The "Former Nat Watch" Thread (2008)

[The Chief]

I guess N2P will have to find some other hot Nationals' wife to post about from time to time now.

[tomterp]

I guess N2P will have to find some other hot Nationals' wife to post about from time to time now.

Tough act to follow.  Jennifer was as good as Flop was bad.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

He had a smug sneer that was vaguely smilesque

Watching Bonifacio I realized that FLop never smiled.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

She looked like a polespinner, but I guess I would not expect the likes of FLop to go for the librarian look. 

Tough act to follow.  Jennifer was as good as Flop was bad.

[PANatsFan]

Rockies Win Claim On Livan Hernandez
from MLB Trade Rumors by Tim Dierkes

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Rockies won their waiver claim on Livan Hernandez.  Apparently the Rox beat out another NL team with a better record.  Apparently no American League team put in a claim.

At the least, the Twins will dump off Hernandez just to be free of his contract.  At most, they might be able to snag some kind of fringe prospect.  Hernandez is owed another $1.5MM, plus incentives.

They couldn't have gotten even a crap prospect a la the first Stanton trade? If we picked up 100% of the FLop's salary, I find it hard to believe the Cards would have parted with nothing. This sucks.

[blue911]

They couldn't have gotten even a crap prospect a la the first Stanton trade? If we picked up 100% of the FLop's salary, I find it hard to believe the Cards would have parted with nothing. This sucks.

The Cards knew that FLop was a short timer after the Nats picked up Bonifacio. Why offer anything? It's not as if Cards fans are burning sofas in the street because they signed FLop.

[ronnynat]

The Mariners designated Vidro for assignment.

[PANatsFan]

The Mariners designated Vidro for assignment.

Happy Retirement, Vidro.

[blue911]

The Mariners designated Vidro for assignment.

I hope somebody picks him up.

[tomterp]

Cards Press Release:

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals announced this evening that they have signed free-agent infielder Felipe Lopez to a Major League contract. Lopez, 28, was recently released by the Washington Nationals.
The switch-hitting Lopez was batting .234 with 2 homers, 20 doubles and 25 RBI for the Nationals in 100 games this season. He started 69 games at second base, 7 at shortstop and 6 in left field this season. He played his final game for the Nationals on July 31, delivering a pinch-hit double.

Lopez' six-year Major League career has included stops with Toronto (2001-02), Cincinnati (2003-2006) and Washington (2006-2008). He has compiled a lifetime .256 batting average, collecting 67 homers, 313 RBI and 105 stolen bases in 830 games.

Lopez was named to the National League All-Star team in 2005 and batted .291 with 23 homers, 34 doubles and 85 RBI that season, earning N.L. Silver Slugger honors at shortstop.

A native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Lopez was selected in the 1st round (8th player overall) of the 1998 draft by Toronto out of Lake Brantley (Fla.) High School.

[ronnynat]

^ I never knew he was drafted that high.

[spidernat]

I hope somebody picks him up.

Preferably someone in our division.

[blue911]

Preferably someone in our division.

We had to pay seattle $2,5M to keep that crap this year. If he's picked up we save $800K+.

[spidernat]

We had to pay seattle $2,5M to keep that crap this year. If he's picked up we save $800K+.

I'm all about that if the 800K will be spent on signing a draft pick or go towards a FA signing in the offseason.

[PANatsFan]

We had to pay seattle $2,5M to keep that crap this year. If he's picked up we save $800K+.

Phew. For a second I thought you were waxing nostalgic.

[MrMadison]

Felipe on leaving DC

This won't help Felipe Lopez win any friends with the DC crowd, but he didn't have many in the first place. My man Derrick Goold from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch passed along a few comments from Lopez, the newest Cardinal.

About coming from St. Louis to Washington:

"It's like night and day. You go from somewhere that's dead last and the energy is not there. You come here and as soon as I walked in I felt that energy. That inspires you, that motivates you to play well. ... They were trying to develop young players. I was not in their plans for the future."

On not hitting:

"Like I said, the motivation - just being dead last, I guess. Like going out there knowing you're probably going to lose isn't motivating. That's tough. That's tough, for me."

if there is one former Nat that I am actively rooting to fail, it is Felipe Lopez.

[tomterp]

What a jerk.  How come as soon as he left, the energy surged into our clubhouse?  And since when was he not one of the young players Bowden had acquired for the future?

[spidernat]

freak Felipe Lopez. He sounds like a total nag.

[PANatsFan]

Former third base coach Tony Beasley sang the national anthem for the Pirates about a week ago, and did a darn good job.

[MrMadison]

Ryan Church is apparently done for the year. not officially, but the Mets seem to believe so.

"The New York Daily News reports that "it appears the Mets no longer have their hopes up that Ryan Church will return this season."

Church briefly return followed a concussion, but has been out since early July and refused to speak to reporters after taking batting practice Wednesday. "I'm not optimistic about that," manager Jerry Manuel said. "It's very foreign to all of us and we just aren't sure as to where it could go. And historically, it hasn't gone in our direction. We've been going through this, I don't know how long. Two months? Whatever. But, if it does turn out to be something favorable for us, it would be very, very welcome." "

--rotoworld

no "superstar" jokes from me here, Church is in a dangerous place right now. Concussions are no joke.  here's to hoping he gets over this.

[MrMadison]

* Paul Lo Duca signed with the Marlins today. And he's reporting to the minor leagues.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2008/08/does_bergmann_belong_in_09_rot.html

unbelievable with all the Marlins catching issues this season, we could not get *anything* at all for Lo Duca from them in a trade.

[blue911]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2008/08/does_bergmann_belong_in_09_rot.html

unbelievable with all the Marlins catching issues this season, we could not get *anything* at all for Lo Duca from them in a trade.

Other GM's realized that Lo Duca and Lopez were on their way out with the Nationals. To trade for either would have increased the risk factor by 10 for Lopez and 100 for Lo Duca. The Cards have to pay Lopez @ $180K as oppossed to the $1.6M left on his contract. The Marlins are only liable for about $18K for Lo Duca. I can see why there were no takers, these guys weren't earning their paychecks.

[Obed_Marsh]

Looks like Lopez's comments were taken out of context or at least some of his positive comments were omitted.

"It wasn't a shock," Lopez said. "They're trying to get young players over there. I just wasn't in their plans for the future. They're looking more for youth. I'm not saying I'm old; I'm only 28. I thought it was a good move for both parties. They let me go and it gives me a chance to go to the postseason with somebody. I think it was a class act by them to do that."

http://www.bnd.com/sports/cardinals/story/424049.html

[PANatsFan]

Looks like Lopez's comments were taken out of context or at least some of his positive comments were omitted.

http://www.bnd.com/sports/cardinals/story/424049.html

Is this a later comment? Maybe it's CYA.

[sportsfan882]

Mackowiak is playing for the Reds' AAA team.

26/108 (.241) Double, Triple, 4 HRs, 13 RBIs, 28 BB, 33 Ks.