It might sound a little funny to say, but I think a significant factor in the 2008 season is going to be the opening of the Nationals new stadium – which for the time being has been dubbed Nationals Park.
I think Washington will hang around in the NL East. I can’t say I think they’ll win it, but with the Mets and Phils both suffering devastating eliminations following great 2007 campaigns, and the Nationals signing a couple unsung, controversial high-ceiling guys in Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge who will be under the tutiledge of Dimitri Young, I could see the team making an emotional run at the division title.
And the stadium will be part of it. The buzzword at the new park is “intimacy.” The park only holds 41,000 and has large open air sections in the outfield, which, when you think about it lends itself to better sight-lines. Pac Bell Park in San Francisco is like this. Safeco and McAffe are not. In both those parks there are large enclosed sections in the outfield that make one feel like they’re watching the game from a cave.
Everything about the stadium seems smaller than RFK - particularly the power alleys, which are 377 and 370 feet, respectively, from home plate.
Sounds like the players will be happier as well:
The home clubhouse, featuring dark-cherry wood, appears to be four to five times larger than the locker room at RFK. Instead of a square or rectangle, the new clubhouse is oval-shaped.
There are two reasons. One is that the designers figured a clubhouse without corners meant that players wouldn’t be able to hide and might congregate more. Another is to evoke the symbolism of the Oval Office, the most famous room in the White House.
That last part sounds a little wonky to be honest. Is that to say Austin Kearns will slug higher than .400 because he feels presidential? Whatever works. Nationals Park also has views of the U.S. Capitol building from certain seats in the outfield.
The first regular-season game will be against the Atlanta Braves on March 30.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Jonathan // Feb 6, 2008 at 9:00 am
ya, I think they would have a more significant chance of division contending if the stadium was built a litte furthur West such that the team played in the NL Central. I think it’ll go Mets, Braves, Phills, Nats. But, like the Rays fourth place could be looked upon as a glass half full. Man, I’d hate to be an east coast fan of a team that spends less than $90 mil on payroll.
2 Shinsano // Feb 6, 2008 at 10:00 am
I tend to agree with your finishing order, but I think it could be a four team race into August. I was so high on Philly going into last season… but this year I’m thinking the opposite. Their pitching staff 1-11 has the potential to be truly horrific. I wonder if the Nats could slip ahead of them.
3 John Brooks // Feb 6, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Unless the Nationals suddenly out hit the Phillies loaded lineup who score enough runs to make up for the bad pitching I don’t see the Nationals overtaking Philly.
Also with the trade for Lidge, Myers will move back to the rotation. Moyer should be average enough to keep the Phils in the game, Kendrick should mature, and Hamels should be fine.
4 Shinsano // Feb 6, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Well, I look at it this way…the Phillies pitching hinges on Myers and Lidge.
Those are two guys I do not want my pitching to hinge on. Myers was terrible as a starter last year before he moved into the bullpen. As a closer he was hit and miss. I think to say he’ll pop right into a No. 2 role and be good is ify.
And Lidge reverting back to the pitcher he was two years ago? Possible, but at this point is it likely? I wouldn’t put any money on that. After Lidge the bullpen is horrific.
It’s early and so I’m more in the mood to make wild predictions, but as good as the Phils offense is…I think it could happen. I could see them being in the same position they were last June or so…which was, this team is underachieving, Manuel should be fired.
5 John Brooks // Feb 6, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Well, I look at it this way…the Phillies pitching hinges on Myers and Lidge
There’s no arguement with me on that part, a lot of what Philly will do will hinge on what those two do.
As for Myers, I will say I would wait till this season to make a judgement on Myers, since he was moved out of the rotation to the closer which at the time I thought was a mistake, to take who was your most dominant pitcher in 2005 and 2006 and then move him to closer. Then he was plagued with injuries all throughout the year.
As for Lidge, yes you never know what pitcher you will get, though at the low price the Phils got him at you take the gamble, hopefully he returns to the level he was with Houston before 2006 or even if he stays on 2007 level, it will make the Phillies pitchers even better. Since you can move Myers back to the rotation to help solidify what was a weak rotation last year.
After Lidge the bullpen is horrific.
You won’t get any arguement with me there. The Phils bullpen is atrocious, but even as is I don’t see the Nationals or Marlins making any ground on the Phillies offense which should be able to keep them in contention.
As for Washington, I guess I want them to prove that a lot of the good performances werent a fluke(i.e. Dmitri Young). And, Bowden’s future will depend a lot on what Milledge and Dukes do as will Washington’s offense. I agree, these deals were great, but I’m not ready to say Washington will jump ahead of the Phils until they prove it to me. Moving on to more about the Nationals:
Zimmerman has to rebound to his 2006 levels. Nick Johnson has to stay healthy all year. Felipe Lopez has to rebound, the Nationals can’t hand the shortstop position over to Cristian Guzman, I much rather see them hand Jesus Flores the catcher’s job than a over the hill LoDuca or Johnny Estrada, Wily Mo Pena has to unleash the potential they been talking about since the Yankees signed him way back in the day.
Their starting rotation has to mature. I like a lot of their young arms such as Hill, Chico, and Lannan. Speaking of John Patterson has to stay healthy. I guess from watching a lot of Nationals games daily, I’ll believe they will get ahead of the Phillies when I see it happen.
Finally, I believe that the Nationals are probably still a year or two from competing in the NL East when this current group matures more. Also to make clear, I do like the direction they are going, more so than my favorite team north of DC.
6 ken // Feb 7, 2008 at 5:28 am
After Lidge the bullpen is horrific.
It’s not good, but I wouldn’t go that far. Romero isn’t likely to do as well as his lightning-in-a-bottle half-season he gave the Phils, but they’re also more likely to get more from Gordon, who pitched only 40 innings last year. Madson will be a key - when healthy, he’s been pretty solid as a reliever (3.22 career ERA when he doesn’t start). A lot of ifs, but with some luck the ‘pen could be around average. If that happens, and the offense and starting pitching performs to expectations, they should be in the WC hunt. I don’t see anyone catching the Mets this year.
Nick Johnson has to stay healthy all year.
With Dmitri signed and the OF stacked, I’m curious to see where will Johnson play.
7 Shinsano // Feb 7, 2008 at 6:16 am
With Dmitri signed and the OF stacked, I’m curious to see where will Johnson play.
Me too. Johnson is an OBP machine, but they can’t sit Young after last year. Moving either to the outfield will be hard defensively.
One problem in thinking the Nats will finish ahead of the Phils this year is it would not only necessitate a repeat of Young’s 2007, but the complete rehabilitations/redemptions of Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge.
Those are certainly as big of “ifs” as Myers and Lidge are.
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