When Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo traded Nyjer Morgan to Milwaukee at the tail end of spring training, Washington was left without a prototypical leadoff hitter. Then-skipper Jim Riggleman handed the Opening Day job to shortstop Ian Desmond. But Desmond’s leadoff experiment didn’t go smoothly, and soon others — Danny Espinosa, Rick Ankiel and Jayson Werth — were given auditions in that slot. Of that trio, Ankiel performed the best, hitting .273 in the leadoff spot with an on-base percentage of .313. Espinosa managed .173/.236, while Werth hit .163/.281. None of them looked like the long-term answer.
Desmond’s early-season struggles were chalked up to expectant fatherhood. After his son arrived, his defense improved markedly, and he was more productive at the plate, though he’d still swing at some horrible pitches on occasion.
Despite his struggles both offensively and defensively at times, there was never a moment when you could find a Nats executive who thought Desmond was a bust. Even off the record, no one would say they thought he’d overachieved as a rookie, when he hit .269 with 10 home runs and 65 RBI. Just about everyone used the old baseball expression “sophomore jinx” when talking about Desmond.
New manager Davey Johnson, who had been quite supportive of the spring training decision to bat Desmond in the top spot, decided to give it another try.
Johnson asked Desmond to be more patient at the plate and not try to take everything to right field. Perhaps his five-hit game against the Mets on Thursday was the culmination of that discussion. He has raised his average to the .250 level and is nearing his hit total from last year. He leads the team in steals, and his RBI total is understandable given the offensive funk the entire ballclub has been in most of the year. He’s strong defensively, and everyone seems to agree he has genuine leadership capabilities.
Steve Lombardozzi’s arrival this month has had a lot of fans handicapping the Nats’ middle infield for 2012. Lombardozzi has batted leadoff routinely during his minor league career and was a legitimate .300 hitter on that level. He’s a second baseman who has also played shortstop. Espinosa has been a second baseman on the big league level but was primarily a shortstop in the minors. Desmond has been a shortstop from the get-go, but some scouts believe he could also play the outfield.
Is there room for all three on the 2012 Opening Day 25-man roster? Will Johnson give Lombardozzi a look-see in the leadoff spot, or has Desmond solidified his hold on the role? I don’t know. What I do know, though, is Desmond is going to be with the Nationals for a long time.
Examiner columnist Phil Wood is a baseball historian and contributor to MASN’s Nats Xtra. Contact him at [email protected].
