Baker, who battled health problems during the season and missed about two weeks of time, led the Cincinnati Reds to the NL Central Division crown despite losing star player Joey Votto for 51 games. Although Votto returned to play again late in the season he was not quite at full strength and that may have cost the Reds in the playoffs. (more…)

(Image Credit: Brad Mills-US PRESSWIRE)

Washington did not have a contract in place for their manager beyond this past season, as Davey Johnson’s original deal was only scheduled to compensate him for an advisory role within the organization for the 2013 season. Yet, despite that, it was widely expected that the presumptive NL Manager of the Year would return to the bench for at least one more season after leading the team to their first division title this past season before a disappointing exit in the NLDS. Late Friday that likelihood became official, as the team formally announced that they had reached an agreement with Johnson on a deal for one more season. Financial details have not been made public but it is believed that the new contract will pay Johnson more than any manager in the organization’s short history by a considerable margin. Johnson plans to retire from managing at the end of the 2013 campaign, at which point in time he’ll return to his advisory role.

Johnson, who’ll turn 70 this January, led the Nationals to a MLB-leading 98 wins this past season, securing the organization’s first winning season and first playoff appearance. He managed through countless injuries to the team’s core players early on and overcame having one of their top right-handed pitchers being shut down before season’s end in doing so. Despite the successes, however, the team still has some unfinished business to attend to this coming season, according to Johnson:

We made a lot of progress from 2011 to 2012 and I was real pleased with the guys. I think we can grow further. And I think a lot of inexperience caught up to us a little bit. There’s still room for this club to grow. We’ve still got some young guys that have higher ceilings. We made better steps. A lot of guys came through for being awfully young. And now we have more experience and what adjustments to make to be more successful.

With their managerial situation now resolved, Washington has just one hole to fill on their coaching staff – as former third base coach Bo Porter has since been named the manager for the Houston Astros. Some have speculated that first base coach Trent Jewett could slide over to the position, allowing the team to seek a new coach to replace him on the right side of the diamond. Jewett, Triple-A Syracuse manager Tony Beasley, and Double-A Harrisburg manager Matt LeCroy are all considered possibilities to take over for Johnson after the 2013 season. Bench coach Randy Knorr, a former MLB catcher, is widely considered the favorite, however, at least from an internal standpoint.

This is like announcing “We’re not going to try anymore.” Several years ago the Chicago White Sox were viciously criticized for the so-called “white flag” trade when the team was within shouting distance of a division title, yet opted to dispense with key players at the trade deadline. Up until now the Nationals were the feel-good team story of the baseball season. Now they are the feel-bad story for as long as they last in the playoffs. (more…)

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The umpire crew confiscated Joel Peralta's glove and tossed him from last night's game when they discovered pine tar on the glove. (Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE)

habits.  According to both TampaBay.com and Matt Snyder of CBS Sports, Davey Johnson, manager of the Nationals, asked the umpiring crew to check on Peralta’s glove when he came into the game in the 8th inning last night.  Peralta was promptly ejected, his glove confiscated, and will likely face a suspension.

When crew chief Tim Tschida went out and checked on Peralta’s glove, it was immediately obvious that there was a a substance on the glove.  That substance was pine tar, and a significant amount of it was found according to most reports.

Snyder points out:

From Rule 8 of the MLB official rulebook, a pitcher “shall not … apply a foreign substance of any kind to the ball.” The penalty is immediate ejection and an “automatic” 10-game suspension.

Peralta has been with the Rays since last season.  So far this year, he has appeared in 34 games and pitched 28 1/3 innings.  He has a 3.81 ERA and an 11.1 K/9 ratio.  He is often used as the club’s set-up man.  In his career, the 36-uear old Peralta is 8-17 with a 3.98 ERA.

After the game, Johnson said, “If somebody has been known to use a foreign substance on their glove or their hat, a nice hot night is the time to use it. And so I asked them to check, obviously he had it.”

Considering Peralta played for the Nationals, it is entirely possible that a Nats player could have told Johnson about Peralta’s potential for using pine tar or “foreign substances” while pitching.

According to Peralta, the glove in question is the one he uses for batting practice everyday.  It’s a stretch and Peralta may have a better defense in simply pointing out he didn’t throw a pitch in the 8th inning.  If we’re taking the rules as they’re laid out, Peralta didn’t even have the opportunity to violate the Rule 8.  Obviously, the argument is that if he had pine tar on his glove last night, he has probably been doctoring the ball in the past or intended to doctor the ball against the Nationals.

Through it all, Peralta made sure to point out the most important thing for the Rays and their fans when talking about being caught:

Good for them. They still lose the game.

For more Rays coverage and pine tar doctoring tips (maybe), check out Rays Colored Glasses.  

April 17, 2012; Washington, D.C., USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Brad Lidge (54) pitches in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Nationals Park. The Nationals defeated the Astros 1 - 0. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

A common theme in Lidge’s career has been injuries, and he hasn’t enjoyed a good year since his incredible, “perfect” 2008 campaign that led to a World Series title for the playoff hero. A year later, he costed his team nearly a win and struggled with his command throughout.

Never a stranger to the DL list, Brad Lidge has been placed on the 15-day DL with an abdominal strain. Although we don’t know how severe the injury is, it will likely cost him some time.

Although the Nationals have lost an option in the bullpen, Lidge struggled in his seven innings this year and should have never been used in high leverage situations. Rodriguez is undoubtedly the better reliever, and Johnson was using Brad Lidge too much and incorrectly at that. Rodriguez will get more ninth inning looks, but the injury cuts into the Nationals bullpen depth. True closer Drew Storen is still injured, so this injury means that another key RP is down.

Although he is better off as a set-up man on this team and hurt the Nats by closing, losing Lidge damages this team’s bullpen depth. The Nationals will be hoping for a speedy recovery, but abdominal strains are tricky.

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