LOSING 101

"Well, I've been on the other side, too, I've clinched on other fields, and it's a great feeling. You don't want to be on the other side, obviously, but also that's something that it is good for you guys to see -- that you could be in that position, that you could be someday at Nationals Park with 45,000 people waving white towels or red towels or however we want to give them away."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 9/27/2008)

Phillies 4, Nationals 3: Like Manny said, someday, Nationals fans, you could be at Nationals Park with 45,000 people waving white towels or red towels -- the only question is: would they really give 'em away, or make us pay for 'em?

Ho-hum, a loss is a loss is a loss. But the good news is, the Mariners won again!

And, it IS good news, Nationals fans. With today's (surprisingly painful, considering it was just one of 101) loss, and Seattle's 6-3 win over Oakland, the Nationals took the lead in the battle for worst place in baseball, and the rights to draft Steven Strasburg with the #1 pick in the 2009 draft. One game to go. You just know they'll find a way to screw this up.

Meanwhile...

Heads will roll, starting with Manny's coaching staff. But who stays, who goes?

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)