This has to be one of the most frustrating seasons since 2019. When they were consistently bad, we didn't expect much. But this season, they've shown flashes of actual competence. It's enough to make you grind your teeth.
Everyone’s mileage varies, but while I’ve been frustrated this season, I don’t know if I would call a frustrating season. 60 wins is not far off from where I thought the team might be at this point, and I thought I was being generous.
I really think it’s worth remembering how moribund this entire franchise was just less than a year ago. A terrible major league club with an interim manager, outdated player development tools, disconnected organizational operations, an average farm system that lacked depth and upside, declining attendance, and an ownership group that was ambivalent at best. And then there was a big chance taken on a young front office, and drastic philosophy change, and an organizational remake. At the time, there really was nothing we could credibly say the Nationals were guaranteed to succeed at in 2026.
Less than a year later, it’s completely different (for me at least). This team has a modern approach, a deeper farm system, and far better game-planning. Not all their decisions may work out, but Toboni and Butera have shown plenty of competence. Remember all the excitement the Giants got for hiring Posey and Vitello? Butera and Toboni aren’t perfect but they also aren’t the mess that the Giants management is.
The to-do list for 2027 is far far shorter than it was for 2026, and the fact that we can all see at least some path to contention in the near future is honestly (to me) something of a miracle after last season.
Well, big picture, fangraphs had them at, I think, 63 wins for the season, Vegas 66, and me, 57 (and I am not qualified in any way like the prior 2 examples, I just thought they had no talent beyond Abrams and Wood)….so in that respect this season’s been far better than predicted.
But, in a narrower view, the last 20 games or so from the series with whoever they played before Toronto (7-13), have been incredibly frustrating as were the trades of Meade, Garica, Jr. and Griffin for a pitcher who probably will need surgery and a bunch of mediocre to worse pitchers….
But, here we are. At 60-66 and 7 games back of the ridiculous 6th playoff spot (where the holder of that in the AL is likely to have 79 wins or fewer), the competitive portion of the 2026 Washington Nationals season is over.
Well...the position they are in now is also due the fact that the week before the deadline they starting making diamonds in their backside and didn't hit. If you can't perform under a little trade deadline pressure, you aren't likely going to play well when under the must win pressure of a wildcard race when it comes down to really really important must win games. If they were able to hit, we may not have traded Griffin. Luis was gone no matter what. They sold high on a player that didn't figure too much into the long term plan. But...Ortiz has pretty much filled in without much drop in production as a left hand platoon at 1B, so while his clubhouse manner might be missed, the lineup presence is not.
Bottom line. Their issue was pitching and there was no way they could acquire enough of that during this trade deadline to fix that. If Griffin was still here, maybe we are only 6 maybe 5 games, but outside of that...
So now we have lost 10-11 to the division rivals. If anyone has issue with me saying the they are playing demoralized and uninspired baseball should move out of the denial phase.. or look up the meaning of the word..lol.
"Sell the team" chants are going to get louder this off season when they end up with a dismal record after being on their way to have a first winning season after 2019... All this started with the ill conceived trades of Foster, Garcia and Mead.
Over many decades of watching baseball I've heard people with much more personal experience playing the game say over and over again that you can't extrapolate a team's mental state from results. Trying to do too much often looks a lot like not trying at all.
Perhaps they are "demoralized and uninspired" but I don't think it's an open and shut case.
You make a fair point... However what we cannot say that they are playing good, inspired baseball either.. No on in the front office is ever going to admit that they are demoralized either..
Let me give you a parallel example.. Remember in 2019 when Gerardo Parra was signed and the team just turned their fortune around. We suddenly saw a huge energy sweep over the team. How come it is OK to use that as an example of the turning point and boost in morale, but when they do poorly, it's not OK to say that they are demoralized and uninspired.
"How come it is OK to use that as an example of the turning point and boost in morale, but when they do poorly, it's not OK to say that they are demoralized and uninspired."
To me, neither case is "OK" simply because we have no idea about the actual state of the team morale and what factors may or may not be influencing it. It's all just speculation coming from the end of the bar.
New York was playing pretty well leading up to this weekend. There's some talent up there, certainly more than what's been shown prior to the trading deadline.
The Mets traded away three of their starters (Peterson, Peralta, Holmes) and their top relievers (Brazobáhn, Weaver, Raley, Minter). Holmes was putting up good numbers as a starter. Very disappointing that the Nats bats could only muster 8 runs this series against that depleted Mets pitching staff.
What's there to say except, again, not the sweep we were hoping for.
So...taking this in a very different direction. Just curious of what you think.
The Jeep commercial - would you buy a Jeep because it is the most "patriotic brand in America". I'm pretty worm out from the jingoistic takeover of American sports. Singing God Bless Ameria right after 9/11 was a welcome salve, but 25 years later? Flyovers, daily acknowledgements of the military. Yes, thank you brave men and women. But what about school teachers, firefighters, police, and the shmo down at the DMV doing the best they can (OK, maybe not the best example) Thanks for any gentle/kind reply. Maybe the question is, who else might we honor? Or should we "just" play ball!
I respect your opinion, but for me this is an important part of the game day experience for fans. I'm also against being bombarded by the loud blaring music, as well as the scoreboard telling us to get excited. Now..."tarps off" could be argued either way. :>)
Join the club here. Almost like we've gone too far in the jingoistic tributes. There's the Star Spangled banner before each game that started during a period of war. And at least one showing of a tribute to a military person per game.
At Nats Park alone, they pan to the "brave servicemen and women" every game.
Nearly every Sunday, there's the singing of "God Bless America" at the 7 inning stretch. But they do it on the nights where it's honoring a particular service.
It's not just baseball but hockey and football too. The Caps game will show a military person when they're doing the Star Spangled banner. And then another military person getting presented with a jersey during the game (at a commercial break.) But if it's near Veteran's Day (or some other military holiday), we see more military tributes.
I'm fine with an occasional tribute to the military but it's gone way too far. Other personnel should be acknowledged too.
Kinda pathetic to whine about honoring the military service members. The sacrifices they make for the freedom of this country, and the willingness to give the ultimate sacrifice in that defense, is deserving of far more than the 30 seconds or so that they show them on the scoreboard. Don’t recognize the politics, but the individual person who’s standing there and what they represent….your freedom.
Ok “bubba”…..but baseball and the military go hand in hand. Too bad you don’t see that. And yes…..to cry over 30 seconds or so of the cameras showing the military members, some of who are there because of military injury, is absolutely whining.
"...they're simply two separate entities that do NOT go "hand in hand.""
Spoken like someone with a weak grasp of history, little respect for the military, and even less for this country. As I mention below, the service members being honored comprise a quarter of 1% of the citizens of this country. We are an all-volunteer service. 100%. No one is compelled to serve. The pay, especially on the enlisted side, ain't great. We serve in the most inhospitable places on earth -- from the deserts of Afghanistan to the jungles of Africa and South America. On ships that don't see a port for more than 6 months.
So... in a country like ours where service is completely voluntary, it makes immense common sense for the public to honor those underpaid, selfless, honorable men and women often. It is a wise investment in our national security to create opportunities for the other 99.75% of the country NOT serving to show their appreciation. That you have no such appreciation -- that really all you have is snark and derision -- says more about you than dcNatz, or the sports teams that honor our sailors, soldiers, airmen, Marines, coasties, and guardians. They've EARNED those few minutes at those ball games when we remember their sacrifices. They are a key element of the fabric of our country, providing a level of freedom and security we get to enjoy at places like sporting events, concerts, and other public venues. Thus it is abundantly obvious to anyone but the most ignorant that baseball - and anywhere else they are celebrated -- and the military to, in fact, go "hand in hand".
No... that was pretty much the definition of whining. The simple fact is the Pentagon is just down the road. Ft McNair is across the street. Arlington National Cemetery is close by. DC is a town that is sustained -- from both a patriotic and economic standpoint -- by the US military. Do we as a country go a bit overboard on the military honors at stadiums across the nation? Maybe. But it's fair to also point out that fewer than 1% of Americans ever wear the uniform of our country. And only one quarter of 1% are on active duty today! One quarter of 1%! Is it a disservice to ask the other 99%, who did NOT volunteer to serve, to honor those who do? I would submit it is not.
Full disclosure: I am biased, having served 22 years in the US military. While I do not for one second hold my service to be in the class of those wounded, or worse, in service to our country, I stepped up. 90% of life is just showing up... I showed up for more than 2 decades. And it still does my heart proud to see those active duty members waving their caps at Nats Park in the 3rd inning at every game. Being reminded of the sacrifices of those few (1 million in a country of nearly 350M are on active duty) who serve shouldn't be a burden on anyone. As Nicholson said in "A Few Good Men", "I'd rather you just said 'thank you', and went on your way. Either way, I don't give a (darn) what you think you are entitled to". ;)
To be fair, at Nats Park there are nights for all kinds of professions, such as teachers, nurses and public employees, along with the pro-military stuff.
I think the Lerners, with a ball park near a few military facilities, naturally want to pay tribute to the military personnel nearby, and the Lerners are otherwise reputedly relatively liberal for billionaires.
I myself have a mixed reaction to what I consider forced displays of patriotism. Some of it I’m fine with and some bug me, and I’ll spare people the details of which is which, since it’s pretty idiosyncratic. I imagine there are plenty of people who are perfectly fine with most of it and maybe the team marketing people know that.
Interestingly (to me anyway), I had always heard that the military paid for a lot of the military tributes to the tune of over $ I million per year per team, but Gemini now claims that’s banned and that it wasn’t that much to begin with.
I don't think they ever made a direct payout to a sports team, but they do have a fund to assist with the tributes to pay for things like transportation to the games for the service members, the cost of fuel and maintenance for flyovers, the use of the color guard or a service branch band in the tribute, etc.
Oh stop whining. Ridiculous to complain about the military being honored. At Nats Park it’s usually those who’ve been wounded. And GBA is usually only on Sunday.
FYI, the between-innings military personnel tribute started out with wounded vets from Walter Reed, etc but that hasn’t been the case for a long time. Which is certainly fortunate, as far as that part goes.
They do tributes to other service professions, just not every game. All I can tell you is this, while for everyone else it may become a little monotonous when you look at it a the macro level. Oh yay, we are honoring the military again...whoopie. The thing to think about is while it may not mean much for you to watch it, it certainly means something to the very few service members that actually get selected to be honored at a game. So instead of thinking about it as a military salute....again, think about the individual service members that got the chance to come to that game and stand to be recognized because every time they call for it, its likely the first and only time those individual members will get the chance to be honored like that anywhere.
This season is over yet again they playing Meaningless games in August and again have no clue how to change the loser label this team has been since 2019. Baby Huey is experimenting and The Boy Wonder is playing with his Pokemon Cards and we are expected to put down money in THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to get some Tennis Shoes with Magic Wedges on what promise of what ?
Subbing King for Nunez at this point would be interesting. And helpful. Certainly a good start on figuring next season out. We know what we have in Nunez. King's stats warrant the change.
While I wouldn’t mind seeing King, Nuñez isn’t the biggest problem. He has a higher BA and OBP than Crews, who at this point is a black hole in what’s supposed to be a slugger’s spot in RF.
Focusing on the future is all that matters at this point, let’s see King - though ironically I have heard him projected at 2B which isn’t going to happen this season after the moved CJ.
Time to look ahead. Seaver King hit a HR and a double today. Average is above .300 now. When he gets here in September he should play at SS every day. Let’s settle the issue and see if he can play defense to go with his offense.
King is having a breakout year and apparently the Nats don’t give him credit. Based on this article they seem to be looking for reasons not to promote him. Don’t rush him? He’s 24 not 19. All we’re talking about are meaningless games in September.
Yep - bring him up - and let’s bring up Christian Franklin and send Crews down to see what he can do….oh, wait, he got traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a AA pitcher who likely doesn’t see a day in MLB.
So, other than the gopher ball to Torrens, Irvin felt "great" about his outing? You mean, other than a fat pitch to a weak-hitting catcher batting ninth in the order which gave the Mets the lead, he felt great?
Putting aside the homer, Irvin gave up 10 hits and walks in six innings. That's bad. His ERA is now 5.80 for the season, the worst yet in his career. But at least he was "really convicted" in the way he threw the ball.
I'm sure he's a fine young man, but it's time to move on from him.
Yeah, today wasn’t the day for patting himself on the back. Agreed that he seems like a great guy, but he has been trending down the past couple years from what seemed to be a solid spot in rotation. If he gets to pick a spot would expect him to go home to Minnesota where he would be in a better climate for him.
“With his reconstructed arm, Mr. John seemed ageless, and pitched for the California Angels and Oakland Athletics before returning to the Yankees in 1986. He retired three years later at 46, the oldest player in the game at the time. His 26-year career is the second-longest in baseball history, one year shorter than those of pitcher Nolan Ryan and 19th-century player Cap Anson.
Mr. John had a lifetime ERA of 3.34 and, according to MLB.com, forced opposing teams to hit into 605 double plays, a major league record. He won 124 games before his elbow surgery, and 164 games in the 14 years after it.”
For some reason I have this distinct memory of opening up packs of 1965 Topps cards and getting a Tommy John (with the Chisox then) card. I still remember telling my card buddy that this was a "weird" one because the guy had two first names.
Time to blow it up …. See what Seaver King, Yo Yo Morales have to offer and did anyone realize that Trey Lipscomb has 25 bombs in Rochester … let’s see if fe is a true AAA OR AAAA player …
Lipscomb was outrighted to Rochester last year. Even though he had a non-roster invite to spring training, he did not make the 40 man. Nats have moved on.
“I was really convicted in the way I threw the ball.” Sounds like a setup reminiscent of when John McKay was asked what he thought about the execution of his Tampa Bay Bucs.
How quickly the tides can change. Just a week ago, we were all encouraged by the Nats 3 game sweep of the Reds. And they entered the Mets series on the heels of Cade's dominant performance against the Cubs. All looked very encouraging!
After getting swept by the Mets, many followers here are ready to throw in the towel and ask for King and YoYo to be promoted. Neither is currently on the 40 man roster. Unlike past seasons at this time, the competitive portion of the Nats season has not yet ended. Toboni and the front office would need to clear some roster spots for those two. Expendable pieces like Littell and Mikolas have already been purged. I'd put money down right now that nobody remaining in that Nats clubhouse is ready to give up yet.
This has to be one of the most frustrating seasons since 2019. When they were consistently bad, we didn't expect much. But this season, they've shown flashes of actual competence. It's enough to make you grind your teeth.
Everyone’s mileage varies, but while I’ve been frustrated this season, I don’t know if I would call a frustrating season. 60 wins is not far off from where I thought the team might be at this point, and I thought I was being generous.
I really think it’s worth remembering how moribund this entire franchise was just less than a year ago. A terrible major league club with an interim manager, outdated player development tools, disconnected organizational operations, an average farm system that lacked depth and upside, declining attendance, and an ownership group that was ambivalent at best. And then there was a big chance taken on a young front office, and drastic philosophy change, and an organizational remake. At the time, there really was nothing we could credibly say the Nationals were guaranteed to succeed at in 2026.
Less than a year later, it’s completely different (for me at least). This team has a modern approach, a deeper farm system, and far better game-planning. Not all their decisions may work out, but Toboni and Butera have shown plenty of competence. Remember all the excitement the Giants got for hiring Posey and Vitello? Butera and Toboni aren’t perfect but they also aren’t the mess that the Giants management is.
The to-do list for 2027 is far far shorter than it was for 2026, and the fact that we can all see at least some path to contention in the near future is honestly (to me) something of a miracle after last season.
Well, big picture, fangraphs had them at, I think, 63 wins for the season, Vegas 66, and me, 57 (and I am not qualified in any way like the prior 2 examples, I just thought they had no talent beyond Abrams and Wood)….so in that respect this season’s been far better than predicted.
But, in a narrower view, the last 20 games or so from the series with whoever they played before Toronto (7-13), have been incredibly frustrating as were the trades of Meade, Garica, Jr. and Griffin for a pitcher who probably will need surgery and a bunch of mediocre to worse pitchers….
But, here we are. At 60-66 and 7 games back of the ridiculous 6th playoff spot (where the holder of that in the AL is likely to have 79 wins or fewer), the competitive portion of the 2026 Washington Nationals season is over.
Well...the position they are in now is also due the fact that the week before the deadline they starting making diamonds in their backside and didn't hit. If you can't perform under a little trade deadline pressure, you aren't likely going to play well when under the must win pressure of a wildcard race when it comes down to really really important must win games. If they were able to hit, we may not have traded Griffin. Luis was gone no matter what. They sold high on a player that didn't figure too much into the long term plan. But...Ortiz has pretty much filled in without much drop in production as a left hand platoon at 1B, so while his clubhouse manner might be missed, the lineup presence is not.
Bottom line. Their issue was pitching and there was no way they could acquire enough of that during this trade deadline to fix that. If Griffin was still here, maybe we are only 6 maybe 5 games, but outside of that...
I legit don’t know which game of this series angered me more.
Brady, Dion and Abi were really the only highlights of this series. Oh and Chappy and Alvy too.
Let’s hope these guys can do to the rangers what us commander fans hope the commanders do to the cowboys.
So now we have lost 10-11 to the division rivals. If anyone has issue with me saying the they are playing demoralized and uninspired baseball should move out of the denial phase.. or look up the meaning of the word..lol.
"Sell the team" chants are going to get louder this off season when they end up with a dismal record after being on their way to have a first winning season after 2019... All this started with the ill conceived trades of Foster, Garcia and Mead.
Over many decades of watching baseball I've heard people with much more personal experience playing the game say over and over again that you can't extrapolate a team's mental state from results. Trying to do too much often looks a lot like not trying at all.
Perhaps they are "demoralized and uninspired" but I don't think it's an open and shut case.
You make a fair point... However what we cannot say that they are playing good, inspired baseball either.. No on in the front office is ever going to admit that they are demoralized either..
Let me give you a parallel example.. Remember in 2019 when Gerardo Parra was signed and the team just turned their fortune around. We suddenly saw a huge energy sweep over the team. How come it is OK to use that as an example of the turning point and boost in morale, but when they do poorly, it's not OK to say that they are demoralized and uninspired.
"How come it is OK to use that as an example of the turning point and boost in morale, but when they do poorly, it's not OK to say that they are demoralized and uninspired."
To me, neither case is "OK" simply because we have no idea about the actual state of the team morale and what factors may or may not be influencing it. It's all just speculation coming from the end of the bar.
The in division record for the season is hard to understand and made a winning record or playoff push not possible.
I'll be interested to see if Jackson Kent can get ahead in some counts this time around. There was a lot to like in his debut, but some concerns too.
Nats were swept by a Mets team missing Juan Soto from its lineup and after having sold off 7 pitchers prior to the August 3rd deadline. Not good...
New York was playing pretty well leading up to this weekend. There's some talent up there, certainly more than what's been shown prior to the trading deadline.
The Mets traded away three of their starters (Peterson, Peralta, Holmes) and their top relievers (Brazobáhn, Weaver, Raley, Minter). Holmes was putting up good numbers as a starter. Very disappointing that the Nats bats could only muster 8 runs this series against that depleted Mets pitching staff.
What's there to say except, again, not the sweep we were hoping for.
So...taking this in a very different direction. Just curious of what you think.
The Jeep commercial - would you buy a Jeep because it is the most "patriotic brand in America". I'm pretty worm out from the jingoistic takeover of American sports. Singing God Bless Ameria right after 9/11 was a welcome salve, but 25 years later? Flyovers, daily acknowledgements of the military. Yes, thank you brave men and women. But what about school teachers, firefighters, police, and the shmo down at the DMV doing the best they can (OK, maybe not the best example) Thanks for any gentle/kind reply. Maybe the question is, who else might we honor? Or should we "just" play ball!
"Or should we "just" play ball!"
This gets my vote.
You're the one injecting politics into this website. Go to Reddit for stuff like that.
Really Injecting ? just mentioning the reality of something is not injecting. Am I injecting SEX to just TYPE SEX
Precisely! Some folks can't help themselves.
I respect your opinion, but for me this is an important part of the game day experience for fans. I'm also against being bombarded by the loud blaring music, as well as the scoreboard telling us to get excited. Now..."tarps off" could be argued either way. :>)
Join the club here. Almost like we've gone too far in the jingoistic tributes. There's the Star Spangled banner before each game that started during a period of war. And at least one showing of a tribute to a military person per game.
At Nats Park alone, they pan to the "brave servicemen and women" every game.
Nearly every Sunday, there's the singing of "God Bless America" at the 7 inning stretch. But they do it on the nights where it's honoring a particular service.
It's not just baseball but hockey and football too. The Caps game will show a military person when they're doing the Star Spangled banner. And then another military person getting presented with a jersey during the game (at a commercial break.) But if it's near Veteran's Day (or some other military holiday), we see more military tributes.
I'm fine with an occasional tribute to the military but it's gone way too far. Other personnel should be acknowledged too.
Kinda pathetic to whine about honoring the military service members. The sacrifices they make for the freedom of this country, and the willingness to give the ultimate sacrifice in that defense, is deserving of far more than the 30 seconds or so that they show them on the scoreboard. Don’t recognize the politics, but the individual person who’s standing there and what they represent….your freedom.
"Kinda pathetic to whine (...)"
Nobody's whining, Bubba... everything has its place. For some of us, a baseball game should just be a baseball game.
Ok “bubba”…..but baseball and the military go hand in hand. Too bad you don’t see that. And yes…..to cry over 30 seconds or so of the cameras showing the military members, some of who are there because of military injury, is absolutely whining.
"…..but baseball and the military go hand in hand."
Maybe to you, and you're certainly entitled to your worldview.
To me, they're simply two separate entities that do NOT go "hand in hand."
And it's pretty churlish to call someone's reasonably and articulately stated opinion whining and crying.
If you want goose stepping in the basepaths, well. ok... but there are those of us who could do without it.
"...they're simply two separate entities that do NOT go "hand in hand.""
Spoken like someone with a weak grasp of history, little respect for the military, and even less for this country. As I mention below, the service members being honored comprise a quarter of 1% of the citizens of this country. We are an all-volunteer service. 100%. No one is compelled to serve. The pay, especially on the enlisted side, ain't great. We serve in the most inhospitable places on earth -- from the deserts of Afghanistan to the jungles of Africa and South America. On ships that don't see a port for more than 6 months.
So... in a country like ours where service is completely voluntary, it makes immense common sense for the public to honor those underpaid, selfless, honorable men and women often. It is a wise investment in our national security to create opportunities for the other 99.75% of the country NOT serving to show their appreciation. That you have no such appreciation -- that really all you have is snark and derision -- says more about you than dcNatz, or the sports teams that honor our sailors, soldiers, airmen, Marines, coasties, and guardians. They've EARNED those few minutes at those ball games when we remember their sacrifices. They are a key element of the fabric of our country, providing a level of freedom and security we get to enjoy at places like sporting events, concerts, and other public venues. Thus it is abundantly obvious to anyone but the most ignorant that baseball - and anywhere else they are celebrated -- and the military to, in fact, go "hand in hand".
"Goose stepping"? What a tool.
"Nobody's whining, Bubba..."
No... that was pretty much the definition of whining. The simple fact is the Pentagon is just down the road. Ft McNair is across the street. Arlington National Cemetery is close by. DC is a town that is sustained -- from both a patriotic and economic standpoint -- by the US military. Do we as a country go a bit overboard on the military honors at stadiums across the nation? Maybe. But it's fair to also point out that fewer than 1% of Americans ever wear the uniform of our country. And only one quarter of 1% are on active duty today! One quarter of 1%! Is it a disservice to ask the other 99%, who did NOT volunteer to serve, to honor those who do? I would submit it is not.
Full disclosure: I am biased, having served 22 years in the US military. While I do not for one second hold my service to be in the class of those wounded, or worse, in service to our country, I stepped up. 90% of life is just showing up... I showed up for more than 2 decades. And it still does my heart proud to see those active duty members waving their caps at Nats Park in the 3rd inning at every game. Being reminded of the sacrifices of those few (1 million in a country of nearly 350M are on active duty) who serve shouldn't be a burden on anyone. As Nicholson said in "A Few Good Men", "I'd rather you just said 'thank you', and went on your way. Either way, I don't give a (darn) what you think you are entitled to". ;)
Well I am with you on I don't stand for Easter Parade either.
Next you're gonna say you don't believe in Santy Claus!
To be fair, at Nats Park there are nights for all kinds of professions, such as teachers, nurses and public employees, along with the pro-military stuff.
I think the Lerners, with a ball park near a few military facilities, naturally want to pay tribute to the military personnel nearby, and the Lerners are otherwise reputedly relatively liberal for billionaires.
I myself have a mixed reaction to what I consider forced displays of patriotism. Some of it I’m fine with and some bug me, and I’ll spare people the details of which is which, since it’s pretty idiosyncratic. I imagine there are plenty of people who are perfectly fine with most of it and maybe the team marketing people know that.
Interestingly (to me anyway), I had always heard that the military paid for a lot of the military tributes to the tune of over $ I million per year per team, but Gemini now claims that’s banned and that it wasn’t that much to begin with.
I don't think they ever made a direct payout to a sports team, but they do have a fund to assist with the tributes to pay for things like transportation to the games for the service members, the cost of fuel and maintenance for flyovers, the use of the color guard or a service branch band in the tribute, etc.
Oh stop whining. Ridiculous to complain about the military being honored. At Nats Park it’s usually those who’ve been wounded. And GBA is usually only on Sunday.
"Oh stop whining."
nobody's "whining," Ace.
I wish there was a not-like button.
FYI, the between-innings military personnel tribute started out with wounded vets from Walter Reed, etc but that hasn’t been the case for a long time. Which is certainly fortunate, as far as that part goes.
Agree.
Stop whining.
I wish there was a not-like button
Thanks to those of you who were open to listening to my thoughts and offering your own reasonable replies.
They do tributes to other service professions, just not every game. All I can tell you is this, while for everyone else it may become a little monotonous when you look at it a the macro level. Oh yay, we are honoring the military again...whoopie. The thing to think about is while it may not mean much for you to watch it, it certainly means something to the very few service members that actually get selected to be honored at a game. So instead of thinking about it as a military salute....again, think about the individual service members that got the chance to come to that game and stand to be recognized because every time they call for it, its likely the first and only time those individual members will get the chance to be honored like that anywhere.
This season is over yet again they playing Meaningless games in August and again have no clue how to change the loser label this team has been since 2019. Baby Huey is experimenting and The Boy Wonder is playing with his Pokemon Cards and we are expected to put down money in THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to get some Tennis Shoes with Magic Wedges on what promise of what ?
Subbing King for Nunez at this point would be interesting. And helpful. Certainly a good start on figuring next season out. We know what we have in Nunez. King's stats warrant the change.
While I wouldn’t mind seeing King, Nuñez isn’t the biggest problem. He has a higher BA and OBP than Crews, who at this point is a black hole in what’s supposed to be a slugger’s spot in RF.
Focusing on the future is all that matters at this point, let’s see King - though ironically I have heard him projected at 2B which isn’t going to happen this season after the moved CJ.
We are not entertained.
Time to look ahead. Seaver King hit a HR and a double today. Average is above .300 now. When he gets here in September he should play at SS every day. Let’s settle the issue and see if he can play defense to go with his offense.
According to Spencer that may not happen.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7516174/2026/08/16/nationals-cj-abrams-move-prospect-seaver-king/?unlocked_article_code=1.51A.zQ44.nU2QanXwq-87&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta
King is having a breakout year and apparently the Nats don’t give him credit. Based on this article they seem to be looking for reasons not to promote him. Don’t rush him? He’s 24 not 19. All we’re talking about are meaningless games in September.
Yep - bring him up - and let’s bring up Christian Franklin and send Crews down to see what he can do….oh, wait, he got traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a AA pitcher who likely doesn’t see a day in MLB.
Peter, Paul, and Mary song..
"Where have all the hitters Gone"
Attending game against Marlins, Friday in Florida..
Will do our best to help them win..
Thanks,.we'll need it!
So, other than the gopher ball to Torrens, Irvin felt "great" about his outing? You mean, other than a fat pitch to a weak-hitting catcher batting ninth in the order which gave the Mets the lead, he felt great?
Putting aside the homer, Irvin gave up 10 hits and walks in six innings. That's bad. His ERA is now 5.80 for the season, the worst yet in his career. But at least he was "really convicted" in the way he threw the ball.
I'm sure he's a fine young man, but it's time to move on from him.
Yeah, today wasn’t the day for patting himself on the back. Agreed that he seems like a great guy, but he has been trending down the past couple years from what seemed to be a solid spot in rotation. If he gets to pick a spot would expect him to go home to Minnesota where he would be in a better climate for him.
Yeah, speaking of people’s feelings and mental outlooks versus their results, an ongoing topic.
Tommy John died today.
“With his reconstructed arm, Mr. John seemed ageless, and pitched for the California Angels and Oakland Athletics before returning to the Yankees in 1986. He retired three years later at 46, the oldest player in the game at the time. His 26-year career is the second-longest in baseball history, one year shorter than those of pitcher Nolan Ryan and 19th-century player Cap Anson.
Mr. John had a lifetime ERA of 3.34 and, according to MLB.com, forced opposing teams to hit into 605 double plays, a major league record. He won 124 games before his elbow surgery, and 164 games in the 14 years after it.”
The story of Tommy is an inspiring one for sure! He was a smart pitcher who did not blow hitters away, but found ways to get them hitting grounders.
For some reason I have this distinct memory of opening up packs of 1965 Topps cards and getting a Tommy John (with the Chisox then) card. I still remember telling my card buddy that this was a "weird" one because the guy had two first names.
Funny how those little vignettes stick with you.
Time to blow it up …. See what Seaver King, Yo Yo Morales have to offer and did anyone realize that Trey Lipscomb has 25 bombs in Rochester … let’s see if fe is a true AAA OR AAAA player …
Lipscomb was outrighted to Rochester last year. Even though he had a non-roster invite to spring training, he did not make the 40 man. Nats have moved on.
Lipscomb is 26 and on this THIRD full season in AAA. I think they already have a pretty good feeling.
that said, good for him for continuing to stay relevant. his versatility in the field could land him a utility role somewhere.
“I was really convicted in the way I threw the ball.” Sounds like a setup reminiscent of when John McKay was asked what he thought about the execution of his Tampa Bay Bucs.
How quickly the tides can change. Just a week ago, we were all encouraged by the Nats 3 game sweep of the Reds. And they entered the Mets series on the heels of Cade's dominant performance against the Cubs. All looked very encouraging!
After getting swept by the Mets, many followers here are ready to throw in the towel and ask for King and YoYo to be promoted. Neither is currently on the 40 man roster. Unlike past seasons at this time, the competitive portion of the Nats season has not yet ended. Toboni and the front office would need to clear some roster spots for those two. Expendable pieces like Littell and Mikolas have already been purged. I'd put money down right now that nobody remaining in that Nats clubhouse is ready to give up yet.
Just sayin...
I'm with you.
Count me in, too!
Spot on