The home run derby serves to give us our Berman baseball fix.  Or is that his baseball fix? 

This event has been tweaked to try to make it better.  It used to be one round.  Three homers could win it.  Then they added rounds.  The drawback is that we have the occasional Hamilton/Morneau situation.  It is akin to Nate Robinson's 37 dunk attempts.  Andre Igoudala and Josh Hamilton probably shared a few beers.  Oh wait, perhaps not.  At least this year's winner was pretty much the best from beginning to end.

But most people seem to think that this derby lacked something.  Was it the lower totals?  Was it the lack of name recognition on the AL side?  Was it the umpteenth year of "Bawk bawk bawk?"  Was it the three hours needed, so that the hitters could look at strikes?

All of that factors into it, but how about this: Busch Stadium.  The building looks quite nice.  It's better than the concrete donut that once stood across the way.  The fans are great. 

But Busch doesn't have what the other modern venues have - a gimmick.  The home run derby in Baltimore had the allure of "Can he hit the warehouse?"  In San Francisco, it was "Can they hit McCovey Cove?"  Houston has those train tracks.  You get the idea.

Now that MLB has virtually cycled through the new parks, it may be time to try something new.  Here are some ideas:

• Call your shot.  A game of horse if you will.
• Aluminum bats.  First 25,000 fans get helmets.
• Let little leaguers pitch.  Imagine being the kid who shut out Brandon Inge.
• Called strikes.  After three, start counting them as outs.

Or call this an aberration, and see what happens next season.

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Some bullet points while we wait for the token "Do you like ASG format?" post.

*Alan Embree got a win this week.  He did it without throwing a pitch.  Embree came in and picked off a runner in a tie game.  The Rockies took the lead in the bottom of the inning.  Street came in to close out the ninth.  This got me to thinking: How come Embree could give one up in the gap and not be charged with the run that scores, but gets credit for the out that was made on the basepaths?  That seems a tad inconsistent.  

*Oh by the way, for those scoring at home, the Rockies won that game on an 8-5 double play in the eigth inning. 

*Keep your scorecards out, the Red Sox treated us to a 9-2 fielder's choice at the expense of the Royals.  I must ask, was the runner halfway?  A sinking liner to right isn't exactly the ideal tag-up fly ball.

*As discussed here, Joel Hanrahan got a win when the Nats beat the Astros 11-10.  Hanrahan is now a Pittsburgh Pirate.  Rob Dibble always thought that Hanrahan was trying to win games for the other team.  Now we know.

*Something must be done about Tom Hallion.  The funny thing about Leslie Nielsen was that it was a spoof.  You aren't supposed to call people out like that.  The umps don't want to be shown up, nor do the players.  Of course, Hallion was one of "Richie's 22."  Maybe the guy has a chip on his shoulder.

As a subscriber to some SABR theories, I am called all sorts of nasty things.  People lob all sorts of allegations at me.  "If you actually watched baseball games..."  "Baseball is played on the field..." "You are sheep..."

The first of the bunch is funny.  Why would anyone spend any length of time on something they didn't enjoy?  The latter is infuriating.  What is sheepish about questionning 100+ years of baseball thinking?  The sac bunt is the sheep play.  There, I said it.  The "by the book logic" is what I question.  I'm not always right, but it's worth asking the questions. 

As proof of my non-sheepness, I give you my MLB manager rankings.  Why managers?  Well, this is where I differ from the SABR crowd.  Many have minimized the role of the manager.  Many decisions are similar across the board.  Some are day to day matters, and managers manager them differently.  It is with that where I say that there is some importance in the role of the manager.  The argin for error is small.

The criteria: I factor in stolen base percentage, runs per baserunner, sacrifice rates, intentional walk rates, save percentages, and the excess of victories over quality starts (thus keeping a manager with a top heavy rotation from cruising to the top ten).  How you manage your bullpen counts - big time.  The rates have been recentered and added to come up with a score.

For those who scoff, I only do this at the break.  That way you can't say "Well it's easy to..." Fill in whatever excuse you may use to down me.  Also, last year's top manager was Charlie Manuel.  Philly fans scoffed.  They were right.  The team didn't do much until winning four of its last five games.

1. Ron Washington - Rangers - 1.350: Last year when I did this analysis, Washington was tenth.  I thought, "Hmmm.  That's odd for a losing team."  Pitching has been the bane of this team's existence.  Washington, at the urging of Nolan Ryan, has not bowed down to pitch counts.  The team's save percentage is solid.

2. Joe Girardi - Yankees - 1.278: Thank Phil Coke and Mariano Rivera.  The lineup here is hard to mismanage since it's easy to say with men on base, "hit the ball over the right field fence."

3. Joe Maddon - Rays - 1.209: Could be number one if they made fewer outs on the basepaths.  Stretching hits is admirable...to a degree.

4. Terry Francona - Red Sox - 1.147: A fixture in the top 5.

5. Tony LaRussa - Cardinals - 1.128: It helps to have the best hitter in the game. 

6. Mike Scioscia - Angels - 1.094: I can't say that I'm a huge K-rod fan.  Many of his saves were the "Ugeth Urbina" type (2 runs with high WHIP).  Losing your closer, and still being in the top 10?  Doing a heckuva job Mikey.

7. Charlie Manuel - Phillies - 1.089: Brad Lidge has not been perfect this year.  But the team still scores runs, in no small part to Charlie pressing the steal buttona t the right times.

8. Dusty Baker - Reds - 1.027: I'm not a Dusty Baker guy.  He's one of those good enough not to get fired guys.  The staff has been managed well.  The offense has good components, but patient hitters have been Bakerized.

9. Ron Gardenhire - Twins - 1.002:  Solid but not spectacular performance.

10. Joe Torre - Dodgers - .9995: Joe Torre is in love with the intentional walk and the bunt.  Torre has managed the bullpen well with 18 more wins than quality starts.  Will the innings catch up with the Dodgers, considering the Giants rotation through the first half?

11. Jim Tracy - Rockies - .9960: Clint who?

12. Bruce Bochy - Giants - .9416: A good example of the criteria not allowing a manager to ride Lincecum and Cain to the top.  Good first half, and a threat for the NL West title.

13. Dave Trembley - Orioles - .9275: This team makes too many outs on the basepaths.  The starters don't go far, so Trembley has more opportunities to ride the bullpen to victories.

14. Don Wakamatsu - Mariners - .9250: The team doesn't score many runs, but isn't the most inefficient bunch either.  Perhaps it would help matters in Seattle to pick up a good SLG guy.

15. John Russell - Pirates - .9108: You would think that the manager of the Pirates is ranked a bit high for being the manager of the Pirates.  What if I said this team has frittered nine quality starts?  He could be higher!

The rest:

White Sox	.908306
NYM	.905523
Florida	.896891
Oakland	.895372
Toronto	.877284
Detroit	.876656
Milwaukee	.863078
KC	.854334
Cleveland	.840598
Arizona	.772475
Atlanta	.767303
Houston	.766818
SD	.766131
Cubs	.591617
Washington	.512399

29. Lou Piniella - Cubs - .5916: 12 frittered quality starts.  Too many outs on the basepaths.  And too many outs given away for a team that should be near the top in SLG.  They say the act wears thin after a while.  Is it a while yet?

30. Manny Acta - Nationals - .5124: There is no button that Manny can push to become a top manager, given the roster.  That said, it took a while for people to realize that Joel Hanrahan can't play.  And it took a while to drop Guzman in the line-up, knowing he simply doesn't draw walks.  Manny is a good guy, but his actions seem to run contrary to the principles he brought to DC.  He should get a chance with a middle of the road team to see what he can do. 

This may post twice.  Hooray new format!

The IJWMFTT manager rankings come out today!  For now, ponder this:  The Nationals and Astros completed a game that took place on May 5th.  A suspended game picks up where it left off.  Elijah Dukes was on first base.  One problem:  Dukes was demoted to Syracuse.  Solution:  Pinch runner enter stage stage right - Nyjer Morgan.  A hit and a Tejada error later, the Nats win.

So what's the problem?  On May 5th, Nyjer Morgan was a Pirate.  Oddly enough, Joel Hanrahan was the winning pitcher.  Hanrahan was part of the Morgan deal.  I just want to know how a Pittsburgh Pirates player can score a run for the Nationals.

Suspended games are an oddity.  Two years ago, when A-Rod was chasing 500 home runs, chronological 500 could have occurred in a suspended game.  As many pointed out back then, it would have actually been number 493.  In other words, A-Rod would have already hit number 500 with no fanfare.

To understand the Washington Nationals, one has to watch them.  One cannot grasp the stinkiness of this fish from the head and down, simply by watching the "highlights."  This is a gang that can't shoot straight.  Heck, they rarely misfire to at least hit the guy in the tree by accident.  At this point, there is a piling-on effect going on in the Nation's Capital.  For those outside the beltway, kick your feet up and rejoice in your Pirates/Royals/Reds fandom.

B.(D)C.

There was something that was always alluring to baseball brass about having baseball in Montreal.  After all, it is North America's sixth largest city.  To boot, having your sport broadcast in three languages (English in US/Canada, Spanish in Mexico and the Caribbean, and French in Quebec) gives it a reach that surpasses football, basketball, and hockey.   

MLB tried to hold out hope that baseball could work in Montreal.  After the strike in 1994, what was already a hockey town was solidified as a hockey town.  Attendance at the disasterous Stade-Olympique was now in the thousands, whereas other teams measured it in tens of thousands. 

From a scouting standpoint, the Expos were the gold standard.  We're talking about a franchise that gave us Randy Johnson, Andres Galarraga, Pedro Martinez, Cliff Floyd, Kevin Youkilis, and Vlad Guerrero.  There are others, but this is not a "name as many Expos as you can" sporcle quiz.  Despite all the talent, the team (which eventually became a partnership of the other owners) knew that players would not play for meager Expos money after their six years of service was up.  Move the talent, restock the system, and hope that the new players can compete was the strategy.

Eventually, enough was enough.  The team had to find a revenue stream if it wanted to compete.  The owners had this sinking ship on their ledgers.  In what port should they dock it?

They're Heeeeeere!

Speculation was rampant that baseball would return to the Nation's Capital.  Severel prominent businessmen had long banged the drum, but couldn't get the deal done to move the Padres, A's, or other flavor of the month.  This is where DC had an advantage.  Take the NFL's Ravens and Rams.  The league spurned their expansion bids when Charlotte and Jacksonville joined the league, but they got themselves into the conversation.  DC was the one market that had always been in the conversation (at least after the Rays existence blocked the ever-present St Pete threat).

Radio pundits' hearts fluttered at the prospect.  "There's nowhere else for them to go!"  Of course Las Vegas, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Portland could be called viable candidates.  Three of those cities are larger than DC.  Also, the city has had two teams in the past (though the creation of the Twins was a wink-wink defensive move against the CBL).  Even if one disregards that point, the city's affluent usually turns over every 4-8 years.  How can that sustain a fan base?

Orioles owner Peter Angelos once said, "Everyone knows there are no true baseball fans in DC.  It's a fiction."  DC radio and print media jumped all over this quote.  "He's blocking us again."  "He's forcing us to like his poor excuse for a baseball team."  "Baltimore is not Washington!"  The funny thing about this exchange was that the shoe was on the other foot when football was the subject.  Looking at attendance figures for the new ballpark in (spoiler) DC, maybe we should cut Pete a break on that one? 

Now, the DC suburbs create a different scenario in terms of market size, and northern opposition.  What if the ballpark is built in Northern Virginia?  This would serve the affluent customer that is more likely to be a permanent resident.  The hassle of getting home from work, and then the family downtown for the game would be minimized.  The one boondoggle: find 9000 square feet of grass in Northern Virginia.

So Mayor Anthony Williams had a plan.  The ballpark would be built by the Anacostia River in Southeast DC.  The ballpark would be the anchor for development in this economically challenged area.  Of course, with no ownership group in place, the city was on the hook for financing.  Now DC Councilwoman Linda Cropp had a plan - kill the Stadium, and get those Southeast DC mayoral votes.

On December 14, 2004 Linda Cropp amended stadium financing legislation to include $300 million in private financing.  Without an owner, that meant that the other owners would be on the hook for a stadium that their teams would play in but nine times per season - tops.  This was a deal breaker.  The makeshift stands and trailers selling Nationals merchandise outside RFK Stadium were ordered closed until further notice.  Washington DC had until December 31, 2004 to get a deal in place.

Eventually, a deal was in place that purchased insurance for cost overruns.  Also, the mayor was compelled to search for private financing, but did not have to secure it.  You could once again but a curly W cap.

RFK and Stan Kasten

RFK is a vestige of good DC sports times.  The DC Sports and Entertainment Commission just can't let her go.  Having the Nationals play there for two seasons was an opportunity for fans to get one last look at what Redskins fans saw. 

RFK is a vestige of American sports' past.  It's a concrete donut.  It has no character compared to other stadia.  Its concession stands didn't take debit cards.  The concourses couldn't fit the lines and the beer carts that are prevalent at baseball games.  The stadium's concessions contractor was essentially playing out the string.  The stadium staff definitely did not exude that "Welcome Home" vibe shown by the staff up north.

Enter Stan Kasten - Ted Turner's former right hand man responsible for the Braves' renaissance.  Well, at least he was responsible for it from a window dressing perspective.  As far as putting together a baseball operation, time seems to cast John  Schuerholz in a brighter light.  One needs only to compare John's Braves to Frank Wren's Braves. 

Stan Kasten is a guy you want when you want plant some flowers in front of the park, or to lay some carpet at the gates.  I'm not trying to hatchet the guy, but he's a salesman.  He was there to make RFK palletable, and to take a minority stake in ownership.  Also, he was supposed to occasionally go onto enemy radio and encourage their fans to come see the new ballpark (as he did this season with Philadelphia).  He probably shouldn't be involved in the baseball operation.

Jim Bowden

There's a reason that Stan Kasten wound up running the baseball operation.  His name is Jim Bowden.  For whatever reason, Bowden fancies himself a star.  He thinks he belongs on TV.  One season on ESPN does that to a guy.  Someone should tell Jim that ESPN hires everyone for a season.  The guy should stick to generally managing baseball clubs.  Or maybe he shouldn't...

I would like to present a well-written paragraph or two on Jim Bowden's tenure; however, he is his own retrospective.  Instead, I'll summarize Jim Bowden in the style of Billy Joel's, "We Didn't Start The Fire."...

Brian Lawrence for Castilla...Didn't even pitch in Hialeah...WilyMo Pena...Felipe Lopez...Austin Kearns Reds-mania...Alfonso Soriano, what a steal...What the heck, no deadline deal?...draft pick compensation when the Cubs took the left fielder-second baseman...that's fine...Aaron Crow's gonna sign...Oh wait nevermind...[Chorus]

John Rauch has to go...sent him for Bonafacio...now he's a Marlin...who'd they get, George Carlin?...Bowden likes a projecta...Let's get a baby-sitter for Elijah...Church and Schneider gone...But Milledge and LoDuca's mouth are here...Now for Manny Acta's job I fear...Why'd they give Dmitri Young two years?[Chorus]

Chad Cordero has to go...On TV Bowden did say so...Jose Rijo is a scout...Who's Smiley Gonzalez?...We'll find out...Federal investagations...Nats fans implore....They can't take it anymore!

The Lerners

Someone has to be a willing party to all of this.  Mark Lerner is shagging batting practice balls.  Well, then again, it could be the alleged Kevin Elster type.  Ted Lerner seems to like the idea of being the guy who owns the team that came to DC lo these many years. 

The problem with sports ownership in general, is that the team is a secondary property.  Fans don't want to hear this.  Either the owner uses profits from a primary venture to dump into the team, or the owner gouges the fans in order to run the team.  When your business is malls, and the real estate bubble has burst, you're probably doing the latter.

The Stadium

For $5-$10 you can get a walk-up seat in two sections of the ballpark.  The problem is, those are gone if you are at the back of the line.  From there, there are $18 dollar seats.  That's fine.  What is obsene are the $35 seats.  In these sections, you don't have to be bothered with the pesky content of the jumbotron.  You're under it.  You get the excitement of watching other fans react to deep flyballs in right field.  And you don't have to bother watching the Presidents race that all the other fans find fun for some reason. 

It is tiring to hear from the DC media, "Bear in mind.  They are still new at this."  It is also tiring to hear, "We haven't had basbeall here for three decades.  People aren't just going to come to the ballpark overnight."  But wait a second.  What about all the talk of "there's no place else for this team to go?"  Wouldn't that imply that this town was the only town capable of packing a stadium?  Shouldn't a new stadoium provide a marked boost in attendance?  The writing was on the wall since Cincinnati built their park.  The baseball stadium as must-see became a cliche.

The Team

Oh the team! Ah, the team.  Eh the team.  It's the errors stupid.  And the pitching.  And the lack of walking.

The errors.  I'm not an error-as-stat guy.  Errors fail to account for many things.  One, hometown scorekeepers willing to give Jeter, Pedroia, Suzuki, or anyone else every chance to bolster their hit totals.  Two, you can't botch what you can't get to in the first place.  Some call this "the Derek Jeter is a better shortstop than A-Rod  principle."  Finally, variations in ballparks and fould territory lend themselves to varying opportunities for teams to make errors. 

All in all, a team gives their opponents more outs than the error column would indicate.  So bear that in mind when I say that the Nats have committed 77 errors in 81 games.  The Major League average is 50.  The old and slow Yankees have 42.  Their counterpart in the AL (Seattle) has 62. 

The bullpen is bad.  This team has tried to force the closer role on Joel Hanrahan to no avail.  Julian Tavarez walks more people than a crossing guard.  Joe Beimel is okay, but can't seem to start his own inning.    Ron Villone started strong, but bullpen stats can be deceiving, since inherited runners aren't factored into ERA.  Jesus Colome.

The lineup has potential.  If Nyjer Morgan can be a .400 OBP guys, then I'll have to do a similar retrospective on the Pirates.  Zimmerman and Guzman can be .300 BA guys to get Morgan home.  Dunn can be a .500 SLG guy to get them off the bases.  The bottom of the order needs help, as does the bench.  There is a serious drop off in everything if Dunn or Nick Johnson are swapped in a double-switch. 

PR

I'll round things out with some bullet points on PR:

• The team fined Elijah Dukes $500 for being late to the ballpark for pre-game activities.  Dukes was performing community work with a Virignia little-league.  The league raised the money to pay the fine.
• On April 17th, the team's two best players took the field with "Natinals" uniforms.
• The owners, citing a lengthy punch list of things invisible to fans, refused to pay rent on their publicly funded stadium.
• The Nationals were the only team that did not send a representative to the industry meetings or scouting schools in 2008.
• The only sell-outs at the new park in 2008 occurred on opening night, and against the Orioles.
• Just recently, a minor one.  The fireworks button was pressed signifying a Nats victory - after a Brian McCann foul ball.  This would have been hilarious had McCann taken the next pitch to the right field porch.

Well there it is.  While the rest of baseball focuses on the Dodgers, Yanks, and Sox, IJWMFTT brings you 360 Nats coverage.  This is the type of analysis that you just can't get anywhere else.  Ha!