Saturday, July 08, 2006

HEY FRANK!! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!!





Nats320
In tonight's 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on a beautiful night at RFK Stadium, Frank Robinson, our illustrious manager, made two decisions that are indefensible and did not give THE NATIONALS a good chance to win the game. Adrian Gonzalez hit a monster shot into the left centerfield facing of the upper deck in the 4th off Nats Starter Ramon Ortiz, then in the 5th, the Padres got to Ortiz, near his 100th pitch, with 4 singles and a walk from Roberts, Giles, Bard, Gonzalez again and Greene to plate 2 more runs to make it 3-0 San Diego. But the bottom of the 5th was the real determination of this game. Jose Guillen (he of the bobblehead giveaway to fans attending tonight) got hit by pitch from Padres Starter Woody Williams. After Robert Fick flied out to Giles in right, Alex Escobar hits a frozen rope to left center, moving Guillen to 3rd. My main man, Damian Jackson, actually walked then to load the bases. Down 3-0 with 1 out, with Ramon Ortiz at 100 pitches and struggling, Frank Robinson LETS ORTIZ BAT, instead of either Daryle Ward or Marlon Anderson. The entire stadium was going nuts. Yelling for a Pinch Hitter. Frank decided to save his tired bullpen but not to get back into the game. Ortiz swings at the very first offering from Williams and drills in down the left field line, but it is foul by a few feet. Ortiz then strikesout on 3 pitches. Alfonso Soriano comes up and hacks away, but flys out on a liner to left to end the threat and the Nationals get NOTHING!! NOTHING! There is just no excuse for the manager not to give his team the chance to get back into a game. In every single game, no matter what the final score, there is ALWAYS ONE OPPORTUNITY to put the game in your favor. FRANK FAILED MISERABLY!! Then, in the bottom of the 6th and one out, Zimmerman lines a single to center. Nick Johnson doubles to right center off Cameron and Jose Guillen lofts a inside fisted pitch to center, just over Kahlill Greene's glove to score Z, but Johnson can only advance one base due to the close possible catch. Woody Williams then walks Robert Fick to load the bases and is replaced by sidewinding righthander Clay Meridith, who can reach the low 90's and has wicked stuff. Escobar is up and grounds to Vinny Castilla at 3rd, who throws to Barfield at second but off the bag, Fick trying to take Barfield out at second to break up the double play, overslides the bag, Barfield drops the ball, but Fick is called out on the overslide. Johnson scores on the fielders choice. Which leaves runners at 1st and 3rd with 2 outs. Damian Jackson, who is just terrible, comes to the plate. Frank Robinson again has Marlon Anderson and Daryle Ward available. Its also a perfect double switch opportunity. Yet Frank inexplicably lets Jackson bat and he goes down swinging badly. I have defended Frank in the past, but these 2 moves are TERRIBLE!! JUST TERRIBLE. There is NO WAY that Jackson should be batting in such a situation. And, it was made worse, when Frank double switched in the 7th, taking out Ortiz with 2 outs bringing on Jon Rauch and double switching, taking out Jackson and placing VIDRO at 2nd. JUST STUPID BASEBALL!! STUPID!! As fait would have, Vidro (hitting under .190 in the late innings) made the last out of the game, flying meekly to center against Trevor Hoffman, the Padres Closer, with Soriano waiting on deck. It just really sucked!! This was a winable game. No question.
Frank baby, you have got to go!! But, I still love your wife and daughter, Sharon--though.

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