Hello, Nats fans and greetings from sunny Viera, Fla., where pitchers and catchers have been working out for five days now and position players reported today. Well, one of them hasn't exactly made it here yet. Elijah Dukes, the oft-discussed, troubled outfielder acquired from Tampa Bay this winter, was supposed to be arriving today and holding a 3 p.m. news conference. But within the last hour, we were told that the situation had become "fluid" and that it may not be happening today or at all.
I'll keep you posted as we move along with this chat, and I may have to bolt early if we suddenly get word he is coming after all. In the meantime, I'm sure you've got plenty of questions about the Nats, so let's get started. To submit a question, either click on the above link or email me directly at natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com.
And away we go...
From Art in Centreville:
Mark: Good story on Zimmerman today. He hit around .265 last year but had decent power numbers. Entering his third full season with the Nationals, what kind of offensive numbers should we expect to see from him? Also, how concerning would it be if he had a bad defensive spring training?
Mark Zuckerman:
Thanks, Art. I think it's safe to say Zimmerman's offensive numbers (.266, 24 HR, 91 RBI) will go up this season, for a couple of reasons. 1) He's maturing as a player and a hitter, and after getting off to a rough start last year, he improved along the way. 2) He's got more talent around him in the lineup, which will help his RBI numbers go up. 3) He (like the rest of the team) is making the move from cavernous RFK to smaller Nationals Park. That's going to turn a lot of long flyouts into home runs. My prediction for Zim in 2008: .290-30-110.
From Mike in Naples:
What do you think will be the biggest surprise in the Nats camp this spring?
Mark Zuckerman:
I think at this point, the biggest surprise would be Elijah Dukes making it through six weeks without being involved in any controversy. ... But to answer your actual question, I think the biggest surprise could be one of the young starting pitchers showing he's ready to actually be in the Opening Day rotation. Collin Balester, Garrett Mock and Ross Detwiler are all being given a look this spring, though they aren't considered among the 7-8 guys in actual competition for rotation spots. But I wouldn't be stunned if one of those three impressed team officials so much that they force themselves into the conversation.
From John:
Has Ross Detwiler's new delivery increased his velocity or improved his pitches at all?
Mark Zuckerman:
The new "delivery" you're referring to is really more of a tweaking done by pitching coach Randy St. Claire. Detwiler came to the Nats last summer from Missouri State with a motion in which he threw across his body too much. That puts strain on the arm and leads to worse command of the strike zone. Detwiler is still throwing across his body a bit, but not nearly as much anymore. You won't really see increased velocity or anything, but you should see less strain on his arm and possibly better location.
From Brian in Alexandria:
Is there such a thing as SUI -- "segway"ing under the influence?
Mark Zuckerman:
Wow, I'm not going to touch that one, other than say if anyone doesn't understand what Brian's talking about, please check out one of my blog entries from yesterday in which I described the scene of the GM of the Nats riding around camp on a Segway.
From GrandSlam1975:
How much more comfortable -- or different -- does Manny Acta seem this spring now that he has a year of managing under his belt?
Mark Zuckerman:
Manny's always been a confident person since he took this job a year ago, and he's always walked around with a presence about him. He showed that from day one of spring training last year. So I wouldn't say he's more comfortable in year two, because he already was comfortable to begin with. But the one observation I would offer is that it seems to me he's been a little more focused on watching the pitchers throw and the main position players hit so far this camp. Last year, he was constantly running from one field to the next, actively participating in drills. He's still hitting fungoes to guys, and he's still throwing some BP, but I think he may be leaving more of the instruction to his coaches while focusing more on the big picture this spring.
From Mike Cricchio:
Mark, you and Loverro are doing a bang-up job down there in Vierra, thanks for the info. I know Bowden and Co have been planting the flag regarding the young arms in camp, but as you and Thom are watching can you tell if these guys are the real deal? It's amazing how in just twelve months the Nats have gone from trying to find retreads with no tread to having studs with miles of potential. I hope I didn't answer my own question.
Mark Zuckerman:
You maybe sort of answered your own question, but I'll try to expand on it. The Nats definitely are in a better situation this year with the prospects they've got in camp. Think about the pitchers who were in competition for jobs last spring: Jerome Williams, Jason Simontacchi, Chris Michalak, Colby Lewis. This year, the names are Odalis Perez, John Lannan, Collin Balester, Ross Detwiler, Garrett Mock. Big difference. Except for Perez, who was just signed yesterday, the other guys are all top prospects from within the organization. They may not be ready for prime time quite yet, but they'll be there soon.
From B. Prophet in Reston:
In one of today's stories, it was noted how many Nationals players are having trouble with their visas and are late for spring training. Why is this always a problem -- shouldn't these players know months in advance when they're supposed to be back in the United States?
Mark Zuckerman:
Short answer: Yes, this stuff should have been resolved a long time ago. Longer answer: It's a very complicated process, made more so since 9/11, which has made it tougher for foreigners to enter the U.S. for work purposes. The good news is that most of the Nats seem to have gotten their situations worked out. Luis Ayala is due to arrive today. Jesus Flores is supposed to make it in this weekend, and others will be coming in over the rest of the week. The only ones who remain a real problem are the remaining Dominicans who are stuck down there (namely Jesus Colome). No matter what, the players and the team need to do a better job next winter of securing all these visas months in advance so they don't have a repeat performance.
From John in Washington:
Aren't the Nationals making the whole Dukes thing more of a story by being so cryptic about the reason for the press conference and then moving it around?
Mark Zuckerman:
You're preaching to the choir on this one, my friend. Personally, I don't understand why the team didn't just plan this out in advance and let everyone know when it would take place. I understand it would have made for a major event that they would have preferred to avoid, but then they could have gotten it all out of the way in one shot. Now, they risk this thing dragging on for a while ...
And I interrupt my answer to offer this breaking news: Elijah Dukes has just walked through the lobby at Space Coast Stadium and is on his way to the clubhouse. I've got to run, but check the blog later this afternoon for updates.
