The Nationals Enquirer

Enquirer Exclusive! District forced to pay for "special bird net", perhaps Jim Bowden's Segway

"We are very happy with the decision [except for getting stuck with the bill for Jim Bowden's Segway] because it saves the sports commission $4.2 million dollars in furniture, fixture and equipment costs that the Nationals claimed we owed, and it further ensures that the new ballpark will remain within the cost cap established by the D.C. Council."
(Bill Hall/D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, via WTOP, 2/27/2008)

Nats lose arbitration battle, but the District still has to pay Nats $1.4 million for plumbing, air conditioning and a special bird net (whatever that is).

What's so special about this bird net, anyway?

According to sources with no knowledge of the situation, the District also must pay for Jim Bowden's Segway, despite the GM's claims that he paid for it out of his own pocket. Stan Kasten unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile...

• Yup, Chico struggled to throw strikes last night...
• Parking nightmare! But visitor passes may open up a new market for residents. Don't drive. Take Metro.
• As you probably know, we've got a soft spot for misleading headlines; love this one in today's Daily News (NY): LASTINGS MILLEDGE RIPS METS AGAIN. The story? A quote from Milledge on SI.com where he says, simply: "I can't go through anything worse than I went through in New York. It only gets better from here. A lot of veterans (on the Mets) didn't like the way I play the game. They thought I didn't respect it."  I guess that constitutes ripping?
• Deadspin's Nats season preview (from Tuesday).

Game on. Well, not really.

"It's not hockey. We don't get a point. But we'll take a tie over a loss any day."
(Manny Acta, via Chatter/Washington Times, 2/27/2008)

It's not hockey, folks!

Grapefruit League opener ends in a tie. Commence over analyzing the box score, now.

Meanwhile...

• Patterson's arm feels good (Hill is ok, too, ignore the tightness, everybody, despite the panic of some idiot blogger who will remain nameless.)
• Big night for Nick J.
• Yeah, yeah, yeah, but don't you still wish Livo were back?

(AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Panic button recall, recalled.

On second thought, you can never be too prepared...

It's never too early to break out the Panic Button.

Just when we were starting to feel better about Hill...thanks, Bill. And I quote:

"Nationals right-hander Shawn Hill threw his second batting practice on Tuesday, and he was dominating despite experiencing right forearm soreness, the same injury that bothered him last spring."

Ok, by all accounts he looked good, he's in line for a start March 5 vs. the Cards, but hearing the words "right forearm soreness" just makes us downright skittish. Interestingly (or not), Ladson said Alex Escobar got the only hit off Hill in BP today; Zuckerman said it was a Milledge bloop.

Panic button, recalled

And...exhale...like we said, nothing to worry about!

Mark Zuckerman eases our troubled mind, and I quote:

Shawn Hill looked sharp once again, showing no signs of reason for anyone to be concerned about his right arm. His trademark sinker again had guys baffled, and not just the non-roster scrubs. No, the guys facing Hill today were Lastings Milledge, Wily Mo Pena and Elijah Dukes. None of them made solid contact, unless you consider a broken bat blooper to center by Milledge solid contact. "All right, we went 1-for-11!" Milledge exclaimed at the end of the round.

Calming Effect?

"They want me to take two days off in between throwing just to let it calm down."
(Shawn Hill, via Washington Post, 2/25/2008)

Uh oh? Cause for alarm?

"...tightness in his forearm and through his elbow, which he expected..." 

Hey, sounds like Balester and Detwiler were impressive?

Meanwhile...

• Hooray for MASN in HD! Sure, 162 would be better than 40, but as a Comcast subscriber I'm just relieved I'll get 40 (completely expected Comcast not to be on board). Yes, I've been beaten into submission.
• Chico gets Grapefruit League starting nod. Nick J, too.
• Loverro says lock in Zimm now.
• D. Steinberg dissects and analyzes the riveting Elijah Dukes driving range video.
• SBF on WMP! A million pictures and counting from Viera over at Nats320!

(AP Photo/John Raoux)

... and the Oscar for Best Excuse for Showing Up Late to Spring Training goes to ...

"The team sent me a form which I had to show to the Venezuelan embassy in order to the get the visa, but [the Nationals] sent it too late. So that's why I was late to the camp. I wanted to be here before camp started, but it didn't happen. So I had to wait."
(Jesus Flores, via Nationals.com, 2/24/2008)

...Jesus Flores!!

Meanwhile...

• Nick J. ready to go. Patterson happy with first BP session...
• Paul the Pusher's horse (Golden Spikes) came in 5th in the Fountain of Youth...
• Bacsik. Hill.
• Ex-Nats, new Mets. L-Millz has no hard feelings towards Mets (via FloridayToday.com): "I don't blame them for trying to get the team better and getting rid of me, not waiting around on me. I have no problems with that. When I'm playing video games, I don't wait on young guys, either. I get rid of them and get veterans."

(AP Photo by Paul Battaglia)

Enquirer Exclusive! "Super Flush" a bust?

"Please instruct your people: every toilet every 10 seconds, every urinal every 15 seconds. No more, no less."
(Jim Howard, via Washington Post, 2/24/2008)

35 Days and Counting until Opening Night!

According to sources with no knowledge of the situation, a so-so performance during Operation Super Flush (a stress test of the plumbing at the New Stadium) has led the organization to scrap plans for over 500 urinals and toilets. Plan B? Two port-a-potties (pictured above) "strategically placed" "throughout" the stadium. Nationals officials unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile:

• More about Zimm's contract situation, from the Post and Times. We appreciate the approach Bowden is taking with Ted Lerner's checkbook here, especially if Brodie is trying to shake 'em down for David Wright money. Zimm will get paid, eventually.
• Paul Lo Duca's horse, Golden Spikes (a 12-1 shot), runs in the Fountain of Youth stakes today, with a chance at the Kentucky Derby on the line. There's a steroid/HGH joke about golden spikes here somewhere,  but we'll leave it alone for now.
• More about the guy who should've been #1 this season. We don't appreciate the approach with Ted Lerner's checkbook in this case.
• We love WMP.
• Sounds like Hill was good in his BP session yesterday? Most importantly, pain free?
• Be like Ray: Chief has dropped some lbs, is eating better. Oh, and I guess our concern about the flat brim was much ado about nothing.
• Nats320 continues to provide lots of nice looks into camp. We'veGotHeart is (are?) also on the ground in Viera, offering this photo album from their first day at camp. All these bloggers with access! Meanwhile, Stan Kasten still won't return our phone calls.
• Checking in with Gary Majewski.

Bad Blood Brewing Between Bowden & Brodie?

"We're not going set all new markets with him. We're not going to change the pay scale of Major League Baseball for one player. But there are so many signings that are all in the same range, and our organization is prepared to do that. And we have communicated that to Brodie. At this point, we're not close."
(Jim Bowden, via Nationals Journal, 2/23/2008)

Bowden breaks silence as Brodie Van Wagenen tries to break the bank for The Face of the Franchise?

Good for the Nats. Hey, we love Zimm, but we believe Jim. 

Meanwhile...

• Good news from Manny (via Washington Times): "This year is basically going to be based on not being satisfied with what we did last year." Was anyone satisfied with a 73-89?
• Yawn. Bret Boone gets promoted to big league camp.
• *Gulp.* Hill and Patterson were scheduled to face live hitters today.
• Boooooooo. "It was (like) Christmas morning when they told me I was traded (to the Mets). That's how I felt. I was excited." (Ryan Church, via PalmBeachPost.com, 2/23/2008). Apparently the starting job in right in his to lose.
• Checking in with old friend Brad Wilkerson out in Seattle.

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Odd Man Out.

"Oh, mercy!"
(Jim Bowden, via Chatter/Washington Times, 2/22/2008)

Based on these two accounts of a single BP session, we're ready to declare the end of the Austin Kearns era in RF:

Wily Mo, Lastings, and Elijah: now THERE's an OF!

Meanwhile...

• Another blogger gets face time with Stan Kasten, yet he (Kasten) continues to refuse to return our calls? What gives!? Nats320 is on location in Viera. Lots of great pictures and quotes from camp. Hey he even talked to Alex Escobar, who (according to our sources) injured his thumbs while posing for pictures.
• OMG's Harper speaks!
• CP is convinced that (health permitting) Nick the Stick starts over Da Meat Hook. We think, if he's healthy, NJ is going home to the Bronx.
• Would love to be a fly on the wall in these Zimmerman contract negotiations. How on earth is a long term deal not done?
• As you read this nice trip down memory lane with Mr. 756* Himself, Mike Bacsik, here's an odd thought: Mike Bacsik might have a better chance of being on a major league roster in 2008 than Barry Bonds does.

(AP Photo by Evan Vucci)

Enquirer Exclusive! Brim watch: Day 7.

"I needed to do that...It's something I just felt like I had to do."
(Chad Cordero, via FloridaToday.com, 2/21/2008)

Another day passes in Viera, and Chief's cap brim is still slightly bent.

Meanwhile...

• First full squad workout tomorrow!
• Hey, L-Millz is in the house! How sweet it is that you'll never have to hear "Nook Logan" and "Nationals starting center fielder" in the same sentence ever again!
• Grassy knoll: Ayala changes his story on offseason shooting incident. Enquirer Exclusive: It was Jimmy Levale Speigner!
• Thomas Boswell, sans rose colored glasses.
• CP provides the StanSpeak/cliffnotes version of the Bugs and Cranks interview with Stan Kasten. Stan, if you're reading this: I know  you hate bloggers and all, but why won't you return my phone calls?

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)