morse getting shut down for at least six weeks (and very possibly longer) with a lat injury. The Nats rank just 10th in the NL in runs scored and figured to struggle scoring runs even with Morse coming off a 31-homer breakout in 2011. The bold move would be to call up Bryce Harper, given that the Nats are now giving playing time to the dreadful combination of Rick Ankiel and Mark DeRosa in the outfield. However, Harper's hitting just .222 with a .263 OBP to start the year in Triple-A Syracuse, the Nationals want him to gain as much experience as possible playing center field, and the guy's six months away from turning 20. Washington's hopes this year were going to rest on pitching regardless. But a lineup this thin might eventually demand more aggressive action, especially if Morse's injury stretches from weeks to months and Harper's left to develop on the farm.

I dont think Ankiel is too dreadful in Center. Man has a cannon

[Lintyfresh85]

He can't hit though. That's the main problem.

[hammondsnats]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/sports/baseball/nationals-begin-to-see-their-moves-pay-off.html?_r=1

not power rankings but good story nonetheless from NYT.

[loshjott]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/sports/baseball/nationals-begin-to-see-their-moves-pay-off.html?_r=1

not power rankings but good story nonetheless from NYT.

That is a good article, but this stat is misleading:

"As a losing club, the Nationals have consistently been in the bottom third of attendance despite residing in the eighth-largest market."

The eighth-largest market is the whole Baltimore-Washington metro region, which of course has two teams. Philly is something like the 6th largest market and it has only one team.

But I love the last sentence:

"If they can change that dynamic and challenge the Phillies in the N.L. East, maybe someday, Nationals fans will start invading Philadelphia."

[The Chief]

"If they can change that dynamic and challenge the Phillies in the N.L. East, maybe someday, Nationals fans will start invading Philadelphia."

Finga gunz

[HerndonNat]

That is a good article, but this stat is misleading:

"As a losing club, the Nationals have consistently been in the bottom third of attendance despite residing in the eighth-largest market."

The eighth-largest market is the whole Baltimore-Washington metro region, which of course has two teams. Philly is something like the 6th largest market and it has only one team.

But I love the last sentence:

"If they can change that dynamic and challenge the Phillies in the N.L. East, maybe someday, Nationals fans will start invading Philadelphia."

And the fact that the brunt of that market doesn't reside inside the beltway.  Unlike cities such as New York or Chicago where most of the people live in the city.

[PC]

The eighth-largest market is the whole Baltimore-Washington metro region, which of course has two teams. Philly is something like the 6th largest market and it has only one team.

Actually, Washington by itself is 8th and with Baltimore is 4th.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_United_States_Combined_Statistical_Areas

[KnorrForYourMoney]

And the fact that the brunt of that market doesn't reside inside the beltway.  Unlike cities such as New York or Chicago where most of the people live in the city.

That's misleading too.  New York is a larger city in terms of land area than DC.  If you stretched out DC to cover that much space, the population would reach the millions.

[tomterp]

That's misleading too.  New York is a larger city in terms of land area than DC.  If you stretched out DC to cover that much space, the population would reach the millions.

Do you have the area for each census tract?  The DC/Balt area is pretty large, stretching from Winchester and WV through to Baltimore, Annapolis, and Southern Maryland. 

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Do you have the area for each census tract?  The DC/Balt area is pretty large, stretching from Winchester and WV through to Baltimore, Annapolis, and Southern Maryland. 

I was referring to land area of the cities proper.  DC is less than 70 square miles, whereas New York is over 200.  It's apples to oranges to say, "New York has more people living within the city limits, so it's unfair to judge their market similarly."  Many of those people in the city proper live farther away from somewhere like Yankee Stadium than people in certain DC 'burbs live from Nationals Park.

[tomterp]

I was referring to land area of the cities proper.  DC is less than 70 square miles, whereas New York is over 200.  It's apples to oranges to say, "New York has more people living within the city limits, so it's unfair to judge their market similarly."

Well that's not close to comparable to the Metro areas as defined and ranked in the Census survey.  DC only has about 600k in population, for example, just more than half of Fairfax County's 1.1m.   

If you want to compare the markets, include the whole metro area population as well as the gauge the dispersal of the population.

[BerkeleyNat]

Do you have the area for each census tract?  The DC/Balt area is pretty large, stretching from Winchester and WV through to Baltimore, Annapolis, and Southern Maryland. 

I recently learned that I don't live in the DC Metro area anymore.  They actually designated Berkeley County, WV and Washington County, MD as their own metro area now. It's the Hagerstown/Martinsburg Metropolitan Area. I believe Winchester, VA, Charlestown, WV, and Harpers Ferry, WV are still in the DC metro area though.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Well that's not close to comparable to the Metro areas as defined and ranked in the Census survey.  DC only has about 600k in population, for example, just more than half of Fairfax County's 1.1m.   

If you want to compare the markets, include the whole metro area population as well as the gauge the dispersal of the population.

I don't even know what you're talking about.  I'm not talking about Metro areas here.

[tomterp]

I don't even know what you're talking about.  I'm not talking about Metro areas here.

I'm just saying using Metro area is a better measure than city population, for the very reason you alluded to (I think) - that political boundaries are arbitrary and lead to incomplete comparisons.

[PC]

sportingnews.com - (4/16/2012)

4. Nationals (Last Week - 12)

Rising - Nationals. They expected to be improved this season because of their rotation. Well, how's this for improved: The rotation began the week with a majors-best 1.75 ERA. Stephen Strasburg has led the way but Edwin Jackson threw a complete-game one-hitter against the Reds and Ross Detwiler, with a 0.90 ERA in two starts, has shown why Davey Johnson wanted him in the rotation. The Nationals have a four-game home series against the Astros to pad those stats before the Marlins come to D.C.

[PC]

foxsports.com - (4/17/2012)

7) - (Last Week - 15) - The ’12 Nationals are the first club from the nation’s Capital to win the first three series of a season since the ’51 Senators.

[tomterp]

BP, by Matthew Kory

4.  A 6-3 team takes the field with its ace on the mound and only a few more than 16,000 people show up to witness it? Oh well, they'll show up when the Nationals are in first place. Wait, the Nationals are in first place?

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/hitlist/?thisdate=2012-04-16

[MarquisDeSade]

LOCK THIS THREAD NOW!

[Baseball is Life]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/sports/baseball/nationals-begin-to-see-their-moves-pay-off.html?_r=1

not power rankings but good story nonetheless from NYT.

Good story. An interesting nugget:

"But even before the season, the growing passion for the team, which finished one win short of .500 last year, manifested itself in higher ticket sales and a growing list of sponsors. The team just completed its biggest opening weekend since its current ballpark opened in 2008."

Not a surprise re ticket sales, but the sponsorship increase is news....

[Baseball is Life]

BP, by Matthew Kory

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/hitlist/?thisdate=2012-04-16

Inanity.

[The Chief]

BP, by Matthew Kory

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/hitlist/?thisdate=2012-04-16

Yet another moron.

Caps playoff game, mid-April, schoolnight, etc. etc.

Monkeys with typewriters, these guys.

[MarquisDeSade]

Yet another moron.

Caps playoff game, mid-April, schoolnight, etc. etc.

Monkeys with typewriters, these guys.

Excuses, excuses.  The Phillies and Red Sux have consecutive sellouts and are both in NHL playoffs. 

[The Chief]

Excuses, excuses.  The Phillies and Red Sux have consecutive sellouts and are both in NHL playoffs. 

People in DC actually have jobs

Seriously though, Both have much longer winning traditions, it's not even a apples/apples comparison

[MarquisDeSade]

Seriously though, Both have much longer winning traditions, it's not even a apples/apples comparison

10K losses in Philly says otherwise.

[The Chief]

10K losses in Philly says otherwise.

I know you know that's not relevant here.