Nationals Inquisition

Chucky mouse, originally uploaded by Family Four.

Actually, it was Nationals GM Jim Bowden who held the chat today at 11am, but it sounded like a bunch of kids interviewing Chucky Cheese. “Mr. Mouse, what is your favorite ice cream flavor?”

Absolutely no hard hitting questions were answered involving Lenny Harris, Wily Mo Pena, or anything that would require more thought than reading off a dummy card. I know, the NQ asked a bunch, and right now on the message boards Nats fans are fuming at how cookie cutter the 40 minute “interview” was.

I mean, cripes, the weasel even tried to sell President Box Seats! In the chat! Here is a rough transcript of the chat. You be the judge:

baseballmod:
11:11 am: Topic: Nationals baseball

metsrule8:
11:11 am: Do You Regret Tradeing Ryan Church?

nats_guest:
11:13 am: No. We think Lastings Milledge will continue to develop into an outstanding player. When we made the trade, we said publicly that the Mets would have the benefit in the short-term but we would have the long-term benefit.

nats_guest:
11:14 am: I think the best way to judge this trade is in five years when Milledge is 28, Church is 34 and Schneider will be 36.

mdcityfan:
11:15 am: Jim, you don’t have the luxury of having a $90 – $100 million payroll. Do you and the scouts feel more pressure in finding talent with the resources you have?

nats_guest:
11:15 am: It is obviously more challenging and more rewarding.

the_lucas:
11:16 am: How close are you to signing Aaron Crow?

nats_guest:
11:18 am: Negotiations have been dissapointing to-date. We were hoping that he would sign quickly, as did Ryan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler and Chris Marrero. In my opinion, Aaron is missing out by not signing because he is one of the rare drafts, like Ryan Zimmerman, that can reach the Major Leagues quickly.

wilnieves:
11:19 am: Do you expect Zimmerman to return after the All-Star break? What about Nick Johnson? Do you think they will be able to turn the team around when they come back?

nats_guest:
11:21 am: Ryan Zimmerman is making progress and is expected to start swinging the bat again on July 1. We will make a decision at the All-Star break if his shoulder is healthy enough to play or if he has an operation. Nick Johnson was operated on this morning at the Mayo Clinic. He is expected to be out for the season.

wilnieves:
11:21 am: My current record as a game attending fan is 5-1 (including Dukes’ walk-off home-run, Zimmerman’s opening night miracle, and the 14-inning marathon last week). Can you give me a spot in the dugout?

nats_guest:
11:23 am: We’d love you to attend more games… especially with that win-loss record. Although we cannot give you a seat in the dugout, you can purchase Presidents Club seats and observe our players up-close from your perch above the indoor private batting cages. Call 202.675.NATS for tickets.

wilnieves:
11:24 am: What about Dukes’ attitude? Is he fitting in well with the clubhouse? Is Dimtri providing a good role model for him?

nats_guest:
11:25 am: Elijah has been well-received by his teammates and is fitting in well. Dmitri Young, Austin Kearns, Willie Harris and Lastings Milledge have been good influences on him.

itsmeMark:
11:25 am: Jim, what grade would you give yourself for the team that you’ve put together? The Kearns/Lopez deal with the Reds looked good at the time, now those two are struggling…

nats_guest:
11:26 am: I would give an A to the Farm System and scouting and a D to the Major League club and it’s been difficult for all of to show the patience of waiting for our A-work to get to the Major Leagues to improve that grade.

natsfan4evr:
11:27 am: What is the future for Luke Montz? Jesus Flores looks to have the catcher spot under control for quite some time. Are there plans to have him play another position?

nats_guest:
11:28 am: Jesus Flores is presently our future catcher. Luke Montz will be given an opportunity next year to compete for the backup job. We have been impressed with his development both offensively and defensively.

nats_guest:
11:29 am: We have time for three more questions.

nbnym86:
11:30 am: what are your thoughts on instant replay?

nats_guest:
11:31 am: I have been a longtime supporter of instant replay, as long as it does not effect the time of game. I think that the first part of instant replay implementation will be on home runs fair or foul.

three_d:
11:31 am: How hard is it to work in the long term when you know most fans want to win now?

nats_guest:
11:36 am: It is a difficult balancing act between building the franchise the right way by player development and scouting versus looking for quick fixes for instant gratification. We appreciate the fans that understand the organization’s plan that we’re carrying out.

nats_guest:
11:36 am: Last one…

rohlinmt:
11:37 am: Jim, are you worried about losing young talent like Ryan Zimmerman and John Lannan because they don’t have the same quality of supporting cast they could get elsewhere?

nats_guest:
11:39 am: Both Ryan and John are an important part of our future. They both understand our direction and are supportive. They are excited about our drafts the last few years and recognize the talent, like themselves, that are on there way to support them.

nats_guest:
11:40 am: I want to thank everyone for their questions and comments and more importantly your patience and undestanding. I hope to see you at Nationals Park sometime soon.