The Nats Thread

[radley17]

What makes a cycle "natural"? In order from single to HR?

It doesn't bounce, it jiggles.

[chaz]

Don't whine too much. Could be worse. Like being an O's fan.

this is the nats thread, take your rational thoughts elsewhere.

is anyone being irrational?  sure didn't seem like it, at least not in the last page or so

[vansmack]

What makes a cycle "natural"? In order from single to HR?

Yes. Single, double, triple, HR in that order.  I don't find it very "natural" (nor did I make up the term), but that's the popular name for it. 

[hutch]

the natural cycle concept is retarded...who cares what order they do it in? its not as if they were intentionally doing it that way..

now if someone said before the game "i'm going to hit a natural cycle" ....and did it..

[stevewizzle]

Don't whine too much. Could be worse. Like being an O's fan.

this is the nats thread, take your rational thoughts elsewhere.

is anyone being irrational?  sure didn't seem like it, at least not in the last page or so

referring to james ford track record of being an irrational baseball fan. 

[Julian, Bespoke SEXPERT]

the natural cycle concept is retarded...who cares what order they do it in? its not as if they were intentionally doing it that way..

now if someone said before the game "i'm going to hit a natural cycle" ....and did it..

Yeah, I give no special credit to a natural cycle vs hitting for the cycle out of order. To be honest, I always thought hitting for the cycle is more of a statistical anomaly than an actual accomplishment.

[DeathFromAbove1979]

Didn't go to the game. Glad I didn't.

I hear you man.  26 people in the history of baseball have done what was witnessed last night - why even bother if it's so damn frequent!

13 Natural Cycles
15 unassisted triple plays
23 Perfect Games
26 Hit 500 Homeruns
282 no-hitters
304 hit for the cycle 

But F-that if my team doesn't win (which by the way, happened 86 times last year).

Pretty much.

[vansmack]

the natural cycle concept is retarded...who cares what order they do it in? its not as if they were intentionally doing it that way..

I agree, but it's a very rare feat always discussed among the most rare accomplishments, like 2 Grand Slams in one game (13).

now if someone said before the game "i'm going to hit a natural cycle" ....and did it..

Pujols told teammates hours before Tuesday night?s 7-2 victory over the Washington Nationals that this was going to be the night.

?He said he was going to hit two homers and drive in five runs,? Erick Aybar said.

(in the interview after the game, Pujols admitted that he also said he was going to go 4-4, with 2 HRs and 5 RBI, and apologized for only going 2-4, but was happy to get the win nonetheless)

[Julian, Bespoke SEXPERT]

I think there's less enthusiasm for the 500 homerun Mark since the number of people who've done it has nearly doubled in our lifetime. There's what: 12 people to get in since 2000, outta 26 all time? Not saying it's not an accomplishment but like a lot of HR marks, steroids has made it lose some luster. I couldn't tell you the last guy to reach 500 before Pujols without looking it up. It feels like one of those things that's a much bigger deal if it's one of "your guys."

[vansmack]

I think there's less enthusiasm for the 500 homerun Mark since the number of people who've done it has nearly doubled in our lifetime.

I don't disagree with this, but I'm sure it was more exciting than whatever was happening on a Tuesday night at the bar Deathfromabove was hanging out in.

 

It feels like one of those things that's a much bigger deal if it's one of "your guys."

Obviously, I'm not a casual baseball fan.  I watch more than just my team (I actually had the Braves-Marlins game on in my office this morning and am listening to Tex-Oak right now), and have a text chain of baseball fans where we let the others know when something unusual is happening (no-hitters through 6, chances at cycle, etc.).  I go out of my way to see milestones (I saw Palmiero's 300th and 400th, the 3000th hits of Palmiero and Brett, and Reggie's 500th).  I get pretty fired up fir this stuff whether it's my guy or not.

I've seen a number of one hitters in person, and agree with Hutch, that no-hitters are pretty damn exciting.  The most frustrating one for me was where Mark Kotsay lead of the game with a double, and John Lackey retired the next 27 guys.  Really?  One batter from a perfect game, and you don't even get to enjoy the excitement?  Orlando Cabrera snapped a 63 game reaching base safely streak that night too - at the time like the 5th or 6th longest in history or something.

[stevewizzle]

i'll never forget witnessing my first (and only) no hitter.

was sitting in fenway on a very cold may evening. my sister, who isn't the biggest baseball fan and was incredibly stoned at that moment, turns to me in the bottom of the 8th inning when it's dead quiet and everyone is on pins and needles and yells "oh wow, the other team has NO hits right now!". 

i'm not of the suspicious type, but in a moment like that... it was just the worst thing you could ever hear.

[vansmack]

Of course, when the Angels bullpen has to come in the game, all bets are off.

So I'll take the Angels in the first 7 innings of 2 out of 3 this week.

They'll win tonight.

See. 

[hutch]

Of course, when the Angels bullpen has to come in the game, all bets are off.

So I'll take the Angels in the first 7 innings of 2 out of 3 this week.

They'll win tonight.

See. 

I was thinking of you .. I only turned on the game when it was 4-2 and looking rather drab..then Span got on... Rendon got that great walk and the rest is history..I loved Werth's swing on 3-0... I would not have swung but I'm not a professional ballplayer....

[gaaaaaaaaah]

that was a cool inning. hopefully they get some momentum out of it. there were a bunch of similar wins that should have been a big time catalyst last year but it never happened. a really solid week of baseball (win a few games, but more importantly commit very few errors) right now would go a long way towards easing the tensions of late

love the fact that werth is now the one guy you want in there with the game on the line. hope bryce takes notes every time jayson puts on an at bat like last nights

[chaz]

Nats can't muster the support of much more than 30% of people around here.  I know it's a new team relatively speaking but this is still pretty shocking to me.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/24/upshot/facebook-baseball-map.html#5,40.034,-80.567

Its just done by fb likes from that zipcode, wonder how accurate this really even is.

Either way, pretty awesome map.

Here's the full article with more nerdy stuff

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/23/upshot/24-upshot-baseball.html