Live Q&As

Everybody here watches every time Z'man throws __with breath semi-held. I even watched him take infield yesterday back here in Viera when the travel team was on the road.

Last year, his makeshift motion had about three pieces __like watching Jim Furyk's golf swing. It was amazing he gogt thrfough the season with that awful thing. Now it's down to about two pieces.

IOW, it looks better but it certainly doesn't look good __not like he looked throwing overhand in his rookie year and '07. He knows it, says it will probably never be that good again. "I'd like to be able to do a lot of things like I did them at 21-22.

It's only on routine plays that he's alweays had a problem. So he has a lot of time on those throws. Right now he takes about twice as many crow hopps as a normal third baseman. For a second you think he's going to run the ball across the infield. But all those scary throws, even between innings in warmups that he threw last year, seem to be much less frequent. But he still short hops some to first and has throws tail inside the bag. You're right __this is a big issue. He got a $100-million extension last year. Did the Nats get a third baseman for a few more years or will he have to switch to first.

Perhaps most important, Z'man is over the moon about how good he feels, which tells you how bad it was last year. He thinks his throws are still steadily strengthening. And he's killing the ball at the plate down here. Z'man said he was "more nervous that I expected" in his 1st ST game on Saturday. Davey asked him afterwards, "Did you have any trouble finding the field?"' Since he'd only been a DH.

To give it a grade, he looked like an "F" last year. Now, I'd say, compared to a normal MLB 3rd baseman, he's a C+ on those routine throws. If he gets just a little better then he'll be a pleasure to watch again at 3rd because he's always been amazing on the tough off-balance throws. 

That's why they got Rafael Soriano __so they don't have a heart attack when Storen or Clippard or Mattheus had a bad game. Soriano is a loooong established top reliever. When Storen looks poor __and he has__ you think, "Insurance policies, even ones that cost $28-million, sure looks smart." Clippard and Mattheuds have been sharp.

Johnson repeats that he thinks Storen analyzes too much __another way of saying 'trust your stuff. Don't nibble.' Storen has had poor springs before and, as long as his arm felt good (which it does) he's done well in the season. BUT imagine that he'd blown a lead to the Astros no-talent lineup the other night and he stll had Game Five hanging over him? Nothing but "how are you feeling?" questions about his psyche. With Solriano around, the reaction is,  "Oh, everything will work out. They're got more reliever and closers than any team needs."

I'd still prefer another lefty in the pen. This "we have RHers who get LHers out" doesn't quite ring true for me. The LH on LH late-inning matchup is a big p;art of modern baseball and it's that way for a reason. Every good team has killer lefty bats. BTW, Zach Duke has looked good and is probabbly quite decent "sixth starter."

The Nats need to get the hell out of Viera. Anywhere, anyhow, any cost. These 4-to-5-hour 'round trip rides to every away game are just a rinky-dink way to run a top ballclub. Nothing wrong with the town of Viera or its nice folks.But spring training is all about "location." Davey talks around the problem but I've had sources tell me he's livid. I'll deal with at more length.

Davey always rode with Rick Eckstein driving because, while Eckstein scared Davey to death at least he got where he was going in record time. I asked, "How fast is he driving these days?" Davey said, "Not very fast since he got the third ticket. We're traveling at exactly the speed limit these days."  

The WBC is completely lost in the shuffle. If Team USA reached the finals, maybe there would be some interest. I've never seen a good event so overlooked. I get it, but it's too bad. Even I didn't  watch last night when Puerto Rico knocked out the defending champions from Japan to reach the Finals. It's thrilling to fans in a lot of other countries. And the gams are "Underdog Heaven." PR beat Japan with minor leaguers and castoffs. And Japan is REALLY proud of its WBC national team. There have been a lot of dazzling comebacks. The NETHERLANDS (which actually has done well in international play in recent times) plays the Dominican Republic for the right to meet Puerto Rico in the finals.

So, how many thought that Gio Gonzalez and Ross Detwiler, from quickly-ousted Team USA,  would be back with the Nats while Roger Bernadina and Eury Perez are still playing for the Netherlands in the WBC!

The only U.S team that hasn't embarassed itself was in '09 when Team USA finished third and was managed by (I'd forgotten) Davey Johnson. Is there something in baseball, anything, that he hasn't done?

In recent times I've consistently gotten them wrong in March and I watch a lot of their games. Everybody loves Otto Porter's total game and GU has both outside shooters and players committed to defense.

But I got a bad vibe from the anti-Syracuse comments by John Thompson and Leonsis after the last regular Hoya win. That came back to haunt them in the Big East tournament. In a year with so many evenly grouped teams that No. 1 seed, versus a No. 2, might make a difference. I've got GU in the Elite Eight but not the Final Four.

I mentioned that I already have the same thoughts. But here is the Nats rationalization, and I have to admit that it has some justification. Would you rather have an accomplished closer working the 9th inning of a huge game or would you rather have a "lefthanded specialist." 

The answer is that you would ALWAYS want the top-end closer because he's simply a more dominant p;itcher. Well, the Nats have three closers. If you have Clippard, Storen and Soriano lined up for the 7th, 8th, 9th, would you bring in a lefty __just because he's a pretty decent lefty__ to replace any of them in any situation? The answer is, "NO." You'd just give them each their inning and live with theresults.

The problem may come when you can't line them up 7-8-9 because somebody has already worked three days in a row. Then you may wish you had the situational lefty.

If the Nats need a lefty reliever, they'll trade for one. It's that simple. They have enough trade peices to get a deal like that done almost any time they want. But they don't want to part with the "pieces."

The vulnerability of this team, as I've said in a couple of chats, is the health and effectiveness of the starting rotation. Strasburg had exceptional stuff on Saturday night here __the best he's thrown probably since last July. Detwiler has been his best self. Gio looked excellent in the WBC. Today, Jordan Zimmermann starts against Detroit. He's been the shakiest __an ERA near 6.00 due to one awful game. Talked to him yesterday. He feels good. We'll see if he's sharp today. Haren jokes that when Z'mann has "a dead arm" outting that he still throws 95. 

If there is concern, it might be about Dan Haren and especially his velocity. He topped at 89 in his last start but had one fastball as low as 83. Johnson didn't try to "romance it" and said he didn't look good. Did the 2 1/2-hour drive to the game hurt a pitcher with a history of back and hip problems? Haren said he "got stiff" from the ride. What if Haren had tried to bulldog it through the game and gotten hurt? he came out okay, but why take that chance? That alone is enough to "get the hell out of Viera." How can you invest $13-million in a veteran like Haren, then have him ride five hours 'round trip before and after he pitches? That defines "penny wise, pound foolish."   

Good stuff. Thanks. A lot of "the future" is on the minor league side.

As I've also written many times, Davey burned a lot of bridges. Outspoken, going to do it his ways.He has a hard time hiding it when he's much smarter (about baseball) than the people who are above him. He's MUCH more mellow now. But even last year he had the yelling argument with Rizzo (who adores him) about, "If you think you can do better, you come down here and manage the team." (That isn't word-for-word correct. No time to look up the quote.)

A typical example of how Davbey extreme "player's manager" style can become a problem is the way he's run this spring training camp. "Basically, Davey has let us veterans do whatever we want for the first 75 per cent of camp," said Ryan Zimmerman. "Other managers just don't have the...well...guts to do that...Davey's under a lot of pressure (to play vets, to win enough ST games to keep everybody happy) but he will say, 'No. These gusy don't need 60, 70, 80 at bats in spring training."

I actually thought, at some points after he left the Dodgers in '00, that he was semi-blackballed as "too much of a handful to be worth the trouble." He's come back a wiser man. But his compulsive honesty may get him in trouble yet. However, "final year" and "70," is probably more than enough insulation. Now, finally, he's almost seen as a rediscovered baseball treasure.

(This morning, he casually called Peter Angelos "the Greek." Maybe the name slipped his mind for a second.)

I try not to repeat myslef (too much) in chats. But I keep mentioning that the reason I'd put the Nats down for ~95 wins this year, not the >100 that many anticipate, is because they got 150 starts in 162 games from the top five pitchers in their rotation last year.

The Nats are NOT a great hitting team, just a good one that was very good late in '12 when healthy. But they were No. 1 in the NL in ERA. That's the core __the power rotation. And the bulk of the IPs always come from those top starters. So, EVERY team is vulnerable to injuries to SP, but SO ARE THE NATS. They are NOT vulnerable at any other position. They are one of the deepest teams I've ever seen. And the bullpen is very long. Even Henry Rodriguez isn't hitting the mascot with any warmup pitches.

Example of concern for SP depth: The Nats sent quite a few players down to minor league camp. Who did Johnson talk to "for almost a half hour" with a translator? Yunesky Maya. When you are concerned about where Maya's head is at and want to make sure he understands that, if injuries come, he could be in the MLB rotation, that shows you the one area to watch.

But, come on, that applies to almost every othyer top team. Think the Dodgers aren't concerned about Greinke's sore elbow? Knock two starters out of the Giants rotation and do you think they go back to the Series. No, they're dead. You may only need three or 3 1/2 starters in the post-season. But you need five __and usually six or seven__ to get through a regular season and win a division.

The NFL's position is indefensible.

But they don't have to defend it.

The NFL owner got (read: "bullied") the NFL union to sign away its right to join in any colusion action. As a result, 30 NFL owners got to __in effect__ say, "Who don't we like? Who's a pain in the neck? Who needs to be put in their place so our comfy world will keep spinning nicely? Oh, look! Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones! Here is our chance to $%"&^ 'em."

So they did.

A Nats player wanted to talk about all the details of the Skins problem and how outrageous it was that the NFL had treated them unfairly. I tried to explain and I'll try again now.

What the NFL did to the Redskins was wrong. It can't be justified.

But in pro sports, if you don't go along with the group, then you better follow Al Davis' dictum, "Just win, baby." In other words, see around corners. Watch your back. Say to yourself, "We've made a lot of enemies. Maybe we don't deserve it. Or we do. But we HAVE them. That's reality. How do we protect ourselves?"

The Redskins followed an extremely agressive financial policy when they knew the other owners were practicing the "c" word. Part of that decision is: "What can go wrong if we follow this line of thinking? What can they do to us? Would they have the gall to do it? What would our legal position be? In othr words, if we do this, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT."

The Redskins miscalculated in a very cynical NFL world. They are "right" on the facts. But their '13 season will be played at a BIG financial disadvantage. They gambled. They knew there might be blow back. And, now, it looks like that gamble was a big lolser. Haynesworth and Hall are gone. And the combined impact of the $32-million in penalties over two years is probably something like "minus two wins" in '13. 

BTW, the Nats player, after we talked, said, "Oh, a bunch of sports owners got together and %^^$#ed somebody. Yeah, we all know how that happens."

And he walked off laughing. I thought, "That's the pro's laugh." It's a hardball world, regardless of sport. It's not good enough to be "right." You also have to figure out how to win in the end game. This time, the Skins didn't.

But the next 20 times they play Mara's Giants there will be some extra feelings. That, too, should be entertaining. You seldom have an absolute public throw down between the ownerships and front offices of two division-rival franchises. You do now. 

Adams Morgan was my favorite neighborhood I ever lived in. My wife and I had a rent-controled top-floor apartment at 17th and Columbia Road for an insanely low price and we could open the windows at night in summer and hear the roar of the lions from the zoo in back of us. Loved it. And I can just imagine it erupting during a WBC game! 

BTW, the U.S. DID field an exceptional team this year __with 14 All-Stars!!! We have no excuses. We lost. When you have Braun, Wright, Stanton, Mauer and others as the heart of your lineup and Dickey-Gonzalez-Vogelsong in your rotation with Kimbrel to close, why can't you BEAT PUERTO RICO? (Because they want it a lot more? Because you gag?)

Of course, the primary reason for all the upsets is because the name of the game in question is....baseball. Anything can happen in one game and usually does. Put together a team of MLB journeymen with a couple of good MLBers, plus guys who have played in AA and AAA and, volila, you have a team that might jell, get hot, get lucky, get inspired and reach the Final Four in the WBC.

It's just a matter of time before the French win the WBC. And they don't even have a team.

That would be my own inclination.

But team's take on the personalities of their key p[ersonalities. Who are the Nats key figures? What are they like? Rizzo, Johnson, Werth, Desmond, Strasburg, Harper and, to a degree, Gonzalez. They are all blunt, confident and have extremely high goals, for which they don't apologize.

We have already seen the first installment of "gloating at the Nationals" last year with the over-the-top vitriol toward the Strasburg shutdown and the reaction of the Cardinals to winning Game Five. LaRussa's best teams, Whitey Herzog's Cards and Johnson's Mets had a similar feel, though off the field, the Nats are a lot more mild mannered.

Rizzo got Werth to help teach the Nats to be as tough, old-school and cocky as the reigning team in their division __the Phillies. Fight fire with fire. Desmond (LaRussa's favorite player!) already had that fire. Harper burns visibly. Strasburg burns internally. Espinosa is abrassive cokcy. The team's stance suits its personality. It has edge. 

After ~80 years of being walked over by baseball, I'd think a team with this style might have some appeal for Washington fans.

Some entire starting staffs have long histories of avoiding injuries --from the '66-to-'71 O's to the 14-straight Braves teams. 

Remember, if the Nats give up 50 more runs in '13, they might also score 75 more. Despite all the necessary provisos, this is an exceptionally good team. They probably won't win 105 games, but they COULD. How many teams have you ever seen in spring training wheree that was a sane thing to say. Not that they "will" but that they obviously "could."

Davey sees big talent and thinks, "It is my JOB to make that guy a star." He doesn't give up easy.

And some wild flame throwers eventually ended up in the Top 20 (or maybe its Top 30) in history in saves, like Armando Benitez and Jose Mesa. You can't coach a 100 mph fastball AND a wipeout slider AND (brief) periods of excellent control. Is H-Rod a tease or a late-bloomer? He's out of options. And if the Nats give up on him (and ultimately released him if they couldn't trade him in the 10-day window) there would be teams who'd give him his next shot.

Adam's sitting next to me in the press box. He says chances are "slim" that Young ends up a Nat. He's a little too good for the Nats good. Somebody's going to want him on a major league deal if he continues to pitch adequately.

I liked Dave's piece. The only "shine" that college basketball ever had was in March. I saw it from the inside during all those years when I was the Post's high school sports editor and all the college crooks circled around every good player __talk about an ugly "Atheltes For Sale" business. You could reread that book by Ken denlinger and Len Shapiro in the '70's and little has changed __except to get worse.

March Madness is the Big Dance that takes our attention away from the chain-and-knife gang rumble in the parking lot out back. If the glitz of March fades and the bad taste of all the conference destruction stays in our mouths, you may see a cyclical downturn in college hoops. Basketball isn't going anywhere. But all sports have periods of relative health and illness. pro football (concussions, bounty gate) and NCAA basketball are getting sick, baseball is getting well.

'Round and 'round it goes.

Lombardozzi.

He's the emergency everything. He could probably drive the bus, pitch batting practice, drag the infield, then pinch-hit (either side) in the 14th inning.

Jim Palmer told me LONG ago, "You don't think I go to a 'team doctor' do you? Those two words just don't go together."

Think about it. YOUR body. The TEAM's doctor.

Both teams analytical, smart and a civilized locker room. Though the '76-'83 O's always had a few lunatics __Stan the Man Unusual, Brother Low, The Demper. 

The Nats had Mikey-Mo (Morse) and DeRow (Mark DeRosa) last year to keep things loose. For a Wharton grad, DeRosa was the funniest guy you could imagine. The Nats are still a VERY young team __second-youngest in MLB last year. Over time, they need to find an in-house zanny or three.

This Nats team may have more talent, potentially, than those O's, though Ripken and Murray became Hall of Famers. The Nats have more players who have highlight ability and very high ceilings. However, this team has a LONG way to go to compare to the teams Johnson played on.

The Nats lineup, especially Span and a less-powerful Werth (wrist still not 100%, may never be entirely the same as it was) at the top of the order needs to establish an identity.

The End usually looks the same for mid-30's power pitchers. This looks like the beginning of the end for Halladay to me. Last year was the (loud) warning shot. And his buddy Chris Carpenter may already be done. Two of the toughest gamers of this period. If this is how it finishes for them, they went down in flames, not going 9-10 until they were 41.

Tim Hudson and Dan Haren are the other two formidable pitchers to watch. They seem to have more in the tank. 

I'm sure we'll talk about this plenty in future. The FedEx experience is famously bad and Nats Park (and surrounding neighbor/attractions) should keep improving for the next 3-to-5 years.

If the Nats go to a World Series, then you get your first infallible read. But that 60-minute standing cheer at Game Four was something I never saw before in DC __not even at RFK for the Redskins. But football crowds cheer in different ryhthms. Not comparables.

Oh, the Nats are about to play the Tigers. Time to look up and watch. Scherzer vs Zimmermann.

Sounds like a good Game Three matchup for the '13 World Series to me.

Looooong way to go!

See you all next week. Stay warm. Only two weeks, exactly to the minute (1 p.m. start) until Opening Day.

LF is tougher for a young raw outfielder than CF. So, Harper will have more uigly plays there than he did in CF. But the combination of his speed next to Span, plus his arm, should produce a better overall defensive OF.

The toughest place to play OF is right here in Fla in spring training with constant shifting winds and no second deck. If you can play here, you can play anywhere. Harper got completely lost on a "routine" but very wind-blown fly on Saturday night that he couldn't even reach with a dive. Getting morttified here in ST is a right of passage and "good for him."

ERA 3.21 last I checked. Doing fine __just like John Lannan. 

Yes, sir!

And a great WBC semi-final game to watch tonight against the Dominican Republic if you get MLB.TV.

Good points.