Blogger Beat: Capitol Punishment
…some familiar faces make their return to Shea Stadium tonight as the Mets take on the Nationals in the first of three…with that in mind, I did a quick Q & A with Chris Needham, who blogs about the Nationals for Capitol Punishment…
D.J. Short:
First things first, have you had a chance to visit the new Nationals Park? If so, how do you like it?
Chris Needham:
I’ve been to three games so far, and it’s a pretty big upgrade on RFK. There are some really nice seats in the place and some really overpriced ones, too. It’s not a bad place to see a game, but it’s missing that one “WOW!” factor, whether it’s the view of the skyline in Pittsburgh or the Bay in San Fran. Solidly average isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The biggest adjustment, though, has been watching games where balls actually travel over the fence; batters really prefer these power alleys to RFK’s.
D.J. Short:
What are your thoughts on Lastings Milledge thus far? Is he saying all the right things? Any new rap songs I should know about?
Chris Needham:
I really like his approach to the game. In the small number of games I’ve seen, he’s the kind of player that’s really fun to watch: a little bit of speed, a little bit of power, and just enough flash to keep you entertained. His first game or two, it looked like he was trying to do too much, but he’s settled in nicely, and I’d still make that trade 100 times out of 100.
As far as saying all the right things, what’s been telling is how it’s the other guys around him. Dmitri Young really welcomed him, pointing out that criticism of the high five incident was done mostly by people with sticks firmly lodged up their backsides. (Seriously, it was off Armando Benitez! What Mets fan wasn’t doing that happy dance after that one?)
Milledge, in a blowout earlier this week, dogged it in the middle of the game, and stood up, on his own, and apologized to the team, even though he was far from the only one to mail it in. He’s definitely making the most of his fresh start.
D.J. Short:
The Nats organization seems adept at acquiring and stockpiling major league position players, but pitching remains a major question mark. Is there young pitching on the way, possibly this season?
Chris Needham:
The team certainly claims they’ve got a lot stashed in the minors. I’m a bit more skeptical. Columbus’ rotation is all prospects, even if they’re not high upside guys. John Lannan, who you’ll see this week, already graduated. Collin Balester, Tyler Clippard, Garrett Mock and Mike O’Connor round out the staff — and that’s about the order of chance of success I’d give them.
A bit further down is Ross Detwiler, last year’s first-round pick. He had a cup of coffee last season, and there was some talk of him starting with the Nats in the bullpen, but they’re giving him more time. There’s really nobody blocking his way, so if he pitches really well, he can shoot right up and into the majors.
D.J. Short:
I noticed Jesus Flores was sent down the other day. Does it frustrate you to see veteran players like Paul Lo Duca and Johnny Estrada in front of him on the depth chart, or do you think Flores needs more development in the minors?
Chris Needham:
Grumble, grumble. The team’s plan all along was to send Flores down to work on defense and to refine his hitting. In some ways it makes sense, in that I’d rather have a year of Flores in his prime than one of him developing now. But when your alternative is Pauly Walnuts and Estrada — whose arm is about as good as Carlos Delgado‘s — it’s harder to convince your heart of the facts. It hasn’t been helped by LoDuca’s cold start with the bat and the glove. I understand what they’re doing, but I’m not completely sold on it.
D.J. Short:
The Nationals played the Mets very tough in the role of spoiler last September. Was it as exciting to watch for “you” as it was painful to watch for “us”? Do you think the team grew from that experience, or is there no crossover at all?
Chris Needham:
The fans certainly get a bit of a rise out of it. The Nats message boards have been looking forward to this series to continue to what “we” started last season. Lost in all that jubilation, though, is the part where we rolled over and played dead for the Phils, but you won’t hold that against us, will you?
As a fan, yes, it certainly was exciting to play in games that matter, and it was a nice test for the team, to see if their second-half improvement was for real. As far as carryover, the only thing I think it did was convince some of the players in Manny Acta’s steady approach. He preached patience after last year’s disastrous 8-25 start, and it paid dividends down the stretch.
…thanks as always, Chris…
