111 days, 111 questions. In no order whatsoever. (Minus Winterfest and the GM meetings, it’s about 111 days to Pitchers and Catchers report).
- Where does Michael Taylor play (yeah, I know, CF, but ours or someone else’s)?
- What can we expect from Joe Ross next year, if anything?
- Assuming Wieters exercises his option, should Rizzo acquire another catcher? If so, who?
- When does Victor Robles get called up for good?
- When will the voters realize that MVP doesn’t stand for Most Visible Player? (Looking at you, Tony Two-Bags, even if you don’t want me to).
- Whither Werth: Bench player? DH? Coach? Special assistant? Organic farmer?
- We have Gio for 2018. Which Gio will show up: 2016 or 2017?
- Dusty. Discuss, recuss, or just plain cuss.
- Will the area around Navy Yard be ready (no construction fencing) by the All-Star Game?
- How will a full year of Adam Eaton change the team?
- Will the “loses contact with the bag only visible in slo-mo Hi-Def” rule be changed? Should the replay on that only use regular speed video (as in “what if a human ump had all the angles”?)
- Bryce. Contract, trade, free agent?
- Ryan Zimmerman. What’s a reasonable expectation for 2018? 2017 again? Half way between 2017 and 2016?
- Pitch clock: good idea? Bad idea? What should be the penalty?
- Pace of play: limit mound visits by catcher?
- Pace of play: limit pitching changes within inning? Must pitch to two batters except in case of injury?
- Adam Lind: can we, and should we, retain him?
- Who’s is in the pitching pipeline in the minors?
- Since Joe Ross can’t be expected to give us a full year, if anything, who should be our fifth starter? Cole? Someone we trade for?
- Will The Bullpen finally turn off its music during the National Anthem for the All-Star Game?
- Speculate on 2018 Nats All-Stars.
- Who has the better chance of winning the 2018 Cy Young award: Stras or Max?
- Will Edwin Jackson sign with yet another team?
- What colors will Giancarlo Stanton be wearing on Opening Day 2018?
- Can we give the umpires a copy of the Rules of Baseball pre-loaded onto a Kindle that they can access during the game (you know, in case they forget how a rule is worded)?
- Anyone on this blog know enough electronics (or know someone who does) to do a schematic of a working robo-ump? I’m thinking someone from Industrial Light & Magic who does motion capture would be the right sort of person to tackle that.
- If you were a player, what would be your walk-up or run-in music?
- Is there actually a DC Sports curse, is it lead in the water (or something like that), or just an unfortunate, annoying, coincidence that the media drags out every year?
- Tanner Roark: expectations for 2018?
- Electronic communication device between pitcher & catcher to eliminate mound visits?
- Replace Lopes? If so, with whom?
- Replace Henley? Is so, with whom?
- Most unexpected play, regular season.
- Most unexpected play, postseason. (I nominate the Wieters bunt).
- Best play, regular season.
- Best play, postseason.
- Worst play, regular season.
- Worst play, postseason.
- Favorite game, 2017 regular season (I nominate 23-5 over the Mets).
- What is the value-added of a hitting coach at a ML level?
- Assuming Dusty is retained, should he keep the same bench coach? If a new one, who?
- Best promotional Nats giveaway was?
- Worst promotional Nats giveaway was?
- Best non-Nats (minor league, other teams’) promotional giveaway (whether you got one or not) was?
- What should the Nats give away in 2018 other than bobbleheads?
- Speculate on the NL East (best to worst) in 2018.
- If I were the Commissioner of Baseball, the first thing I would change is . . . .
- If Jayson Werth were the Commish, the first thing he would change would be . . .
- The one play I want banned from baseball is . . .
- The one thing I would change about Nationals Park is . . . . (NOT a roof. Ain’t happening)
- The one thing I would change about the gameday experience at the Park is . . .
- I would change the following baseball rule from [X] to [Y]. Could be the baseball rulebook, or could be one of the ground rules at Nationals Park.
- If Nationals get a stadium sponsor, I hope it’s . . .
- If Nationals get a stadium sponsor, I hope it’s not . . .
- When, if ever, will Miami be successful as a team, and as a franchise?
- Now that MAT has faced a postseason without the “deer in the headlights” look, can he continue that success at the plate into 2018 regular season?
- What other events at the Park could the Nats offer beyond Yoga in the Outfield, Kids run the Bases, Seniors Stroll the Bases, Opera in the Outfield?
- More “watch parties” at Nats Park for away games? (Not West Coast games: Metro and all that).
- Any reason to think Trea Turner won’t return to his pre-injury self?
- Should first-second-third base be changed back to something closer to sand-filled canvas bags?
- The penalty for electronically assisted sign-stealing should be . . .
- The former National I’d like to see throw out a first pitch is . . .
- The person other than a former National who I’d like to see throw out a first pitch is . . .
- Nats 2018 bobbleheads should be . . .
- Nats 2018 gnome or figurine should be . . .
- If I had Valerie Camilo’s attention for five minutes, I’d tell her . . .
- Now that they have the new organ, the organist should play [song] during [(name) opposing player’s at-bat’s/between innings/other].
- Lots of free agents after the WS. Who would you be most surprised that Rizzo would sign? (Internet rumors don’t count. Someone will have us in on absolutely everyone, no matter how inappropriate).
- Favorite baseball movie (and why).
- Least favorite baseball movie (and why).
- Best baseball book (and why).
- Best baseball book for kids (and why).
- Do you think Dusty will be in the Hall of Fame if his career ended today?
- The Select-a-Seat event with a ST game broadcast was a good/bad idea.
- Can the Nats bullpen repeat its second-half success? Who should be added/subtracted for 2018?
- Speaking of bullpen, will Koda Glover ever realize his potential?
- Who takes over the clubhouse leadership role from Jayson (making the assumption that he will not be back as a Nats bench player in 2018).
- Will Trea Turner ever be able to grow a beard that wouldn’t be mistaken for Bryce’s 5 o’clock shadow?
- I don’t care how good he is, I don’t want [name] on the Nationals!
- If I had Mike Rizzo’s attention for five minutes, I’d tell him . . .
81.-90. The 10 worst things about the off season (besides “no MLB baseball.” Duh.)
91-100. The 10 “silver linings” about the off season (#91: much less likely that I’ll accidentally wash a red shirt/towel/hoodie with something white).
101. If you had a choice, which player would you want to be stuck with on a desert island?
102. And which player would you least want to be stuck with on a desert island?<
103. Player you’d most want to sit down with for a meal.
104. Player you’d most want to go out drinking with.
105. TalkNats blogger you’d most want to go out dinner/drinking with.
106. Best food at Nationals Park.
107. Food you wish was available at National’s Park.
108. The MASN lawsuit is settled by [death of Peter Angelos/technology making MASN obsolete/divine intervention/Charles Dicken’s great-great granddaughter writing a book about it/never].
109. Under the new CBA, there will be more day games for getaway days. That will increase/decrease attendance for the Nats/leaguewide because . . .
110. The best way for MLB to increase the pipeline of next-generation fans is [projects like Youth Baseball Academy/secretly talk up the problems with football/more day games/other].
111. When will MLB have the first female umpire?
