WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Thirty-two games. Twenty percent of the season, give or take. Fourteen wins and eighteen losses. A winning percentage of .438. A better record than six other teams — including the reigning NL champions. Not great. Not good. Not horrible. And objectively, about where I thought the Nationals would be at this point (other than having a better record than Colorado).

They’re still not hitting much, but have picked up the team batting average by 20 points in the last couple of weeks. They’ve only hit 18 home runs — far fewer than I expected, but the injuries to Elijah Dukes, Wily Mo Pena and Paul LoDuca likely impacted that total. The struggles at the plate by Austin Kearns, Nick Johnson and Ryan Zimmerman haven’t helped either. And I can’t help but think that the unavailability of Dmitri Young has cost a couple of games where his bat off the bench might’ve turned a game around.

Can you honestly say that you’re not at least a little impressed by their starting pitching? And please, don’t throw any won-lost records at me. If you haven’t figured out by this time that a pitcher’s W-L record is a poor indicator of his efficiency on the mound, you haven’t been paying attention. The club’s major offseason free agent signing, lefty Odalis Perez, has an ERA of 3.18. No victories yet, but six of his 7 starts have been of the “quality” variety. Tim Redding appears to have re-invented himself. Go ahead and look it up: he’s never pitched this well in his career. John Lannan had his streak of consecutive scoreless innings snapped at 21, but he’s overall pitching like a veteran. Shawn Hill — tonight’s starter in Houston — is looking like the top-of-the-rotation guy scouts projected him to be a few years ago, pre-surgeries. The only disappointment has been Matt Chico, who seems to be suffering the sophomore jinx.

Think they’re patting themselves on the back for not trading Jon Rauch last winter? Oh, the offers were there, but Jim Bowden didn’t get the ransom he was seeking and Rauch stayed put; perhaps someone was prescient about Chad Cordero. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him close all year. Saul Rivera? He’s continued to record outs so regularly that one scout told me he must be doing something illegal.

I’m still not sure how the new ballpark is playing, so I’ll go with “neutral” at this point. Players I’ve asked seem to feel the same way, but 18 home games are still too small of a sample.

A year ago they were 9-23 after 32 games. The ’07 preseason prognosticators appeared to be right on; this team would be historically bad. Acta and company managed to right the ship, however, and you know the rest of the story.

This year’s stumble out of the gate was painful, and the rip jobs by the national media were fast and furious. Many of the same writers who had picked the ’07 Nats to erase the ’62 Mets from the pantheon of the putrid figured they had their opportunity to say “I told you so.”

Not so fast, folks.

Hear Phil Wood Saturdays at 10 a.m. on SportsTalk 980 AM and is a contributor to Nats Xtra on MASN. Contact him at philwood@dcexaminer.com.

Comments from Examiner Readers

6:33 PM MST on Sun., Apr. 27, 2008 re: "�The 21st Century Ripken�"

Examiner Reader said:
There are many Nationals fans who are still patient with the team. I remember how Edward Bennett Williams as well as Peter Angelos tried---and failed---to build a winner with the Orioles by buying free agents. But my biggest nightmare is that once Zimmerman's contract runs out, he will sign a lucrative deal with another club because (a) the Lerners are unwilling to pay the money to keep him when they have the chance, (b) Zimmerman has no faith that the franchise will become a playoff contender anytime in his career, or (c) all of the above. Maybe the Lerners are smart by forcing Zimmerman to prove his worth this year, but if he has a breakout year and then flies the coop like Alfonso Soriano, fans' faith in The Plan will vanish like the wind. Edward J. Cunningham Rockville, MD

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2:00 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008 re: "Don�t panic yet"

Examiner Reader said:
Gee, Phil, thanks. I'm glad you reminded us that we're all raving idiots and that you have been appointed by MENSA to set us straight. "It�s perfectly plain that the issue is offense." I'm glad we have an "expert" like you to tell us this. Hm. All along, I thought the problem was that Nationals Park doesn't have enough cupholders!!!

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10:34 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008 re: "Don�t panic yet"

Examiner reader said:
Phil, is it ok for fans who call in to your radio show to comment on the Nats' play? Or are they also ignorant folks who know nothing about facts or logic?

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10:18 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008 re: "Don�t panic yet"

Examiner reader said:
What an arrogant, condescending column this is. Fans shouldn't comment about and criticize the team because they don't know enough about baseball? Fans don't know what's going on in the dugout or in the clubhouse? Well why don't you tell us then, Phil, and disabuse us of our shallow, uninformed nonsense. And most fans agree that Lenny Harris did a terrific job last year? Really? Maybe it is you who is uninformed, Phil. (And anyway, who cares what the uninformed *fans* think?) Did you know that the Nats came very close in the offseason to not retaining Harris because they thought that he did not do a good job and was not ready to be a major league hitting coach?

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12:59 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 13, 2007 re: "New park feels like home already"

natsbaseball.com said:
Thanks Phil. Sounds wonderful - can't wait to see it. Being about the same age I remember attending the first baseball game at DC Stadium after experiencing Griffith for one or two seasons as a young child. It was a world of improvement over the falling down older park. After baseball returned 34 years later and about 15 years of going to Camden, RFK was, of course, kind of stark (I think is was designed by Joseph Stalin) but we all knew it was temporary and to have a home team again we would have put up with a lot worse. My only regret is the new stadium is in a location that couldn't be harder to get to for most of the area's fans. People are whining about the lack of parking - but it doesn't matter as there are no roads. Metro is bragging about being able to carry about 10,000 fans and hour. Since most of the 41,000 fans who could show up will have to go by metro - I cringe at the 4 hour trips it will take to get home. In that regard RFK had it all over the new park.

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12:20 AM MST on Wed., Oct. 3, 2007 re: "Expect Bowden, Nats to make significant noise in the offseason"

kjack said:
Another great article Phil. Why those idiots at espn[The world wide leader in crap]and fox don't hire informed,aware, and intelligent individuals like you. To inform the general public of the things that really matter in baseball. I'll personalll never understand.

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10:02 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Expect Bowden, Nats to make significant noise in the offseason"

EdDC said:
Phil, What do you think of going after Coco Crisp? He is still young and had back to back .300 seasons not long ago in Cleveland. Nats need a CF. Crisp didn't do much in BoSox pressure cooker, like Wily Mo Pena. So Crisp might benefit from just relaxing, knowing the world is not on his shoulders. His contract is reasonable: Covelli Crisp of 3 years/$15.5M (2007-09), plus $8M 2010 club option As to Bowden, I like him asking for the world. He tries hard and contacts many many teams, and if one or two bite, then Nats come out ahead. This is better than just trading to make trades.

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5:12 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 11, 2007 re: "Perhaps it�d be better to keep Young around"

Pope John Paul Ringo George said:
"Did you ever hear any specific player�s names that would�ve ended up here in exchange for the Fonz?" This is a poor argument. The reason the Nats never get serious offers in trade for Soriano, Dmitri, Cordero, Rauch, etc is becuase Bowden's asking price is not serious. He makes it known that you can only trade for a Nat if you're willing to be ripped off in the trade. His asking price starts so high, teams won't even attempt to negotiate with him. Then he comes back and says "hey, we never got any serious offers!" No sane, competent GM will ever trade with him on anyting above replacement level players.

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8:47 AM MST on Wed., Jun. 27, 2007 re: "Orioles could repeat managerial history with Trembley"

Norm said:
Trembley has got this team behind him. I like his vision. You can see it in the way this team is playing since he replaced Perlozzo. The Weaver like experience you cite nails it and is a huge bonus. It's precisely what the O's need to get to the next level. The way I see it, NONE of the other current candidates brings anything comparable to the table. With McPhail and Trembley, we are already on the right track.

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5:52 PM MST on Wed., May. 30, 2007 re: "A long, winding road from Baltimore"

Examiner Reader said:
I agree in that the Orioles should trade for Teixeira. There will be many teams after him. The "Dallas News" has an article that Boston, Dodgers, and Tigers may be interested. We should offer Cabrera, and two other players. Texas needs a starting pitcher. In the article he says the other teams would offer a pitching prospect. At least Cabrera has pitched in the majors the last three years. The Orioles would be set for the next 8 years at first base. That would be a nice infield. Also, go get Torri Hunter next year in free agency for center field.

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1:07 PM MST on Wed., May. 2, 2007 re: "O's game gives umps a black eye"

Dan said:
So is MLB saying that the score of a game has no impact on strategy? As far as Jay's comment: "The rules were followed." I don't think I ever read anywhere in the MLB rule book where you can score a run while you are on defense. The apeal was not that the run should not count, but that it is not fair to the Tribe that the run was awarded 3 innings after the fact. Contrary to MLB I beleive that the score of the game is the #1 item that determines strategy. The Tribe was denied 3 innings of basing their strategy on the current situation. my thought is that the game should be continued from the point where the controversial run scored, with Baltimore leading 3 to 1. In every other instance I can recall you must apeal a decision before the next pitch. Runner leaves too early when tagging up. Appeal has to be made before next pitch. G Brett's infamouse non home run? Had to be apealed before next pitch. Same for runner missing a base. O's did not raise issue for 3 inn, but thats O

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5:21 AM MST on Wed., May. 2, 2007 re: "A black eye for umps"

Jay said:
The run counted, why are you crying? The rules were followed, and the Indians are tryng to get by on a technicality, shame in them...very unsportsmanlike

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