My first "over reacting" post

...and not even one game in.

Look, my love for Emilio Bonifacio was well known last year (nine posts about him in 41 games played last year). I didn't like the trade then, but am vomiting at it now.

Boni is 3 for 3 with two SB and an inside the park HR. Anderson Hernandez is on the DL. Belliard has an error. Nope, didn't need Bonesy at all, did we. (Oh, yeah...Willingham is on the bench, with Olsen to go lose tomorrow.)

So, I've decided to start drinking heavily rather early. I just found my cat in the corner, and took a picture, too!



8-2 Marlins after 5 innings. Mr. Yuengling is gonna get rich as shit off of me tonight.

Update on the Bonifacio, Dean, Smolinski for Olsen, Willingham trade.

Okay. I had overnight to think about it, and I crunched a couple numbers. First, the players coming to Washington:

• Joshua David Willingham. Born 2/17/79 (That makes him 29.) Goes by Josh, and has somewhere along the line been given the nickname "The Hammer." (Allrighty, then.) He was drafted in the 17th round of the 2000 draft out of the renowned baseball institution of...... the University of North Alabama. He is one of four former UNA Lions to play in the bigs, and the first since 2001. No, you haven't heard of any of the other three. His first taste of the Big Leagues came in 2004 and 2005 when he played in a combined 28 games. He grabbed the starting left field gig in 2006 and had a decent season, going .277/.356/.496 with 26 HR and 74 RBI in 132 games. He received one third place vote for the RoY, finishing tied for 9th. He seems to have been plagued by nagging injuries, based on the different bios out there on him. It might have something to do with the fact that he stands right on top of the fricking plate, though, since he's ranked 3rd in hit by pitches in the last two years. Anyway, he seems to be an okay fielder at fielding balls (0 errors in 08, 3 in 07), but might not be the fastest cat out there getting to balls, as he ranked 12th out of the 16 starting NL left fielders in range factor, with a 1.82. The league avg was 1.90. (OH! Who was number one in range factor? Wee-Willie Harris.) He's projected at 20-25 HR per year, and is arbitration eligible. He will certainly see an increase from his $405K 08 salary. Avg 162 game stats: .266/.361/.472 68BB, 127K, 32 2B, 25 HR, and 85 RBI. That strikeout to walk ratio kinda sucks (1.86 K's per BB), but it sure as hell beats Wily Mo's (4.83 K's per BB.)

• Scott Matthew Olsen. Born 1/12/84, which puts him at 24. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 draft out of Crystal Lake South High School in Michigan. He goes by a few names, such as "Don't tase me bro", "butt-head", and "stoopid butt-head". There's not enough room on blogger for me to list all of his...."problems", but here are some: Punched in the eye by a teammate in 2006; Neck grabbed by his manager in 2006; Accused a teammate of not giving his full effort on a fielding play, threw a tantrum in the dugout over it, and almost got his ass whooped; Made an obscene gesture to the fans in 2007 (Hmm..Dooksie might like this guy, actually.); Received a 2 game suspension in 2007 for insubordination (He threw another tantrum, ripped of his jersey, and threw it at someone on the ball club. He was pinned against the wall by a teammate for this.); And finally, he has no problem giving the Police the finger. See, in July of 2007, he was clocked for speeding, and an officer tried to pull him over. "Not so fast!", said Scottie. He led the police on a little journey as he continued to drive to his house a little ways away. He pulled up into his driveway, got out of his car, and sat in a plastic lawn chair on his lawn, taunting the police. They finally tased him, as he tried to kick them on their attempts to grab him. He was arrested for DUI, resiting arrest with violence, fleeing and eluding a police officer, and childish buffoonery. He does have one good conduct report on his record, however. In 2006 he said he hated the Phillies. In 2007 he and Chase "I love to say fuck" Utley got in a shouting match, and Scott encouraged him to engage in fisticuffs. Chase declined because, well, he only likes to hit players that are not able to defend themselves. Chalk one up for Scottie, and I think he might help out the other Utley haters on the club. I didn't leave much room for stats, did I? Whoopsie! Here's the brief rundown of his avg season: 33 starts, 194 IP (5.8 IP/start), 85 BB 166 K's, 10 W 12 L, 4.04 ERA, and a 1.30 whip. The kid can be an innings eater, has strikeout potential, is a lefty, and projects to a number 3 starter. If he can harness his control, and mature a bit, he might be a solid number two. Like Willingham, he is also arbitration eligible, and finished with 1 RoY vote in 06 to finish tied for 9th.

Overall, I'm feeling a little better about the deal than I did last night. Anderson Hernandez looks to have the lock on 2nd base going into spring training, and I'm okay with that. Willingham either joins the stockpile of left fielders, or first baseman. If we can move Kearns, I would feel more positive, but let's see what else happens. I'm gonna miss Emilio and his speed and run production, and I was real high on him. I wish him the best, and hope for his sake the Marlins move Dan Uggla this off season. For details on P.J. Dean, and Jake Smolinski, I'm going to refer you over to Brian at NFA. Also, maybe one regular reader, the Doctor, could chime in. I know he was real high on Dean.

Bonifacio, Smolinski, and PJ Dean traded?

Word from Peter Gammons is that The Nats and the Fish just made a deal.

The Nats get:

• Scott "Don't taze me bro" Olsen (24)
• Josh Willingham (29)

The Marlins get:

• Emilio Bonifacio (23)
• PJ Dean (19)
• Jake Smolinski (19)

I don't have time to give all my feelings on this, but my gut response is I'm not happy. I would've rather held onto the kids, and signed Dunn for Left Field. Did you realize Dunn is only 28? Maybe the Nats didn't think they had a chance at him. I dunno. I'm gonna miss Boney's speed. It's no secret I was a huge fan of his. His ratio of runs scored vs. times on base was nice.

I'll chime in more later. Later, Boney!

The rest of the pictures

Okay, I'll post some other pictures we took on Saturday, along with one I stole. I even left my broke-ass mug on here. Lets hope the eBays don't break.


Here's me in the dugout. I'm staring at the scouting sheets they have posted on the bulletin board. All I can say is that it's detailed as shit! It had breakdowns of every pitcher and hitter on the Padres. It said stuff like "Prone to swinging over big curveballs", "Has a great 12-6 curve he'll throw early in the count", and "Bad mother fucker. Just walk him" (The last was for Adrian Gonzalez.)


Here's dorky ass me on the field. The Mrs. wanted this shot, so I thought to myself, "I'll look really cool if I give the thumbs up!" I'm a moron. If you look right above my right ear, you can see our seats. Just above the "dation" part of Washington Nationals Dream Foundation. Stop by for a beer, or to holler at the fellas in the pen, if you get a chance.


I took this shot of the Mrs. with Jesus Colome, and our 2nd favorite Puerto Rican National, Saul Rivera. I started to tell Colome to get his huge banana hands of my woman, but thought better of it. Saul was pimping, as usual, but did answer when the Mrs. asked him what his nickname meant. Also of note: Strongest grip among the Nats I shook hands with? Saul vice-grip Rivera.

I'm posing with Manny and LMillz here. I actually asked them if I could put my hands on them, cause I wasn't sure what protocol was, and I didn't want to make him mad. Milledge, that is. I don't think Manny's the kind of guy that would punch me in the face. Lastings? Yes, he just may be. He was actually a cool guy. I asked him if he liked it here in D.C. and he replied, "It ain't no Florida." I think he meant that as a good thing. I think.


Finally, I ripped this one off of Screeches Best Friend's blog, Nats320. If you like needless capitalization, tons of pictures, extra hyphens, and 3 mile long posts, give it a shot. Here's one he posted of me getting my baseball signed by Boney and Alberto Gonzalez. I'm laughing because I asked him what he thought was a better nickname, Boney or Bonesy. He told me Boney. I said, "Really? Not Bonesy?" and I think he could tell I was a little bummed. "Is okay", he said. "You call me Bonesy." Good kid.

Bonifacio versus Hernandez at 2B

I just finished reading Chico's Journal entry where he discusses a battle for the starting 2B job. He breaks down their numbers, and they look like this:

Here's a comparison so far of Bonifacio and Hernandez:

Bonifacio:
130 AB, 32 H, .246 AVG, 4 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 6 SB, .298 OBP, .338 SLG

Hernandez
53 AB, 18 H, .340 AVG, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 0 SB, .417 OBP, .358 SLG

Chico is missing a stat, though. And a HUGE one in my mind.

Emilio has reached base 42 times through hits and walks. He has scored 22 runs. Twenty-two. The guy is scoring more than half the times he gets on base. 52% to be exact.
Anderson has reached base 26 times. He's scored 7 runs. That's 27% of the time.

Bonesy is such a threat when he reaches base. Every time he gets on, I'm anticipating something good to happen. Whether it be a stolen base (5 per baseball-reference, 6 per Chico), or going from first to third on a single, or even first to home on a double. The guy is freaking electric on the base baths. He leaves me standing and screaming most of the time.

What's that old baseball saying.....? Speed don't slump. God damn right. It helps that Bonesy also begins his baserunning on 2B or 3B more often, as well. He's got way more than "legitimate triple speed." The kid is so damn fun to watch running the bases. Bottom line, give me Emilio everyday, Manny! Now, where's my picture of Emilio in his Superman cape....

Nats win series, Utley upended.

Nationals win, big time. This offense is rock solid, top to bottom, and so much damn fun to watch. Some HUGE hits last night in the pivotal 8th inning. Casto and Bernadina with singles to start, and then Belliard with a pinch hit single to score Orr (who pinch ran for Casto). Boni walks to make it bases loaded. At that point, I was debating with myself who I would want walking up to the plate if I could choose anyone. I had it down to Guzman and Zim. As luck would have it, it was Goozie's turn in the lineup. He cranked a bases clearing double (with Boni right on the heels of Belliard as they approached home plate) to bust the game open. See you later, Philthies. Have fun missing the playoffs and beating your wives!

The underlying storyline from the previous night didn't die, though. With Chase Utley up for his first plate appearance, Rental plunked him square in the hip with a 90 mph heater. It appears Perez was using vigilante justice, as all signs from the Nationals management pointed towards the Utley/Flores play as being clean. Much love to Rental from this guy!

It didn't end there, though. In the bottom of the fifth, the Nats had the bases loaded with Milledge up. He grounded into a fielders choice, to make it runners at first and third, one out. DOOKS! was at the plate, and grounded to the third baseman. Seemed like a tailor-made inning and rally ending double play. Except Milledge was running from first. And Utley was the pivot man. What happened next made me scream, "Fuck, yeah!" at the TV in the bar. "I wanna have your children, Mills" may have came next. Some screen caps here to show Lastings burying his shins into Utley to break up the double play, and allow a run to score.


My apologies to all wrestling fans I may offend with this statement, but that was some SWEET SHIN MUSIC by Blastings. Hey, Chase Utley: Have a seat, lunch meat. To top it all off, I got goosebumps as the Washington fans gave Mills a standing fucking ovation as he walked back to the dugout. Who says Nats fans don't "know" baseball? Who ever it was, fuck them in the ear. If you want to watch the recap, click here and skip to the 1:18 mark for the takeout. Be sure to watch Zim's 2nd homerun in three days at the 1:44 mark. He is just RAKING the ball, and is loving dead center. I mean, he's KILLING balls.

The boys are in Atlanta tonight to start a 4 game series there. Pitching note: Balester has a sore left bum, so he'll miss his next start, scheduled for Friday. Bergmann, who was due to throw tonight, will instead throw Friday. That means a spot start for a gentleman I wrote about earlier in the year. Mr. Shairon Martis will get his first ever MLB start tonight. Also, in case you guys want to pronounce his name right, it's Shy-ron Mar-tis. Go get him, junior.

Strasburg. Wow.

I know, it was the Netherlands. How good of a baseball team could they field for the Olympics (I mean, Roger Bernadina wasn't there for them!)?

It doesn't really matter. Stephen Strasburg, the only amateur on the US squad, started last night's (This morning's? Fuck you China, and your 13 hour time difference.) game against the Netherlands. His line (click it if you're blind and can't make it out):


He was throwing 3 pitches consistently, and didn't get challenged by any hitter that I saw. Hell, one batter swung out of his shoes and landed on his back just fouling off a pitch.

Now, I have two points here.

1. Sign Crow. (The first round pick of the Nationals. He is reportedly asking for a lot of money. Way over what most number 9 picks get. Should he have dropped to number 9? Probably not, but that's another story in itself.) There's an old saying in baseball that I agree with 100%. It goes, "I don't want to play golf. When I hit the ball, I want someone else to chase it." There's another one that I also believe, and it actually pertains to this post. "You can never have too much pitching." You can't. It's impossible. Even if you have 5 stud starters, you need more. You can trade them for big bats, or the key piece to your teams needs. Hell, I don't care what you do with them, as long as you have them. Get Crow signed, fellas. I'm on my knees here.
2. Don't win another game all year. I swear to fucking God, don't. This Strasburg kid looked like a man among boys last night. He throws 3 pitches for strikes, and his 4th isn't that far behind from doing the same. I'm pretty sure that is the reason Manny kept Bergmann in the game last night for so long (10 runs in 3 IP? Hella-good! Walking the pitcher with the bases loaded? You my BOY! Walking another run in two batters latter? Now you're just fucking with me, aren't you? You and Manny are in cahoots!). Did I mind the fact that I had to sit there in the stands and see those runs pile up? Maybe, but I sure as fuck didn't once I got home and saw that Strasburg pitching line. God bless you, Manny. You're doing a fine, fine job.
3. Oh, God damn....almost forgot. Boni, those two walks last night rocked my world. Now, maybe you can try and get Manny to have you attempt a steal once you actually get on?
   

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeels!

Nationals win their 4th in a row. Emilio went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stand up triple.
This speedy lil' fella is averaging one triple every 9 AB. Sheeeet. I was watching the game last night at my local watering hole, and had to make a trip to the mens room. I passed by Stephen Hawking on the way, and glanced at his computer screen (he has a computer attached to his wheelchair. It's actually really cool. He also has a bitching bottle holder which keeps his bottles of Yuengling nice n' chilled, and the straw coming out of it is freon filled titanium, so that the beer doesn't warm a single degree on its way to his mouth. Of course, half of every sip dribbles out of his mouth, but he's rich, he can afford it.) and he was working on rewriting some existing popular theories. I managed to read this one:


Hell, if Stephen Hawking wrote it, who the fuck am I to argue?

Post Flop, LoDu era begins...

After last night's game (which I ain't talking about. Why write about shit? Your writings may be good, but it still about shit.) Jimmy Bowden took the mic and made some announcement:

1. Felipe Lopez is being released. The Nats eat what's left of his $4.9MM for this year.
2. Paul LoDuca is being released. The Nats eat what's left of his $5MM for this year.
3. Elijah Dukes was recalled from his rehab assignment for his knee injury (which is worth talking about. When he twisted his shit, he was placed on the DL and we were told he would be out a minimum of 4-6 weeks. This was July 5th. Chico interviewed DOOKS! on the 6th, and Elijah had this to say:

   Q:Is it going to be hard to not push yourself too hard to come back, knowing how much you want to play?A: Oh, it ain't no question I'm going to push myself hard to come back. That's just the way I am. I don't like to sit around and do nothing. If I can do something to get back faster, I'm going to do it. I don't plan on taking as long as I can. I plan on taking as quick as I can." Say what you want about Elijah, the guy's a very fast healer, and loves to play baseball. Small man crush coming on for him.)

4. Emiliooooooooo is being called up.
5. Alberto Gonzalez (who was acquired from the New York Hankees yesterday at a trade deadline deal for some scrub AA pitcher) will be on the active roster, and be in the hizzie Friday, today.

OK, 2 bags of sand gone, 2 rookies coming up, and one MEAST (The Doctor, can we call him that?) re-joining the team. Looks like we need to lose one more from the roster. (I just heard Pete Orr making a phone call to his travel agent asking if he can get a plane ticket to Beijing. Coincidence?) I sure as fuck hope that spot isn't opened up because we have to put Goozie or ZIM! on the DL! (Zim got hit on the hand by a pitch last night and had to leave the game. X-Rays were negative. Goozie's been day to day on a bad thumb that was also hit by a pitch.)
With that said, I thought I'd take a shot at Friday's lineup. Check this junx out, and HOLLA AT YA BOI in the comments with ideas/corrections.

1. Emilio 2B
2. Milledge CF
3. Dukes LF
4. Kearns RF
5. Flores C
6. Gonzalez SS
7. Belliard 1B
   
8. Casto 3B
   

What say you, lurkers?

Emilioooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Great news from the weekend, as our newly acquired second baseman is tearing up AAA. In case you didn't hear, the Wookie, Jon Rauch, was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for their #6 ranked prospect in their system, Mr. Emilio Jose Rosario Bonifacio, who will be known as either Emilioooooooooo, Boney, or Bonesy from here on out. I will let you, the commenters make the decision (which really means I'll be making the decision, because none of you ungrateful maggots comment anymore).
Anyway, he made his debut for the Nats on Thurday, playing for AAA Columbus. Do you wonder how he did since then? Well have no fear, because I, the founding member of the Bonesy Brigade, am here to let you know just that.

Thursday: 2/5; 1BB; 0SB; 1R (must of been the jet lag.)
Friday: 3/4; 1BB; 1SB; 1R (starting to come around.)
Saturday: 2/4; 2BB; 1SB; 4R (SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! This kid is dy-no-mite!)
Sunday: 3/4; 0BB; 1SB; 1R (Another display of awesomely awesomeness.)

So, Emiliooooooooo is hitting .625 with 4 walks and 3 SB, and has scored 7 runs in 4 games. That, as they say, is what I'm fucking talking about! See ya, Flop! Can't wait for the roster expansion to get this kid up to DC (maybe sooner if we can dump Flop at the trading deadline). The scout's all agree on one thing with Boney: He can flat out fly. "Blazing speed" was a description I saw more than once. If he can get on base as often as he has for us so far (.684 OBP!), he'll lead the league in SB and runs easily. Now, I went and hunted down a picture of the kid that would do him justice. Enjoy!




P.S. In case you didn't hear, the Nationals/Dodgers games were cancelled due to the Nats' bats failing to show up. I think they got lost in Louisville as they were being shipped to L.A. from Atlanta.