AllStarMe

Agreed. While MASN airs all the games of both teams, evenly split between MASN and MASN 2, except for the few games picked up by national networks. Yes Angelos owns the O's and MASN, but still all the Nats games are broadcast, and done so with a level of production quality similiar to other regional sports networks. The problem is: no one watches. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/07/ST2008070702853.html This article from last July shows the disparity - The Nats ranked 30th in TV ratings, and averaged less than 1/3 the audience of the 29th ranked Royals (9,000 to 28,000). Simply wretched. Somehow MASN sees fit to air 8 "different" supplemental programs about the Ravens, but not one show about the Nats. Their sports talk radio simulcasts feature just Baltimore personalities and the spend about 15 minutes talking O's for every 1 minute talking Nats. If they want to actually build a fanbase, they need actual coverage beyond the game, and pre and post shows. Let people get to know the players. There is no established history with the Nats; no legacies like Cal, Eddie, Brooks, or Palmer to fall back on and try to to distract fans that the current team sucks out loud. So their job is that much harder than the O's. All the other reasons about Washington seem valid enough. It's a divided city. Lots of poor people who can't afford and/or don't care enough to get on the bandwagon, and lots of wealthy, often part-time residents who probably have other allegiances and aren't going to start rooting for a loser like the Nats. Having spent last season sitting through 4 or 5 Nats games a week (not by choice but at work, mind you) I must say that team is VERY hard to watch, and I don't see their situation changing anytime soon.

And then waits 3-4 minutes to push the next buttons explaining the action while I hang on the edge of my seat. I'd think they would have all the possible outcomes of any given situation programmed into macros so it wouldn't take so long. Or maybe I'm just super-impatient when the Cubs are scoring and I can't watch it on tv.

http://www.theonion.com/content/infograph/carlos_zambrano maybe this belongs in social, mods please move if deemed necessary.

Good read. Further confirmation of the sig I've been sporting since ST. What Geo's accomplished has totally been appreciated by Cubs fans, but it's good to see him getting his due propers from other national sources. Aside from his offensive numbers, Geo's ability to connect with the pitchers is superb. I really like the effect Hank's had on Geo and wouldn't mind if the Cubs exercised his 09 option. He's a competent backup and I think will make a good coach someday if he decides to go that route. Anyone else feel like the Michael Barrett era was freakin ages ago?

I thought there'd be a little more contempt for wife-beatin Brett Myers or drunk-driving Rafael Furcal. And I'll list Hunter Pence as a write-in. Something about that guy I just cannot freaking stand.

And he ain't got nothing on Mr. Dukes. I'm assuming Garrett is no relation to Christian Guzman.

ATL

Man you're not kidding. By default I watch a Nats game just about every night I'm at work, and that team has had the most dismal season imaginable. They've got some very talented young players in Dukes, Milledge, and Zimmerman but they still seem a long way from contending. Every single one their regular players have been hurt for significant time, and the production on the field can be actually physically uncomfortable to watch. What a way to christen a new ballpark this year. Interestingly, the Nats are drawing about THREE TIMES as many fans in person than watching at home: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/07/nats_last_in_the_league_last_i.html. Every other team in baseball draws more on TV than in the stands. It's kind of a weird torture for a fan of the sport, "Your job will involve watching Major League Baseball for roughly 2/3 of your workday..... but it's the Nationals and Orioles."

That idea makes me feel dirty, but damn if I don't see the sense in it: Cubs lose, and you can go on a nice vacation to help soothe the soul and forget about baseball for the rest of the year or Cubs win, and you - like so many - can die a happy man.

Lousy Cannuck Juicebag... Looking over Gagne's #s, his CY year in 03 is just [expletive]. 100 more K's than H(137-37), ERA+ of 335, 2 HR in 306 batters faced, just wow. How the mighty have fallen. Kinda off topic, but I really resent Gagne for overshadowing John Smoltz when they were hands down the most dominant closers in the NL for that 3 year stretch. Gagne did it with PEDs while I really have to assume Smoltz has always been clean, everything I've ever heard about him points towards class act all the way. I think Marmol will be an awesome closer when/if they decide to put him in that role. With such filthy stuff he's got a way of making batters look stupid and lacking in motors skills. Fun to watch, as is his getting fired up like a mini-Z. and jk about the Cannuck part. I heart Canadia and many of her bands.

For real, dude's got ink that rivals Hamilton's.

Aramis is about on the exact same pace that Chipper Jones was at his age so far as the sexy stats are concerned. The problem with comparing him with Chipper is that Chipper has always had high exposure being both on TBS near everyday and always being in the playoffs. Ramirez would go along way to help his cause if he were to win a gold glove (HOF voters like hearing "gold glover Aramis Ramirez, although Chipper doesn't have a gold glove either) and help the Cubs achieve something special. If he continues to remain productive until his late 30's like Chipper is doing, then I could definitely see it. Agreed on most everything, and I think another factor that HoF voters will weigh is that Chipper is a switch hitter, and will probably surpass Eddie Murray's 504 career HR for 2nd all time as such. Mantle at 536 is a long shot, but not out of the question. I think Chipper's lifetime .310 BA and .870 OPS in 92 postseason games will also greatly help his cause, as you pointed out. Being part of some great postseason runs for the Cubs would help Aramis quite a bit. But imo Rammy needs at least 6 more seasons averaging .300/30/100 to really solidify his spot in Cooperstown. And while TBS sure gave the 1990's Braves a lot of exposure, I'd say WGN is about as comparable as any team has now in terms of national coverage, though I'm not sure about the YES network's market.

Thanks a lot for making me fall out of my seat laughing.

I graduated with a Journalism and Film double major, in the Telecommunications concentration, not print. Although I wrote concert and film reviews for my college paper. My classwork involved equal amounts journalistic writing and producing video news packages. Now I work as a master control operator for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. So on the one hand, my job involves watching a lot of baseball. On the other hand, it's all Orioles and Nationals...

I think Dero's gotta hit that, he needs a good slumpbuster

WTH, this girl is supposed to be a professional singer. That was godawful.

I have a neon pink cubs hat from a giveaway day, signed by Billy Williams, Chuck Crim, Dave Otto, Heathcliff Slocumb, and some other guy that's faded too much and not worth remembering.

It took 17 innings, but the Cubs won despite this starting lineup vs the Brewers five years ago yesterday on 5/15/03. Goodwin CF A Gonz SS O'Leary RF Alou LF Karros 1B L Harris 3B R Martinez 2B Miller C That's a pretty sorry starting 1-8. Cubs batters including pinch hitters had 14 K to only 3 BB, and a dismal 12 for 62 at the plate. The final runs were surrendered by former Cubs OF prospect-turned-pitcher, Brooks Kieschnick on a homer to Corey Patterson, his last of 5 ABs after PHing for Wood. Great duel between Kerry and Sheets.

Interesting note on Cedeno: For the month of April, Ronnie finished with 16 RBI, good for a 6-way tie for 30th place in the NL. However, of those top 30 RBI men in the NL, Ronnie was fewest in ABs at 45. The next fewest? Jeff Kent with 86 ABs and 16 RBI. I know RBI are certainly not the best metric for judging hitters, they're reflective of the surrounding lineup, etc. But Ronnie has been coming up big with guys on. Actually he's only got a .313 avg with RISP, I thought it'd be higher.

Lest we not forget Michael Barrett's "intra-scrotal hematoma".

Z is freakin dealing today, 5 IP 0 H 0 R.

I heard Kosuke had a koi pond negotiated into his contract.

Is that a mohawk or a mullet? A mink, I think.

I wouldn't hate to see the cards finish 5th