Category Archives: Sports Fix

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats Trade Two Before Deadline

Photo courtesy of
‘sprawling down’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

The Nats today traded one of their oldest players and one of their newest, right before the trade deadline at 4pm today. Nick Johnson, one of two players remaining from Opening Day in 2005, is off to Florida in a straight up deal for left-hander Aaron Thompson, currently with the Marlins’ AA affiliate, and Joe Beimel is off to Colorado in exchange for a pair of unnamed minor-leaguers. With Johnson gone, the only remaining “original National” is Cristian Guzman, pictured above. Willingham will likely take over 1st base for a bit.

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Trade Deadline Today

Photo courtesy of
‘who wants it?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

The Nationals face their fifth trade deadline today at 4pm, and the latest on the trade wires is that The Nats will stand pat. Of course, there are still serious offers for Nick Johnson (a minor league pitcher from the Marlins) and Joe Beimel (prospects from the Tigers system) and Josh Willingham (the Giants are still interested, but aren’t publicizing talks), but it’s expected that the Nats are going to keep the deck chairs on this Titanic in their current configuration.

Instead, the Nats will likely spend the next two weeks trying to convince Scott Boras and Stephen Strasburg that DC is a decent place to live and play ball. However, it’s hard to think that a team with an interim GM and an interim manager is going to make much of an impression on anyone.

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Folks, I Fear The Worst Has Happened.

Photo courtesy of
‘Lannan still strong in the 9th’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

I just want to get this out there: I believe that someone has kidnapped our beloved Nationals and replaced them with a group of animatronic lookalikes from the future. That is the only way of explaining the tear that the Nationals are on without resorting to miracles, incredible feats of fortune and favor, and outright violation of the laws of physics. The Nats have won 6 of their last 8, including their last four. They’ve won or tied their last three series, against the Padres, Brewers and Mets. Hell, Josh Willingham had two grand slams the other night, the 13th time that’s happened in the history of baseball.

While broadcasters Rob Dibble and Bob Carpenter are chalking it up to a mysterious baseball card from the 1970s that they were recently mailed, I believe the only possible explanation is robots from the future. Tonight the Nats send Garrett Mock to the mound, I’m just hoping that he hasn’t been replaced with an automaton with a wicked 12-6 curve and a cutter that makes Baby Jesus cry. I just hope that wherever the original Nationals are, they’re being well cared for.

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: A Mystical Week

This went in for sure

Halfway through the fourth quarter in the Mystics game against the Indiana Fever last night, the jumbotron rallied the fans, asking them all to put four fingers in the air. Somewhere in my long sports education, I clearly had missed a chapter, as I was a bit confused. I was soon informed that this was an old football tradition, to put four fingers in the air to say “we own the fourth quarter.” (Duh.) It was a nice thought, but unfortunately it was Indiana who dominated, holding onto their ample fourth quarter lead to defeat the Mystics 82-70.

“I think our team had some really good spurts where we played really well, and we adjusted throughout the game,” said Mystics Head Coach Julie Plank after the game.  “I give our team credit for how we competed. This is a veteran team, they’re an Eastern Conference finals team and I thought we competed with them, and I look forward to playing them next week at their place.” Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Almost Dog Days Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘DC United vs Rapids’
courtesy of ‘veni markovski’

D.C. United
Record: 6-3-9
Last Two Weeks: 2-0-0
Place: 2nd in the East

Just two games for United these past two weeks, an MLS win against the Colorado Rapids and an Open Cup win against the Harrisburg City Islanders. Sure, Brian Namoff put one in his own net against the Rapids, but overall, it’s looking better and better for United. They’re headed to the Open Cup quarterfinals this Tuesday night against the Rochester Rhino at the SoccerPlex, then it’s out west against the Quakes in San Jose, then a CONCACAF Champions League game against the C.D L.A. Firpo. Three leagues, four games, two weeks. Here’s hoping that Namoff can keep up his scoring streak, and not just on his own goal…

Kastles
Record: 5-6
Last Two Weeks: 5-4
Place: 2nd in the East by a half match

There are just three matches left in the swift 2009 World TeamTennis league: one on the road versus the undefeated Springfield Lasers, and a pair at home against the Lasers and the New York Buzz. On the line? A playoff spot and a winning record for the season. While the Kastles are in 2nd place in the East, it’s a precarious position just a half match ahead of the Boston Lobsters, and a game and a half in front of the Freedoms and Buzz. It’s going to take some “Refuse to Lose,” to make sure they make it to the Playoffs.

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Sports Fix
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McEnroe Brings Controversy and Defeat


photography by Max Cook

In the press conference prior to last night’s World TeamTennis match between the Washington Kastles and the New York Sportimes, John McEnroe was calm, cool, and collected.  Some might say he even seemed bored.  The fifty year old retired tennis legend, once ranked number one in the world and known for his fiery temper, sat emotionless as he answered questions he’s no doubt heard countless times before.  When asked whether he now considers himself an entertainer or an athlete he said, “A little bit of both.  I think people come here expecting me to get angry and yell at someone.”  You think?  The Kastles banked on it and played a video compilation of vintage McEnroe outbursts (“You have GOT to be kidding me!”) on the big screen no less than ten times throughout the evening.  Would McEnroe remain emotionless or would the crowd see the explosion they were hoping for?  With the Sportimes leading the Kastles by two games in the Eastern Conference, there was a lot riding on the line for the night’s match. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix Special: Nats Fire Acta

Photo courtesy of
‘RIF_9997’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’

Late last night, on the heels of yet another disappointing loss, the Nationals fired Manager Manny Acta. The firing, while not remotely unexpected, comes just a few weeks after the Nationals had publicly recommitted to Acta. Acta leaves the Nationals after two and a half seasons with a record of 157-251, a winning percentage of just .385. Many of these losses can be laid at the feet of bad pitching, worse defense, and a bullpen with a tendency toward complete and total collapse. Acta’s calm demeanor and seeming unflappability in the face of a failing ballclub, though, made it is easy to see him off. His inability to motivate his players, though, is what sealed the deal.

The Nationals have largely been rudderless this year, struggling even to put together back-to-back wins this season. Replacing Acta will be Jim Riggleman, the Nats’ bench coach. Riggleman spent a season and a half with the San Diego Padres in the early 1990s, and five seasons with the Chicago Cubs in the mid 90s before taking a nearly ten-year break from the top position. In nearly 1200 games as manager of an MLB club, he’s amassed over 500 wins, putting him at a .445 winning percentage. Will Riggleman be able to command the respect and admiration of his players? Or will he be another softy like Acta? Be sure to read between the lines on the Nationals’ announcement.

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Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Morrison Coming to Capitals

Photo courtesy of
‘Brendan Morrison’ courtesy of ‘RobertCiavarro’

Injury-bedeviled Brendan Morrison – once considered the NHL’s “iron man” – signed a one-year contract with the Caps on Friday, worth around $1.5 million.

Rumor has it he’ll be centering the second line, helping fill the space Fedorov left when the Russian headed off to the KHL.

Morrison’s played with three teams over the last year and a half and has been plagued with injuries since 2007. After knocking out 8 solid seasons with the Dallas Stars Vancouver Canucks – racking in 542 consecutive games from 2000-07 – he’s suffered from four heavy surgeries: wrist, hip, hernia and torn ACL. He spent less than half of the 07-08 season with the Canucks, then moved to the Anaheim Ducks and then on to the Dallas Stars last season, finishing with 16 goals and 15 assists in 81 games.

The Caps believe Morrison’s back to full health, as does the 34 year-old center, and the team continues to piece together another worthy contender for the upcoming season.

Sports Fix, The Features
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Discs Over DC: The Washington Area Flying Disc Club

huddle 2

It’s a warm and sunny weeknight in DC, and as the tourists are abandoning Potomac Park and the FDR memorial in favor of dinner, area residents young and old are streaming in. It’s sports night — or so you might think, judging from the number of uniformed people and shouts ringing out across the Polo Fields. Organized soccer, pick-up soccer, team softball and — the most sizable group — ultimate frisbee. Discs are being tossed as team members pull on cleats and stretch, chatting animatedly. Its clear that many of them have been waiting for this all through the workday, and who could blame them? They’re here to run around in the sun, sweat out a bit of the stress and enjoy their game. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Kastles Home Opener Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Picture 033’
courtesy of ‘wearedc’

Kastles
Record: 0-2
Last Two Weeks: 0-2
Place: Last in the East

Here we are, at the start of our second WTT season! The Kastles will face off with Philadelphia tomorrow night in the new tennis stadium at the corner of 11th & H Streets. Short-benched by the Wimbledon tennis final (a quick aside on tennis, holy crap! Between Venus vs. Serena on Saturday and the brink-of-insanity matchup on Sunday, could tennis be any more exciting right now?!) the Kastles have lost two incredibly close matches to Sacramento and Newport Beach. Tomorrow night, they’ll face off with the Philadelphia Freedoms, lead by Venus Williams.

Unfortunately, we won’t have a rematch with Serena (are you looking at her titles?) in the home opener, but Wimbledon champ Serena will be playing in several matches at the Kastles Stadium this July, so keep an eye out.

Also making news for the Kastles are Leander Paes, who was part of the winning team at the French Open in Men’s Doubles, and Rennae Stubbs, who was part of the 2nd place team in Women’s Doubles at Wimbledon this weekend. If you haven’t, check out Max’s interview with Kastles manager Murphy Jensen.

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News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats Make a Move: Milledge, Hanrahan Traded

Photo courtesy of
‘who wants it?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

The Kastles aren’t the only ones making moves today, the Nationals traded outfielder Lastings Milledge and relief pitcher Joel “Gas Can” Hanrahan to Pittsburgh for outfielder Nyjer Morgan and reliever Sean Burnett.

Morgan’s got a pretty fair glove and middling power, while Burnett will be another arm for the bullpen, and hopefully an upgrade from less-than-predictable Hanrahan. It’ll probably be Wednesday before we see either Burnett or Morgan in a Nats jersey.

Sports Fix, The Features
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Capital Drafting: 2009 Draft Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_0844 Russia-USA, Whatever it Takes’ courtesy of ‘Ezio Armando’

Thought hockey was over? Think again. For many, the NHL Draft is one of the three most important days in the NHL’s season, next to the trading deadline in Feb/Mar and the July 1st Unrestricted Free Agent date. It’s on this day that the future of franchises can be seen and debated, based on what prospects are selected – and sometimes, what deals can be wheedled from competitors.

The Capitals were pretty silent on the trade front, something altogether expected. The core of the team is pretty solid and there was little speculation that GM George McPhee would deal away anyone to move up in the draft. There was practically no chance the Caps could get their skates on anyone in the Top Ten so unless an offer got dropped on their desk, nothing major was going to happen. The only trade really of note involved the Caps and Coyotes, a deal for a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft for defenseman Sami Lepisto, who only played seven games this season.

Defense is the one area the team looks to shore up. While Karl Alzner is sitting in Hershey ready to move up, the team needs to decide its future with restricted free agents Shaone Morrisonn, Jeff Schultz and Milan Jurcina. With Fedorov and Kozlov departing for Russia, some room on the cap is open and gives the team some breathing room, so expect McPhee to make a play for a more high-profile defenseman at the July 1 UFA deadline. Regardless, the Caps did draft with a more defensive mindset this year, possibly with an eye on the more high-powered multi-pronged offenses being built up in the Eastern Conference, such as Boston, New Jersey, Carolina and Pittsburgh.

The Caps had picks 24, 55, 85, 115, 145, 175 and 205 across the seven-round draft. Overall a solid collection of talent, though most of these players won’t be seen wearing a Caps jersey in the next year or so.

So let’s look over the Caps new and upcoming talent, shall we?

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Downtown, Fun & Games, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Slam Dunk Contest

Photo courtesy of
‘Slam dunk’
courtesy of ‘cruffo’

DC basketball is like a wave rising and falling.  Teams like the  ’07 Hoyas raise our hopes, while the Wizards make a yearly attempt at breaking our spirits. On Saturday, Sprite and the NBA will give locals a chance to show what DC is really about.  The Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown, an amateur dunk competition, will be held on that day at 4pm at an outdoor court between 9th and 10th streets on Pennsylvania Ave NW.  Admission is $10 and attendees will be able to vote on their favorite dunks via text messaging. Thanks to Wendy for giving us the heads up!

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Red Sox Donate World Series Items to Smithsonian

Presenting the Artifacts

Red Sox President Larry Lucchino was joined by Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield at the National Museum of American History this morning, where the Red Sox donated artifacts to the Museum. They donated a Base from the 2004 World Series, and a Game-worn Jon Lester Jersey from the 2007 World Series. The artifacts will be on display on the 3rd floor of NMAH through this weekend, and will be part of a permanent exhibition to be named later.

So, Red Sox fans, join the 2.5M people who’ve visited the NMAH since it reopened eight months ago, it’ll be worth it. Or, just watch Larry Lucchino donate the items, or hear the NMAH sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Top of the Heap Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Jaime Moreno, DC United’
courtesy of ‘geraintwn’

D.C. United
Record: 5-3-8
Last Two Weeks: 1-1-1
Place: 1st in the East

D.C. United played three games since we’ve talked last. Three very different games from what seem to have been three wholly different team. The first, a victory over the Chicago Fire, was a triumph of defense and striking offense. It also put them on top of the Eastern Conference, thanks to Josh Wicks’ goaltending. The second, a tie with the Seattle Sounders was thanks to late-game heroics, and a big mistake. The third, a 3-0 shutout at the hand of the Colorado Rapids left a lot to be desired.

So, who are D.C. United at this point? The team that knocked off the Fire and claimed first place? Or the team that nearly lost to the Sounders and did lose to the Rapids, who are both middle of the pack teams from the West? There’s a lot of distance between the two teams, and United will have to figure out which one they are before they go forward. Injuries have hurt United, with Fred and Jaime Moreno out each for a few games,

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People, Sports Fix, The District, The Features
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Sports on the Hill: Youth Sports As They Should Be

Photo courtesy of
‘get coach! 2’
courtesy of ‘popofatticus’

Last week, Sports on the Hill, nee’ Soccer on the Hill, held the first-ever volunteers and coaches recognition dinner in its 25-year history. As a newbie coach of a U-13 co-ed soccer team with the league, I sat quietly at the dinner and listened as the history of the league and those who make it was spun out before me. Before listening to their stories, told one after another as if to emphasize and aggrandize each previous, my perspective of the organization was pretty microscopic and limited to soccer. I met my thirteen players and their parents twice weekly — once for practice, once for a game. They would run around and kick the soccer ball, I would yell in encouragement and instruction, then we would all go home. But the people who make Sports on the Hill a great place for DC kids to learn and love sports, do what I do times one hundred, and have been doing it since I was in diapers.

One of the first things I did when I first moved to DC was search for a sports league where I could coach soccer. Coaching, in a relaxed sense of the word, was something I had been doing pretty much since I was old enough to make 5-year-old peewees take me somewhat seriously. Without question I needed to connect to the community somehow, and I needed to be around organized sports — a need fostered by almost 20 years of incessant practices, games and other sport-related activities. At first though, I struggled to find an organization that would both accept me–as a flawed and comparatively inexperienced coach–and be acceptable–an environment that was more learning and fun, less competition and scholarship-seeking. Basically I was looking for a re-incarnation of Eastwood Youth Soccer, in Syracuse New York, the somewhat underfunded, haphazard but dedicated league that had given me my start. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: DC Freedom

freedom2

After the match, clumps of jersey-clad youth players, posters and balls in hand, thronged the fence at RFK stadium, waiting anxiously to catch a glimpse of and maybe even talk to the pro athletes. As the players sidled over, looking fresh-faced despite having just completed a 90-minute contest on a balmy DC afternoon, squeals went up throughout the group. This unbridled excitement was caused by women’s professional soccer players, and the sight was heart-warming. Dozens of girls in full kits bounced around, calling out the names of Washington Freedom team members. “I got Abby! I got Abby!” a bespeckled teeny bopper yelled to her friend, referring to star striker Abby Wambach; “I got Cat!” she called back, and the two collapsed into giggles. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Nationals Disgrace Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘V is for Z’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Nationals
Record: 15-40
Last Two Weeks: 2-10
Place: Last in MLB.

Where do you start with a team that’s 12 games out of fourth place? Let’s start with what’s (finally) working. Since firing pitching coach Randy St. Claire, the Nats bullpen is no longer the fountain of pure suck that it was for the first 50 games of the season. The bullpen’s a lot more aggressive under the emotional and spiritual leadership of the Nats’ own Angry Old Man Ron Villone. Over his traditional breakfast of nails and the internal organs of his enemies, Villone grunted, and then stared at his 0.00 ERA. The message was clear.

Villone, 39, is one of the bright spots that the Nats have right now. His command, a product of his intense stare, and ripping fastball, will be fantastic for the Nats if they can somehow find some way to reverse the aging process with some voodoo curse. Meanwhile, the draft is tomorrow starting at 6pm, with the Nats picking 1st, 10th and 50th. The draft boards at Nats Park are a closely-guarded secret, but they’d have to be huffing more paint fumes than your average city official not to take Steven Strasburg with the first pick. With any luck, someone has also incapacitated the Lerner family heads and taken their checkbooks, because that’s a guy who’s going to cost you $50 million. Yeah, for someone who’s never pitched outside of college. He’s just that awesome. (We hope.)

So, there’s a future on the horizon for the worst team in baseball, much like there was a future for the 2007 66-96 Tampa Bay Devil Rays who went to the playoffs in 2008. So, don’t be reaching for the hari kiri sword, Nats fans, just reach for the bottle. This is a season to be endured, with the knowledge that there’s a future on the horizon.

Read on for coverage of D.C. United & the Mystics

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