Wanna let the Nats know how you really feel?

Fresh off the love-in that was NatsFest 2009, there's this article from Dugout Central stating, quite clearly, that Jim Bowden is baseball's worst GM. It's yet another independent opinion on the state of baseball in DC.

"Bowden has a poor track record in the draft, especially for an executive with a scouting background and who is behind the eight ball when it comes to using advanced statistical analysis. It is crucial for any GM, especially for a small-market team with scarce resources, to develop a sustainable long-term vision for their franchise. With Bowden, though, he is seemingly on a misguided mission to top the 70-win plateau every year, rather than doing what is necessary for his team to actually become a legitimate contender in the future.

The Nationals need a leader with patience and a solid business model. Rather than exploiting inefficiencies, though, Bowden creates inefficiencies for the elite GMs in the league to exploit."

But don't take my word for it. Click the link above and go read the whole thing. It's sad/hilarious all at once.

MASN just announced that they have hired Rob Dibble to replace Don Sutton on the tv broadcasts.

Here are the highlights from the release:

MASN has named Rob Dibble as the new color commentator for the Washington Nationals. He will join play-by-play man Bob Carpenter in the booth beginning with the 2009 season under a multi-year contract with MASN.

A 2-time All Star and MVP of the 1990 NLCS with the Cincinnati Reds, Dibble was part of the "Nasty Boys" bullpen which helped Cincinnati win the 1990 World Series. His broadcasting career includes stints at ESPN, Fox, and FoxSports.com.

"I'm excited to join MASN in covering one of the great new franchises in baseball, and I'm honored to be part of the MASN and Nationals' families. I will try to bring my experience as a pitcher, a ballplayer, and a broadcaster to the booth and bring fans a deeper understanding of what's happening on the field," said Dibble. "I've never been shy about sharing my opinion, so fans will know where I'm coming from."

Glad I have seasons tickets so I'll miss half the games on tv. Nowhere in the press release did they mention Dib's Emmy-winning stint on "The Best Damn Sports Show, Period."

Anyone else surprised it was a former Red that they hired? Didn't think so.

I'm not going to transcribe any of the proceedings, but since I attended most of the events, and interviewed people that went to the other events, the following is a review and report card on the Winter Caravan and NatsFest, in time-line fashion.

As a caveat, I didnt attend these events to be a reporter, I went as a fan. The actual baseball-realted content was minimal compared to the P.R. aspect of the events. Casual fans got to hear the message straight from Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden. That's great. But they didn't say anything all weekend they haven't been saying in the papers and various electronic outlets all winter long, therefore I did not feel the need to take my tape recorder and parse each and every statement.

I did, however, appreciate all the fans--and bloggers--that did get up and ask a question trying to get straight answers from the braintrust.

It's great that the Nats put forth the effort to do this for the fans. It's something that's been missing from the experience and this event can go a long way in growing the fan base. There were definite hits, and some big misses, but overall the experience was positive and a strong first attempt in what was surely a monumental task.
__________________________________________

Thursday afternoon, Martinsburg Mall, Martinsburg, WV: Manager Manny Acta and Joel Hanrahan went out to WV to try to convert some Pirates and Yankees fans. There was a mild reception (40-50 people) for the first leg of the caravan, and most of the folks that stopped by were in the mall already. A nice effort for the Nats to get (way) out of town with some marketing, but probably not worth the carbon footprint it took to get out there. GRADE: C-

Thursday evening, Harris Teeter Supermarket, Rockville, MD: Closer to the traditional market for the Washington team. Another tepid reception for another corporate partner though, with only a small handful of folks that were there just to see the Nats. Most of the folks that got an autograph were there shopping already. Again, it was the Manny and Hanny show. GRADE: C

Friday lunchtime, Hot Stove Luncheon, Nationals Park: The Nats packed 250 season ticket holders into assigned seating in a big conference room at Nats Park for lunch and a panel discussion/Q&A. Hosted by radio broadcaster Charlie Slowes and Meet the Press host David Gregory, the chicken was cold but the discussion was pretty warm. Stan Kasten, Jim Bowden, Mike Rizzo and Manny Acta took some softballs from Gregory (nice touch having him there), then faced fastballs from the fans.

The highlight? Frank Howard got up and recounted his famous story about making eight outs in seven at bats in a double-header in Boston, and receiving a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful.

The lowlight? None of the players assembled and seated at the tables for lunch (John Lannan, Terrell Young, Willie Harris, Steven Shell, Hanrahan) signed autographs except at the table they were seated, and they were all ushered out as soon as lunch was complete. Frank Howard signed for everyone. GRADE: B

Friday afternoon, Build-a-Bear Shop, Annapolis Mall, Annapolis, MD: The gang assembled for lunch trucked out to Annapolis (as deep into Orioles territory as they dared) to the Nats corporate partner Build-a-Bear. They all made their own bears and apparently had a great time doing so. Again, there weren't a whole lot of folks there just to see the Nats, but there was some good mall traffic that stopped in, accounts of 125-150 people all told. Friday at 4 pm probably wasn't the best time for this event, maybe a Saturday morning when kids might be at the mall. But a solid effort here. Who knew teddy bears were such a big draw for nats fans? GRADE: B-

Friday night, Nats Top Chef Cook-off, ESPN Zone, downtown DC: Willie Harris proved, once again, that he can do anything, as he took the title of Nats Top Chef at a cook-off with another corporate partner. Wee Willie defeated Garrett Mock and teams of Hanrahan/Lannan and Young/Shell. There were probably only 50 or so fans there for the event. Most there were connected in some way with a member of the Natosphere. I asked a bunch of folks at NatsFest if they knew about his event. None did. GRADE: B-

Saturday morning, Pfitzner Stadium, Woodbridge, VA: A two-hour line of people (roughly 200 people) braved the wind and cold Saturday morning to run a gauntlet of Nationals for autographs and pictures. Hanrahan, Harris, Young, Mock, Scott Olsen, Lannan, Shell, Mike O'Connor and Acta signed and Ryan Zimmerman posed for photos. More on Zim later. The quality operation of the Potomac Nationals even provided free lunch of BBQ and dogs. Other than the unavoidable forcing of fans to stand in the cold, this was an excellent event. GRADE: A-

Saturday afternoon, AMF Kegler's Lanes, Charlottesville, VA: This, however, was a terrible event. After the P-Nats event, they loaded everyone on a bus and went to Charlottesville, VA, home of the University of VA, Zim's alma mater. According to sources, the place was difficult to find and unpleasant once there. There were about 20 people total there to see the Nationals' contingent. My witness said there were more players, team employees and media than fans. The players bowled for 40 minutes and left. GRADE: F

Saturday night, Red, Hot & Blue Restaurant, Richmond, VA: Another corporate partner sponsored event, my sources said there were probably 225 folks there for autographs, a line that stretched from inside the restaurant to outside on the sidewalk in the sub-freezing temperatures. There were reports that folks at the end of the line didn't even actually get in, or got cut off at some point.

My source spoke to Zimmerman inside and asked him why he couldn't sign, and Zim replied that due to a marketing arrangement he could not sign at an organized function, but that he could sign if he was, say, walking to his car or bus. Thus, after they got everyone elses autographs, they then went outside and waited at the front door of the bus where Zim did sign for them and a few other people as they were leaving. They might have been the only handful of autographs Zim was "able" to give all weekend. GRADE: B

Sunday afternoon, NatsFest, Nationals Park, southeast DC: LOTS of people came to the inaugural NatsFest at Nationals Park. Initial reports have the number at 7,000 tickets sold, and I believe every word of it. There were people everywhere.

There were two hour lines to get a picture with Zim. Heck, there was an hour line to get an autograph from Terrell Young, a guy that might not even make the team. The Q&A's with folks like George Will, Phil Wood and various members of the Nats braintrust packed the PNC Diamond Club.

The clubhouse was open and you could pay to take hacks in the batting cages. There was an excellent exhibit on the Negro Leagues, and for the first time all weekend, the team store was open and had items for sale.

But the primary objective for most of the fans were the autographs and pictures, and the lines were just ridiculous. There were many suggestions that they should have separated the players instead of having just one autograph stage.

But the idea that the "face of the franchise" was contractually prohibited from signing was a HUGE problem. Try telling an eight-year old that Ryan Zimmerman couldn't sign his glove. It ended in tears.

The team should have paid an appearance fee or whatever to the entity prohibiting Ryan from signing. Absolutely disgraceful performance. It left Ryan visibly uncomfortable having to explain to fans why he couldn't sign at a team event.

Elijah Dukes and Josh Willingham joined the other players at the event.

GRADE: B
___________________________________

Overall, I think the festivities suffered from a condition the Nationals have had since they moved into their new digs last season. They have grand plans and dream really big about things like this, but the planning, marketing and execution just don't quite meet the mark.

There were big problems with some of the locations they chose, especially the farthest reaching locations. There were problems with some of the venues not being properly equipped to handle the crowds or subjecting fans to the bitter winter temperatures outside. And you can't fault the team for working with its corporate partners, but it got a little over-bear-ing. Sorry for the pun.

NatsFest itself was fairly successful. Everyone really enjoyed the Q&As, especially when Bowden admitted that Robert Fick texts him once a week looking for a job. Having attended many of the events, I heard the same message over and over again from Kasten and Bowden, which was: "We think we're doing this the right way. We WANT to add players but they have to be at the right (lowest possible) price. We think people will like the new things at the ballpark this year."

At the end of the day, some of the missing or incomplete elements would have gone a LONG way in making what was a decent event into a terrific event. Hopefully the team will take a long look at everything and make some tweaks for next season.

OVERALL GRADE: B-

Photos (c) C. Nichols 2009

Jim Bowden seems to think so. Lots of people are are writing about it. But the only word out of camp McGeary is from Jack's father, who says no decision has been made.

Nats Journal has the latest. Chico Harlan recovered from judging the cook-off last night and talked to Pat McGeary.

"It's rumor at this point," McGeary's father, Pat, said this morning. "I think it would be premature for me to say anything."

In an interview with Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll yesterday, Bowden said that McGeary had decided to play baseball full-time this season.

"Jack has told us that he wants to play baseball full-time now, so we expect him to report to spring training on time and continue a full season of his development. And we said when we signed the player that we felt after a short period of time that he would decide to play baseball full-time. So we were very pleased when his agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, informed us that Jack had made a decision to do that."

McGeary, you will remember, is the first round talent (and to whom the Nats gave first round money to) that they selected in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. He dropped that far because he was committed to attending Stanford. He has had an arrangement to attend school and then play professionally when school was over in June.

He was excellent last year in the Gulf Coast League, leading that short season in strikeout, starts and second in innings pitched.

If the news is true, it would be great news for the Nationals, as he's a legitimate first round talent and getting him into spring training and a full season of baseball, we might even see him next season in DC.

What's troubling is that once again, the General Manager is putting words into people's mouths that they aren't ready to say. Obviously, for McGeary's father to tell Nats Journal that no official decision has been made, contradicting the GM of the big club, is an issue.

The bet here is that the player's agent (who also represents Ryan Zimmerman) wants to get McGeary playing full-time and that McGeary himself might be ready to leave school, but that the family is sure yet. Whatever the case is, it doesn't sound quite resolved yet. Stay tuned.

The Washington Nationals continued their winter caravan at ESPN Zone tonight and named Willie Harris the Nats' Top Chef at the cook-off! It was a lot of fun and I weeded out 27 photos out of 300+ that I took tonight. It was great to see the boys today. I am ready for baseball season!! Enjoy.

The winter caravan travels to Woodbridge, Charlottesville and Richmond today.



**A special thank you to Chico Harlan who used a few of my photographs in today's Nationals Journal about the event.

NatsFest, the first-ever Fanfest held at Nationals Park, will take place on Sunday, January 25 from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

NatsFest will be open to the public. All Nationals fans may purchase tickets online at nationals.com/natsfest, by calling 1-888-632-NATS (6287) or at the Nationals Park Main Box Office (M-F, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.), and all tickets purchased in the week prior will be available via Will Call at the Nationals Box Office. The cost of the event is $10 for adults and $5 for children under the age of 12.

Parking for NatsFest is available for FREE on a first-come, first-served basis in Nationals Park Garage B and Garage C.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

PNC Diamond Club - Q&A*
1:30 PM - "The Craft of Baseball" - George Will
2:15 PM - "Behind the Scenes" - with Jim Bowden, a look at the Nats through the eyes of the GM
3:00 PM - "Call from the Dugout" - with Manny Acta, a look inside the coaching staff
3:45 PM - "Baseball in DC" - Phil Wood
4:30 PM - "Ask Nationals Management" - Stan Kasten, Jim Bowden, Manny Acta take questions

Stars & Stripes Club - Autographs**
1:30 - 2:30 PM - Acta, Willingham, Olsen
2:45 - 3:45 PM - Lannan, Shell
4:00 - 5:00 PM - Harris, T. Young, Mock

Mezzanine Level (4) - Photos**
1:30 - 2:30 PM - Harris, T. Young, Mock
2:45 - 3:45 PM - Zimmerman, Willingham, Olsen
4:00 - 5:00 PM - Lannan, Zimmerman, Shell

* Each Q&A session wil last approximately 30 minutes
** Player and personnel appearances are subject to change

Read Tom Boswell's article that will run in Saturday's Washington Post.

Boswell has canceled his season tickets and is very frustrated with the Lerners.

"The Lerners, who haven't made a serious offer to any major free agent since they failed to get Mark Teixeira last month, need to show that they deserve to be entrusted with the Nationals."

"Pennant contenders get a discount and can wait to act. The worst teams always pay a premium and have to strike pre-emptively. It's a law of nature."

I don't think he's saying anything that anyone on the Natosphere has said for the last two years, but he's got the biggest 'bully pulpit' in town.

Not a whole lot newsworthy came out of the Nationals Hot Stove Luncheon for season ticket holders today. There were just a couple of interesting tidbits:

1) Manny Acta gets it. When asked if because the Nats didn't have a slugger he would employ more "small ball", he first (politely) made fun of the term, then said "You win by getting runners on base and then driving them in." And that he bunts, hit and runs and steals when he feels he has to, but that the goal is to keep getting on base, not making extra outs. He even said, "You only get 27 of 'em a game."

2) When asked if the Nats were going to sign Dunn and Hudson, Jim Bowden replied [paraphrase], "We're looking at all 97 free agents still available to see if they fit into their plan on the field and on the payroll."

There was also veiled references, but no official announcements, of expansion of the Red Porch, unveiling of statutes in the plaza, options of healthier food and other non-baseball related issues.

The next DC stop on the caravan is tonight at ESPN Zone for the Nats cook-off. Going to try to nail one of the players down for a quick Q&A, and Cheryl will have plenty of pictures from the day to post tonight as well.

Well, part two of Keith Law's analysis of the top minor league prospects carries no better news than yesterday's revelation that he ranked the Nats organization 29 out of the 30 Major League teams with regard to prospect depth. It should serve as no surprise then that just one player in the Nats organization, RHP Jordan Zimmermann, cracked Law's Top 100 prospects, at number 42, no less.

He does do Washington the favor of listing their top five prospects though:

1. Jordan Zimmermann, RHP (42th)
2. Michael Burgess, RF
3. Esmailyn Gonzalez, SS
4. Ross Detwiler, LHP
5. Chris Marrero, LF

Zimmermann is also Law's number ten RHP prospect. He is the only Nat prospect to make a top ten positional list as well.

After yesterday's blurb about the team labelling Detwiler and Smoker disappointments for their steps backward, he still has Detwiler listed as the organization's number four prospect. You can question Law's evaluation all you like, but there's no question that he is an independent reviewer for a national publication with a huge audience.

It's troubling as a fan to see that after several years of the major league team being ignored, quality of play deteriorating and the record getting worse, and being promised that if the team sticks to the plan and builds through trades and the draft that things will get better, that independent evaluators don't share in the assessment of the talent that has been amassed.

Failing to sign Aaron Crow was a huge mistake. Not only in evaluation of the system, but in terms of signing next year's two top ten picks. They'll have to shell out (obviously) number one money for the first pick. Then, whoever they take at ten will have them over a barrel, since the Nats won't get a compensatory pick if they fail to sign him. Basically, they have to sign two number one overall picks next draft.

Anyone want to take bets on that?

The Q&As with the front office guys during the Nats caravan and Fan Fest should be interesting. I know I certainly plan to ask Mr. Kasten and Mr. Bowden what they think of Keith Law's assessment, and where they think they should rank.

Photo courtesy of We've Got Heart.

Nice to see that the local media is trying to keep up with the Nats. The Redskins are done for the season, Capitals are on All-Star Break and Wizards.....stink. Guess that the Nats are still their low priority, but at least they are getting some press.

Dan Steinberg recently discovered Collin Balester's blog and is "hooked."

If you have not read his blog, check it out. I have been a regular reader for quite some time and appreciate the "regular guy" feel of the blog. You will be entertained.

Just a quick reminder that the Nats Caravan kicks off today and Nats Fest is this Sunday, January 24th. See link for more details. Come out and meet some of the new players and welcome other players home.

Warning - This is pretty depressing. Not exactly something you want to watch to get pumped up for Nats Fest.

It was the Washington Nationals turn for ESPN's look at 30 teams in 30 days. It is the top "hot stove" story on the ESPN website.

ESPN.com's Keith Law, a former Toronto Blue Jay executive, published his organizational rankings for this season today. You'll be disappointed to find out his opinion of the Nats minor league organization, as his opinion differs WILDLY from that of Stan Kasten or Jim Bowden.

29. Washington Nationals: Ross Detwiler and Josh Smoker, two of their top three prospects at this time in 2008, took huge steps backward this past season, and the Nationals' botched negotiations with first-round pick Aaron Crow were just more of the same from Jim Bowden's reign of error. The consistent failure to convert veteran big leaguers into any sort of prospects and questions about their practices in Latin America will leave them stuck down here even if they have a successful draft in 2009.

Yes, that's 29 out of the 30 major league teams. Ouch.

Also, his top 100 prospects list is due tomorrow, but we have a preview. The highest ranked individual National prospect is Jordan Zimmermann, at 42.

"Zimmermann spent most of his first full pro season in Double-A, good for any recent draftee but even more so for a pitcher out of a Division III school, as he is. He's not a potential ace but a very high-probability No. 3 with a chance to be better than that because of his plus command.

Zimmermann is a classic four-pitch pitcher who changes speeds well and commands his stuff, locating his 90-94 mph four-seamer to all parts of the zone. He also keeps the ball down. His best pitch remains his mid-80s slider, short and tight with good tilt, although his curve is tighter now than it was when he was an amateur. Plus, he turns his changeup over well.

He has good feel for pitching, above-average command and average control."

FYI, the Orioles are 10th.

Millions of people were in Wasington, DC watching the Presidential Inauguration today and many millions more watching on TV.

Mark Lerner traveled to Washington to attend the Presidential Inauguration in person.

Kristen from Nationals Buzz pointed out that the Nationals Racing President Abe welcomed President Obama to Washington today during the parade on the Illinois state float.

Most of the Nationals were out-of-town, however, former Nat Marlon Anderson and his wife made the trip back to DC on Monday and was on The National Mall in front of a jumbotron to watch Obama take the Oath of Office.

The Massachusetts Democratic Inaugural Presidential Party was held at Nationals Park on Sunday, January 18, 2009. Some were able to take in batting practice. Kenny attended the event and gave his account of the party and gave Nationals Park five stars for wheelchair accessibility.

We all know that President Obama is a big Chicago White Sox fan and will most likely throw out the first pitch on Opening Day in Chicago, despite reports it "may not happen." The White Sox host the Kansas City Royals as their home opener on Monday, April 6th.

Hopefully, Obama will also throw out the first pitch at the Nationals home opener against the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, April 13th to continue the tradition of the sitting President throwing out the first pitch at Nationals games.

This off-season has not gone exactly the way Nats fans had planned. No big free agent signing (so far anyway), including our hopes and dreams of Mark Teixeira, and offers not extended to favorites like Tim Redding.

Now the Nats are discussing filing position holes from within the team? I realize that we have a lot of guys that can play multiple positions, however, don't we want to try to get someone who is a GREAT at one position to add to the team?

If Nick Johnson is not the starting first baseman this year, are we really going to have Ronnie Belliard or Josh Willingham at first base? Belliard has started at first base for twenty-five games in his eleven year career with all, except four, of them coming from last year. Willingham has NEVER started at first base, however, played two games at first in 2006. Does not sound like a very good plan B to me. At least Anderson Hernandez has actually started at second base for most of his small number of starts.

Are the Nats writing Dmitri Young completely off? He has an awfully large salary for a minor leaguer.

Welcome back Jesus Colome. The Nats signed a minor league deal with Colome on Thursday.

Nats also signed right-hander John Towers, 31, to a minor league contract. He has been around quite a while and spent the entire 2008 season with Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Ryan Zimmerman, Josh Willingham, Shawn Hill and Scott Olsen formally filed for arbitration Thursday. I hope that these get worked out soon before hearings. Pay Zimmerman already for goodness sake! He is the face of the organization and very young with amazing untapped talent.

I am trying to stay positive and focus on the good things like the Nats Caravan and Nats Fest next week and we'll see which roller coaster comes next.

There's a lot of speculation floating around about the Nick Johnson for Daric Barton rumors. Harper over at OMG had a good analysis this morning. Ed at Federal Baseball took a literary approach on the subject. Nats Journal discussed the topic as well.

Harper's initial impressions mirror my own. I'll let him explain...

It's always humorous to read the fans takes on potential deals because they tend to wildly overestimate the value of their own players while doing the opposite to the players on other teams. Nearly every player is worth a good prospect... unless it's your good prospect who should only be traded for a star.

Exhibit A is the reactions to the rumors of a Daric Barton for Nick Johnson deal. Where does it rank on the surface? It's a good deal for the Nats and a real risky one with immediate potential for the A's. But Nats fans seem hesitant, some asking for pitching to be added, and A's fans act like it would be the stupidest deal of all-time.

Ahhh, fans.

We have a guy in my fantasy league that you can't make a trade with because of the very mentality above. And it's natural to over-value your own players, because you were the one to buy them in the first place. But it's a GM's job to properly value these players for the team, situation, and money involved.

So I agree with Harper's conclusion, though I'll phrase it differently: the deal won't (shouldn't) happen because the Oakland A's aren't that stupid.

Daric Barton projects to be Nick Johnson. His minor league numbers and performance indicate that he's a good-fielding first baseman with superb on-base skills but marginal power for the position. Here's the kicker: he's just 23. Nick Johnson is 31. And an "old" 31 at that.

The A's would be crazy to trade several seasons of cost certainty for essentially the same player who is in the final year of a contract. And this is before considering the injury issue.

The A's are faced with is a "win-now" mentality, having acquired Matt Holliday for prospects (and some good ones) and Jason Giambi via free agency. It's the only reason they could even come close to justifying this deal. By acquiring Johnson (and they hope the 2006 version of Johnson), they hope that he could be the final piece in making a playoff-caliber team.

But not only should we look at the current injury Johnson is recovering from and his propensity for getting injured in the first place (is getting injured a "skill"?), we also have to consider the cumulative effect the injuries have already had on Johnson. David Ortiz had a very similar wrist injury to Johnson, opted against surgery, and played last year after the injury. Ortiz' production was hindered, no doubt, but he played and contributed to another division winner in Boston.

Now perhaps Ortiz should have had the surgery, and maybe when Johnson returns he'll be 100%, but any objective fan knows that at the beginning of last season that when Johnson was playing, he was not vintage Nick Johnson. He ran 9and walked, I'll add) with a noticeable limp and did not have the full range at first base that he has exhibited in years past.

Bottom line is this: Johnson has had a broken femur and damaged nerves/tendons in his wrist the last three years, on top of everything else he's gone through. He's an "old' 31. The cumulative effect has to catch up with him sooner than later.

If Jim Bowden is presented with this offer, straight up, and turns it down, he's crazier than any of us can imagine.

As reported by several media outlets, Elijah Dukes, outfielder for the Washington Nationals, may have found hot water once again. He has a little more than a week to pay $40,643 in overdue child support payments. Should he not meet his obligations, he could face penalties including jail.

Dukes, 24, has until 5 p.m. on Jan. 23 to pay the child support and alimony he owes his estranged wife, NiShea Dukes. Failure to do so will land Dukes in jail for 90 days, according to a court order from Hillsborough County (FL) Circuit Judge Mark R. Wolfe. All of this information was originally reported in the Tampa Tribune.

Dukes, who has three children with his estranged wife, was ordered in April 2008 to pay his $6,527 per month in child support and alimony. According to the Tampa Tribune, citing court documents, Ms. Dukes received a payment of $16,685 on April 11. Since then, according to the source for the Tribune, she has received just $200.

According to Nationals Journal, the Nationals issued a statement from General Manager Jim Bowden saying that the team has been "kept abreast of Elijah Dukes' financial situation through his advisers, agents and attorneys."

"When we acquired the player," the release continued, "we were aware that his obligations exceeded his income. Elijah is working diligently with his agents, attorneys and financial advisers in an effort to meet all of his responsibilities."

In 2008, Dukes earned $392,500.

So the question that begs to be asked, is Dukes willingly failing to pay his child support/alimony, or are his advisers (independent of the Nationals) failing him? Was he even aware that he was behind in his obligations? Some simple follow up by either newspaper could have shed some light on those questions, but apparently no one was willing to call Dukes or his advisers.

From the press release:

The Washington Nationals today announced the full schedule for their 2009 Winter Caravan, as the team will make several stops in the D.C. Metropolitan Area, including visits to Martinsburg, WV, Annapolis and Rockville, MD and Charlottesville, Richmond and Woodbridge, VA. The Caravan will take place Thursday, January 22 through Monday, January 26 and includes the first-ever NatsFest at Nationals Park on Sunday, January 25.

Nationals Manager Manny Acta, pitchers Joel Hanrahan, John Lannan, Garret Mock, Scott Olsen and Terrell Young, outfielders Willie Harris and Josh Willingham and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman will be on hand to participate in the Caravan events. Nationals television broadcaster Bob Carpenter and radio voice Charlie Slowes will serve as moderators for various venues throughout the region.

NatsFest, which will be open to the public, will take place on Sunday, January 25, from 1:00pm – 5:00pm. The event will take place in the Lexus Presidents Club, PNC Diamond Club, Stars & Stripes Club and Conference Center and will include autograph, photograph and question-and-answer sessions.

Q&A topics include “The Craft of Baseball” with author and The Washington Post columnist George Will, “Behind the Scenes” with Nationals SVP & General Manager Jim Bowden, “Call from the Dugout” with Nationals Manager Manny Acta and “Baseball in DC” with baseball historian Phil Wood. Fans may also enjoy clubhouse tours, games, face painters, caricaturists and concessions for purchase throughout the afternoon.

All Nationals Season Ticket Holders were offered four complimentary tickets per account. All Nationals fans may purchase tickets online at nationals.com/natsfest, by calling 1-888-632-NATS (6287) or at the Nationals Park Main Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10:00am – 5:00pm). The cost of the event is $10 for adults and $5 for children under the age of 12.

Here's the complete schedule:

2009 WINTER CARAVAN
Thursday, January 22 – Monday, January 26

Participating Players, Manager and Front Office Staff*
Manager Manny Acta: January 22 – 25
SVP & Vice President Jim Bowden: January 23 & 25
Pitcher Joel Hanrahan: January 22 – 24
Outfielder Willie Harris: January 23 – 25
President Stan Kasten: January 23 & 25
Pitcher John Lannan: January 23 – 25
Pitcher Garret Mock: January 24 – 26
Pitcher Scott Olsen: January 24 – 26
Asst GM & VP Baseball Ops Mike Rizzo: January 23 & 25
Outfielder Josh Willingham: January 24 – 26
Pitcher Terrell Young: January 23 – 26
Third Baseman Ryan Zimmerman: January 24 – 25

Moderators

Nationals Television Broadcaster Bob Carpenter: January 25 – 26
NBC’s “Meet the Press” Moderator David Gregory: January 23
Nationals Radio Broadcaster Charlie Slowes: January 22 – 26

Thursday, January 22
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Martinsburg Mall,
Martinsburg, WV
Meet-and-Greet

6:00pm – 7:00pm
Harris Teeter,
Rockville, MD
Meet-and-Greet

Friday, January 23
10:00am –
10:30am
Rebuilding Together Appearance, Washington, DC*
Photo
Opportunity
*Private Event

11:30am – 1:30pm
Hot Stove Luncheon,
Nationals Park*
*Ticketed Event – Sold Out

4:00pm – 5:00pm
Build-A-Bear, Annapolis Mall, Annapolis, MD
Meet-and-Greet

8:00pm – 9:00pm
ESPN Zone, Washington, DC
Celebrity Cook-Off

Saturday, January 24
10:00am – 11:00am
Potomac Nationals Pfitzer
Stadium, Woodbridge, VA
Meet-and-Greet

3:00pm – 4:00pm
AMF
Kelger’s Lanes, Charlottesville, VA
Meet-and-Greet

7:00pm – 8:00pm
Red, Hot & Blue, Richmond, VA
Meet-and-Greet

Sunday, January 25
1:00pm – 5:00pm
NatsFest, Nationals Park

Monday, January 26
10:30am – 11:30am
Amidon-Bowen Elementary School, Washington, DC
Book Donation and School Assembly

2:00pm – 4:00pm
Children’s
National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Atrium Visit with Patients

6:00pm – 7:00pm
Washington Wizards Game, Verizon Center
Meet-and-Greet

END OF CARAVAN

*Player, Manager and Front Office Schedules Subject to Change

I was going to go through the trouble of doing this, but Nationals Journal beat me to it. They have a recap of the recent MASN press release announcing the Nats' schedule on TV. Basically, it's easier to watch the Nats this season (physically anyway, emotionally may be another story).

It's good news for the 9,000 or so that actually watch the Nats on tv. Just click on the link above for the highlights of the package.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Collin Balester is going green and wants to help keep this world clean.

Balester has joined the team at "We Play Green" which was co-founded by Chris Dickerson of the Cincinnati Reds and Jack Cassel of the Houston Astros. "The goal is to bring professional athletes together to inspire communities to build awareness of the growing environmental crisis."

We Play Green already has an impressive list of athletes on board and will have a blog and t-shirts coming soon.

Balester just so happens to play at the first Green Stadium! Nationals Park is the nation's first major professional stadium to become LEED Silver Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Photo (c) Cheryl Nichols

Pending a physical examination, Tim Redding is now a New York Met. Or as a group of us call the Mets players that have been with the Nats recently, a "New York Nat."

The Mets and the right-handed starting pitcher have agreed in principle to a one-year deal worth roughly $2.25 million. Redding, 30, made just $1 million last year in base salary with the Nationals and was non-tendered at end of season.

It is rumored that the Mets are still looking at other free-agent starting pitchers, however, I am guessing that Redding with end up as the fifth starter in the rotation.

I was still clinging onto hope that the Nationals would bring Tim back this season. Tim was our only double digit winning pitcher and he was a good leader for the young pitching staff. Not to mention that he is a very nice guy and would always chat with fans and sign autographs.

Congratulations on your big raise Tim and the opportunity to play in two brand new ballparks in two seasons.

Tim Redding will be missed in Washington!

Photo (c) Cheryl Nichols

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANNY!

We are looking forward to seeing you soon at the Nats Caravan!

Photo (c) Cheryl Nichols

In an effort to cheer up Steph from We've Got Heart, who was majorly bumming on facebook last night about the news that the Nats apparently are out of the bidding for any of the major free agents left on the market, here are five reasons Nats fans--true Nats fans--should watch the Nats this season. Casual fans, you're pretty much on your own. We'll get you back when (if) the team starts winning.

1. John Lannan. The 24 year old lefty went 9-15 with a 3.91 ERA and 1.341 WHIP in 182 innings in his first full season in the majors. He was named to the MLB All-Rookie team as the LHP. Right now, he's the only sure thing in the starting rotation. But he's the rare guy that even at an early age is a pitcher--not just a thrower. He doesn't overpower people, but knows how to work the corners, and the count, to his advantage.

2. Elijah Dukes. When healthy, Dukes is the guy on the Nats roster that could scare people. Long touted for his "tools", in 2008 he took a big step in finally putting some things together. In his final 120 at-bats, he his .283 with nine home runs and five stolen bases. His OBP for the season was .386, which considering where he was at the end of May is simply incredible. The Nats might try to move him to center, as he has better natural instincts than the incumbent Lastings Milledge, which would make him even more valuable. If they could get production out of someone else in right.

3. Jesus Flores. Flores had a quietly productive 2008 season, finishing 11th among catchers in RBI even though he played only 90 games. His performance really shouldn't have come as a surprise, though, considering the Nationals considered him their long-term solution at catcher going into the season--even though they stunted his growth as a big leaguer by signing two complete wastes of money that blocked him for two months. He hit 21 home runs in the minors in 2006, showing just how much potential he has for the future, and considering he only turned 24 in the off season, that future might last for a long time. Woe, Mets fans.

4. Shawn Hill and Nick Johnson. Enigmas 1 and 1a. Both could be solid major league players if they could finally get their injuries behind them. Johnson is an on-base machine, and while his raw power has been sapped and will not be a 30-homer guy, he can provide the Nats with consistent on-base production, something that really hurt this team last season. He was also a quality defender, which we will have to watch as the injuries have probably reduced his capacity there. Hill has one of the nastiest sinkers in the game and in 37 major league starts has struck out twice as many as he's walked. Nats fans can only hope he does not suffer the same fate as John Patterson.

5. Ryan Zimmerman. Lest we forget the face of the franchise. It's hard to imagine, but Zim is only 24. His 2008 season was curtailed by a shoulder injury, but when he returned healthy in September he hit .290 with five home runs--positive notes to take into the off-season. He still needs to learn to be a little more patient at the plate, but if Johnson, Dukes, and Willingham can take a little of the media-inflicted pressure off the young third baseman, maybe we can see Zimmerman develop into that cornerstone the front office needs him to be after all.

There are plenty of other plot lines to watch this year too. The rotation will probably be a revolving door of youngsters (Olsen, Balestar, Martis, Zimmermann, Mock, Bergmann) and retreads (Cabrera, Chacin). Will Christian Guzman be good Guz or bad Guz? Exactly who IS the second baseman? Wither Wily Mo? Will Milledge still be with the team on opening day? Is Austin Kearns healthy?

But the five things to watch listed above should provide some entertaining moments this summer, even if the end result is less than what fans would like. I'm not going to go all pollyanna on you and predict a division title. Heck, .500 is out of the question. But wins and losses aside, there are things to watch for at Nationals Park this summer.

But make no mistakes, it will be another long summer. Enough to test any Nats fan.

All photos (c) C. Nichols 2008.

Right-hander pitcher John Patterson, just a few days shy of his 31st birthday, retired from baseball today.

Patterson was opening day starter in 2007

Photo (c) Cheryl L. Nichols

When the Nationals first came to DC in 2005, John was one of the early fan favorites. When he wasn't the starting pitcher, John would spend a few minutes before games chatting with fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures. He was definitely one of the "nice" guys.

The Nats released Patterson during spring training 2008. The day that we arrived in Florida - I remember it very clearly. We checked into our hotel, Dave looked at baseball "stuff" online, then told me to sit down and broke the news to me.

Patterson had surgery in 2007 and the velocity just did not return. The Texas Rangers signed him to a minor league contract in March 2008 and then released him in May.

According to Bill Ladson's article, John declined to say what he was going to do with the rest of his life, but acknowledged that he has been doing a lot of hunting this offseason.

Every time I hear "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC, I think of John Patterson warming up to pitch. Best of luck to you John.

Nats Home Opener 4/11/2006

Bert Blyleven: Fifth all-time in strikeouts. 287 wins, 27th all-time. 60 shutouts, ninth all-time. 242 complete games. Two time all-star. Four time top seven Cy Young votes.

Rickey Henderson: First all-time in steals, runs, and non-intentional walks. Five time single season runs leader. 12 time single season steals leader. stole 100 bases in 1980. .401 career OBP. 10 time all-star. MVP 1990. Five time top 1o MVP votes. 297 home runs to boot.

Mark McGwire: 583 home runs, eighth all-time. Four time single season home run leader. 12 time all-star. Nine time top 20 MVP votes. Rookie of the Year 1987.

____________________________________
Can't pull the trigger:

Tim Raines: Fifth all-time in steals. Four time single season steals leader. Seven time all-star. Seven top 20 MVP votes.

____________________________________
Just can't get there:

Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy, Jim Rice, Harold Baines, Tommy John

According to sources, the Chicago Cubs agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with Milton Bradley today, thus ending the Nats pursuit of the talented, but oft-injured and bat-ship crazy outfielder.

This is good news on several fronts. First, the Nats aren't on the hook for silly money to the mercurial Bradley. Since Pat Burrell finalized his deal with Tampa Bay for $8 million per, the Cubs look a little silly signing Bradley for $2 million more per year.

Next, signing Bradley would have created a SERIOUS logjam in the Nats outfield, not that there isn't one already. Now I realize that having too much talent is better than not having enough, and with Bradley's track record the backup would probably get full-time playing time anyway. But it's a headache Manny Acta doesn't need to deal with now. At least until Bowden goes out and signs or trades for another "toolsy" outfield prospect.

Third, as previously mentioned, Bradley is loony tunes. He went after an announcer last season to confront him in person, charged an umpire later in the year, and the year before his season was cut short after his manager had to restrain him from assaulting an umpire. Oh, and with the Dodgers he slammed a plastic bottle down in the front row of the right-field seats after a fan threw the bottle onto the field and was suspended for the rest of the regular season.

Does this sound like the guy you want standing next to Elijah Dukes in the Nats' outfield?

Good luck Cubbies.

Now that this plan has been thwarted, where should the Nats go to improve the major league lineup? There have been plenty of rumors about Orlando Hudson, even to the point of him saying publicly that he'd be happy playing here. I'd fully endorse that, Anderson Hernandez' winter league numbers notwithstanding. Hudson, 31, is a plus defender and a switch-hitter and who went .305/.367/.450 with 8 homers and 41 RBIs last season. As a lefty, he went .321/.382/.480.

As spring training looms in the not-so-distant future, Hudson is clearly the class of middle infielders available, but with demand lower than supply, could the Nats get three years of Hudson for right around, or slightly more than, the $6.25 million he made last season?

And what about Dunn? Now that Bradley and Burrell have both signed, and Giambi pegged for Oakland, that pretty much leaves Dunn, Bobby Abreu, Garrett Anderson and Rocco Baldelli as "impact" bats available. Dunn is the only one that has played 1B. If the market is set now for outfielders at $8-$10 million per, say Bowden throws a three-year, $36 million deal at Dunn. Would Dunn be crazy not to take it? Would Bowden be crazy to offer it?

Could the Nats add a gold glove caliber second baseman and a 40-homer, .381 OBP guy for $20 million a year for each of the next three years?

Would a batting order like this:

2B Hudson
CF Milledge
3B Zimmerman
1B Dunn
RF Dukes
LF Willingham
C Flores
SS Guzman

Make you re-think buying a 20-game plan?

Now is your chance to show off your support for the team no matter where life takes you!

Kristen at We've Got Heart just told me about a new and fun promotion - "Nats Fans Can Be Found All Over!"

Submit your photo now.

Go Nats!