The Nationals Enquirer

GET WELL SOON, CHIEF. SEE YOU IN 2010.

Chad Cordero done for the year with a torn labrum: Out 12 months? 18 months?

"We were very pleased. Dr. Andrews was encouraged. He said [Cordero] has weakness, and he needs to build it up. There is no reason to disable him -- just get him to work harder to build up the arm strength."
(Jim Bowden, via Nationals dot com, 4/23/2008)

The diagnosis by Dr. James Andrews back on April 23? Rotator cuff tendinitis, weakness in the shoulder.

The $6.2 million dollar question: did it happen in rehab, or has it been hanging around since those 70 mph fastball nights back in April? 

SAVED BY THE BELL

 

"I got lucky. I got lucky."
(Ronnie Belliard, via Washington Post, 6/30/2008)

Nats 3, Orioles 2: Ronnie Belliard ends Battle of the Beltways '08 with a 12th inning bang.

O's blame non-call on previous 1-2 pitch.

It's a draw. Maybe if Belliard is around next year, his showboating antics after the walkoff (ie: staring down, and spitting towards Sherrill moments after hitting his HR) will add some much needed fuel to the 'rivalry'.

Meanwhile...

• Bernadina, Balester...
• After all that...FLop's still a Nat.

(Photo of Belliard staring down Sherrill TV set by The Nationals Enquirer)

WASH OUT

"Tough one"
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 6/29/2008)

Orioles 9, Nationals 1: Look on the bright side, at least they didn't waste another quality start from Lannan.

Damn: Milledge out 2-4 weeks (groin). Hello, Roger Bernadina.

Manny rewarded FLop with a start for ripping his communication skills; FLop rewarded Manny with an 0-4. Hopefully the O's didn't notice.

Meanwhile...

• Balester: on his way up for an extended stay.
• Teddy won!
• Dukes heading left when Kearns returns.
• Apparently, it's fun to be an O's fan again.

(AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)

LERNER'S LOVABLE LOSERS NIP ANGELOS' OVERACHIEVERS

"We have a lot of guys whose roles have been changing. Now, we know what to expect. We understand our roles, and we know what we need to do to win."
(Lastings Milledge, via Washington Post, 6/28/2008)

Nats 4, Birds 2: Casto comes through, thanks, Daniel Cabrera! Streaking Nats surge to within 11 games of NL East leading Philly.

Meanwhile...

Felipe Lopez rips Manny over lack of communication (via Washington Times): "What the [heck's] going on?' If you want to send a message, that's where the lack of communication comes from. That's what I'm talking about. If something's bothering you, then say it. This is like a kid, treating me like a kid, or like punishment or something for I don't know what."

Jimbo keeps on playing the injury card (via Nationals dot com): "As far as the results on the field, it's been a nightmare, let's say it the way it is. The injuries killed us." 

Ex O Sir Sidney came up big for the Yankees last night.

(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Birds: Take FLop, please!

"I don't know who you talked to, but maybe they need to communicate. Nobody communicates around here. Everything is a mystery. They are guessing. Nothing is wrong with me. I'm fine."
(Felipe Lopez, via Nationals dot com, 6/27/2008)

Hey O's: You can have him! Too good to be true?

FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal broke the good news earlier today:

The Orioles, desperately seeking a shortstop, have engaged in substantive conversations with the Nationals about a trade for infielder Felipe Lopez, according to major league sources.
The Nationals reportedly are close to signing shortstop Cristian Guzman to a two-year contract extension for an unknown dollar amount and are unlikely to retain Lopez as a free agent after this season.
In return for Lopez, the Nationals likely would receive a marginal minor-league prospect.

Marginal prospect? Bag of Baseballs? Done!

Nope. Not that easy: Nationals dot com hints that Trader Jim is driving up the price:

Washington is believed looking for the best possible deal for Lopez, who is having another disappointing season. His future with the Nationals beyond this season is in doubt.

This is the best possible deal because it's the ONLY possible deal. C'mon, Jimbo, don't f*ck this up!

(Photo of TV set by The Nationals Enquirer Staff)

Stan Kasten feels the pain more than you do.

"There's no question that the day-to-day performance, for the last month especially, has been very disappointing. We feel it more than any fan or person in the media could possibly feel it... Obviously, it's disappointing, all the things that have happened. But we continue to focus on the big picture. And big picture, I'm still as optimistic as I've ever been."
(Stan Kasten, via Washington Times, 6/27/2008)

I feel better now, thanks Stan.

Where's the StanSpeak Translator when we need it?

***UPDATE: The StanSpeak Translator lives, over at NationalsFanboyLooser!

(AP Photo)

Not in a million years did I think I'd side with Paul Lo Duca, but...

"The best leaders in any clubhouse are the guys who are hitting .320 and driving in 100 runs."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 6/27/2008)

Sadly, the NAAAAts will have to settle for a broken down 36 yr old hitting .190 with 4 RBI.

"Like I said, I don't know if I'm going to be here the rest of the year. I don't know. I don't know if I'm going to be with another team or what's gonna happen. But like I said, I'm still here at 2 o'clock ready to play in the game."
(Paul Lo Duca, via Nationals Journal, 6/26/2008)

Sure, he was probably the wrong guy to be speaking up at Manny's closed-door meeting on Wednesday. But the sad truth is, nobody else stepped up.

How deep is the leadership void in the Nationals Clubhouse that the only player to address his teammates (and no, Felipe Lopez donning a wig doesn't count) was Paul Lo Duca? Wait. Don't answer that. But did it resonate in the clubhouse? Does anyone even care what Lo Duca thinks? 

Also, there isn't a chance in hell that Lo Duca will be playing with a contender in the postseason, unless he gets released. No team -- and I mean -- NO TEAM -- is going to trade to for Lo Duca, UNLESS he's packaged up in the deal involving Jon Rauch that's coming in the next month. So, when Lo Duca says he doesn't know if he's going to be here the rest of the year, he means he doesn't know if he's going to be released or packaged up with a player that actually has value -- that's the only way he's getting out of town.

Meanwhile...

• Battle of the Beltways starts tonight. Rivalry. Yeah.
• Odalis is back.
• Get Shawn Chacon! He'd fit in perfectly around here! And, with any luck he'd attack Bowden (kidding, of course: we wish no harm to Jimbo)
• Hey, now you can listen to the Nats lose in Spanish, too.

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)

JESUS CLEANS UP

"Enough was enough. We just wanted to make all these guys aware that you can't get complacent just losing. We miss those guys, but still, we're not throwing independent league guys out there, and I felt like they were better than that."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 6/26/2008)

NAAAAts 5, Angels 4: Not a bunch of independent league guys! #3 is Manny's new #4; Jesus saves Manny from needing to call another closed door team meeting Friday.

Look out Philly! Streaking Nationals pull within 12.5 of first place in NL East!

Meanwhile...

Guzmania in 2009-10? Nats offer Guzie a 2 year extension for an unknown amount of $$$ (via Nationals dot com):

The Guzman camp was not insulted by the two-year offer, understanding that general manager Jim Bowden took a tremendous hit for giving Guzman a four-year, $16 million deal after the 2004 season. Guzman has been hurt for most of those four years.

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, AT LEAST THE BULLPEN DIDN'T BLOW IT.

"...And the pain continues."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 6/25/2008)

Angels 8, NAAAAts 3: Worst first.They came unglued.

Can it get any worse? Wait, don't answer that.

It's official: Nick Johnson done for the year.

It's not official yet: Shawn Hill done for year (he's off to the Mayo Clinic)

A snowball fight breaks out in hell:  Wily Mo Pena homers + 6 shutout innings from the bullpen. Go figure.

Meanwhile...

• OMG makes a strong case for Bowden. FJB keeps building its case against Bowden.
• There's a good chance Destin Hood will be playing football for Alabama after seeing that nightmare in person last night.
• Pssst...Darrell Rasner got lit up in Pittsburgh last night. Let's see...5 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 2 HR, 2 WP: somewhere, Jim Bowden is smiling.
• So, how long before Jimbo pulls off that trade for Adam Dunn?
• Breaking news from Ryan Zimmerman's blog: his dog is getting bigger. And he hopes to come back this sesason.

(AP Photo/Nick Wass, Manny signals to the dugout, "Lo Duca's dizzy. Send in the really tall guy.")

OOPS, THEY DID IT AGAIN.

"It's not easy, but again, to win 2-1 you almost have to play perfect, and we were far away from perfect. Obviously, you want to win the ballgame, and some things just got out of hand defensively, which is one of our strengths."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 6/24/2008)

Angels 3, Nats 2: Not perfect, again. It all fell apart in ugly eighth.

Meanwhile...

Surgery for Nick J. He's done for the year.

Jimbo chats at 11 about the state of the Nationals over at Nationals dot com...

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)