The Nationals Enquirer

Enquirer Exclusive! Little League Moms rush to Dukes' defense, again!

(Photo by Reuters Pictures. Elijah Dukes can't seem to keep people focused on what happens to him ON the field.)

"Listen, Elijah is having a pretty good season. He is doing well. He is current on his child support. His wife, NiShea, will go to any length to smear him. She won't even grant a divorce. Elijah has been trying to get a divorce. All this is over attorney's fees. This is not child support. If Elijah Dukes isn't paying child support, it's a different story."
(Grady Irvin, Elijah Dukes' lawyer, via Washington Post, 5/30/2009)

D.C. area Moms plan biggest bakesale ever.

On the heels of news that Elijah Dukes must pay $39,767 in legal fees for his wife's lawyers by June 5th at 5PM or head to jail for 90 days, anonymous, unnamed sources with no knowledge of the situation tell The Nationals Enquirer that Little League Moms across the DC-area will band together to raise the $39,767 for Elijah Dukes by holding the largest bake sale ever seen within the Beltway.

This, of course, will be the second time this season that Little League Moms have rushed to the aid of the chronically troubled Dukes; in April, the Great Falls Little League raised $501 to pay off the fine levied by cold-hearted Nationals Manager Manny Acta, who benched and fined his outfielder after he showed up late for work, following an appearance at a local Little League function.

Two questions come to mind: 1. Would it be worse to spend 90 days in jail, or be forced to attend 90 Nationals games? 2. What would the reaction be in the Nats' clubhouse if Dukes has to go to jail for 90 days? Just a little over a week ago, in a piece by ESPN's Tim Kurkjian, there was this interesting comment by an anonymous Nationals player about Dukes' presence in the clubhouse:

And it's difficult to depend on another center fielder, Elijah Dukes (currently on the DL), because of his disruptive nature in the clubhouse. "If he were gone," one National said, "the clubhouse would be a happier place."

Makes you wonder.

Silent Stan Kasten, unavailable for comment.

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Phalling Phlat Again

 

(AP Photo)

"There's not a great experience when you're getting roughed up, but the fact that he threw strikes, that he wasn't walking the whole ballpark, that he was still being aggressive -- that's fine with us. That is what we want him to do."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 5/30/2009)

Phillies 5, Nationals 4: Ross gets knocked around in loss, but if you squint your eyes long enough you just might be able to see a silver lining.

More good news!

 Jesus Flores has a "set back". It's never good news when the next sentence includes "Dr. James Andrews."

Legal woes continue for Mr. Dukes.

Strasburg loses to Hoos. But that's good news!

Fire Manny Acta?

(Photo by Getty Images. Manny Acta hopes the Wilpons didn't notice his performance at Citi Field earlier this week.)

Manny Acta is on the hot seat, and the only person who doesn't seem to give a damn is Manny Acta.

Nationals dot com's Bill Ladson conducted an interview with Manny yesterday. Predictably, Manny's words don't convey any sense of urgency; he seems unfazed by public opinion:

MLB.com: For the first time since you arrived in Washington, the fans are not on your side. They want to see a new manager. When you hear stuff like that, what is your reaction?

Acta: My reaction is, I can't control what people think or say. The bottom line is: they want to see the team win. Everybody is on board with the rebuilding. But that being said, not too many people are patient enough to lose while rebuilding. I have to respect their opinion, but I just prepare myself to go out there every single day and give this team the best possible chance to win

Hey Manny: You'd be surprised how patient people are when your team plays hard for you day in and day out (see, 2007). The truth is: You lost this team weeks ago, and the proof is out on display on the field every night. For that reason alone: sorry, but we think it's time for change at the top.

There's an interesting comment in Boz's on-the-fence piece about Acta in this morning's paper:

The Nats stand behind Acta. But, as one team executive notes, that's partly because he is a "players' manager" who shows patience, seldom shows up veterans in public and, with the exception of one dugout confrontation with Elijah Dukes last season, may never have chewed out any of his current players.

When Boz says, "The Nats stand behind Acta.", who does that include, specifically? Are we talking players? Rizzo? Kasten? The Lerners? Because, if the Nationals as an organization stand behind their manager, you'd think we'd have at least heard a peep to that effect by Silent Stan Kasten or somebody within the organization over the course of the last few weeks while the ship continues to sink. And then there's that little question of that elusive 2010 team option, which the team didn't see any reason to pick up - now, that's standing by your man!

Regardless, there's a blog dedicated to the Fire Manny Acta cause now, so it'll probably happen any day now. If they go 0-fo-Philly this weekend, we won't be surprised for the axe to fall.

Odds of the Nats finally beating the Marlins: looking up?

Could it be? Good news! Jim Bowden might be working as a consultant for the Florida Marlins. The Sun Sentinel reports that the Marlins are interested in Daniel Cabrera:

According to a National League source, the Marlins have interest in signing towering right-hander Daniel Cabrera.
...
Marlins pitching coach Mark Wiley worked with Cabrera in Baltimore during his rookie year (2004).

If it happens, then maybe, just maybe, there's a chance the Nationals can steal a win against the Marlins in 2009. Then again, the way this season is shaping up Cabrera would probably throw a perfect game against his former team the first time out.

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MLB says: Umps got it right.

(Photo by Getty Images. Say it ain't so, Bud!)

According to the NJ Star-Ledger, MLB says last night's Mets/Nats umpiring crew made the right decision to overturn the original call on the field and rule Daniel Murphy's phantom homerun a homerun:

Mike Port, Major League Baseball's vice president of umpiring, said umpires were correct to overturn their initial ruling and deem Daniel Murphy's drive to right field a home run Wednesday night at Citi Field.

"From what the umpires saw in their video review, it was clear and convincing enough for them to change their call," Port wrote in an e-mail to The Star-Ledger.

According to anonymous, unnamed sources, upon further review of the video evidence of last nights debacle MLB may or may not have acknowledged that Josh Willingham is a bigger liability than Adam Dunn in left, and that Manny Acta is pretty much begging the Nats to fire him.

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THE FIX IS IN

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens. Mets manager Jerry Manuel discretely hands over the cash to home plate umpire Sam Holbrook.)

"Well, something has to be done, because this was supposed to be to help make the right call, help the umpires, and it's supposed to be a clear-cut home run. If it is so inconclusive like the last couple of days, the call shouldn't be changed. Like today, they either need to get better feeds, more feeds, or something. I am not a geometry expert, but that [Subway sign] hangs over the warning track, the upper deck. And there's no explanation for that ball hitting the upper deck, coming down, and then bouncing forward [to] the Modell's sign." (Manny Acta, via Washington Post, 5/28/2009)

Mets 7, Nationals 4: *sigh* Screwed over by instant replay, again.

Manny Acta is not a geometry expert; still sitting on his hands this morning.

What would surprise you more: To see Manny Acta show some cojones and argue a blown call, or to see a call go the Nationals way? 

We may never know; I am not a geometry expert, but by our calculations Mr. Met is just a three-game-sweep-in-Philly away from being shit-canned. Silent Stan Kasten, unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile...

Mike MacDougal is coming to save the season! Give him a few weeks, and he'll make Nats fans pine for the days of Daniel Cabrera.

Nats players, on steroids. That is, talking about steroids. Adam Dunn gets it; at this point it just feels like piling on (via Washington Post):

"It's just, what else can happen to us?" Adam Dunn said. "It's just kind of piling on. Again, to me that is the last thing I'm worried about, some guy saying whatever he said about us."

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Just don't tell me Mike Bacsik was juicing in 2007.

Another day, another dose of good news for the Nationals, named specifically as a team with a player or players who were supplied steroids by a Florida couple after a massive steroid bust in Florida overnight:

Richard Thomas, 35, claims that he has sold steroids to a number of professional athletes over the last few years including players with the Washington Capitals and the Washington Nationals.

We want names! But just don't say Mike Bacsik, okay? We're still not over Nook Logan being named in the Mitchell Report...

(AP Photo)

FAT CHANCE

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

"A lot of people can learn from this guy. He's been doing it for so many years. He's never willing to give into the hitters, and he's not afraid to throw the ball over the plate when he has to."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Times, 5/27/2009)

Mets 6, Nats 1: Old School Livo, same old Nats.

Complete game for Old Fat Guy Livan Hernandez; Craig Stammen, not so sharp the second time around.

Dunn notches hit #1000, yay.

Just for once, wouldn't it be nice to see Manny Acta go ballistic - like, after Dan Iassogna issued a warning when Bergamann threw a curve over the head of Tatis? Mr. Met, it's okay to get tossed every once in a while, just ask Bobby Cox.

Pat Listach does a pretty good Tim Tolman impression: sends Josh Bard home in the 5th on Stammen's hit; inexplicably holds up Justin Maxwell in the 7th.

Finally, mercifully, Daniel Cabrera DFA. Something tells us he'll have no problem clearing waivers, and will eventually opt to go to AAA instead of becoming a FA.

After further review...

 

(AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill. Mr. Met himself reluctantly jogs out to make a half-hearted plea for fan interference on Gary Sheffield's sixth inning HR. After umpires ruled it a HR, Mr. Met forgot to jog back onto the field to dispute the call and get himself thrown out.)

"From the dugout, I didn't think that the ball went out. We have all those rules and the replays, and we have to abide by it. But I just think with the trajectory of the ball, if you have to reach over that railing... I don't think the ball would have gone out of the ballpark. But I've been wrong plenty of times before."
(Manny Acta, via Washington Times, 5/26/2009)

Mets 5, Nats 2: ...Many hours later, and Nationals Enquirer staff have finally emerged from reviewing the video evidence and determined that Sheffield's "homerun" had no bearing on the outcome of last night's game.

13 LOB is the story.

Surprise! Manny Acta emerged from the dugout during the game, and not for a pitching change!

No surprise! Daniel Cabrera is terrible in relief, too.

Austin Kearns is killing the Nats, softly. Josh Willingham, too. Has anyone seen Elijah Dukes?

Steinberg would like his 8 minutes back.

(this post delayed due to technical difficulties)

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Up and Adam

 

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

"We're getting great pitching now, and it seemed like our offense is struggling. You can't stay hot offensively for a whole year. Hopefully we kind of had our bad run, and we'll start swinging the bats a little better."
(Adam Dunn, via Washington Times, 5/25/2009)

Nationals 8, O's 5: Big Donkey gives slumbering Nats bats a kick in the ass.

O's take first Battle of the Beltwayzzzzz series of '09, 2-1.

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