impeach the bum: they've had a team for two months, and already dc fans want the manager's head. which vessel belongs to frank robinson, managing his 15th season and still looking for his first 90-win campaign. i don't think he will find it this year; although the nats stand 24-23 in a tough division, they're beset by injuries and 1-5 on their current road trip. just got swept by cincinnati . . . . the nats stand tied for 13th in the league in runs scored, 9th in era. they're 11th in the beyond the box score power ratings, but scotto cautions: "Injuries biting the pesky Nats much like, well, gnats. Jose Guillen remains a crucial part of the team's success. That large falling object is Vinny Castilla regressing to the mean, as he's hit .228/.337/.329 in May."
and how is the `forementioned jose guillen making out these days? ballwonk posts this breezy statement from the dc outfielder: "I'm sick, sick, sick, sick. I want to throw up. I don't think I should be hitting third. I should be hitting ninth, behind the pitcher. Seriously. It makes me sick, the way I'm swinging."
the definitive fire-frank rant appeared earlier this week at the aptly named capitol punishment: "The man's a doddering idiot. . . . Alright, that's a bit harsh. He hasn't napped in the dugout yet. And as far as I know, he hasn't started drooling. But, when the best thing you can say about a manager is that he was a hall-of-fame player, then you've got a problem." find add'l hate speech at nats blog, distinguished senators, and the nationals inquirer. . . . heartening to know that this is how the people who run the country are spending their time nowadays.
on your mark: cardnilly posted the pitching staff's first-quarter grades last night. here's a teaser: ""I thought the bullpen was much more of a work-in-progress than it appears to be. Every righty in the pen has been fairly stellar so far (Izzy, BT, Jooly, and Reyes), and one of the lefties I probably graded too harshly (Flores). All the other chaff we've tried, and then discarded (Journell, Cali, Pulsipher, etc.)"
the hall of frames: get up baby has a cardblogworld first: feature films! now showing: eckstein shimmies and i got you gabe.
morris armas
4-0, 3.50 1-2, 5.49