Help me understand

[Cinqo de Mayo]

I can certainly see where Lenny Harris takes a lot of heat for the Nats pathetic offense, but why are people down on Randy St. Claire? For 3 1/2 seasons, he has turned chicken crap into chicken salad. I'm not surprised that the new ballpark has magnified the National's pitching deficiencies, while stripping bare the National's glaring lack of power. But to not give thanks to Randy St. Claire's yeoman effort to whip inadequate pitchers into some semblance of a major league staff is beyond my understanding.

I hope that he's still here if/when the Nationals build a real competetive team.

[Natskins]

I completely agree with you, Cinqo. I've thought the same thing. He's had nothing to work with during his tenure here, yet he's gotten pitchers to pitch high above their previous levels. I guess some people think it's his fault his pitchers get no run support.

Just look what he did with Esteban Loaiza, Hector Carrasco, the lights-out bullpen (up until this year), reviving Tim Redding's career. Look at Odalis Perez this year -- 5.57 ERA in KC in '07...3.78 this year in DC. We've gone bargain hunting since the team arrived from Montreal, and St. Claire has managed to keep the staff reasonably productive all along.

If we had ANY ability to score runs people would be calling for St. Claire to run for president.

[kimnat]

The problem with the Nats ISN'T St. Claire.  It's definitely Harris and injuries.  PERIOD.

[MrMadison]

well, the tendency around here is to not blame the players for sucking, and to blame the Managers and Coaches for not forcing them to play well.

the mentality seems to be that if we get rid of the Managers and Coaches, a new set of Managers and Coaches will force these exact same player to not suck.

fact is, we've got a team full of players who suck. that's the majority of the problem.

[UMDNats]

Um, who is down on St. Claire? The majority of people love what he has done.

[Obed_Marsh]

Um, who is down on St. Claire? The majority of people love what he has done.

I think it started below in today's gameday thread. I cannot say I understand the venom for St. Claire myself. Now Lenny Harris, f em.

FIRE RANDY SAINT CLAIRE!

*snip, snip* by thom202

terrible pitch. FIRE St. Claire!

[Natskins]

Um, who is down on St. Claire? The majority of people love what he has done.

People club him during the game threads. It's stupid.

[spidernat]

Um, who is down on St. Claire? The majority of people love what he has done.

People club him during the game threads. It's stupid.

I think it's only one or two posters though.

[sportsfan882]

No one is above blame when your team is 22 games under .500 in early July.

Acta, Harris, St. Claire, and the front office are all responsible for this trainwreck.

[ronnynat]

No one is above blame when your team is 22 games under .500 in early July.

Acta, Harris, St. Claire, and the front office are all responsible for this trainwreck.

You have to put a lot of the blame on Zimmerman, NJ, Dukes, Milledge, Wagner, Cordero, Maxwell, Kearns, Hill, and all the other guys that got injured, too. Probably most of the blame.

[shoeshineboy]

No one is above blame when your team is 22 games under .500 in early July.

Acta, Harris, St. Claire, and the front office are all responsible for this trainwreck.

I'll throw a dart at Rick Aponte. All year long he has sent guys he has warmed up in the bullpen out to the mound where they walk the first batter they face. And even if they don't do that, they too often get behind and/or get to a 3-ball count and give up a hit because of it. It is stunning that relief pitchers who are paid to throw strikes can consistently come in and not be able to do it. Bring back Bobby Natal.

[PatsNats28]

I'll throw a dart at Rick Aponte. All year long he has sent guys he has warmed up in the bullpen out to the mound where they walk the first batter they face. And even if they don't do that, they too often get behind and/or get to a 3-ball count and give up a hit because of it. It is stunning that relief pitchers who are paid to throw strikes can consistently come in and not be able to do it. Bring back Bobby Natal.

I'll throw a dart at Felipe Lopez for not trying.

[MrMadison]

No one is above blame when your team is 22 games under .500 in early July.

not even Jesus Flores?

[PatsNats28]

not even Jesus Flores?

have you seen him recently?

the only guy above blame is guzman, and maybe rauch.

[Natskins]

It's unforgivable how St. Claire has given his pitchers no run support. That's on the pitching coach. Just look at Lannan's W-L record. If St. Claire had given him a few runs to work with, the kid would be unbeatable.

[ronnynat]

Imagine even a team like the Yankees missing starters for a significant amount of time like we have/are.

That'd be A-Rod, Giambi, Damon, Abreu, Cabrera, Rivera, and others.

You can do the same thing w/ all the other teams.

NO team could win with that many injuries.

[sportsfan882]

So basically we are just cursed? When are things going to start to turn around for this franchise? Our luck has been rotten ever since that ridiculous first half in 2005 where we won all those 1-run games. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. 

[houston-nat]

It's unforgivable how St. Claire has given his pitchers no run support. That's on the pitching coach. Just look at Lannan's W-L record. If St. Claire had given him a few runs to work with, the kid would be unbeatable.

Love your first post, too, by the way. Dead on. St Claire is part of the solution.

[CJames0569]

You have to put a lot of the blame on Zimmerman, NJ, Dukes, Milledge, Wagner, Cordero, Maxwell, Kearns, Hill, and all the other guys that got injured, too. Probably most of the blame.

I don't think you can blame the players for getting injured, they are out there hustling and doing there job and when they get injured it is just one of those unfortunate events that isn't necessarily preventable.

Imagine even a team like the Yankees missing starters for a significant amount of time like we have/are.

That'd be A-Rod, Giambi, Damon, Abreu, Cabrera, Rivera, and others.

You can do the same thing w/ all the other teams.

NO team could win with that many injuries.

QFT and many other teams in the league have better starters and bench players than we do.

[PANatsFan]

I don't think you can blame the players for getting injured, they are out there hustling and doing there job and when they get injured it is just one of those unfortunate events that isn't necessarily preventable.

QFT and many other teams in the league have better starters and bench players than we do.

needed a [sarcasm] [/sarcasm]

[ronnynat]

I don't think you can blame the players for getting injured, they are out there hustling and doing there job and when they get injured it is just one of those unfortunate events that isn't necessarily preventable.

My point was that you can't go blaming and firing everyone when we haven't even seen the best players all on the field at the same time this season.

[Obed_Marsh]

So basically we are just cursed? When are things going to start to turn around for this franchise? Our luck has been rotten ever since that ridiculous first half in 2005 where we won all those 1-run games. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. 

After careful research I have discovered we suffer from multiple curses. There is the Bobblehead curse of 2008, the curse of Brian Schnieder, the curse of Sentors2005, the Curse of Teddy,  the curse of Sportsfan, and the curse of Nats2Playoffs (also known as the curse of the reverse Damn Yankees).

That doesn't even take into account the curse of the Angry Blogger.

I suspect to turn it around we'll need to invite Brian Schnieder and Frank Robinson to burn the bobbleheads, Lenny Harris, and the angry blogger in the new park on the anniversary of the Pope's visit to the new ballpark or we're DOOMED, DOOMED I SAY. Stupid Curse. 

EDIT: Dear gods, there are more. The Curse of the 2k6nats-made Gameday Threads

[2k6nats]

After careful research I have discovered we suffer from multiple curses. There is the Bobblehead curse of 2008, the curse of Brian Schnieder, the curse of Sentors2005, the Curse of Teddy,  the curse of Sportsfan, and the curse of Nats2Playoffs.

That doesn't even take into account the curse of the Angry Blogger.

I suspect to turn it around we'll need to invite Brian Schnieder and Frank Robinson to burn the bobbleheads, Lenny Harris, and the angry blogger in the new park on the anniversary of the Pope's visit to the new ballpark or we're DOOMED, DOOMED I SAY. Stupid Curse. 

Don't forget the Curse of the 2k6nats-made Gameday Threads

[tomterp]

After careful research I have discovered we suffer from multiple curses. There is the Bobblehead curse of 2008, the curse of Brian Schnieder, the curse of Sentors2005, the Curse of Teddy,  the curse of Sportsfan, and the curse of Nats2Playoffs (also known as the curse of the reverse Damn Yankees).

That doesn't even take into account the curse of the Angry Blogger.

I suspect to turn it around we'll need to invite Brian Schnieder and Frank Robinson to burn the bobbleheads, Lenny Harris, and the angry blogger in the new park on the anniversary of the Pope's visit to the new ballpark or we're DOOMED, DOOMED I SAY. Stupid Curse. 

EDIT: Dear gods, there are more. The Curse of the 2k6nats-made Gameday Threads

You've entirely got too much time on your hands.   

[shoeshineboy]

You've entirely got too much time on your hands.  

He forgot the curse of all curses, the Sports Illustrated cover curse.



Three out of six