LoDuca suffers knee injury

[natsfan1a]

Last I heard he was hunting with Luis Ayala...

Damn, where is that Cheney when you need him?

[shoeshineboy]

It's a tweaked knee. Catchers deal with worse all season long.

[mikehughes]

This parts best in that article

More signings: The Nationals have agreed to terms on 2008 contracts with pitchers Jason Bergmann, Matt Chico, Tyler Clippard, Shawn Hill, Joel Hanrahan, Enrique Gonzalez and Saul Rivera, outfielders Roger Bernadina, Elijah Dukes, Garrett Guzman and Justin Maxwell and catcher Jesus Flores. All 12 players will be in big league camp.

Bernadina looks like he could be good if he starts hitting, kinda like a Juan Pierre guy, steal bases, defense, no power, hit for AVG

[spidernat]

Bernadina looks like he could be good if he starts hitting,

[sportsfan882]

He's mediocre.  Roc Bernadina = Bernie Castro = Melvin Dorta = Nook Logan = Brandon Watson

I see one common theme among those players. 

[mikehughes]

U got no faith in the youngins

[spidernat]

He's mediocre.  Roc Bernadina = Bernie Castro = Melvin Dorta = Nook Logan = Brandon Watson

I see one common theme among those players. 

Let me guess: starts with a S and rhymes with f@*&?

[shoeshineboy]

I see one common theme among those players. 

Yeah, none of them belong in the major leagues.

I love the comment that he looks like he could be good if he starts hitting. We could have an entire thread coming up with analogies for that one.

[spidernat]

This chick could still be good looking if she hadn't fallen asleep at the meat grinder





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[Ali the Baseball Cat]

You need a shrink.

This chick could still be good looking if she hadn't fallen asleep at the meat grinder


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This chick could still be good looking if she hadn't fallen asleep at the meat grinder


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[Obed_Marsh]

I am glad we signed Escobar. I admit it might be that same urge that has lead to the occasional lottery ticket but the risk to reward seems to be worth it.

I’ve gone neutral on LaDuca. I suspect his silence is more the influence of lawyers than his personality. The guy never struck me as the quiet type. If he produces unjuiced and has his redemption song, I’ll root for him until he holds back Flores. My current read is a platoon year for Flores in the majors is best for him and the team.

[thunderstrucknatsfan]

Why don't they give Chad Moeller a try?  I don't know much about him except that he caught Patterson  in Tucson and with the D-Backs.  I don't think he hits much, but LoDuca isn't much of a hitter either, is he?

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

The guy who is working on my house right now is a diehard Mets fan, and he says that LoDuca is an asse extraordinaire.  He was not a happy camper when Milledge got moved, but was very happy to see LoDuca go...in fact, he was quite incredulous that anyone would take him with all of the swirling (and now all-but-confirmed) rumours.

Escobar not a bad bet. 

. 

I am glad we signed Escobar. I admit it might be that same urge that has lead to the occasional lottery ticket but the risk to reward seems to be worth it.

I’ve gone neutral on LaDuca. I suspect his silence is more the influence of lawyers than his personality. The guy never struck me as the quiet type. If he produces unjuiced and has his redemption song, I’ll root for him until he holds back Flores. My current read is a platoon year for Flores in the majors is best for him and the team.

[Obed_Marsh]

...he says that LoDuca is an asse extraordinaire. 

At the price Escobar is a way better bet but winter talk on reclamation projects is heavy bear market.

RE DeLuca: I've heard a lot of negatives, he's got his Mitchell report problems, and he's 35. I cannot say I wanted him signed but we've rented the reputed smuck for a year and I'd rather see him perform on the field than stack a couple more chairs on his own personal titanic.

In the end, it's one year. No big deal.

[Dave B]

The guy who is working on my house right now is a diehard Mets fan, and he says that LoDuca is an asse extraordinaire.  He was not a happy camper when Milledge got moved, but was very happy to see LoDuca go...in fact, he was quite incredulous that anyone would take him with all of the swirling (and now all-but-confirmed) rumours.

Escobar not a bad bet. 

. 

the guy is a mets fan so he doesnt understand that not every position on the field is supposed to hit .300 with 25 HRs

[shoeshineboy]

Why don't they give Chad Moeller a try?  I don't know much about him except that he caught Patterson  in Tucson and with the D-Backs.  I don't think he hits much, but LoDuca isn't much of a hitter either, is he?

LoDuca is a much better hitter than Brian Schneider ever was, but Moehler will certainly get work in ST.

[NatsAddict]

The guy who is working on my house right now is a diehard Mets fan, and he says that LoDuca is an asse extraordinaire.  He was not a happy camper when Milledge got moved, but was very happy to see LoDuca go...in fact, he was quite incredulous that anyone would take him with all of the swirling (and now all-but-confirmed) rumours.

The same was true when he left the Marlins.  Rather than the roids, though, it was a rumored huge gambling problem which often broke out in heated arguments on flights (roid rage?), and was one of, if the the #1, least popular guys in the clubhouse.  Even though it was part of a firesale, there was dancing in the streets when he left.

EDIT: If you google "lo duca gambling" it will become readily apparent that his gambling problem have continued in NY.

[Ashburn]

I am glad we signed Escobar. I admit it might be that same urge that has lead to the occasional lottery ticket but the risk to reward seems to be worth it.

I’ve gone neutral on LaDuca. I suspect his silence is more the influence of lawyers than his personality. The guy never struck me as the quiet type. If he produces unjuiced and has his redemption song, I’ll root for him until he holds back Flores. My current read is a platoon year for Flores in the majors is best for him and the team.

Glad to see Escobar back.  A healthy, productive year from Nick Johnson and Alex Escobar.  How cool would that be? 

[blue911]

LoDuca is a much better hitter than Brian Schneider ever was, but Moehler will certainly get work in ST.

I think of Moehler as a Pat Borders/Dave Duncan type of player.

[MrMadison]

so...Lo Duca undergoing knee surgery.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-nationals-loducasurgery&prov=ap&type=lgns

Nationals catcher Lo Duca could be out up to 6 weeks with injury
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer
January 27, 2008

Washington Nationals baseball catcher Paul Lo Duca talks with reporters during a news conference in Washington in this Dec. 11, 2007 file photo.
AP - Jan 27, 7:14 pm EST
More Photos

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nationals catcher Paul Lo Duca was scheduled to have surgery on his left knee Monday to repair what his agent called a minor meniscus tear.

Lo Duca will see a team doctor on Monday "for further testing," general manager Jim Bowden wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Sunday.

"If an operation is indicated," Bowden continued, "it will be arthroscopic and the estimated recovery time would be 4-6 weeks, with the expectation he could be ready for opening day."

Washington's pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training in Viera, Fla., on Feb. 15, which is about 2 1/2 weeks away.

Earlier Sunday, Lo Duca's agent, Andrew Mongelluzzi, wrote to AP: "Paul will have surgery in the morning. I am told that it is a minor meniscus tear."

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Mongelluzzi also said Lo Duca could need as many as six weeks for a full recovery.

Bowden said an MRI showed a "possible tear."

Lo Duca, who signed a $5 million, one-year deal as a free agent this offseason, hurt himself during a workout last week and then had an MRI, the Nationals announced on Friday.

Lo Duca hit .272 with nine homers and 54 RBIs for the Mets last season, his second in New York. Washington signed him in December, less than two weeks after trading veteran catcher Brian Schneider to the Mets.

Lo Duca, who will turn 36 in April, and Nationals manager Manny Acta were in New York together in 2006, when Acta was the Mets third-base coach.

In 10 major league seasons with the Dodgers, Marlins and Mets, Lo Duca has batted .288 with 80 homers and 466 RBIs. He was a four-time All-Star from 2003-06.

gone up to 6 weeks. which isn't too bad, I don't think. he should be ready by Opening Day if the surgery goes well.

[Air Zimmerman]

allow me to reemphasize...

flores >>> lo duca

a non 100% healthy and off of the juice lo duca doesn't bode well.

i can't believe we gave him 5 mil for 1 measly year, i guess we're stuck with him.  i personally rather have signed miguel olivo.

i think flores should get 100+ starts this season. he got plenty of "seasoning" last season behind schneider and he proved he is more than capable of excelling as a starter.

[UMDNats]

Hopefully he has a fast recovery. He'd be a good guy to platoon with Flores.

[MrMadison]

  i personally rather have signed miguel olivo.

I was with you until this sentence.

Olivo is one of the worst catchers in baseball. and there is no way he is better than even Lo Duca.

[NatsAddict]

Olivo is one of the worst catchers in baseball history

Corrected.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

i personally rather have signed miguel olivo.

Every morning when I wake up, I get on my knees, cross myself, and thank God you do not run the team.  Thank you Jesus, thank you.

I cringe every time I hear "bad knees" and "catcher" in the same sentence.  I was neither a fan of Paul Lo Duca the ballplayer or human being but had said I would tolerate one season with him.  Now, who knows. If this becomes a reoccurring problem, the signing was a complete bust and rushing youngsters is never healthy, though, if anyone could handle it, Jesus Flores seems like he could.  I still would of loved to get a look at Lo Duca in ST.

The Escobar signing is ridiculous and I have my doubts we'll ever see him in anything but a Columbus uniform.