The "Former Nat Watch" Thread (2010)

[tomterp]

"Spaceman" Bill Lee gets another win.         

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=sh-billleewins090510

Refreshing perspective was always a key element in Bill Lee’s repertoire. Call it odd, bizarre, hilarious, and thoroughly invigorating. So, of course, Lee had a unique approach Sunday when he pitched the first 5 1/3 innings for an independent league team in Massachusetts and held the opposing team to two runs to earn the victory.

Bill "Spaceman" Lee was the winning pitcher at age 63 for the Brockton Rox, beating Worcester.

“I lift wood and make bats for a living,” he told reporters. “This is fun for me. It doesn’t take anything out of you to pitch.”

Yes, the “Spaceman” was otherworldly. Lee, who in his day job makes bats for David Ortiz(notes), among other major leaguers, is thought to be the oldest pitcher to appear in a professional game, let alone win one.

continued-

[mikehughes]

Toronto Blue Jays SP Shawn Hill (0-1), who was making his season debut in a comeback from a second Tommy John surgery, was charged with eight hits and four runs over 5 1/3 innings, according to The Sports Network. "Overall, it wasn't terrible," Hill said. "All things considered, it was OK. My stuff wasn't very good."

Read more: http://www.kffl.com/gnews.php?id=668888-blue-jays-shawn-hill-makes-season-debut-thursday#ixzz0z9efloUa

[Lintyfresh85]

Hill is pitching against the Orioles tonight if anyone wants to take a look at him on MASN2.

[JMW IV]

Hill is pitching against the Orioles tonight if anyone wants to take a look at him on MASN2.

:notld batsignal:

[Lintyfresh85]

FLOP released by the Cardinals.

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/09/21/cardinals-reportedly-cut-ties-with-infielder-felipe-lopez/

[The Chief]

That details revealed by that article certainly don't paint him in a good light.

[DPMOmaha]

Capps just closed out the Indians to clinch the AL Central.

Edit, not quite.  The White Sox still have to lose, and they currently trail.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

from CBSsportline:

Shawn Hill, SP TOR
News: Blue Jays SP Shawn Hill (1-2) allowed four hits over five shutout inning as Toronto edged the Mariners 1-0 on Thursday afternoon. Hill struck out seven and walked one.
Analysis: This might have been Hill's last start of the season, which he finishes with a 2.81 ERA in three games. Hill will fight for a starting rotation spot next spring, but he has an uphill battle to win as the Blue Jays have a ton of option at the SP spot. Continue to ignore Hill in Fantasy play the rest of this season, obviously, and just monitor his chances of starting in the spring

[JCA-CrystalCity]

One more reason to hate the Red Sox.  From the notebook on Boston.com:

Lopez brought aboard
According to multiple reports, the Sox signed infielder Felipe Lopez, 30, who was given his unconditional release by the Cardinals Tuesday because of repeated tardiness. Lopez was late for Monday’s game against Pittsburgh, then released the next day. The Padres put in a claim on Lopez, but he declined in favor of joining the Sox. Lopez hit .231 in 109 games with St. Louis . . .

Wimp could have been playing for a contender.  Instead, he might be Marco Scutaro's caddy.

[houston-nat]

Haha, he declined the Padres to play for the Red Sox. Sucka.

[The Chief]

I wonder why he passed on the Padres?

Also...  I thought you loved the Sox, JCA?  Or is my sarcasmometer broken?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I wonder why he passed on the Padres?

Also...  I thought you loved the Sox, JCA?  Or is my sarcasmometer broken?

I posted this to bring joy to those who hate both the Red Sox and FLop.  I'm just a giving guy.  Plus, initially, I hated the move because I hate FLop.

Now that I look at it, FLop is a Type B based on the last ratings from Eddie Bajek.  That means the Sox pay him MLB minimum for a week, offer him arb, and tell him that there's no room for him next year so he should sign with someone else or risk the Graffanino treatment (cut after winning goign through arb process).  They get a sandwich pick, probably top 50.  Unbelievable. Even I can put up with a week of FLop for that.

[NatsDad14]

Does anyone find it ironic that the Sandwich picks that were supposed to help small market clubs who lose their FA to big market clubs actually help out the big market teams a lot more?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Does anyone find it ironic that the Sandwich picks that were supposed to help small market clubs who lose their FA to big market clubs actually help out the big market teams a lot more?

You are onto something.  Type Bs should be after the second round so that low finishing teams get better 2d round picks.  As for type As, it is ironic that winning clubs can essentially swap Type As and come out ahead by getting sandwich picks and exchanging first round picks. 

[Coladar]

So is Guzzie still on the Rangers roster? I know he came off the DL in early September, played a couple games. His last game was Sept 8th. If they haven't even used him as a PH once in nearly three weeks, wow, he must feel really good right now. I know I feel badly for him, he was a decent guy and certainly doesn't deserve to be benched for three freaking weeks. In a contract year no less? He'll be lucky to get a minor league deal at this rate, if his team in a playoff race doesn't even use him the last almost month of the season? There was talk of a $1-3 million dear next year before he got traded. I bet him signing off on the trade since he was a 10/5 guy is the biggest mistake he ever made in his life in his mind.

[NatsDad14]

So is Guzzie still on the Rangers roster? I know he came off the DL in early September, played a couple games. His last game was Sept 8th. If they haven't even used him as a PH once in nearly three weeks, wow, he must feel really good right now. I know I feel badly for him, he was a decent guy and certainly doesn't deserve to be benched for three freaking weeks. In a contract year no less? He'll be lucky to get a minor league deal at this rate, if his team in a playoff race doesn't even use him the last almost month of the season? There was talk of a $1-3 million dear next year before he got traded. I bet him signing off on the trade since he was a 10/5 guy is the biggest mistake he ever made in his life in his mind.

It definitely was. Double Switch Jim is contractually obligated to play old veterans even if it is a detriment to the team. Guzman lost a lot of money and AB's.

[tomterp]

It definitely was. Double Switch Jim is contractually obligated to play old veterans even if it is a detriment to the team. Guzman lost a lot of money and AB's.

He's made over $41.8m in his career.  I can't imagine that signing his next contract for a few less $m would have any appreciable impact on the rest of his life.

[NatsDad14]

He's made over $41.8m in his career.  I can't imagine that signing his next contract for a few less $m would have any appreciable impact on the rest of his life.

If Guzman actually cared about playing for a playoff team, he wouldn't have tanked his first season here causing the team to miss the playoffs.

[tomterp]

If Guzman actually cared about playing for a playoff team, he wouldn't have tanked his first season here causing the team to miss the playoffs.

Huh?

You mean when he was almost legally blind and had a torn labrum?

[blue911]

Huh?

You mean when he was almost legally blind and had a torn labrum?

Guzman isn't good enough to tank.

[NatsDad14]

Huh?

You mean when he was almost legally blind and had a torn labrum?

I thought he tore his labrum the next season which is why he missed the whole season.

[Coladar]

Wow, we are really well loved and known around baseball. Doing my nightly MLB recap reading at ESPN.com and saw this trinket. http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300929107

Matt Capps worked the ninth for his 16th save in 18 opportunities since the Twins acquired him in a July 29 trade with Pittsburgh.

Are we such a "lowly" team people can't even remember who Capps played for this year? Sheesh.

On another note, WTF is up with Guzman? The Rangers have clinched, been playing non-starters the past couple nights. He still hasn't played since Sept. 8th. I swear, I am wondering if he's even coming to the park/with the team anymore. It's embarrassing, and I feel legitimately bad for the guy. Texas obviously isn't going to give him so much as a single PH in meaningless games. He obviously might as well not even travel with the team during the playoffs. Like I said already, his chances of getting any contract at this point is near zilch. What it says when his team won't even play him during these meaningless games is going to shout volumes at teams considering signing him this offseason. Hell, at this point we might see him back in DC with a minor league deal, because I guarantee teams are going to read into Texas not playing him one iota the past month despite his recovery from his injury.

[DPMOmaha]

I'm pretty sure Guzman got "hurt".  I wouldn't be shocked to see him back on a minor league deal.  don't want it, but it wouldn't shock me.

Any time a team changes leagues, their stats start over.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Who agrees with me that the Giants should play this every time Matt Cain takes the mound?:

[Coladar]

So obviously I've been following Guzman a little more than most ex-Nats. I liked him, he was a great guy and teammate, and overall contributed to the club as much as you could expect post eye surgery. But wow has his stint in Texas been an unmitigated disaster that has wrecked his chance at getting a deal as he goes to FA. And he basically killed whatever chance he had of a deal today.

First of all, he has officially been told he won't be a part of Texas roster for the playoffs. Ouch. More interestingly, I read he was slotted to play today. He went on the DL in August, then came off it. Played a couple games. His last AB, the last time he was in a game in any form, was September 8th. He spent nearly a full month, on a team which clinched a playoff berth ages ago and was giving starters time off left and right, he spent nearly a month without a single appearance. So he was apparently supposed to play today, and from what I read was running around the clubhouse yesterday according to the journalist. When told he was going to start today, said his back "feels a little stiff" and thus he wasn't interested. Wow.

I don't know if a player has ever had such a cataclysmic two months when they were nearly guaranteed a $3-4 mil deal. He literally will be lucky to get a minor league deal now. And if that story about his back being "a little stiff" after not getting an AB for a month circulates around FOs interested in him, of which there are probably none already, he'll be lucky to get an offer playing next to Dukes in the Indy Leagues. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Easily the worst decision to not use a 10-5 clause in the history of the rule. To go from a .300, nearly leading his team in BA, to not being used the last month despite his team resting most of it's players due to clinching the playoffs, to giving some half assed excuse when given one last chance to play, to being held off his teams playoff roster despite being a veteran with significant experience that could still be beneficial as a PH... Here is a case of a career that got wrecked in the span of a month. It's really unlike anything I've ever witnessed in baseball just how amazingly sudden of a death to a career this was.

I'm going to bet Guzman is back with the Nats next year. He ain't getting Jack **** in the FA market, and the team will probably sign him in March to a minor league deal out of sympathy.