What?! Lefave's not at first? Why did we trade for him, then!!?!

3-for-4 tonight, Meat Hook. Let's end your season on the high note it deserves, my friend.

Thanks as always for the lineups and news, and glad to hear from misschatter -- hadn't seen her here in a while. (Will she join us for 9/23?)

Hope some of the Nats' flyball pitchers were around to see what the park looks like with the wind blowing in. Maybe we can let 'em pitch some B.P. on days like today to bolster their confidence.

According to the National's own site, it should be 377 to left-center and 370 to right-center.
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ballpark/general.jsp

Miss Chatter photo section is awesome..WOW. Can't wait for the new ones from Nats Park BP session!

Oh man, C. Jones does it again. When he comes to bat, you just know, especially with men on base, it's not going to be good...most of the time. I'm sick.

... and R. Fick does it again! When he comes to bat, you just know... especially with men on base. ;)

That ball to Dmitri's head just looked awful. I couldn't believe they let him finish the inning. Here's hoping it's just a bad headache.

Arnie gets C Jones...thank-you Arnie, I'm now in your army.

Kearnsy comes thru...awright

Austin Kearns smash. Roar.

It's not that he wants to hurt people, it's just that he can't help himself.

Good thing it wasn't WMP. They'd still be picking up the pieces.

One note, The comments in today's paper that RFK was the 2nd hardest place to hit home runs in among current MLB parks. Please remember that his is a downgrade. Griffith Stadium was, for many years (decades) the hardest place to hit a home run in.

I have very mixed emotions about allowing that many hits out of the park.

Hey Barry --

Great gamer and notebook. One little quibble: In your Sunday notebook, you say:

"Lopez has four errors in his last six games, grounded out in a late inning appearance last night against Atlanta and is four for his past 30, dropping his average to .240, his on-base percentage to .304."

My scorebook has him popping out to right field in the bottom of the 8th inning. Did you mean "last night" to be Friday?

I think it's time to cut Lopez loose. He has proven that he's not very good and has a poor attitude. He even looks disinterested at what's going on. And if the team really wants to have a shot at contending anytime soon, they have got to get rid of Chad Cordero. Nothing exited me more than the idea he was going to be traded earlier this season and I was so upset when he wasn't. I have never cared for him. He is not the kind of closer who comes out, throws strikes, gets people out. He never has been. Every time out is an adventure with him, a dance on the razor's edge and we don't need that. We need someone reliable, that you can have faith in and count on. I don't see how that can be Cordero. I don't trust him and I don't see how anyone on this team can. He has now blown 9 games and was on this way to blowing a 10th last night. That is unacceptable. I seriously hope the team rethinks keeping Cordero and look into replacing him as the closer for this team in the off season.

So is the dactyl muse still on hiatus? :-)

Heading out to the park early for some tailgatin' with another group. natsfan1c and I'll be in Sect. 443 row 9 at game time if anybody else is in the neighborhood. If not, looking forward to seeing ya'll at next Sunday's NJ tailgate.

Dactyl muse not heard from. Pity, too; I wish I could craft something around the Austin Kearns Encounter, but it seems not to want to come. (This is why I am in awe of daily journalists, who have to crank it out whether it wants to come or not.)

The best part of the Kearns run, of course, was him reaching back to home plate. "Oh, in case you thought I forgot." PSYCH!

Ok, BP photos are up. Now to spend the rest of day working on the Baseball 101 Clinic stuff! Thanks for the compliment, SC Nats Fan!

Hendo, I'm always around :-) My new job is just making me, you know, work. I was actually planning a tailgate for the Natosphere in Lot 8 as well, so maybe we can combine the two? I'm bringing pitchers of Mojitos! We usually park by the 'tree' along the walkway in front of the media lot.

w00t! what a great day for tailgatin! And what a great spot to do it in. I'm gonna miss this old slab. Lot 8-e here we (and my little grill) come!

Go Nats! Get some hits on Hudson!

Misschatter: You mean just inside the freeway entrance to Lot 8, off to the left, correct? That might be easier to find, and more convenient for Barry et al.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try a dry run today. Look for me. (The top of my black Miata will be down.) If your location seems as if it would work, I'll adjust directions accordingly.

See you (I hope) this afternoon at RFK.

My bad on Lopez's plate appearance. He did pop up.

New post up -- mostly lineups.

You're welcome Miss Chatter...to bad the Nats had a power failure today, but looked like a nice day for a game, and a nice crowd also.

Hendo, that's okay. We don't want you to start pressing and get the yips or something. I'm sure the muse will return eventually.

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Dactyl muse not heard from. Pity, too; I wish I could craft something around the Austin Kearns Encounter, but it seems not to want to come. (This is why I am in awe of daily journalists, who have to crank it out whether it wants to come or not.)