Tex and the Nats...

[wpa2629]

why is baltimore getting a pass in the media, they've had 11 seasons of complete and utter futility, they have the worst owner in the history of the world, they set record lows for attendance this year, they just non-tendered their "can't miss pitching prospect" daniel cabrera, they've been trying to trade away BRob for years, they haven't inked an extension for Markakis and their in the same division as the evil empire and their evil twin -- top that off by the notion that PA expects to sign Tex at a hometown discount (BWAHAHAHA) and why aren't they getting crushed in the press?? WTF!! I'm really very bitter right now ...

[MrMadison]

According to ESPN, our offer is the same as the Angels and is lower than the Red Sox. If that's true then we're not even a major player.

espn is working with numbers that are outdated by at least a week. they just added the most recent Sox number to those old numbers.

[UMDNats]

why is baltimore getting a pass in the media, they've had 11 seasons of complete and utter futility, they have the worst owner in the history of the world, they set record lows for attendance this year, they just non-tendered their "can't miss pitching prospect" daniel cabrera, they've been trying to trade away BRob for years, they haven't inked an extension for Markakis and their in the same division as the evil empire and their evil twin -- top that off by the notion that PA expects to sign Tex at a hometown discount (BWAHAHAHA) and why aren't they getting crushed in the press?? WTF!! I'm really very bitter right now ...

because they didn't lose 100+ games and suck bigtime last season. they were respectable early on

[sportsfan882]

they were respectable early on

And then finished off the season going 5-28 over their last 33 games.

[wpa2629]

because they didn't lose 100+ games and suck bigtime last season. they were respectable early on

they ended up winning a grand total of 9 games more than the Nats and they have sucked for 11 years ... ridiculous


oh ... and they were healthy all year long ... at least we lost something like 800 starter games to injuries -- what the hell is their excuse?

[DCFan]

and why aren't they getting crushed in the press?? WTF!! I'm really very bitter right now ...

Screw the national media and screw the Orioles, I'm feeling pretty good about our chances. Look at the latest report from SC, Boras is getting so desperate to get a bidding war going that he's dropped his demand for 10 years. He wants to get the Sox in the game but Henry just told him to go stuff it. We need Norman Chad calling this high stakes game of poker. 

[hammondsnats]

why is baltimore getting a pass in the media

b/c it is believed they are out of the teix sweepstakes.

[UMDNats]

they ended up winning a grand total of 9 games more than the Nats and they have sucked for 11 years ... ridiculous


oh ... and they were healthy all year long ... at least we lost something like 800 starter games to injuries -- what the hell is their excuse?

im not saying they shouldn't get slammed, but they probably aren't because they avoided being the worst in baseball. espn seems to forget all of our injuries and how the orioles were a feel-good story early on

[DCFan]

And who needs the national media bashing us when we can listen to our very own Frank Hanrahan dis the team.

[wpa2629]

im not saying they shouldn't get slammed, but they probably aren't because they avoided being the worst in baseball. espn seems to forget all of our injuries and how the orioles were a feel-good story early on

I guess they also conveniently forgot that this was the first year since they moved here that the Os had a better record than the Nats ..

I'm just sick of being dumped on and with everyone looking down their nose at us -- we are not Kansas City -- we are not second tier to anyone ...

[DCFan]

I'm just sick of being dumped on and with everyone looking down their nose at us -- we are not Kansas City -- we are not second tier to anyone ...

We're the worst team in baseball. Or did you just wash ashore?   

[UpperDec]

Winning brings respect.  Hopefully that will start soon

[wpa2629]

We're the worst team in baseball. Or did you just wash ashore?   

I'm not talking about the team -- I'm talking about the city - we're not some second rate johnny come lately sports wannabe town -- we have the richest sports entity in the world in football, the best player in the world on our hockey team, three all stars on the nba team -- and it's precisely the point that we finished last last year -- we need to get better -- that's why we need a marquis player the talent of Tex ...

[deeznatz]

Bob Ryan on PTI just laughed at the thought of the Nats being the frontrunners for Tex and said that this is a big boy poker game and the Sox will be back in the running.

If we get him i am going to send this dude the nastiest fn email in the history of mankind.  shove it up your BUNGHOLE YOU FECKIN BEANTOWN TURD!!!!!

[blue911]

I'm not talking about the team -- I'm talking about the city - we're not some second rate johnny come lately sports wannabe town -- we have the richest sports entity in the world in football, the best player in the world on our hockey team, three all stars on the nba team -- and it's precisely the point that we finished last last year -- we need to get better -- that's why we need a marquis player the talent of Tex ...

Here's why



We'll NEVER be able to live this down.

[DCFan]

I'm not talking about the team -- I'm talking about the city - we're not some second rate johnny come lately sports wannabe town -- we have the richest sports entity in the world in football, the best player in the world on our hockey team, three all stars on the nba team -- and it's precisely the point that we finished last last year -- we need to get better -- that's why we need a marquis player the talent of Tex ...

I hear ya but unfortunately this is the path the Lerners/Kasten have taken us. You really ought to read that CBS Sportsline article linked above. The comments from Ted Lerner about taking over the reins from the baseball people give me great hope that he's not comfortable losing 100 games a year. And it also explains why Kasten has been on the outs and is being linked for jobs elsewhere in the league.

Cue the fireworks! 

[deeznatz]

why is baltimore getting a pass in the media, they've had 11 seasons of complete and utter futility, they have the worst owner in the history of the world, they set record lows for attendance this year, they just non-tendered their "can't miss pitching prospect" daniel cabrera, they've been trying to trade away BRob for years, they haven't inked an extension for Markakis and their in the same division as the evil empire and their evil twin -- top that off by the notion that PA expects to sign Tex at a hometown discount (BWAHAHAHA) and why aren't they getting crushed in the press?? WTF!! I'm really very bitter right now ...

It's media/public ignorance and the "pile on" effect....everything is thinking it so it must be true.

Like Duke football this year, everyone made funof them and while they were not awesome by any means, they clobbered UVA, beat Vandy, almost beat NW and UNC......they were a decent team and clearly showed improvement over previous seasons but the jokes continued.

[wpa2629]

I hear ya but unfortunately this is the path the Lerners/Kasten have taken us. You really ought to read that CBS Sportsline article linked above. The comments from Ted Lerner about taking over the reins from the baseball people give me great hope that he's not comfortable losing 100 games a year. And it also explains why Kasten has been on the outs and is being linked for jobs elsewhere in the league.

Cue the fireworks! 

I read it ... and I do hope this bold move to get Tex signifies a real determination to be the marquis, perennially contending franchise we all hope (and what the FO said the wanted) they would be

[wpa2629]

Here's why



We'll NEVER be able to live this down.

LOLLERS

[ronnynat]

I think a good comparison to Tex at this point in his career is Todd Helton. Their numbers are pretty similar, especially between the ages of 24 and 28. Actually, Helton was a bit better in some areas.

Helton:

 Year Ag Tm  Lg  G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG *OPS+  TB   SH  SF IBB HBP GDP 
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
 1997 23 COL NL  35   93   13   26   2  1   5   11   0  1   8  11  .280  .337  .484   96   45   0   0   0   0   1
 1998 24 COL NL 152  530   78  167  37  1  25   97   3  3  53  54  .315  .380  .530  119  281   1   5   5   6  15 RoY-2
 1999 25 COL NL 159  578  114  185  39  5  35  113   7  6  68  77  .320  .395  .587  122  339   0   4   6   6  14
 2000 26 COL NL 160  580  138  216  59  2  42  147   5  3 103  61  .372  .463  .698  163  405   0  10  22   4  12 SS,MVP-5,AS
 2001 27 COL NL 159  587  132  197  54  2  49  146   7  5  98 104  .336  .432  .685  160  402   1   5  15   5  14 SS,MVP-9,AS
 2002 28 COL NL 156  553  107  182  39  4  30  109   5  1  99  91  .329  .429  .577  147  319   0  10  21   5  10 SS,MVP-19,AS
 2003 29 COL NL 160  583  135  209  49  5  33  117   0  4 111  72  .358  .458  .630  165  367   0   7  21   2  19 SS,MVP-7,AS
 2004 30 COL NL 154  547  115  190  49  2  32   96   3  0 127  72  .347  .469  .620  165  339   0   6  19   3  12 MVP-16,AS
 2005 31 COL NL 144  509   92  163  45  2  20   79   3  0 106  80  .320  .445  .534  144  272   1   1  22   9  14
 2006 32 COL NL 145  546   94  165  40  5  15   81   3  2  91  64  .302  .404  .476  117  260   0   6  15   6  10
 2007 33 COL NL 154  557   86  178  42  2  17   91   0  1 116  74  .320  .434  .494  133  275   0   7  16   2  15
 2008 34 COL NL  83  299   39   79  16  0   7   29   0  0  61  50  .264  .391  .388  100  116   0   0   8   1   9

Tex:

 Year Ag Tm  Lg  G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG *OPS+  TB   SH  SF IBB HBP GDP 
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
 2003 23 TEX AL 146  529   66  137  29  5  26   84   1  2  44 120  .259  .331  .480  102  254   0   2   5  14  14 RoY-5
 2004 24 TEX AL 145  545  101  153  34  2  38  112   4  1  68 117  .281  .370  .560  131  305   0   2  12  10   6 SS,MVP-18
 2005 25 TEX AL 162  644  112  194  41  3  43  144   4  0  72 124  .301  .379  .575  144  370   0   3   5  11  18 SS,MVP-7,AS
 2006 26 TEX AL 162  628   99  177  45  1  33  110   2  0  89 128  .282  .371  .514  126  323   0   6  12   4  17
 2007 27 TOT    132  494   86  151  33  2  30  105   0  0  72 112  .306  .400  .563  150  278   0   2  13   7   7
         TEX AL  78  286   48   85  24  1  13   49   0  0  45  66  .297  .397  .524  141  150   0   1  10   3   5
         ATL NL  54  208   38   66   9  1  17   56   0  0  27  46  .317  .404  .615  163  128   0   1   3   4   2
 2008 28 TOT    157  574  102  177  41  0  33  121   2  0  97  93  .308  .410  .552  151  317   0   7  13   7  17
         ATL NL 103  381   63  108  27  0  20   78   0  0  65  70  .283  .390  .512  136  195   0   2   9   3  13
         LAA AL  54  193   39   69  14  0  13   43   2  0  32  23  .358  .449  .632  180  122   0   5   4   4   4 MVP-20

Remember, Helton got his 9-year deal in 2001. Even though he is still a good hitter, he's definitely not the player he used to be. If you knew that Tex would go along the same path as Helton, would a 9 or 10-year deal still be worth it? I'd actually say YES. I'm hoping, if we get him, that he does better, though.

[UpperDec]

I hear ya but unfortunately this is the path the Lerners/Kasten have taken us. You really ought to read that CBS Sportsline article linked above. The comments from Ted Lerner about taking over the reins from the baseball people give me great hope that he's not comfortable losing 100 games a year.

Totally agree.  I especially enjoyed the part that he was done doing it "their" way in terms of paying slot at the draft.  Perhaps the whole Crow incident will pay off for this organization in the long run.

[blue911]

Helton was a product of Coors & Flaxseed oil. Notice the power drop off as soon as MLB started testing for PED's.

[sportsfan882]

Helton was a product of Coors & Flaxseed oil. Notice the power drop off as soon as MLB started testing for PED's.

Definitely.

[ronnynat]

Helton was a product of Coors & Flaxseed oil. Notice the power drop off as soon as MLB started testing for PED's.

When did they start using the humidor?

[HalfSmokes]

When did they start using the humidor?

2007 I think. Until last year he was still a .300 plus hitter. Not worth 200 mill, but a very valuable player