Hall-of-Fame manager Earl Weaver was fond of saying championships were won with pitching, defense and three-run homers.
There’s no doubt Frank Robinson knows Weaver’s mantra all too well. But one out of three is not going to cut it. Pitching woes aside, the Nationals have a real tough time holding on to the baseball.
Defensively, this season has been a disaster. The Nats are dead last in the National League in fielding percentage and have committed the most errors. Yet, when you take a look at their everyday players, most don’t immediately conjure up thoughts of defensive ineptitude.
Nick Johnson came into this season known as one of the game’s better fielding first basemen, yet he’s committed 14 errors already, and is ranked last among everyday first basemen. He’s having a banner year with the bat, but the glove is another story. At second base, Jose Vidro is statistically a top-five fielder for his position, but it’s safe to say his range isn’t what is used to be.
When the Nats made their big trade with the Reds, shortstop Felipe Lopez was a key acquisition. His production on offense was supposed to make us overlook his defensive shortcomings. Let’s just say there’s lots — and lots — of room for improvement, as he currently ranks last at his position defensively.
Ryan Zimmerman’s rookie year at third base has been well above average. He currently ranks among the NL’s top five defensive third basemen and will only get better. As I mentioned last week, he’s got the tools to move over to shortstop — if necessary — somewhere down the road.
The Nationals’ outfielders have committed 26 errors and Alfonso Soriano has 11, tied with Cincinnati’s Adam Dunn for the NL lead. Soriano changed positions this year and clearly had trepidations about it so his tentativeness in April was excusable. His output offensively more than compensates for any defensive shortcomings. His 19 assists also lead the league and baserunners now think twice before taking the extra base.
The Nationals have no regular centerfielder, so it’s difficult to give a definitive opinion. However, Nook Logan clearly has the speed and diving ability to prevent a lot if hits. Unfortunately, he can’t steal first base and most scouts doubt he’ll hit enough to be a regular. In right, Austin Kearns ranks in the top 10 of those who’ve played at least 100 games in the outfield this year. He’s solid.
Behind the plate, Brian Schneider ranks as one of the league’s better receivers. He’s only thrown out 21 would-be base stealers, but the opposition seems to run on him less than they did a year ago. On the downside, the club’s backup catchers have been barely adequate defensively and that’s putting it mildly.
It’s not unusual for hitting slumps to be contagious for entire teams. I suppose the same can be said for fielding slumps.
We can only hope that’s what we’re seeing this year.
Phil Wood has covered sports in theWashington-Baltimore market for more than 30 years.
