Blog Archives
Remember When: An A To Z On How Far The Nats Have Come In Washington
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday, Mar. 07/2013
Fromer #1 Nats pitcher Livan Hernandez leads the 2005-2012 version of the franchise in Wins and Innings Pitched. The 2005 team started out competing for the NL East with an 81-81 record before falling down the stetch. The next 5 years in wins went (71, 73, 59, 59 and 69) respectively. After 80 wins in 2011 – they set a franchise win mark in 2012 at 98 victories. They are one of the favorites to win the World Series in 2013. Only the Nationals and Mariners teams have never appeared in the World Series as an organization. Hernandez in his prime might be the #5 starter on the 2013 club.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
Remember when Buster Olney went on Baseball Tonight and predicted the 2007 Nationals would just be historically bad, but they would be lucky if they could win 42 games. Or remember when columns like this one from Jeff Passan were the norm with catchy little puns like, “National Disaster.” At times it is hard to even remember the bi-gone days when Jason Simontacchi, Mike Bacsik, and Micah Bowie were key figures in the Nats rotation.
What makes it even harder to hold on to those memories of the bad Nats are columns like this about how the Nats could be historically good. In the terms of history five years is nothing. The build up of World War I started with the Bosnian Crisis in 1908 and didn’t officially start until Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914. The build up to historic events is a mention in a paragraph on the actual history itself. Those five years from 2007 until 2013 are throw away lines in the book that will be written if the Nats can manage to be historically good.
Wil Nieves used to have the Nationals Defining Moment…. Who?
The Tampa Bay Rays: The Franchise 1998-2012: Part 1 Of A 5 Part Article Series
Thursday, December.20, 2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5. The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.
The many Rays Logo’s over the years. Is the best of this franchise yet to come?
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The Tampa Bay Rays Franchise can be summarized into two different categories: “The Devil Rays Days” and the “Rays Days.” The Devil Rays endured 10 straight losing seasons to start the club’s history. From 1998-2007, was a complete gong show (645-972) and last place finishes in a tough AL East every year, except for 2004, when they finished 4th, although they did stockpile several top Draft Picks based on their horrid regular seasons. In 2008, all of that changed when the ‘Devil’ was literally and figuratively knocked away from the Tampa Bay team. Their young stars finally saw their potential realized and they appeared in the 2008 World Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Franchise would lose in 5 hard-fought, weather fulfilled games, however the team was now one of the model clubs in baseball. From 2008-2012, the club has gone 458-352.
The Rays have made the playoffs in 2010 and 2011 since, plus featured two other over .500 records in 2009 and 2012. The club has now had 5 winning seasons in a row. There is still a long way to go as they feature the worst winning percentage in MLB History, with a 1103-1327 Franchise Record (.454). The next worst team is the Padres at .463. The Arizona DiamondBacks were the NL Expansion cousins of the Rays and they feature a Win Percentage of (.498), which is second overall for the Expansion teams. The Arizona DiamondBacks also have made the playoffs 5 times and won the World Series in 2001. Still if you asked anyone right now, the Rays would gladly be the team everyone picked.
Franchise Series Links:
The Hitters: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Hitters 1998-2012: Part 2 Of A 5 Part Article Series
The Pitchers: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Pitchers 1998-2012: Part 3 Of A 5 Part Article Series
2013 Team Payroll: Tampa Bay Rays Payroll 2013 And Contracts Going Forward: Updated for Myers Trade Dec.11/2012
Tropicana Field Expert: An Interview with Tropicana Field Expert Kurt Smith
Brien Taylor, Elijah Dukes and Lenny Dykstra: Modern Day MLB Thugs
Saturday March 3rd, 2012
MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: I am going to start off this article by making one point very clear. I am in no way trying to glorify or sensationalize the notions of breaking the law and acting in an indecent manner. Far from it. Today’s feature is from the point of view of taking a look at the state of athletes and the image they can present of themselves and their sport to the public. The manner in which many current and former players are making the news is inexcusable. The thuggery has to stop. But in truth, with the kind of money and opportunities these people have to go outside what is morally reasonable- it is likely going to get worse before it gets better.
When the words “thug” and “sports” are spoken, the usual suspects that come to mind are the NFL and NBA. There are far too many websites devoted to the misdeeds of athletes, but one site that caught our eye is “jocksbehindbars.com”. Yes- it is a real site and it has far too many featured athletes shown. Walking down memory lane, we sadly remember some of the most notable offenders in sports.
Knowshon Johnson (yes that is his first name) was pulled over last month driving his Bentley with his personalized plates reading “sauced”. Folks, we can’t make this up. Sam Hurd for cocaine distribution. Larry Johnson battery. Cedric Benson assault. PacMan Jones (where do I begin). Plaxico Burress (weapons). Albert Haynesworth. But the NFL is second to the NBA, which has become thugs sports central. Darius Miles and Ben Wallace for carrying weapons. Nate Robinson (public urination). Gilbert Arenas (again, weapons). Isaiah Rider (remember him?) Allen Iverson (laundry list, including weapons and assault), Kobe (we know the story), Jason Kidd (domestic assault- never interrupt him when he eats french fries), Ruben Patterson (sex offender), Jayson Williams (aggravated assault), Antoine Walker (fraud)…and the list goes on…and on. When we consider sports and thugs, the NBA and NFL are unmatched. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports 
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