Dear Travis Lee Fan Club members:
It is with a sad sinking feeling in my heart that I send this month’s “T-Leaf Reading” to you all. After giving all that I could give to the fine District of Columbia, I, Travis Lee, have decided to leave our nation’s capital. It seems that the Nationals have no need of slick-fielding first baseman with more than a little pop in his bat and a gritty veteran presence that could help this young team navigate through what promises to be a tumultuous season. No, Washington would rather start a drunk wife-beating diabetic malcontent in my place, which is in line with the thinking behind a city that possesses the highest murder rate in American, and a costituency that elected a cocaine-addled hustler as their mayor multiple times.
But don’t worry, faithful “T-Leaves.” If this is the end of Travis Lee, Major League Superstar, then I am happy with that. I gave this sport over ten years of my life, and it has given me memories that I will treasure forever. Regardless, I have no doubt that some team will need my services in the near future. After all, it isn’t like first basemen of my caliber grow on trees! If players like David Ortiz and Frank Thomas can get a second chance, then there’s no reason why I can’t. And if lower-grade versions of myself, such as my good friend Doug Mientkiewicz, can start for perennial World Series contenders like the New York Yankees (as I would have, were I not waylaid by bad luck), then surely some other hopeful contender could use the real thing! In addition, I think it best for my career that it didn’t involve regular season service time with the Washington Nationals, and not just for the reasons listed above.
Unlike most pundits, I don’t see their pitching rotation being a problem. While it may be a group comprised of cast-offs and retreads, they’re a scrappy and hungry group of folks. And John Patterson is only a year or two removed from being one of the National League’s most dominant starters. In my eyes, their rotation is no different than that of the defending World Champions’ combination of ace Chris Carpenter and four days of rotational filler. And the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t even have as dominating a bullpen presence as the Nationals do with Chad Cordero.
No, the problems with the “Nats” lie solely in their offense. They’re depending way too much on phenom Ryan Zimmerman, who’s been set up to fail much in the same way as the New York Mets’ David Wright. After an amazing first full-year in the majors, Wright came crashing back down to Earth in 2006. He was eclipsed by most of his teammates, and was a non-factor for most of the year. I fear the same will hold true for poor Ryan. In addition to heightened expectations, Zimmerman will also have to contend with the absence of two key National power sources, outfielder Alfonso Soriano and second baseman Jose Vidro. The loss of sparkplug Nook Logan to start the season can’t help matters, either. Even with a full season of a healthy and rejuvenated Christian Guzman, they’ll be hard pressed to compensate for those key losses.
Some contend that the presence of Felipe Lopez & Austin Kearns might help bolster the offense, but I have to ask this question: why would a team as middling as the Reds trade these folks away if they were so valuable? I was traded during the peak of my career to Philadelphia, but it took a player the caliber of Curt Schilling to make Arizona pull the trigger. (Some might say that the trade cost the Diamondbacks much more than it gave them, but it’s not my place to judge.) Kearns & Lopez, on the other hand, were traded for anonymous bullpen arms. The impact that the Great American “Small”park had on their numbers must also be taken into account. If a one dimensional-hitter like Adam Dunn can hit fifty homers in such a place, then all statistics acquired in that bandbox must be considered suspect. As any forward-thinking baseball analyst knows, park factors are considerations that are rarely taken into account when acquiring players, and I fear that Jim Bowden is guilty of this as well.
So, yes, while I agree with many that the Nationals are doomed to failure, I see the reasons for this failure to be different than what most pundits suggest. And while I am much too modest to claim that I could have possibly helped this team in 2007, it’s safe to say that giving a player of my caliber 500+ ABs would not hurt. But sometimes lessons must be learned the hard way.
Even though the 2007 season will seemingly start without your Travis Lee on any Major League roster, I do hope that this will not diminish your interest in the upcoming season. The start of baseball is the start of spring, and with that, the start of something wonderful. See you on the field of dreams!
Courage,
Travis Lee
PS – This is just a reminder that the deadline to renew your Travis Lee Fan Club membership at a reduced rate has been extended to May 31st! For only $99.95, you’ll get a set of autographed photos of Travis with every Major League team he’s played for, a personalized letter from Travis, your own D-Back Travis Lee Bobblehead, and a discount coupon that can be used at any of Travis’ card show appearances. If you’re one of the first thousand to renew, you’ll also be eligible to purchase a discounted ticket to The Third (Or Four) Annual T-Leaf Steep (location and date TBD)! Remember – if you don’t renew by May 31st, you’ll have to pay the full $199.95 amount! Act now! Quantities are limited!
Travis Lee hit the first home run in Arizona Diamondbacks history.