I hate when our fans have knee jerk reactions. Fire this guy. Get rid of that guy. I was defending Desmond all off season (Right on that one). I never was a big fan of Sean Burnett(wrong on that one).Fire Bowden (Even Ray Charles could see that LOL). But you guys have been calling for it all season and I have to finally agree. We need a new hitting coach.

We look like we have no game plan at the plate. Even the most mediocre of pitchers are making us look feeble. But worst of all, I feel the teams plate approach has affected Harper. He came up identifying pitches beautifully and had an overall plan in his plate appearances. Recently he has looked over matched at times and swings like he has no idea what's coming or what he is looking for. Harper is picking Ankiel and Worth's Brains to get better. That's great. But poor preparation and bad at bats by his teammates can also influence a Rookie.

A team can win like the 2010 Giants with little hitting and great pitching. But the Nats don't have to. It doesn't have to be so hard. With a lineup in August that will include Desmond, Espinosa, Zimmerman. Worth,Morse and Laroche, we shouldn't be averaging 3.7 runs per game.There is too much talent and too many power bats in this lineup for this meager production. A change is needed and the time is now.What have the Nationals got to lose? If it takes our guys a couple months to get accustomed to the new hitting coach, then that is early August. Plenty of time for the stretch run and the playoffs. If the new coach is somehow the same or worse,its doubtful the offensive production can be any more abysmal.

at times and swings like he has no idea what's coming or what he is looking for."

Pretty accurate assessment

Nats4T,

"But worst of all, I feel the teams plate approach has affected Harper."

I've been thinking the same thing. With another 0-fer last night. Watching him strike out has been painful.

He had been showing such patience at the plate and now just seems to be up there hacking away like the rest of them.

I don't think the wheels have exactly come off the bus, but the lug nuts are loosening up.

Go Nats!

Agreed. I would rather see them strike out looking a little more often than expanding the strike zone so much. Feels like we are gripping right now. Maybe best to only offer at fastballs for awhile and let the other junk go, whether ball or strike.

Tommy, acknowledgement of denial-and-delusion is often the first step on a long-term road to recovery. Koolaid Kults are very difficult to leave.

Second: Nats Manglement should do EVERYTHING in its power to keep young hitters with natural potential FAR AWAY from batting-advice sessions with Whifferman, Espi, Morose, Werth and especially An(K)iel.

Your funny. Don't feel I was drinking the Kool Aid , just not as knee jerk as some fans. Don't like a rush to judgement. But this seems overdue.

This past weekend, I watched a documentary about the Jonestown Massacre. That is the origin of the term "drinking the Kool-aid."

Having seen that, I will never, ever use that term again.

"Drinking the Kool-Aid" refers to the 1978 Jonestown Massacre; the phrase suggests that one has mindlessly adopted the dogma of a group or leader without fully understanding the ramifications or implications: at Jonestown, Jim Jones' followers followed him to the end: after visiting Congressman Leo Ryan was shot at the airstrip, all the Peoples Temple members drank from a metal vat containing a mixture of "Kool Aid" (actually Flavor Aid), Cyanide, and prescription drugs Valium, Phenergan, and chloral hydrate."

This was news to you...............How young are you

No....I didn't know it. But I know it now. And I really hate that people use it so casually.

To me, it would be like someone using the phrase, "Our team is getting raped like little boys."

Disgusting.

I will not use that term anymore either. I am now drinking the Flavor Aid.

Go Nats!

I just drink beer.

Hahahaha. Your post count is 1111. I usually don't pay attention to those things, but my favorite number is 11. Hasn't ever gotten me anything in Vegas though.

I feel so misunderstood and hated. How will I recover?

My advice to you is to drink heavily... drink beer.......besides

No one ever committed mass murder with beer and no one ever

robbed a store or broke into a house so they could get beer money

my birthday is 7-11

I always thought it was in reference to Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters' electric kool-aid of the left coast mid 60's, it certainly was an eye opener!

The funny thing is that the reference is to Jonestown, but in practice it makes more sense with Kesey since drinking the Kool-Aid has come to mean that you are happily over optimistic.

Get ready to go and get a Slurpie!

<www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKY2O4KFmMU&feature=related>

Very, very wrong, bud.