The Nationals Enquirer

25 Man Roster Complete

Roster complete; Nats head north.

Two more meaningless exhibition games to endure, then it all begins.

Hey Bud, how about an investigation into why the Nationals still don't have an owner?

You're as big a fraud as Barry.

Elite Eight to examine Nats' books.

(Photo by Rick Wood/Journal Sentinel online)

Church Out: Watson In

Sure, the numbers don't back it up, but we've got no problem with this move, and no argument other than that Watson earned his shot based on his spring performance (which isn't much of an argument). But would you really rather start the season with Church or Watson leading off and playing center? We'll take our chances with Watson.

"As I told Ryan earlier today, Brandon Watson just beat him out...Pure and simple, he beat him out on the baseball field. You have to perform here." (Jim Bowden, via Washington Post, 3/29/2006)

"Shocked -- only word I can say...But I'll keep my mouth shut, show up and do what I've got to do. Hopefully I'll be up in a couple of weeks." (Ryan Church, via Washington Times, 3/29/2006)

Two More Bombs For Zimmerman

Errors? What Errors?

(AP Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

That's More Like It

Ramon: 6IP, 5H, 0R, 0BB, 2K.

"He was in complete control out there today. He challenged the hitters. He was in the strike zone with all his pitches. He looked like he was in midseason form out there." (Frank Robinson, via Nationals dot com, 3/23/2006)

(AP Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Jose To Everybody: "Be Patient With Him"

"I just want to make sure that when something goes wrong there, when he starts making some bad throws or something, I don't want to see people start going after him and ripping him. That would be bad. Everybody knows he's going to play left field, and he's just learning that position now. I think we've just got to be patient with him." (Jose Guillen, via Washington Post, 3/24/2006)

(AP Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Soriano Backs Down

 

"I love this game. That's why I changed my mind." (Alfonso Soriano, via Washington Post, 3/23/2006)

"He's making a personal sacrifice for the organization." (Jim Bowden, via Washington Times, 3/23/2006)

"It's a relief for everybody, it really is. We get the distractions away from here and we can focus on baseball now and getting this ballclub tuned up and ready to go for Opening Day." (Frank Robinson, via AP/ESPN.com, 3/22/2006)

"When you make $10 million, and you're going to say, 'No,' when you know what's coming? Come on. What do you think? That's a lot of money, man. I didn't see him leaving all that money on the table and moving on and not playing, just go and sit at home for a year." (Jose Guillen, via Washington Post, 3/23/2006)

(AP Photo by James A. Finley)

Will He or Won't He?

He will. Or maybe he won't. We'll see at 1:05.

"We're not taking this position in an effort to trade him...We're taking this position because it's right." (Tony Tavares, via Washington Post, 3/22/2006)

But wait: stop the presses! Soriano didn't know he was in the lineup because there were TWO lineup cards floating around! It was all a big misunderstanding! Let the spin begin!

"With me, I'm thinking I'm out of the lineup...Before they made the lineup, I told them if I'm not playing second base, I do not want to be in the lineup. Nick Johnson called me at that time and he told me that they had me in the lineup, but [nobody showed up]. Now I look like the bad guy." (Mr. There Is No I In Team, via Nationals dot com, 3/21/2006)

Although just about everybody has Soriano still on the fence about the move, we take the comical lineup card story as an indication that Soriano WILL cave in and play left. The story reads like the first move in a PR campaign - an opportunity to allow Soriano to save face. He'll probably just take the field today, and it'll all be over, and Monday's fiasco will be chalked up to a big misunderstanding, and Fonzi and Jim will pose for the cameras arm-in-arm with big ol' shit eating grins. It'll be a love fest. That's not to say the Nats won't continue to try to move him, but I think the Soriano-in-left saga ends this afternoon.

(AP photo by Haraz N. Ghanbar)

The Era of Good Feeling Continues

Soriano returns to camp; refuses to take the field with his teammates.

Memo to Jim Bowden: Fix it. No second or third chances.

"We told him if we get to Thursday, and he refuses to play left field, we told him at that point we will request that the commissioner's office place him on the disqualified list, at that time -- no pay, no service time." (Jim Bowden, via AP/ESPN.com, 3/20/2006)

"If he's going to play here he's going to be out in left field." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post 3/21/2006)

"I just hope they can fix that situation. I think everybody's a grown-enough man here. I just hope for the best for the team and those guys can fix the situation. Let's let Jim and Soriano and his agent fix the situation." (Jose Guillen, via Washington Times, 3/21/2006)

So this week begins with the not-surprising news that Soriano refused to join his teammates on the field after being penciled into the lineup as the starting left fielder for last night's game against LA. Bowden claims that the team will give him another chance on Wednesday;  we say trade him now, even if it's for ten cents on the dollar - he's gonna walk at the end of the year anyway. Get him out of here. (Is it too late to flip-flop and say that we don't like the Soriano for Wilkerson/Sledge/Galarraga deal?)

Just last Wednesday, Tom Boswell was all giddy with rah-rah-rah about how suddenly everything was looking up for the Nationals.  Thanks Boz, you jinxed it. Since then, while the Nationals have continued to play like the Bad News Bears, Guzman officially joined the Torn Labrum Club (no matter how bad he stunk it up last year, its not good news), and then the clincher: the irreplaceable Luis Ayala became the inevitable WBC casualty (every team in the majors was holding their breath, because it was inevitable that someone, somewhere, was going to go down), done for the year. And now, the Soriano soap opera continues...

Enquirer Answers The Mail Bag!

Back by popular demand, The Nationals Enquirer answers the Nationals dot com mailbag. The correct answers are available on Nationals dot com; now we'll give it a shot.

If Cristian Guzman is out for the season, would the Nationals consider making Alfonso Soriano the everyday shortstop?                  -- D. C., Nova Scotia, Canada

Sure, why not. They could also consider making him a starting pitcher, bullpen coach, left fielder...

I know Michael Tucker was brought in to provide experience off the bench, but Kenny Kelly and George Lombard are both having a better camp. Is there a chance of either beating Tucker out?          -- J. N., Ottawa, Ontario

I don't know.

Why don't the Nationals give Billy Traber a shot to be a starter? He seems to be having a good Spring Training.  -- A. K., Mountain Brook, Ala.

Traber will probably get his shot sometime before the All Star break - just give it a while for a few more arms to fall off.

Now that Luis Ayala will be out for the season, who will become the fill his spot as the setup man? -- C. C., Frankton, Ind.

That's a great question. Maybe a bunch of the guys on the Cuban team will defect after the WBC and join Livan in Washington?

What are the Nationals' plans with the designated hitter in American League parks?  -- D.  S., Potomac, Md.

Come on, you didn't think Bowden signed Matt LeCroy for nothing, did you?

Given the current second base situation, do either Soriano or Jose Vidro come across as decent trade bait?  -- R. L., Washington, D.C.

First, let's check Bill Ladson's answer to your question. He said: "General manager Jim Bowden is on the phone looking to make deals. It crossed my mind today that maybe he would trade Soriano to the Red Sox for outfielder Wily Mo Pena, one of Bowden's favorite players when he was GM of the Reds."

This translates loosely as: "Bowden told me today that has been on the phone with the Red Sox begging them to save his ass, because the Soriano experiment has gone so bad that its unlikely that even Cold Pizza will take him back after Bud wakes up and gets a new owner in here."

It seems like one of the biggest underlying issues to the entire Nationals' problems is a dry Minor League system. What steps do they need to take to retool the Minors?  -- C. L., Alexandria, Va.

Fire everybody.

Do the Nationals view Brendan Harris as their second baseman of the future?
-- J. A., Monrovia, Md.

Yes.  I mean, no.

(all questions taken from The Washington Nationals Official Website)

Inexplicable: Nationals Sign Nick Johnson To 3-year, $16.5 Million Deal

Ok, we need someone to explain this one to us, because we're at a total loss. Unless Jim Bowden got the green light during his little conversation in the stands with Mark Lerner the other day in Viera (just a few days before Jim signed an extension of his own ), this makes no (as in zero, zippy, nil) sense.  And even if the Lerner group pulled the strings on this one, it's still iffy at best. Why are Bowden and Tavares making long-term decisions about this team? Why, oh why, are they throwing $16.5 million at Nick Johnson, locking him up through 2009?(Sorry Nick, we like you and all, but you've gotta admit that it doesn't add up.)

"It's not a secret that I've been injured six years in a row." (Nick Johnson, via Nationals dot com, 3/11/2006)

"When a player has a history of injuries, they're going to be labeled as fragile...He's been unable to play a lot. The only way you can 'un-label' it is for the good Lord to give you some health, have three or four healthy years in a row. And if that happens, I think people will see the real Nick Johnson." (Jim Bowden, via Washington Post, 3/11/2006)

Larry who? "Broadway needs a year in Triple-A anyway...By next year, he could be ready. I also believe in depth. If Nick goes down, I want to have Broadway. I've been criticized for having too many infielders and too many outfielders. That's fine, because when I have an injury, I can still play and compete." (Jim Bowden, also via Nationals dot com, 3/11/2006)

On an unrelated note: Congratulations to Nick for cracking Fox Sports dot com's list of All Time Classic Sports Mustaches. Maybe this explains the new contract. Just to be mentioned on the same list as Rollie Fingers is quite an honor:

When Jason Giambi came to New York in 2002, Nick Johnson became expendable. Since moving to Montreal and now Washington, his facial hair situation has had more ups and downs than that poor girl who played Stephanie Tanner on Full House. Was this particular mustache a way to stick it to his former mates? A rebellious answer to Big George's stodgy rules? One can only wonder.

Just a terrible idea. Perhaps Nick Johnson had an overdeveloped sense of irony or lost a bar bet, but his tickler looked woefully out of place. It made him look like someone who'd be terribly excited about one day becoming a member of the Elk's Lodge. (via Fox Sports dot com, 3/11/2006)

$$$ Nats Extend Bowden

MLB approves contract extension for Jim Bowden through the end of the season. Tony Tavares thinks the new owner (Smulyan) should keep Jim around for a while so that his disappointment in him has time to flourish, or age, like a fine wine:

"I've seen managers replaced during the middle of a season...I've seen GMs replaced during the middle of a season. But usually, it's because of a built-up kind of disappointment on the part of an owner. If you're just getting to know people, to get disappointed that quick, there would clearly be something wrong with the new owner." (Tony Tavares, via Washington Post, 3/10/2006)

So They Didn't Screw It Up After All

Council reaffirms support for the lease and approves construction contract for Cost Cap Stadium by a vote of 9-4. No date announced for sale of team by MLB .

"This is a huge step forward...It's a huge victory for the city. After months and months of debate we now can move forward, and this will be the beginning of some very important times." (Mark Tuohey, chairman D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, via Washington Times, 3/08/2006)

Frank looking forward to a new owner, mostly because he's hoping that will mean the end of Bowden in Washington:

"We're anxious to get ownership named and get a new ballpark, so we can feel what I call 'whole' as a franchise." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 3/08/2006)

Ramon Gets Roasted

2 innings. 9 hits. 7 runs.

Nats stink it up (22-12) against FLA.

"No matter who's out there, you expect them to at least catch the ball, throw the ball and make good decisions fundamentally and execute fundamentally...We didn't do that. We didn't catch the ball in the wind. We didn't make good decisions on plays. We didn't execute fundamentally on the field. We played a bad ballgame today." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 3/08/2006)

(Photo by Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)

Time To Move Forward?

Williams and Tuohey sign the lease, and Gandhi gives it his blessing: Now all that stands in the way of kicking everyone out of the stadium footprint, breaking ground, and naming an owner is today's vote by the city council. Washington Post seems to make this out to be a mere formality, but any time you get the DC Council in the same room, anything can happen, so don't be surprised if something gets screwed up.

No additional council action is needed to seal the lease agreement. The council is scheduled to vote today on legislation to reaffirm the spending cap as well as a separate contract with Clark Construction to build the stadium for a maximum guaranteed price. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D) predicted that both bills would easily win a seven-vote majority. (via Washington Post, 3/07/2006)

"Cost Cap Stadium" Design Unveiled

A first look at the proposed features of Cost Cap Stadium (seating, dugouts, playing field, restrooms).

Done Deal! (Hopefully)

Finally, mercifully, MLB has signed the stadium lease. Barring a cruel twist, baseball fans in Washington can finally exhale, and baseball's bastard sons can finally move forward - but the Council needs to agree to a number of provisions first, and the sale of bonds to cover construction costs must begin. So it's almost time to begin counting down the days until Smulyan's arrival...

"We have worked very hard to accommodate the requests from the mayor and the Council that changed the terms of the agreement that brought the Expos to Washington...Because we believe in the future of baseball in the nation's capital, we have signed a lease that honors the 2004 agreement, while conforming to the emergency legislation that the Council passed last month." (Bob DuPuy, via AP, 3/05/2006)

False Alarm: No Surgery For Guillen

Guillen gets second and third opinion on his injured left wrist, turns out he won't need surgery after all. Could be ready in time for Opening Day.

"This is very good news...That's why you want more than one opinion." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 3/05/2006)

"When I got the description of exactly what was going on with him, it just didn't add up. It didn't seem right...If you know the baseball player, his lead arm, the way he grips a bat coming off shoulder surgery, it made more sense that this was an overuse injury and this was not a surgical problem. So I got the MRI, we looked at the MRI, and that was indeed the case. There was no structural damage. All his tendons and ligaments were normal." (Dr. Tim Kremchick, via Washington Times, 3/05/2006)

(Photo by Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)

Guillen Out With Wrist Injury

Well, it sure is a good thing we tested out the Panic Button earlier this morning, because now we really need to break it out.  Jose Guillen will miss significant time (MLB.com reports it could be at least three months) because of a damaged tendon in his left wrist.

Guillen will seek a second opinion and claims that he will not miss as much time as reported:

"I don't know what was said, because I feel fine...I'm a little sore. To tell you the truth, I'm not counting myself out for three months until I get my second opinion. I know myself and the type of person that I am. I work hard to be where I am. I'm not going to consider surgery until I have the second opinion...Losing three months would be like missing the whole year...I don't think I could handle that. I would go a little crazy." (Jose Guillen, via Nationals dot com, 3/03/2006)

Frank Robinson, on how the team plans to deal with the setback:

"Plans? Right now? Nothing. He's going to get a second opinion, and we'll wait and see what happens then" (Frank Robinson, via AP/Yahoo Sports, 3/03/2006)

So now what?

Season Spiraling Out Of Control: Nationals Drop Grapefruit League Opener 9-1

We'll take this opportunity to break out the official Nationals Enquirer Panic Button for the first time this spring. This is only a test. We aren't worried about yesterday's 9-1 loss to the Pirates, but just like a test of the Emergency Broadcast System, we feel that it is good to be prepared in the event of an emergency. This is only a test.

It's pointless to say anything about Spring Training performances, especially one game in (or two if you count the Kia game), so we won't mention anything about Ramon Ortiz's so-so first start or that leadoff-hitter-in-the-making Brandon Watson went 2-2, walked once, and stole a base (Brad who?), or that Mike DeFelice should be given the backup catcher job, effective immediately. What we're trying to say is that we're not saying anything right now.

We also wish to take back what was said yesterday about being sick of Spring Training already.  It was it refreshing to listen to yesterday's game on the radio, so we're probably actually about a week away from being sick of Spring Training now. And after one game, we're ready to officially give a vote of confidence to new Nats radio guy Dave Jageler, despite what was just said about it being too early in the spring to make conclusions about anything.

>Someone stole Tom Boswell's Happy Pills.

>Washington Times' Nats Report (in the Buzz section): "AVAILABLE ARMS: Two games in and they're already calling up minor leaguers for help."  Guys, it's Spring Training.

Stadium Shenanigans Still Stink, and Still No Word From MLB

Council-imposed deadline for MLB to approve lease is approaching (Monday). Not surprisingly, Williams' plan to use surplus tax revenue to pay for cost overruns stirs up trouble with the council. Now more than ever, we're convinced that this deal will never get done. Vegas in '07.

"If there's one thing I said to the mayor, it's that I didn't want any shenanigans, no side deals like this...If he does this, this stadium is dead again. . . . We wanted a cap that was tight. Everyone was confident, so we went with it. If it's not tight, there will be rebellion." (Marion Barry, via Washington Post, 3/02/2006)

"I don't think the intent was for cost overruns." (Linda Cropp, via Washington Post, 3/02/2006)

"This notion that the mayor, like some dog, went out in the backyard and dug up $20 million and brought it back in the house...People feel betrayed on both sides. There's bad faith on both sides. And I think the only thing everybody agrees on is they don't like me." (Anthony Williams, via WTOP, 3/01/2006)

Patterson and Cordero Struggle In 13-8 Win Over Kia Tigers

Patterson and Cordero get roughed up, Guzman goes 2-2 in win. Ramon Ortiz makes his debut in Nats Grapefruit League opener today against Pittsburgh. Don't know about you, but we're already tired of Spring Training. Is it April yet?

(Photo by Haraz N. Ghanbari, AP)

Be Careful, Gary

One more reason to worry: Majewski will join vital arms Cordero, Ayala, and Armas in WBC. Don't know about you, but we're already tired of the World Baseball Classic. Is it April Yet?