Wily Mo Pena is UNDERRATED

[ronnynat]

Hopefully Pena is OK.  He left the game tonight after fouling a ball off his right ankle.

Just to add...he also hit a homer on the next pitch before leaving.

[shoeshineboy]

Hopefully Pena is OK.  He left the game tonight after fouling a ball off his right ankle.

Radio guys said earlier that x-rays were negative, and that he had a contusion and listed day to day. So he should be fine shortly.

[gonats]

I don't know why everybody wants Adam Dunn. We have Adam Dunn. His name is Wily Mo Pena.

[PANatsFan]

I want Adam Dunn at first base. Then we can have two!

[gonats]

I want Adam Dunn at first base. Then we can have two!

Good Point. You got me.

[ronnynat]

Dunn costs too much. Reds could still retain him for $13 mil, too.

[sportsfan882]

underrated? lol.  This guy is a sorry excuse for a Major League hitter.  I had always heard that Wily Mo strikes out a lot and has no patience but I never imagined he could be this impatient. 

Let's break down his ABs from tonight's game:
First AB: 3 pitch strikeout
Second AB: 1 pitch ground out
Third AB: 1 pitch fly out
Fourth AB: 1 pitch pop out

[ronnynat]

Give him time, sportsfan...you're going to have to anyways.

[2k6nats]

Do you have the attention span of a fly?  Pena had a bad day, everyone has them.  That doesn't make him a "sorry excuse for a Major League hitter".  Sheesh

[spidernat]

Do you have the attention span of a fly? 

Anyone have any OFF?

[sportsfan882]

Do you have the attention span of a fly?  Pena had a bad day, everyone has them.  That doesn't make him a "sorry excuse for a Major League hitter".  Sheesh

This isn't just a bad game.  From what I hear this is the norm from Wily Mo.  More prone to strikeout than any player in baseball.  I've never seen someone so impatient.  I wanted to give Wily Mo a fair chance when he came here and I did and he has effectively proved what I had heard about him previously.  Unless he instantly learns how to become a patient hitter and how to work a count which he hasn't learned in 5+ years of Pro baseball he'll never be a ML quality outfielder. 

[spidernat]

This isn't just a bad game.  From what I hear this is the norm from Wily Mo.  More prone to strikeout than any player in baseball.  I've never seen someone so impatient.  I wanted to give Wily Mo a fair chance when he came here and I did and he has effectively proved what I had heard about him previously.  Unless he instantly learns how to become a patient hitter and how to work a count which he hasn't learned in 5+ years of Pro baseball he'll never be a ML quality outfielder. 

[ronnynat]

Give him time, sportsfan...you're going to have to anyways.

[PC]

Do you have the attention span of a fly?  Pena had a bad day, everyone has them.  That doesn't make him a "sorry excuse for a Major League hitter".  Sheesh

Pena isn't a very good hitter.  Just look at the numbers.  He's a less reliable hitter than Church by almost any definition but Church doesn't appear to be in the team's future plans.  That's the only explanation for not doing a straight platoon with Pena and Church.

Winning isn't the top priority now and looking to the future is.

[PC]

From the AP report from today's Nats-Marlins game:

It took Pena only 48 at-bats to hit five homers for the Nationals. He had five homers in 156 at-bats earlier this season for the Boston Red Sox.

[ronnynat]

Let's also keep in mind that Wily Mo's very capable of being a good average hitter. He's only a couple of years removed from hitting .300.

[PANatsFan]

This isn't just a bad game.  From what I hear this is the norm from Wily Mo.  More prone to strikeout than any player in baseball.  I've never seen someone so impatient.  I wanted to give Wily Mo a fair chance when he came here and I did and he has effectively proved what I had heard about him previously.  Unless he instantly learns how to become a patient hitter and how to work a count which he hasn't learned in 5+ years of Pro baseball he'll never be a ML quality outfielder. 

Strikeouts are so much better than double plays, and equal to weak grounders. Strikeout numbers mean nothing unless they are accompanied by a low OPS. I'd love to have a hitter like Jack Cust on the team. Willy Mo has that potential.

[PC]

Rather than start a new thread, I'll add to this one.

Since Wily Mo joined the Nats, his batting average is .303.  Yes, he's a power hitter, hitting for average!

Not only that, the team, before he arrived was averaging 3.88 runs per game and a homerun every 51.1 at-bats.  Since the Wily Mo trade, the team is averaging 5.27 runs and a homerun every 23.7 at-bats.  Double-

[Dave B]

From the grainy video on the nats site, it looked like that double he hit was absolutely smoked.  He had to reach for it and hit a low line drive that almost one-hopped the wall.  looked like nothing more than a single off the bat

[Evolution33]

The Boston media can really affect how people think about a player. I have seen almost no truth in what was reported about Wily Mo. He is a good player and one of the few I can get excited about coming up to bat.

[Dave B]

The Boston media can really affect how people think about a player. I have seen almost no truth in what was reported about Wily Mo. He is a good player and one of the few I can get excited about coming up to bat.

His at bats are appointment viewing, because I want to see if he will be good for us and because he might hit a 500 footer.  I also try to watch Nook.  I like watching him run.

[wpa2629]

boston is just an impossible place to grow into the game - you have to come on the field and be stellar - there's zero tolerance for working out the kinks there ... In his short time in DC, under the tutelage of Manny Acta and Lenny Harris and out from under the pressue and the media - Willy Mo has done far more for DC than he did for boston ... Willy Mo's in the perfect place right now - a town and a clubhouse who will embrace and support him - I'm excited to see him next year in the new park myself ...

[ronnynat]

boston is just an impossible place to grow into the game - you have to come on the field and be stellar - there's zero tolerance for working out the kinks there ...

This is what Washington will become eventually, too. Just think about it. Acta is a rookie manager and has gone through some tough losses and a losing season. This was to be expected. But what about in a couple of years when the expectations are higher? We're not being patient now just so we can continue to be patient a few years down the road ...and neither is Acta. No, no. This city will demand A LOT more out of the players and managers and I'm sure we're going to push a few of them out of town, too. Shoot, it's for a winning cause, though, right?

[sportsfan882]

This is what Washington will become eventually, too. Just think about it. Acta is a rookie manager and has gone through some tough losses and a losing season. This was to be expected. But what about in a couple of years when the expectations are higher? We're not being patient now just so we can continue to be patient a few years down the road ...and neither is Acta. No, no. This city will demand A LOT more out of the players and managers and I'm sure we're going to push a few of them out of town, too. Shoot, it's for a winning cause, though, right?

The Nats need to compete for a playoff spot next year or the year is a let down. 

[ronnynat]

The Nats need to compete for a playoff spot next year or the year is a let down. 

I think if we don't get a B to an A+ free agent the offseason is a let down....and that would be followed by your definition of a let down of a season.