The Nationals Enquirer

0 for Canada

"Can we go and turn it around and have a good second half? Yes." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 6/29/2006)

In case you didn't hear: Jays sweep Nats; 8-4 loss the latest and greatest.

Patterson gets lit up for 5 runs, departs in 4th with "arm fatigue." Frank doesn't believe him.

Marlon goes crazy: 3-3, 2 bombs, 3 RBI. But it's not nearly enough.

Hey Congress, can you do us Comcast customers a favor and NOT get the Nationals games on TV for us? Thanks.

Silver lining: We'll have to get back to you on that.

Bring on the Devil Rays!?

(AP Photo/Frank Gunn,CP)

Going South North of the Border

"We have to do some soul-searching." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 6/29/2006)

Hill's homecoming a horrorshow

Smooth sailing for Shawn until the 5th, then it all fell apart. Well, Shawn, at the very least your family got to see you throw, right? Plus, you got your name in the paper!

Blah blah blah, no offense, blown chances, etc. Nationals lose 6-1.

Silver lining: the Nats scored a run. It's been a while.

Another day, another closed-door meeting after the game.

Frank promises lineup changes. Look for LeCroy in center, Rauch in right tonight...

Toronto Sun sums up the Nats like this: "an offensively inept club."

Shooting Blanks

"I feel good. I throw the ball well. But Burnett, it's like, 'Wow!' " (Ramon Ortiz, via Washington Post, 6/28/2006)

All AJ, Jays, in 6-0 loss. Nats leave bats at the border.

Ortiz wasn't too bad, but got killed by the long-ball (Hill, Overbay).

E's all around for Zimmerman, Soriano, and Clayton.

Assume the position: That thud you heard shortly after 10 pm last night? That was the sound of the Nationals touching down in last place in the NL East as Atlanta finished off the Yankees. Nats, Braves, tied for last at 33-45.

Nowhere to go but up from here.

Enquirer answers the mailbag!

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

Keep those e-mails coming to Nationals beat writer Bill Ladson, and we'll keep copying and pasting them over here. Thanks a bunch.

I take offense to Frank Robinson's recent comments in an interview conducted by you. Regarding his lack of popularity in Montreal compared to Washington, he stated, "The Montreal fans are not baseball savvy like the people in the D.C./Baltimore area." The reason he was unpopular in Montreal was not because we are not baseball savvy.

Everyone was aware of his accomplishments through his Hall of Fame career. The reason he was unpopular was because of his poor choices as manager. Continuously putting the likes of Jim Brower, Hector Almonte and Rocky Biddle in key game situations is an example. Edwards Guzman getting 150 at-bats is another. His love for Ron Calloway and Henry Mateo are further examples.
-- Jeffrey S., Montreal

Oh Jeffrey you big crybaby, lighten up.

What's up with the new owners not even having a conversation with Robinson yet? He is Frank Robinson, after all, not some no-name who is just warming the manager's chair. He deserves at least that.
-- Joe T., Silver Spring, Md.

You're right: he's not just some no-name who is warming the manager's chair; he's a Hall of Famer who is warming the manager's chair for Davey Johnson.

After all this talk about building the Nationals farm system, I'm wonder what the typical timeline is for that type of investment to pay off.
-- Troy Pomroy, Washington, D.C.

We wonder about that, too...3-5 years? We have no idea, really...but to use that old timeworn mailbag/chat/interview cliché: "That's a great question." Some good news for the Nationals yesterday: they signed top draft pick Chris Marrero yesterday (and convinced him to move from 3b to OF)

What are the Nationals going to do in center field? Marlon Byrd is a fourth outfielder at best, and Damian Jackson is an occasional fill-in. Where do the Nationals go from here? Do you think they'll look to acquire someone or are they content to finish out the year with what they already have?
-- Joel K., Washington, D.C.

Joel, you'll know the Nationals are really in trouble the day you look up and see LeCroy patrolling center. Bowden keeps threatening to get rid of the under performing veterans and play the kids, so they'll probably keep running out the Marlons, Jackson, etc. for a while and then call up some youngsters. Or maybe Jimbo can trick the Mets into a Livan Hernandez-for-Endy Chavez deal, straight up?

What do you see happening, the Nationals keeping Livan Hernandez or trading him before the deadline is up? Which teams are looking at the ace?
-- Peter, Alexandria, Va.

That's "Former ace," Peter. Livan will be moved, but we have no idea where he'll be moved to.

I read all about the situation with John Wetteland's dismissal. What's your take on it?
-- Dave G., North Dartmouth, Mass.

Our take on it is that Wetteland was basically a disrespectful clown. And the fact that Jimbo is still seeking him out for a job in some other capacity with the team speaks volumes about Jimbo, Jimbo's future with the team, and Frank's future with the team.

Why is Tony Armas always getting injured and how come the Nationals/Expos never get rid of him?
-- Alex C., Montreal

Another question from Montreal! Say, have you seen Youppi around anywhere recently? What was your question again?

What is the possibility of trading Armas prior to the deadline?
-- Brian K., Carle Place, N.Y.

Not very likely. See previous question.

Nationals stop slide, salvage weekend with 9-5 win

"It didn't do anything special for me." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 6/26/2006)

Amen, Frank. It is what it is: 2006 Battle of the Beltways ends in a 3-3 split between two bad teams. See you next year.

The Former Ace shines: Livan rights the ship.

Royce Rolls: breaks game open in 5th, goes 3-5, 3RBI (7-12 for the series)

Wild Thing: Daniel Cabrera can't keep things under control: uncorks 4 wild pitches, 5 walks, 1HBP; 5 hits, 6 runs.

Helluva day for the Marlons: 5-10, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 2 R, + a big outfield assist in the 1st to snuff out a run.

(shhhhh...Another oh-fer for Soriano. But he laid down a sac bunt in the 3rd, which made his teammates and manager happy.)

How desperate are the Birds for starting pitching help? Russ Ortiz.

(Photo by Chris Gardner/AP)

---------------------------

Note to Frank: Please start D.Ward at DH this week in Toronto. Thank you.

Stinkin' in the Rain

"We are not clinking right now. We are not clicking on any cylinders. I really don't know why." (Frank Robinson, via Nationals dot com, 6/25/2006)

Nationals drop fifth straight.

Even Nick J's return to lineup can't get the offense going. Weak 5 hit "attack" won't get it done. Another oh-fer for Soriano.

O'Connor deserved better.

164 minutes of rain delays. For those of you watching at home, that's a lot of episodes of M*A*S*H on DCA 20.

(Alfonso Soprano? The sports editor at the Washington Times clearly took the morning off: "The Nationals, who are in a hitting slump, had just five hits. Alfonso Soprano went 0-for-4 with a walk.")

It's up to the Former Ace to stop the slide today.

(Photo by Monica Lopossay, Baltimore Sun)

Patterson impressive; Lopez a little better. Birds take series opener

"I thought it was an excellent outing for him, period. Something we haven't been getting lately -- a well-pitched ballgame." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 6/24/2006)

Patterson impressive in return -- 6 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 strikeouts. 82 pitches -- but Nats lose 2-1 snoozefest in Baltimore.

Nick-less Nats' offense sputters and flails against O's Lopez.

No sign of a rivalry in sight. Just two second-to-last-place teams slogging along, really...

First time a baseball team from Washington has played a regular season game in Baltimore since 1971 and blah blah blah etc.

Did O's fans "reclaim their territory last night? The Sun's David Steele thinks so.

We were bored to tears by series opener. If not for Patterson, there really would be nothing to talk about -- unless you think starting Daryle Ward at DH instead of Marlon Anderson would have made a difference -- was that a "gut" decision by Frank, or did he flip a coin? Just wondering.

That's four straight losses. 11 games under .500. A half game out of last place in the NL East.

O'Connor vs. Loewen today...

---------

Armas to 15-day DL, retroactive to June 20.

(Photoby Gail Burton/AP)

The writing's on the wall

"I don't hold a grudge...But it's with me. It's still with me." (Frank Robinson on Davey Johnson -- a.k.a. the manager in waiting --, via Washington Post, 6/23/2006)

His future IS certain. Won't be long now...

(We agree; Bowden comes across like a disingenuous a-hole in Svrluga's piece. Too bad we're gonna be stuck with him.)

(Photo by Nick Wass/AP)

Swept.

Heartbreak Hill: Shawn's night included 12 hits, 8 runs, 2 walks, and a  grand slam by David Ortiz. That's your ballgame.

Nats get butts kicked 9-3. No answers for Sox rookie starter Jon Lester (10 Ks, 1 run, 3 hits in 6 IP).

For the third night in a row, Nats' starting pitching is a joke. Anybody know if Russ Ortiz is available? (we're kidding, of course)

.500 a distant memory. But it could be worse: The Nats could be the Braves -- yeah, that's 10 straight losses for Atlanta -- feel better now?

Finally, a day off today. Then its up 95 to Baltimore for the "Battle of the Second-to-last place also-rans." Patterson set to return Friday. Yay.

(Photo by Charles Krupa/AP)

Beantown Beatdown

"They beat me, and they beat me bad. I got no excuse." (Livan Hernandez, via Washington Post, 6/20/2006)

No excuse: Livan serves up an inning and two thirds (56 pitches) of batting practice, sets the tone for 11-3 stinker in Boston.

Just a terrible game all around. There's really nothing else to say about this one.

On an unrelated note, Tom Paciorek makes me long for the days of Ron Darling. And while we're talking broadcasters, a tip of the cap to Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler, who  are doing a bang-up job on the radio. Nice little story in yesterday's Boston Herald about Jageler's rise to the Nat's broadcast booth, too.

(Photo by Winslow Townson/AP)

NJ, TA back in DC for MRI

Nick Johnson (back), who is just about due for his annual trip to the DL, and Tony Armas (forearm), who has been pitching more like Tony Armas, returned to Washington Tuesday for "precautionary" MRI exams.

Beantown Letdown

"What can I say, man?" (Tony Armas, via Washington Post, 6/20/2006)

Kyle Snyder? Nats can't manage more than 4 hits against Kyle Snyder, a guy who entered the game with a 20+ ERA and was put on waivers by the Royals on Friday?

6-3 loss to Bo Sox. Blah.

Another dud of a performance by Tony Armas: 8 hits + 2 walks = 4 runs. Frank yanks him in the 4th.

Vidro and Guillen go deep, but that's pretty much the story, offensively.

Another 0-fer for Fonzi. 0-4, 3 strikeouts.

(Photo by Winslow Townson/AP)

Enquirer answers the mailbag!

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

Keep those e-mails coming to Bill Ladson, and we'll keep copying and pasting them over here. Thanks a bunch.

Why would we trade such a great player like Alfonso Soriano for prospects, who we won't even know will do well? I understand bringing up Ryan Zimmerman, but he can be considered one of those once in a lifetime players.
-- Dan, Midlothian, Va.

Dan, we've got no sources, but our sources tell us that Soriano is going to sign with the highest bidder. We read somewhere in the last few weeks that he's going to be looking for something in the ballpark of $15 million. That's silly money, really. Think about it, for 15 mil, you could buy yourself 20+ Jamey Carrolls, enough to make the entire "Why did we let Jamey Carroll go?!" contingent quiet down for a while. Look, we love Soriano - loved the trade from the beginning (ok, we freaked out a bit when he refused to take the field that first fateful day in the Spring, but other than that, we've always been on board) - but we hope that Lerner & Co. don't get themselves involved in the inevitable bidding war. A smart trade for top prospects is what we're hoping for - otherwise, the Nats will be left with draft picks as a consolation prize; or a $15 million dollar albatross.

I am constantly telling my 7-year-old Little Leaguer to use both hands to catch fly balls, but then he sees Soriano one-handing nearly everything in the air. Why can't pros, particularly ones learning their outfield positions, set a good example with the basics?
-- Pedro G., Arlington, Va.

Oh please, give me a break with that crap, Pedro.

What's wrong with Jose Vidro at the plate recently? Will he ever return to being the doubles-hitting machine he was in Montreal?
-- Brian P., Washington, D.C.

Wishful thinking there, Brian. Sadly, we think Vidro's best days are behind him.

How would you rate Jose Guillen since the 2005 All-Star break? It seems his popularity is far greater than his on-the-field performance. The Nationals also show better team chemistry with Guillen out of the lineup. Should he be traded for a strong prospect?
-- Glenn G, Potomac Falls, Va.

Well, how would you rate him, Glenn? A 6 out of 10? 5.3 out of 10? 4 out of 10? Ok, so Guillen has been pretty bad since the All-Star break last summer. And yes, he's got a reputation as a problematic figure in the clubhouse. But we still like Jose, so stop picking on him, alright? But should he be traded for a strong prospect? Of course!

There are two untouchable players on the current 40-man roster: Ryan Zimmerman and Bill Bray. Everybody else is trade bait, as far as we're concerned.

Who should Frank Robinson have played in place of Preston Wilson and Cristian Guzman last year who would have strengthened the Nats' playoff bid?
-- Steve F., Cabin John, Md.

Steve: Let it go. It's 2006, man. Time to move on.

How close is John Patterson to returning? And how much impact will he have on the rotation when he is healthy?
-- Brooks E., Boston

Our sources, and don't forget -- our sources are your sources -- tell us that Patterson is set to start Friday night in Baltimore. The biggest impact his return will have on the rotation, at least initially, is that either Shawn Hill or Mike O'Connor, who both deserve to stick, will be whacked. Don't be fooled by Jim Bowden's bluster about Patterson being a "number one or number two starter" - most likely he's not going to be back there yet. But give him time, and maybe by after the All-Star break, Patterson will be back to his old self.

Zimmer (The) Man!

Instant Classic: Zimmerman's walk-off wins it!

Just when you thought "The Comeback" and  Daryl "The Dump truck" Ward's mad dash home on Guillen's triple on Saturday couldn't be topped...Zimmerman!

O'Connor solid again: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

We told you so: Nats take 2-of-3 to win series. Legions of obnoxious Yankee fans who walked around like they owned the place all weekend sent packing.

Bring on Boston!

(Photo by Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)

Damn Yankees

"You have to win these type of games." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 6/17/2006)

Bernie goes bye-bye in 9th to beat Nats.

Firecracker Gang pathetic: Majewski, Chief, blow it for Nats. Point given? Is Frank secretly happy about it? Could be.

Good effort by Hill wasted.

Future Yankee goes deep in 3rd for 24th time this year.

But all the NY papers seem to want to talk about is how A-Rod can't do it when it counts.

It's up to Ramon O. to stop the bleeding at Bronx South (a.k.a. RFK Stadium) this afternoon.

(Photo by Nick Wass/AP)

Time to Panic?

With four straight losses, weekend visit from Yankees couldn't have come at a worse time for reeling Nationals. Seems as appropriate a time as any to break out the official Nationals Enquirer Panic Button.

BUT...we're not afraid of the big bad Yankees. Our prediction? Nats take 2 out of 3 (win tonight and Sunday and lose big - like, real big - Saturday)

Probables:

Tonight:   Jaret Wright (3-4 4.44 ERA)  vs. Shawn Hill (1-1 1.80 ERA)
Saturday:   Shawn Chacon (4-1 5.23 ERA)  vs. Ramon Ortiz (5-5 4.88 ERA)
Sunday:  Chien-Ming Wang (7-2 4.15 ERA)  vs. Mike O'Connor (3-4 3.70 ERA)

Bud's Open Letter to Baseball Fans

"I was disappointed and angered by revelations that a Major League player had acknowledged using human growth hormone (HGH), a performance-enhancing substance banned by Major League Baseball, and had said that others were using HGH as well. " (Bud Selig, via 'An Open Letter to Baseball Fans", 6/15/2006)

Maybe someone wants to ask a certain Yankee slugger how he feels about Bud's letter when he's in town this weekend?

(Photo by Bill Kostroun/AP)

Wetteland relieved of duties as bullpen coach

"Over a period of time, we were not getting the best out of the guys out there that I've seen in the past. There have been spots of good outings, but it hasn't been a consistent type of thing. They seemed focused more on practical jokes and fooling around in the bullpen rather than concentrating on the game. I couldn't put up with it anymore." (Frank Robinson, via Nationals dot com, 6/15/2006)

Frank reaches his breaking point, gets his wish for Wetteland's removal. So Wetteland is the reason the bullpen is underperforming?

Swept Aside

"We played like a minor league team, so everybody's upset, not only Frank." (Alfonso Soriano, via AP/ESPN.com 6/15/2006)

Nats roll over and play dead; Rockies complete 4 game sweep with 8-1 trouncing. It doesn't get any easier with weekend visit from Bronx Bombers.

What's that? Oh yes, another crappy performance by The Former Ace. Livan: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 BB, 1 HR.

The Curse of Jamey Carroll continues...another hit, walk, and 2 more runs scored for the light hitting utility infielder (turned leadoff hitter). Damn you, Jamey Carroll.

Nats' bats have no answers for Jason Jennings.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall: Frank calls closed door, players only meeting in wake of sweep. Yelling ensues.

Fick Off! For second time this season, Robert Fick ejected for arguing after striking out.

Loaiza Pulls a Jimbo

DUI charges against fomer-Nat-starter-turned-overpaid-Athletic. (Punchline deleted).

.500 Fantasy Fading Fast

Three in a row. Rockies murder Nats' pitching in 14-8 nightmare.

The Curse of Jamey Carroll continues...
Are you kidding me? Light hitting utility infielder keeps up the beat-down against his old mates. Damn you, Jamey Carroll. So, after a pretty good night (3-for-4, 4 runs, 1 HR, 1 2b, 2BB), that makes him .500(7-for-14) with a HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, and 5 runs scored this series.

Tony Armas: a perfectly useless 82 pitch outing; given the hook in the 4th. Nice job, Tony: 3 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 3BB.

Nats feast on Byung Hyun Kim; an 8-8 game through 5, but bats go silent after that.

Welcome to the bigs, kid: Bill Bray gets a rude awakening, lit up for  5 runs,  8 hits, and a walk in miserable 2 inning outing- earns first loss of his career. Even worse? Getting taken deep by Carroll.

(Photo by Nick Wass/AP)

Lost in the Fogg

Nats can't break through against Josh Fogg, drop second straight against Colorado; you're not gonna win too many games when you leave 11 men on.

"Sunken-chested" Mike O'Connor cruises through five, but wheels come off in the sixth. Knocked around for 6 runs on 6 hits. Not his best night.

Stanton stinks it up (again).

The Curse of Jamey Carroll continues...

(Photo by David Zalubowski/AP)

Take your time, John

Patterson to make one more rehab start for Potomac before returning.

Enquirer answers the mailbag!

It never gets old! Back by popular demand, The Nationals Enquirer answers the latest installment of the Nationals.com mailbag! The correct answers are available on Nationals dot com; now we'll give it a shot.

Keep those e-mails coming to Bill Ladson, and we'll keep copying and pasting them over here. Thanks a bunch.

Given the team's recent and unexpected success, do you think general manager Jim Bowden and manager Frank Robinson will keep their jobs?  -- Andrew M., Middleburg, Va.

To begin with, I think it's only fair that since both Bowden and Robinson were served up big ol' heaping slabs of blame pie when the Nationals were sputtering along for a while back there, they now both deserve some credit for the team's recent good fortune. How much credit? Enough to save their jobs? I wouldn't go that far. It's June 12th, after all. It's a sprint, not a marathon.

We're talking about two entirely separate situations - Bowden's fate is no longer tied to Robinson's, and vice versa. Or something like that. Last year, they needed each other. This year? Not so much.

Bowden is probably safe - at least for one more year. All signs seem to point to him sticking around for a while, that is, if he can beat that DUI rap.

Robinson? It would take a miracle (read: a playoff berth) in order for Robinson to keep his job. And as fun as the last few weeks have been; it's probably not happening.

Can you please explain why Alfonso Soriano continues to lead off and is not being put in the middle of the batting order? -- Eric S., Lexington, N.C.

If you can name a better lead off hitter on the current roster then I'll tell you why Alfonso Soriano continues to bat lead off.

I watched a couple of the Nats-Phillies games this past weekend, and I was a bit startled by Sal Fasano's mustache. What's up with that? -- Thomas B., Washington, D.C.

Good question. Hey Sal, Pete Vuckovich called - he wants his mustache back.

Since Soriano had a very poor defensive rating as a second baseman, do you think that he will eventually be a better defensive outfielder than he was a second baseman? -- Breanna G., Laurel, Md.

Probably.

I recently went to a Nationals-Braves game in Atlanta, and the guy who impressed me the most was reliever Bill Bray. Do you think that he'll be up for good?
-- Asher K., Birmingham, Ala.

Yes.

If the Nationals are in contention for at least a Wild Card berth, what will the Lerner group do? "Rebuilding" and "stacking the Minors" are code words for trading everyone. The Nats could get some great young players for guys like Soriano and Jose Vidro, but I'd rather go to a playoff game at RFK Stadium this year! -- Michael D., Washington, D.C.

Patience, my friend, patience. Build it right, and there will be playoff games galore for many, many years to come.

Are you as worried about the bullpen as I am? Livan Hernandez pitched great last Saturday, but I could see that he was done before Pat Burrell hit the home run. I think Robinson didn't take him out because he had a lack of trust in his bullpen. -- Brooks E., Boston

Yes.

How can we find out about the signings of the Nationals' Draft choices? I would like to know where they end up and be able to follow their careers as they try to make the big club. -- Kevin C., Fairfax, Va.

All I know is that you won't find what you're looking for here.

What has been wrong with Jon Rauch over the last week? How does he correct it? I thought he was over his food poisoning. Also, what are the health states of Felix Rodriguez and Santiago Ramirez? Will they be returning to the team soon?
-- Brian P., Washington, D.C.

Rauch? I think it has something to do with his beard. F-Rod & Ramirez? Ladson says they're both cooked.

I just read that Ryan Church is batting under .200 since being sent to Triple-A New Orleans. Are the Nationals about to give up on him? -- Jonathan P., Woodbridge, Va.

About to give up on him? Jonathan, I think that happened a while ago.

Don't you think hitting coach Mitchell Page should work with Church, who did better in 2005 than Marlon Byrd? Why isn't Church Page's No. 1 project?
-- Jerry, Jupiter, Fla.

Why are you dragging Marlon Byrd into this? What was your question again?

A long Ficking night, but Nats win 9-8 in 12

"They hung tough." (Frank Robinson, via Washington Post, 6/10/2006)

After rain delay, blown lead, "Last man standing" Fick delivers game winner in the 12th. "Best. Game. Ever?"

Bray & Chief, combine for 5 scoreless innings. That's really the story, here.

Brendan Harris delivers clutch pinch hit in the 7th.

Stanton & Majewski stink it up.

Armas: just okay through 5.

Ouch: 0-for-6 night for Fonzie.

The 'pen is gassed - let's hope for a complete game from Livan this afternoon.

(Photo by Nick Wass/AP)

Home Cookin'

Nats get homestand off on the right foot with 5-2 victory over Phils.

A-OK for O'Connor: 3 hits, 3 walks, 3 Ks, 2 runs in 6 for win #3.

Ho Hum: Another game, another bomb for Fonzie. 4 runs scored? 14th stolen base of the season? Defense-be-damned, at this point, every at bat is must-see-TV (that is, if you're not a Comcast subscriber). Oh, and if you're wondering where we stand on the "To trade or not to trade?" front, we say: trade him. (Although -- as his trade value climbs, does it become harder for Lerner & co. to move him? - if he's putting fannies in the seats as the team sweats it out around .500 all summer?)

Don't forget me! 2 double, 2 RBI night from Clayton...and 2 RBI from Nick J.

(Photo by Nick Wass/AP)

Draft Exclusive! Jonathan Pannell a steal at #1489!

How come nobody's talking about the kid from Mason, taken in round 50 with the one thousand, four hundred, and eighty-ninth pick in the draft? This Pannell kid's a sleeper...

Patterson one step closer to return after rehab start for Potomac

"Overall, I was pretty pleased with how I threw the ball. I could have gone further in the game, but at this point I'm just getting back into the flow a little bit at a time." (John Patterson, via Washington Post, 6/8/2006)

Looks like one more rehab start for Big John before a return to the the big club.

Question of the day: Is there a worse name for a sports team than the Winston-Salem Warthogs?

Nats put the chop on Braves

"Ace" Ortiz carries the day.

Hell freezes over: Nationals-Expos finally beat Smoltz,

What's this? A 1-2-3 9th by the Chief? Yes!

2 RBI apiece for Marlon (Anderson) & Daryle.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Sorry, Frank: Nats hire another manager-in-waiting named Davey

"I love Frank Robinson. Anything I can do to help him with the organization, that's what I want to do." (Davey Johnson, via Washington Post, 6/8/2006)

Davey Johnson hired as special consultant to Jimbo; that makes two guys on the payroll named Davey in line to replace Old Frank.

Who's next?

 

6/6/06. The Number of the Beast and all that stuff. Nationals going for win number six in a row. It's been a few days since the last Nat went on the DL and we've got a bad feeling that somebody's going down tonight. After crunching some numbers, we believe that the six most likely candidates are as follows:

Chad Cordero: #32. 3 x 2 = 6.

Nick Johnson: #24. 2 + 4 = 6. And he's just about due for his annual stint on the DL to begin with.

Jon Rauch: #51. 5 + 1 = 6. And that beard. Spooky.

Alfonso Soriano: #12; 21 HRs.  1 + 2 + 2 +  1 =  6. Yikes.

Jose Vidro: #3. 2nd baseman. 3 x 2 = 6. Scared? Yes, you are.

Ryan Zimmerman: #11. But Brendan Harris wears #4. 11 - 4 = 6 7. Now subtract 1. See? And his back is killing him. Admit it; you're a little nervous about his back, aren't you...

Nationals go back to high school

Nats draft a couple of high school kids at 15 (Chris Marrero, 3B) & 22 (Colton Willems, RHP)

Drafts of any kind generally put us to sleep (NFL, NBA, MLB, what-have-you), and we won't pretend to know a damn thing about either one of the top picks; in fact, we had never heard of either kid until about 30 minutes ago. Apparently Willems is one of the best high school arms in the draft, ranked #3 among this year's draft class by Baseball America in terms of best fastball and best command. But we defer to more knowledgeable sources for more information on the draft.

Streak alive at five

Nats hold on to beat Braves 5-4.

Livan: not great, not exactly good, but good enough to win.

Chief: heart-attack-inducing ninth, but still nails down save #10.

Hill takes the hill mound ball tonight for Old Frank as the boys go for six straight.

Soriano making Jimbo look like a genius

"I like stealing bases better...I've never seen myself as much of a home run hitter." (Alfonso Soriano, via Washington Post, , 6/5/2006)

Brad who? Can we please stop crying about Wilkie now? Now if Jimbo REALLY wants to show how smart he is, he'll trade Soriano.

"Skinny Dave Kingman with wheels" and Nats keep inching towards .500 with weekend beat-down of hapless Brewers.

It's up to the artist formerly known as Ace to keep the good times rolling tonight against Tim Hudson and the Braves. Bet the house on Livan.

(Photo by Morry Gash/AP)