Davey Johnson: Not happy with "anything less" than a division title
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Sun, 8 Jul 2012|
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CSN Washington dot com. I wanna take all the back to spring training when you sat with me and you told me if this team doesn't make the playoffs. They can fire me and here you are at the all star break. In first place. And have a nationals. Well -- dry we're expecting this being his if I didn't mugging it up blown away. You know the guys that are really playing good they're playing at their potential and it then that's religious come about you lately and he's we've been kind of struggling in the first couple months. And of course we had six years. Turns to players. But. -- large you know -- -- just now rounding into shape. How much good -- -- like you believing that this team believes in it and then performs to that level. Well. In I know the character on this ballclub. I've been around for lesser years and they expect to be good and they expect to play good in. Figured if I didn't expect to play good I think that was an idiot if I'm Mike Davis I knew they had the capability of being very good ball club and that's one of the reasons I wanna come back going to. I want to see him you know grow into the job and realize how good they were. One thing you've always had is the best pitching staff and based on the best rotation is that really the key to winning a championship. Well -- You know in my prison did a great job picking up those two pitchers and then we had some good young pitchers that while there straws and Kevin Zimmerman. You know you need that need to get left hander. To go dead because we're in the division with -- some of the best clubs have a predominant left and hit ball clubs. But. Pitching everything starts at pitching. Put -- -- makes a lot easier when score runs and there's no such thing as she can't be one -- ballclub. You know you've got it you got outscored the opposition and I don't care if it's to the war in three to two and we did that a lot early in the season. -- and I think we averaged just a little over three runs is probably two months in the year. Now -- we've raised our average probably fifteen points team average. Now they're just spreads his little bigger. And that makes me smarter. Barbieri is now not just make -- -- but to winning the division. I mean I'm not going to be happy with the best. Sure that we thinking less. You know we showed. So the fans -- aware of what kind of ballclub we were good ballclub. It was no secret National League anyway nationally day everybody I mean I've talked opposing managers. And they even broaching the that I read it or those 1924 uniforms. Sydney Johnson when he got another push -- come over his. I sit here lately I do. CSN Washington dot com.
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Beltway Baseball: Why Strasburg will be just fineCSN Washington dot com. Are welcomed the beltway baseball here on CSN Washington dot com on chase Hughes and mark Zuckerman. And mark we've been through a month and a few weeks or overly down here. And the nationals as a team having kinda inconsistent but one thing that is really travelling fans and people around league starting to notice is it consistency of Stephen Strasburg. The numbers aren't that far off from what we've seen but it anyone who's watched him over the last few years and tell maybe there's something something a little bit off he's having trouble finding the strike zone. What do you make of the situation and do you think it is that they concern yeah I mean the thing is like you said the numbers don't look. It that far off feeds the pitching. for big league pitcher but he set such a high bar for so we've come to expect so much. Patted him it just doesn't quite look like what you expected the biggest thing is fastball command. You know he's not. Throwing strikes getting ahead in the count. The way it did it was so amazing about him as a rookie when he came back originally from the Tommy John surgery was the fact that. He could be a power pitcher while still having excellent coming that deadly combination. Just not quite there yet. Curve balls still excellent still excellent. I think you're seeing signs of improvement I think he's getting there but he still working on to think that it's mechanical mostly. And they they seem to determine and it's not physical it's mormons and you can see it on the on the field he's the body language that. He's impatient he gets frustrates easily and this just a matter of him being such a perfectionist. He's not used to not being great. He's used to being great not just good right exactly and I think that's that next step and take if he's really gonna become an ace of the World Series contender. It's about hey it doesn't matter what happens behind him Doesn't matter what run support I the umpire and I'm gonna go out I'm gonna beat no matter We're seeing there and do that right now I think it's time for Strasburg if he really wants to become an elite. Top. The line pitcher. That's what he needs you now quickly another guy who's had trouble as you can also I think might be a little bit more of a concern is his command has been quite there. I think it's curve ball isn't quite as sharp as it was last year this is something that might he might work out the kinks out. But he has been pride stuff yeah I mean an more erratic certainly had some fantastic start and that's really troubling ones I think his last start Pittsburgh may have been a turning point for them. Got a huge jam in the first inning lead off home runs very first pitch then he loads the bases. Nobody out. Battle back and get out six straight after that I can almost see a little something clicked inside and minutes that. Maybe this you Ozzie admitted afterwards and younger version him would have melted there. Let it spiral out control. That might be assigned an comes back next time that made it a big turning point mark let's talk about the catching situation we're moving through May and so far Davey has. Rotated kind of alternated and depending on the edge depending on the he said that at some he's gonna have to make a decision we saw over the weekend go back to back with Ramos. At some point. Maybe you and you think we're gonna see him go with the primary catcher I think so maybe not a true number one in the and a guy you know catching you know once or twice a week and I think he does. Number one wanna play the hot hand whoever it is. I think he hopes its problems he understands that everyone understands. That Wilson Ramos has higher ceilings and Kurt Suzuki put the whole package together offensively defensively he can do more so I think you're gonna start to see that. It Suzuki gets hot they'll play obviously. I think the preference be for to ultimately take over. I went into the numbers last week how the pitching staff has done with Suzuki and For some reason everybody but you done way better with over the past few seasons in their career ERA is. Are better with him in their career marks I don't I don't know I can't tell you why that is but that's the case yeah and I the pictures all insist they'll have both guys I don't know if there even where it. Yzerman tops they had success with Suzuki and it's amazing stats that would certainly something overtime that you have to look him. Now as we're getting close to the middle of may what we take stock with the division first the Braves came out really hot out of the gate. It was it was really at the point were you thinking all right who's gonna slow him down or what's gonna slow them down they didn't seem to have a weakness whatsoever. The nationals. Meanwhile your 500. But as they're starting to get things going they're not that far behind it could be much worse at this point oh absolutely mean if the nationals. Figure that April was their worst month but that's as bad against them they're going to be all right because they hover around 500. And the rays came back to earth and what's it was gonna happen next maybe not. To this extent you're surprised by that we're gonna play 900 ball. All right I think it was twelve and when you start here to me what's interesting is all of a sudden they're closer Craig Kimbrel. Most dominant closer in baseball last year and the first month this year he's blown three saves in days yeah giving up home runs. That's. Staggered problem right there I mean who knows just a blip. Or something long term about but also without Johnny Panthers won their top. Setup men and PG beaches and come back and just came back Heyward been out for a while there. BJ Upton knocked off to a good start the play and they got a lot of weapons are they're going to be good. Long term but they may not be quite easily as we and BJ Upton has been really bad and having having gas was really early on but. he's not looking like the next Mike Capps at this point about one thing I think it's interesting as the two best guys I think in their offense have to look at the numbers today. They've been Justin Upton and Chris Johnson who of course were with the team much yeah exactly they talk on all the offseason moves it made it mentioned Johnson as much damage in the Upton Brothers that night do you think getting Freddie Freeman back to deal with me that isn't fantastic all around first baseman. The Braves are going to be fine long term this can make good race really do believe that. CSN Washington dot com.
