LIVE D.C. Sports Guys Tuesday 9/1 at 8:30pm
Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch The D.C. Sports Guys LIVE Tuesday, September 1, at 8:30pm. Before the show send an email to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com with any questions, comments or topics you would like the guys to discuss.
Participate with the D.C. Sports Guys during the show with the Pingbox web application. Using any browser that supports flash, listeners will be able to have a one on one chat with the guys during the show. This is a two way form of communication that requires no sign-up or accounts to use. Simply go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com during the LIVE show and the chat box will be located below both the video and audio only feeds. Just enter your name and message and the chat will begin.
The D.C. Sports Guys want to hear what you have to say!
By Unknown - 8/31/2009 11:47:00 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: DCSG Show Announcement
Ten Quarterbacks that are better than Eli Manning.
In light of the Giants signing Eli Manning to a 6-year, $97.5M contract extension, here are 10 quarterbacks that outplay Eli on a regular basis.
1.) Peyton Manning – Pretty much a no brainer here. The guy is going to break all of Bret Farve's passing records when its all said and done not to mention he is one of only two Three time MVPs (including last year's) and a Super Bowl under his belt. I wouldn't rather have anyone else under center than him.
2.) Tom Brady - Another no brainer. Brady is easily the other guy you want starting for your team to be honest its hard to pick between Brady and Peyton Manning and you can't go wrong with either one. Brady set the all-time record for touchdown passes in a single season and oh yeah he has won 3 Super Bowls.
3.) Drew Brees - Is easily a better QB than Eli Manning and his numbers tell the story. With a career passer rating of 89.4 and a completion percentage of 63.9% not to mention that he came within 15 yards of breaking Dan Marino's single season passing yardage record (something that Eli will never come close to) I honestly don't see an argument for Eli to even be in the same breathe with him.
4.) Kurt Warner - With a career QB rating of 93.8 and a 62.4% completion rate which is hands down, far and away better than Eli I don't think anyone including a Giant's fan can argue against this pick.
5.) Ben Roethlisberger -Two time Super Bowl Champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers he is better than I would like to admit but its easy for me to say he is better than Eli. Look up the numbers trust me they aren't even close.
6.) Phillip Rivers - I know they were both taken in the same draft and Eli was taken first overall and has won a Super Bowl (on the backs of his defense and Plax) but Phillip is the better QB and I would rather have him. The numbers don't lie. He had a career high QB rating last year of 105.5 (which led the league) whereas Eli's career high of 86.4 (also last year) doesn't come close.
7.) Tony Romo - This pains me to say that he is good or better than anyone else (he is the starter for my most hated of all sporting franchises the Dallas Cowboys) but to say that I wouldn't rather have him over Eli would be false. He has thrown for 81 touchdowns versus Eli's 68. Although I know Tony has choked in the playoffs I wasn't totally impressed by Eli's play either. I don't want to hear about the Super Bowl where he threw up a miracle and David Tyree grabbed what will be his only defining catch in his NFL career. Although I hate to beat a dead horse but in this case it's Eli, so no biggie, the QB ratings and completion percentages prove out that Romo is a better QB than Eli with Romo completing 63.6% of his passes for his career versus Eli's 55.9%.
8.) Donovan McNabb - Another QB that I don't like saying anything nice about but he is a better QB than Eli and and a guy that I would rather have playing for me. He adds mobility to position unlike Eli who trips over his own clown like feet. Not to mention the fact that he has taken the Eagles to 4 NFC Championship games including three in a row (2001-03). I know sometimes he isn't the most accurate passer but he is still better than Eli. Which isn't that hard considering his is a measly 55.9%.
9.) Carson Palmer - I know he hasn't been healthy at all in recent years but despite these injuries I still take him over Eli any day of the week. Carson is the prototypical NFL QB. He has the height, arm strength and accuracy. He never looks rattled (unlike Eli, who at times looks like a lost little boy that found himself all of a sudden on a football field) and when he is healthy he is a top 5 QB. All that being said Giants fans you can't seriously tell me you wouldn't rather have him over Eli.
10.) Aaron Rodgers - Yes I know we haven't had much time to really get a feel for him but he already had a much better statistical year in his first season as a starter than Eli has ever had. I like the way Aaron makes plays and makes all the throws. Comparing both of their first seasons as starters and its not even close in any meaningful category. Both teams finished 6-10 but there can be no mistake that Aaron is the better of the two QBs. He finished last year with over 4000 yards (something Eli has yet to do), 28tds, only 13 interceptions, a QB rating of 93.8 (Eli has never had a rating above 87), and he averaged 7.5 yards a pass (Eli's best is 6.8).
By Big J - 8/29/2009 02:15:00 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethisberger, Carson Palmer, DCSG Blog, Donovan McNabb, Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, NFL, Peyton Manning, Phillip Rivers, Tom Brady, Tony Romo
Popularity Contest
Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post has put up a poll on the D.C. Sports Bog to find out who's the most popular athlete in D.C. The choices are:
Chris Cooley
Clinton Portis
Two years ago the Redskins would have dominated any list like this, followed by Gilbert Arenas, possibly another Wizard, and then lagging far behind the core Capitals following would have pushed Alex Ovechkin into the fifth and final spot. Back then the 'Skins were on their way back to the playoffs for the second time under the return of Joe Gibbs, the Wizards had made the post season three straight years and were on track for a fourth, and the Capitals were just trying to avoid finishing last in the southeast division for the 4th straight season.
As the new saying goes, "change has come to Washington". Gil' hasn't played any worthwhile minutes in 2 years and after getting bounced in the first round for three straight years by Cleveland the Wizards are slipping back to mediocrity. Plagued by injuries in 2008/09 the Wizards finished amongst the worst teams in the NBA, praying Gilbert's knee will eventually let him play most of a season again. The Redskins still remain securely atop the D.C. Sports Mountain, but climbing fast are the Washington Capitals. Since Bruce Boudreau took over in late 2007 the Capitals have been the hottest team in the District led by arguably the most exciting player in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin's passion, carefree attitude, highlight reel goals and physical play has grabbed D.C.'s attention. He has been the catalyst on the ice pushing the Capitals into the post season for two straight seasons and in my opinion has easily become the single most popular athlete in the Area.
What do you think? Head on over to the D.C. Sports Bog to cast your vote. On a side note should Ryan Zimmerman even be on this list? Hasn't Strasburg already become the most popular National?
Labels: Capitals, DCSG Blog, Nationals, Redskins, Wizards
Kevin, T.J., and Big J are back to talk about the Redskins second pre-season game, UFC 102, the Nats, the O's, Usain Bolt, gambling and a whole lot more.
As always, send your comments, suggestions, or ideas to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com
Podcast Times for Audio (Video add approx 4min.)
Redskins/NFL: 00:01:30
UFC: 00:44:50
MLB/NHL: 01:03:00
Versus/Bolt/College Basketball/and More: 01:26:30
By Unknown - 8/26/2009 01:06:00 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Capitals, College Basketball, DCSG Podcast, DCSG Show, MMA, Nationals, NFL, NHL, Orioles, UFC
LIVE D.C. Sports Guys Tuesday 8/25 at 7:30pm.
Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch The D.C. Sports Guys LIVE Tuesday, August 25, at 7:30pm. Before the show send an email to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com with any questions, comments or topics you would like the guys to discuss.
Rizzo's Promotion Adds to Big Week for Nats
Since returning from their recent road trip, the Nats have been somewhat lackluster on the field, dropping two straight to the Colorado Rockies. Not surprising, as the Rockies are a team that has really turned things around and is a clear contender for the NL wild card slot.
Off the field, the Nationals have made significant strides towards the long-term future of the organization this week. Unless you've been sleeping under a rock the past few days, the Nationals have acquired the ace they have so desperately needed since moving to D.C. in 2005. Stephen Strasburg is set to be announced to the media and fans tomorrow afternoon at a news conference at Nationals Park, and the Nationals appear to have sold out Friday's game against the Brewers (it would be sad if they hadn't, as they put most tickets on sale for $1 yesterday afternoon). Fans with tickets to tomorrow nights game will have a chance to enter the park early to view Strasburg's press conference live. Since Tuesday, I have seen at least a dozen or so Strasburg jersey t-shirts around D.C., not just at the game I attended Tuesday night but also on the streets and the metro. Its been pretty common to see folks walking around D.C. with Ovechkin and Green on their backs, but its been a long time since we've seen hysteria over a player like this.
Despite conflicting reports yesterday that the Nationals were set to hire Diamondbacks VP Jerry DiPoto yesterday to be their permanent GM, the Nationals website last night announced that Mike Rizzo will have the interim tag taken off his title, giving the team some stability in determining their off-field strategies this off season. I continue to think a big reason that such a move didn't happen earlier is that Rizzo could have (and probably would have) been the fall guy if the Strasburg signing didn't work out. After all, the Lerners have repeatedly given Stan Kasten their backing, and probably could have used the failure to sign Strasburg as a tool to bring a fresh face in to guide the team in 2010 (likely either DiPoto or assistant red sox GM Jed Hoyer, who was also rumored to be a candidate for the job).
Rizzo certainly deserves a chance to continue his career in D.C. After picking up the pieces following the departure of much-maligned former GM Jim Bowden, Rizzo did an admirable job in making a few key personnel moves this season. The trade with the Pirates, where shunned outfielder Lastings Milledge and rocky reliever Joel Hanrahan were dealt for speedster Nyjer Morgan and reliever Sean Burnett, has worked out pretty well so far for the Nats. In Morgan, the Nats have a guy who can get on base and run, and who has pretty decent range in the OF. Rizzo's other deals, which involved trading 1B Nick Johnson to the Marlins, and infielder Anderson Hernandez to the Mets, were not as significant, yet should help to put the Nats in decent position to re-evaluate things going into the off season.
So what should Rizzo's key priorities be now that he is the permanent GM? Well, there is a lot of work to be done. First, the team needs a permanent manager, whether that is Riggleman, who has done an excellent job with what he has to work with, or a potential outside hire (Willie Randolph? Bobby Valentine?). Secondly, a strategy for what to do with the constantly shuffling pitching staff needs to be accomplished. The addition of Strasburg is a plus, but the Nats will also suffer from the loss of Jordan Zimmermann, who is not likely to return until the 2011 season. Lastly, he needs to figure out whether the current outfield of Willingham, Dukes, and Morgan is going to work for the Nats next season. Oh yeah, and upgrading the infield a little bit would be helpful.
By BVincent - 8/20/2009 08:40:00 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: DCSG Blog, Nationals
Never Too Early for College Hoops
Although I generally try to avoid espn.com, Andy Katz and Jay Bilas put together an early ACC preview yesterday, a piece with a lot of interesting information. You can read the entire article here
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/notebook?page=notebook/shootaround/acc
For those who don't feel like reading, here is a brief summary of key points:
1.) Despite key losses, UNC is still king
2.)Jay Bilas is very high on Greivis Vasquez, who he terms "a complete player" who is very underrated.
3.) Its very early, but Bilas has the Terps finishing 3rd in the ACC behind UNC/Duke, citing the arrival of big men James Padgett and Jordan Williams as complements to the scoring capabilities of Vasquez and Sean Mosley.
4.) Although most teams' schedules are not out yet, there are a few pretty intriguing non-conference matchups coming to D.C. this year, including Duke/Georgetown (TBA), and Maryland/Villanova (December 6th in the BB&T classic). The latter could be a key matchup for the Terps prior to starting ACC play.
By BVincent - 8/19/2009 08:54:00 AM 2 comments: Links to this post
Labels: DCSG Blog, Terps Basketball
Kevin, T.J., and Big J talk about Strasburg, the Skins, Tiger, and Raven's fans. The guys also welcome back Sandman who breaks down WWE's upcoming SummerSlam.
Video is back this week... kind of. Some viewers were having problems with the live video feed so Kevin reset the stream during the first break. The reset accidentally deleted the first segment. This only affected recorded video, the audio only podcast is 100% A-OK. Thanks again for bearing with us as we try to tie all of these technologies into the show.
Podcast Times (Audio Only)
MLB/Nats: 00:01:30
WWE/SummerSlam: 00:58:30
Tiger/NHL/Strikeforce/Olympics: 01:31:00
Video from 2nd Segment on
Labels: DCSG Podcast, DCSG Show, DCSG Show Announcement, Nationals, PGA, Redskins, Strikeforce
Nats Avoid Embarrassment, Ink Strasburg Before Deadline
The Nationals signed their 2009 #1 draft pick (and #1 overall pick in the draft), pitcher Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State, to a 4-year deal last night just minutes before the midnight signing deadline (at 11:58 p.m. to be precise). Negotiations between Nationals brass and Strasburg's agent Scott Boras were expected to come down to the wire, with Boras pushing for a deal in the neighborhood of $50 million and the Nationals holding firm on a deal comparable to those given to other high first-round picks over the past several years and closer to the $10 - $15 million range.
In the end, the Nationals and Strasburg agreed on a 4-year deal worth just over $15 million. Strasburg's success had been well-documented and hyped by the media in advance of the draft, garnering national exposure after he helped lead the San Diego State Aztecs (coached by Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn) to a College World Series appearance. He went 13-1 last season, leading Division I pitchers in ERA (1.35) and strikeouts (195 in 109 innings), and won the Golden Spikes award for the top U.S. amateur baseball player.
More importantly, the Strasburg signing should help breathe life into the Nationals franchise, spurring momentum and excitement for the 2010 season. Its hard to tell whether Strasburg will make an appearance this season for the Nats (I would guess they'd hold off on bringing him up until the start of next season), but signing the most heralded pitching prospect in decades (and by the account of some, possibly ever) should help those Nats fans out there have confidence that the Lerners are intent on building a foundation for the future. If I'm the Nats, I start the Strasburg marketing right now. I bring him in for a huge media session, have Strasburg t-shirt nights, start jersey sales, etc. For a time that has been often maligned for its lack of PR-prowess, its time to get things right and start achieving a return on their investment in this guy.
While many of the talking heads placed skeptic odds on the Nationals ability to sign Strasburg due to the involvement of Boras in negotiations, its nice to see that the two sides came to their senses and realized that they really needed each other. For the Nats, this was a chance to sign a fresh type of young arm that will put fans in the seats (mark my words, I will be there when he makes his debut at Nats park, no matter what I have going on). For Strasburg, his options were limited. If he failed to agree to terms with Washington, he would be forced to play either in an Independent league, return to San Diego State, or go to Japan, only to return to the draft pool next year. And while the Nats have been playing around .500 ball since the All-Star break, they still have the worst record in baseball. Hopefully that turns around prior to the end of the season, but its too early to tell. In reality, Strasburg could find himself in the same situation a year from now, trying to settle an 11th hour deal with the same team he spurned a year before.
What also was reinforced by this signing was that Scott Boras is trying to ruin baseball. As I mentioned above, he was seeking a deal worth around $50 million for Strasburg, using guys like Dice-K and Jose Contreras as his comparables (the Nats, in contrast, were using Mark Prior and certain others as their benchmarks). Two observations are worth noting from this. First, Boras, in coming to the table, was effectively trying to establish a new metric by which draft picks could be evaluated. Secondly, he was making a statement about baseball economics that we often read about. The nature of the draft is one that gives the worst teams in baseball the best picks. These teams are typically the small to mid-market teams (Washington, Kansas City, Seattle, Pittsburgh), and are not willing to shell out money that could be reserved for an otherwise established free agent pickup to take a gamble on a high school or college kid that is billed as having the "best fastball", "5-tool skills" or other such buzzwords that may or may not turn out to be true. Additionally, imagine the resentment that would be felt in the Nationals minor league clubhouses had Strasburg signed for $50 million. I'm not contending that $15 million is chump change, or that Strasburg will be in the minors for very long, but think about a 25-man roster at the AA-level. You have a guy making $10 million dollars alongside other guys in a rotation that are getting paid $50,000 each? It just doesn't make sense. Give him a good bonus to bring him on board the organization, and then allow him to earn his stripes. I'd venture to say that $15 million is much more money than Steven Strasburg has ever seen in his life, and if he is as good as everyone claims he is, he'll have a chance to have an even more lucrative career in the long-run. embarrassment
Strasburg is a National
San Diego State phenom Stephen Strasburg has signed with the Washington Nationals. The Learner's were able to to ink the 6-foot-4, 220 pound pitcher who can throw over 100 mph to a record 4 year $15 million deal. This puts an end to the summer long saga of whether the Nationals would fail to sign their first round drat pick for 2 years in a row. Of course if you had been listening to "Juicy" Jeff on the D.C. Sports Guys Show this comes as no surprise. "Juicy" has declared for weeks that there was no way in world this deal was ever going to be made before 11:59pm Monday night.
Brian will be at the Nationals game tonight and will have a more detailed update on just what this means for the Nats and their Fans.
Former Capital Ken Klee calls it a career
According to Puck Daddy, Ken Klee who was drafted 177th overall by the Washington Capitals in 1990, "has told his family he's retiring." Drafted at the age of 19 Klee played 3 seasons in the CCHA for the Bowling Green Falcons then in the AHL for another 3 seasons for both the Baltimore Skipjacks and the Portland Pirates before being called up by the Capitals in the 1994-95 season. Klee was a hard hitting and strong stay at home defenseman who roughed up any opposing player trying to enter the Capitals zone. In his 9 seasons as a Capital, Klee's hard hitting helped Washington make playoffs 6 times including the 1997-98 run when the Caps were swept by Detroit in the Stanley Cup Finals. Klee did not put up a lot of points, but his ability to lock down opposing forwards kept him on the ice for 20 minutes a game. Sounds like the kind of player the Caps could use for the upcoming 2009-10 season.
More important than any of this however is that as a young puck head I got to meet Ken Klee at the Chesapeake Bagels that used to exist in Crofton, just down the road from Piney Orchard where the Capitals used to practice. I still have the bagel bag he signed for me that day:
Thanks for the memories Ken and here's to the Caps finding another defensemen that hits as well as you did.
Labels: Capitals, DCSG Blog
LIVE D.C. Sports Guys Tuesday 8/18 at 7:30pm
This LIVE D.C. Sports Guys will have a new feature, real time chat. By using any browser that supports flash, viewers and listeners will be able to have a one on one chat with the guys during the show. This is a two way form of communication that requires no sign-up or accounts to use. Simply go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com during the LIVE show and the chat box will be located below both the video and audio only feeds. Just enter your name and message and the chat will begin.
USA vs Mexico
I guess this forum will have to do for my rant on soccer since there is little to no chance of me getting to talk about it on the show. And really, there is not much to say about another weak performance from the US National Team in a big game. At least that was my thinking immediately after the game on Wednesday. But given some time to think it over, I've actually become even more enraged.
I wrote in my previous post how this country does yet get excited for soccer but only for big events. Well here was a big event. USA vs Mexico in Mexico City. A place where the US has never won...
If I may take a minute for an aside. Why wasn't this game on ESPN? I mean, it wasn't even on ESPN the Ocho. Why wasn't this game on something better than Telemundo (in Spanish) and Mun2 (in English)? Mun2, by the way, is a normally Spanish language station that is not part of the basic cable package and was only available for the day via a free preview. It gets better. Telemundo actually offered the English broadcast to ESPN last winter. ESPN refused! WHAT!? Are you fucking kidding me!? What could you possibly have to show at 4pm on Wednesday that would be better than this? The craptastic Sports Nation, starring that asshole Colin Cowherd and some average looking chick? Jim Rome is Burning? Unless he's going to have a reunion with Jim Everett, I don't wanna see it. Okay, I'm done.
...So here was soccer's chance to grab headlines in the US. And they blew it. They blew it because of US Coach Bob Bradley's shitty game plan and his irrational fascination with playing veterans who aren't half as good as the subs behind them. No one thinks forward Brian Ching is an international level player except for Bradley. 87 year old Steve Cherundolo at right fullback? Where was Jonathan Spector, who had just shown himself to be the best the US has had to offer in years at that position with his excellent showing at the Confederations Cup? And when will Bradely begin to understand that the MLS is shit!? Where was Jose Francisco Torres who plays professionally IN MEXICO? If anyone was built to handle the pressure of playing IN MEXICO it's him. And what about tactics? The strategy (what little there was) the US employed appeared to be sit back on D and absorb run after run from the Mexicans and when actually gaining possession to just boot the ball up the field like a freaking six year old. Where upon the Mexicans would regain possession and begin their attack again.
This loss is not world ending for the US. In soccer terms, a road loss in World Cup Qualifying means very little. The US will continue their qualifying run for South Africa. And they will qualify. It's just that now, no one will be watching.
By TomJon81 - 8/14/2009 10:52:00 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: DCSG Blog, Soccer
New chat box for the next LIVE D.C. Sports Guys
The next LIVE D.C. Sports Guys will have a new feature, real time chat. By using any browser that supports flash, viewers and listeners will now be able to have a one on one chat with the guys during a show. This is a two way form of communication that requires no sign-up or accounts to use. Simply go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com during any LIVE show and the chat box will be located below both the audio only and video feeds. Just enter your name and message and the chat will begin. If your browser doesn't support flash the traditional form will still be available for use. Here is a snapshot of what the new layout will look like:
Labels: DCSG Blog
Juicy's response to emails from Giants fans
Here is my take on the Giants for the benefit of Misters Giovingo and Newman, among our other Giant loving friends.
Clearly the Giants are the best team in the NFC East but I think they have taken a step back on offense. The biggest thing is losing Plax. Yes he is an asshole and a distraction but saying the team gets better without him is blind homer-ism. Without him they have nobody that can stretch the field and that was pretty obvious down the stretch last year that was a big dimension of their offense that was missing. Without Burress and Toomer they are left with very little in the way of proven talent at the WR spot. Hixon, Smith and Moss are decent complimentary guys but I think continuing to wait on those guys to develop into starter level recievers is a waste of time. Hakeem Nicks is the wild card. He's a talented rookie who they drafted to take over for Plax eventually, but counting on rookies for immediate impact is risky at best. For every Marques Colston or Calvin Johnson there are plenty of Charles Rogers' and Robert Meechams. On a key 3rd and 8 late in the game where does Eli go with the ball?
As for the running game I think it's a mistake to assume that Jacobs will be healthy and effective all year. This is a guy who has missed 8 games due to injury in the last 2 seasons. Derrick Ward did a good job filling in for him as the main RB option when he was out the past couple years, something that Bradshaw isn't big or physical enough to do, and behind him are 2 young, unproven guys in Danny Ware and Andre Brown. RB is a position where young guys can make more of an immediate impact, but I still say counting on rookies (Brown) and undrafted free agents with 2 career carries (Ware) isn't something I'd be entirely comfortable with. The running game should be fine, particularly behind the Giants really good O-line, but what do they do if (when?) Jacobs has to sit for a few games?
The defense will be as dominant as any in the league again this year. They get Osi back from injury but they didn't miss a beat without him last year. They also added Chris Canty (not the filthy ginger who works at Dock St.) to just add to their stable of pass rushers. They are solid in the seconary as well, aided greatly by the dominant pass rush. Not a whole lot of question marks on this side of the ball.
I think the Giants will win the NFC East this year with 11 or so wins but will struggle to score points at times which could make them vulnerable.
My biggest point about the other teams getting worst was that, from a Redskins perspective, one of our biggest weaknesses the past few years has been wide reciever and the passing game in general, and by just staying with what we already had we could possibly have the best passing game in the division.
Labels: DCSG Blog, NFL
Brian joins the D.C. Sports Guys Show for the first time to talk about the Nat's recent success. The guys also look forward to the Redskins vs. Ravens match-up on Thursday, discuss UFC 101, WEC 42, Patrick Kane and Tiger Woods.
No video for this show and we apologize up front for the last 5min. of the show being cut off. The hard drive which records the show had a bit of a miss-hap. We were able to save almost all the audio but the video is gone forever.
Podcast Times
Everyone Gangs up on Kevin: 01:04:40
UFC 101/WEC 42: 01:11:00
NHL/Ron Artest/Golf: 01:46:00
Promised Video of Colten Teubert:
Labels: DCSG Podcast, DCSG Show, MMA, Nationals, NHL, PGA, Redskins, UFC
LIVE D.C. Sports Guys tonight at 7:30
Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch The D.C. Sports Guys LIVE Tuesday, August 11th, at 7:30pm. Before the show send an email to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com with any questions, comments or topics you would like the guys to discuss. During the show use the on-line form next to the live feed to send messages instantly to the guys.
The Juicy One is back to join Kevin and Big J to talk Redskins and MMA. TJ also calls in since he could not be in the studio with the guys this week.
Podcast Times (for audio AND video)
MLB/Nats/O's: 00:01:30
MMA: 00:56:40
Caps/Golf: 01:31:00
Labels: Capitals, DCSG Podcast, DCSG Show, MMA, Nationals, Orioles, Redskins, UFC
Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch The D.C. Sports Guys LIVE Tuesday, August 4th, at 7:00pm. Before the show send an email to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com with any questions, comments or topics you would like the guys to discuss. During the show use the on-line form next to the live feed to send messages instantly to the guys.
By Unknown - 8/03/2009 06:02:00 PM
Nats Active at Trading Deadline
The 2009 MLB trading deadline has come and gone, with several contenders attempting to fill some crucial holes as the race to the playoffs intensifies. The Phillies picked up reigning AL Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee from the Indians, who joined the team only to throw a stellar complete game on Friday night. The Cardinals added a solid bat and some added protection for Albert Pujols in Matt Holiday, and the Red Sox added C/1B/DH Victor Martinezz to push their already potent offense to the next level.
The Nationals stayed active at the trading deadline, swapping veteran first baseman Nick Johnson to the Marlins for AA pitcher Aaron Thompson, a former first round pick of the Marlins. Thompson, who had posted a 5-9 record this season with Jacksonville, the Marlins AA-affiliate, posted a 4.11 ERA in 20 starts. Additionally, and for what its worth, Baseball America voted his changeup the best in the Marlins system.
I was surprised the Nats didn't push for higher level talent in the swap for Johnson, one of the longest tenured Expos/Nationals. Johnson was having a solid year at the plate for the Nationals this season, having overcome significant injuries which cut into his playing time over the past few years. Johnson, who will become a free agent in the ofseason, is seeking a 2-year deal in the neighborhood of $16 - $18 million. Whether he gets this is something that remains to be seen. I see Johnson moving to a small to mid-market AL team (maybe the A's, Royals, or Mariners) in the offseason, where he can split time as a first baseman and DH. If he stays healthy, Johnson can be a solid contributor for a number of clubs, with his solid defense and patient plate approach.
The departure of Johnson means that Adam Dunn will become more or less the everyday first baseman. It also meant the call-up of Elijah Dukes to regain one of the corner outfield spots, possibly platooning with Willie Harris.
In addition to the Johnson trade the Nats swapped reliever Joe Beimel, who had played a number of roles this season, including 8th inning setup man, occasional closer, and stop-gap, to the Rockies for two minor league pitchers and cash. Probably a smart move for a guy who the Nats signed to a one-year deal just before the start of the season.
Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, we now wait to see what happens with the next big question in Nationals personnel moves, whether the Nationals can sign super-pitching prospect and number 1 overall prospect Stephen Strasburg.
By BVincent - 8/02/2009 05:45:00 PM No comments: Links to this post
Ten Quarterbacks that are better than Eli Manning....
Nats Avoid Embarrassment, Ink Strasburg Before Dea...