fat EMO kid baseball blog

The Nationals have finally done the right thing and named Mike Rizzo to be their full-time GM after operating on an interim basis since before the season began.   Rizzo has been able to do what Jim Bowden failed to do, make meaningful moves that have brought Washington close to respectability.  Rizzo has reconstucted a sorry pitching staff, and now features a decent young rotation led by John Lannan, Craig Stammen and Colin Balester.  Add to that the signing of Steven Strausburg, and there’s finally some hope for the future.  The only downside is the loss of promising right-hander Jordan Zimmerman to Tommy John Surgery. 

Rizzo has also remade the bullpen, which couldn’t close a door, let alone a game, to start the season.  Re-tread veterans like Mike MacDougal, Ron Villone, and Jorge Sosa has brought some measure of consistency to the ‘pen. 

Rizzo’s biggest move was the trade with Pittsburgh that landed Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett for banished outfielder Lastings Milledge and struggling closer Joel Hanrahan.  It may be a one-year wonder, but Morgan is tearing up the National League, and Burnett has given Washington a nice situational lefty. 

They may only be 43-77 and destined for another last-place finish, but there is finally some reason for optimization in the Nation’s Capitol, and Rizzo seems to be the right man for the job.

Pedro Martinez is back in the big leagues, starting tonight against the Cubs.  He was given a gift, matched up against rookie Jeff Samazijdoifdzia who should be catching passes in the NFL.  Pedro still looks like a shell of his former self, but has been able to hit 92 on the radar gun a few teams, and still has the ability to get a call on anything within a foot of the plate.  I don’t think he will be a difference-maker for the Phillies, but he can’t be any worse than Jamie Moyer, who is taking his demotion like an 8 year old girl, has been.  It’s low risk, high reward for the Phils, but isn’t that what Boston said about John Smoltz?

EDIT:  despite what Rick Sutcliffe (the biggest drama-queen in the history of annoucing)  would have you believe, Pedro’s stuff was good for about two innings.  He’s completely done now and it’s only the fifth, if it wasn’t 12-3, he’d be gone by now.

A Cubs fan just threw a cup of beer on Shane Victorino, what is this, fenway?