Post Flop, LoDu era begins...

After last night's game (which I ain't talking about. Why write about shit? Your writings may be good, but it still about shit.) Jimmy Bowden took the mic and made some announcement:

1. Felipe Lopez is being released. The Nats eat what's left of his $4.9MM for this year.
2. Paul LoDuca is being released. The Nats eat what's left of his $5MM for this year.
3. Elijah Dukes was recalled from his rehab assignment for his knee injury (which is worth talking about. When he twisted his shit, he was placed on the DL and we were told he would be out a minimum of 4-6 weeks. This was July 5th. Chico interviewed DOOKS! on the 6th, and Elijah had this to say:

   Q:Is it going to be hard to not push yourself too hard to come back, knowing how much you want to play?A: Oh, it ain't no question I'm going to push myself hard to come back. That's just the way I am. I don't like to sit around and do nothing. If I can do something to get back faster, I'm going to do it. I don't plan on taking as long as I can. I plan on taking as quick as I can." Say what you want about Elijah, the guy's a very fast healer, and loves to play baseball. Small man crush coming on for him.)

4. Emiliooooooooo is being called up.
5. Alberto Gonzalez (who was acquired from the New York Hankees yesterday at a trade deadline deal for some scrub AA pitcher) will be on the active roster, and be in the hizzie Friday, today.

OK, 2 bags of sand gone, 2 rookies coming up, and one MEAST (The Doctor, can we call him that?) re-joining the team. Looks like we need to lose one more from the roster. (I just heard Pete Orr making a phone call to his travel agent asking if he can get a plane ticket to Beijing. Coincidence?) I sure as fuck hope that spot isn't opened up because we have to put Goozie or ZIM! on the DL! (Zim got hit on the hand by a pitch last night and had to leave the game. X-Rays were negative. Goozie's been day to day on a bad thumb that was also hit by a pitch.)
With that said, I thought I'd take a shot at Friday's lineup. Check this junx out, and HOLLA AT YA BOI in the comments with ideas/corrections.

1. Emilio 2B
2. Milledge CF
3. Dukes LF
4. Kearns RF
5. Flores C
6. Gonzalez SS
7. Belliard 1B
   
8. Casto 3B
   

What say you, lurkers?

How sweet it is!

Peep this lineup, folks:

• Harris - 7
• Milledge - 8
• Zimmerman - 5
• Kearns - 9
• Flores - 2
• Casto - 3
• Belliard - 4
• Orr - 6
• Lannan - 1

Who's missing? Yes, sir, have a seat Flop. Don't let the doorknob hit your wife's ass on the way out! LoDu, I may agree with your choice of women, but I don't agree with you at first base. Nice to see Casto getting a shot there. I mean...c'mon, he can't be any worse.
Also, my mom's in town so I'll be out at dinner with her and have to miss the Lannan/Flores battery that will be dominating the NL for years to come. Fuck. (I love you, mom!)

Might want to set your DVRs, folks.

Paul LoDuca is starting in left field tonight.

Holy. Shit.

Get your popcorn, and grab a comfy seat.

(Small note of glee: Flop not starting tonight.)

Update(s):

Hey, lookie there. 1 out in the inning, and 1 error by LoDu!

Whoopsie, error on Meat. Shocker, I know! His range is usually man-tastic.

4-0 Angels, 1 out in the 1st. Anyone still have the game on?

Hey, did you know you don't even have to be involved in a play to get injured? Yup, if you're a member of the Nationals, a mysterious illness will hit you in the middle of someone's at bat while you're playing left field! LoDuca's line: 2 IP 1 E. WMP comes in, and hopefully doesn't get hit by the same gamma rays as Paul.

Jesus, Vlad Guerrero just left the game with "flu like symptoms." It's happened. The Russians North Koreans have exploded a rocket above D.C. releasing poison gasses. AHHHH!

8-0 Angels after 2 1/2 innings. Fuck this, I'm playing some Guitar Hero.

I lied, I'm a sucker for these Nats bastards. WMP just hit a home run that cleared the home bullpen in .79 seconds. 8-1, baby!

Flop just pinch hit for Shawn Hill. Great to see he hasn't lost it as he promptly ground into a double play. Upside? He can no longer appear in this ballgame. Downside? He haunts my every night with his horrors.

Steven Shell in for Hill in the top of the 4th. Did I mention I saw his MLB debut on Sunday? What? I didn't? Hmm...I wonder what I was doing this weekend that I couldn't write up any of the Rangers games? Ask my liver. Please.

I went to Maggie Moos and got me some money Twizzler flavored ice cream. I highly recommend it. What I miss? Apparently Dukes hit himself a tater. Good for him. Kory Casto had a pinch hit RBI single as well. 8-3 bad guys 2 outs bottom of the 5th.

Game over, 8-3. In some breaking news, Shawn Hill is heading to the Mayo Clinic tomorrow, and may make a trip to the DL. Why Not? Shit, let's go for the largest percentage of a roster to ever go on the DL. At least Mock or Clippard will get a good look in his spot.

Worse fielder than Meat?

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2008 Draft Preview

Here it is folks, the 1st annual Nats Nation Draft preview. (Don't say I don't listen to the comments.) I don't know a whole lot about the talent out there, so I'm only giving my picks for the first two rounds.

My picks also happen to mirror the needs of the organization. That's just a coincidence. In the MLB draft, you should always draft the best player available, never on need. It just happens to be the Nationals lucky year!


Round 1 (#9 overall):

RH - Grabby McGrabberson. Johns Hopkins University


Grabby is a righthander currently in Medical School at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. He's ready to start immediately on Nick Johnson or Austin Kearns. He comes cheaply, as well, since the Biology class at JHU is done dissecting his heart. Cadaver prices are relatively low these days, especially those without torsos.


Round 2 (#51 overall):

LH- Lego McLegerson. Billund, Denmark



Lego is a lefthander currently being assembled at Lego's headquarters in Billund, Denmark, but will be done by the draft. He can start ASAP on Ryan Zimmerman or Paul LoDuca. His price tag is way below slot price, so the Nats should be able to sign him easily. He drops to the second round because of some rumors about him and Amsterdam, but Dmitri Young has pledged to keep him in line. Elijah Dukes is reportedly ECSTATIC about him possibly joining the team