It was a dark and stormy night

Ok, it wasn't stormy, and the incandescent glow of the stadium lights ensured the night was not particularly dark. But dark was the offense. Perhaps that's because whole baseball seasons passed between Livan Hernandez pitches. Perhaps because the dripping heat was an oppressive dictator who whipped and tortured the bats of the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Club. Perhaps it's because I'm back in the country and the Reds have decided to continue to be the team of old. Perhaps it's because of what they saw at Walter Reed earlier in the morning.

And Jonny, oh, Jonny, you have lost two games in a row with your - how should I put it? - shitty, shitty defense. As a hopeful spectator sticking to a leftfield seat, I saw clearly The Play That Ended the Game. It seemed like the life of the team was sucked out as that ball hit the ground. It was Stubbs' ball. It was any centerfielder's ball on any team of any level anywhere on the planet.

Of course, if The Shadow of Aaron Harang hadn't walked Reincarnated Livan Hernandez earlier, the outcome of the game could have been different. Alas, Livan trotted down to first, the Nationals scored a run, and the game was tied, setting the stage for The Play That Ended the Game. I can't say Harang was bad - four runs is not Miltonesque - but his lapses are killing him. Maybe he needs Ritalin. Ok, yes, yes he was bad. Ninety-eight pitches in only four innings.

I hate to say this, but I can't wait for the day Aroldis Chapman replaces him in the rotation this season. We could really get some decent prospects for him come July.

Third baseman Scott Rolen awaits the outcome of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's at bat. There's some real talent in this picture. I wonder - is Scott Rolen a Hall of Famer? His career line at this point is .284/.370/.500/.870. He is currently four homers shy of 300 (in the Steroid Era). He has 1166 career RBI. Then there are the Gold Gloves - seven of them. Of course, there's the injury factor. I don't know. There are only ten third basemen in the Hall of Fame.

I think Zimmerman will get there.

There's not much else I can say about the game. It was dull. It was hot. It was disappointing. I mean, come on, my first game of the season, the one thing that is supposed to console me after having to return to the US, and Can't Catch Gomes and The Shadow of Aaron Harang had to go and blow it.

Oh, and what is with Nationals fans being so arrogant after a win? The Nationals have sucked for their entire existence save a few months in their 2005 inaugural year. I actually said "Which of these teams is in first place?" to one asshat who felt the need to heckle me on the Metro. Yes, yes, I know the Hated Deadbirds have temporarily recaptured first, but I had to make a point. It's been six years, and DC folks still don't know how to root for a baseball team.

Hopefully Leake will get it right tonight.

A few more photos:

¡Livan!

Dude was actually running yesterday, and he's lost some weight. I didn't realize it was him until he had run past several times. Out of all the great pitchers on the D'backs' staff, I had to see a rookie named Micah. I would have rather seen ¡Livan!

Nats line up change

Watson has got to stop bunting with Livan on base. Number 61 is the baseball equivalent of the Buick in the left lane with the turn signal on for the last five miles. - Eucalyptus

Perhaps batting ¡Livan! eighth is in order. Really, you're not hurting anything by doing it. ¡Livan! is no sloutch at the plate, and Schneider has the pop to make up for number 61's dire lack of speed, because Watson just isn't going to hit it far enough to push ¡Livan! around the bases.

¡Livan! has set a goal of 25 hits this year, and he needs 24 more to achieve his goal. Frank needs to take advantage of the opportunities his star pitcher gives the Nats. Is this idea unreasonable? I think not. It wouldn't be the first time a pitcher has batted eighth.

Today's Sermon: Long shot

MLB.com has this to say about the Nats:

The Nationals added Soriano, Brian Lawrence and Ramon Ortiz to essentially the same bunch that went 81-81 last season. The pitching staff, led by Livan Hernandez, John Patterson (3.13 ERA last season) and closer Chad Cordero (league-leading 47 saves) has the potential to be good again this season. Having Soriano should help even more, as Washington's weak spot last year was an anemic offense. The Nationals finished last in the league in both batting average and runs.

Projected regular-season finish: Fourth place

Biggest Spring Training challenge: Convincing Soriano to move to left field, which would enable the Nationals to keep a now-healthy Jose Vidro at second, would make Washington stronger offensively and defensively.

Best position battles: The back end of the rotation behind Hernandez and Patterson looks like a dogfight. Four veterans -- Ortiz, Lawrence, Tony Armas Jr. and Ryan Drese -- will battle it out for three spots.

Wild Card: The Nationals stayed in contention longer than most observers gave them a chance to last season. Perhaps adding Soriano and good health from regulars like Vidro, Nick Johnson, Jose Guillen and Brian Schneider, might be enough to boost the Nationals a half-dozen wins or so higher in 2006. If so, that would likely put Washington in contention again.

While it is true that the Mets and Braves are better on paper, the fact is that the Mets had a decent team last year and flopped. The Braves, well? The Braves. I'm sick of the Braves and hate them nearly as much as the Yanks. I don't see the Phils finishing above the Nats unless Washington's injuries take the toll they did last year. I'm liking the Nats prospects this year. It's all about the pitching (and a new powerful bat in the lineup.)

Picture this, a beautiful sunny April day, Livan is getting ready to take the mound. 45K sit in the stands, awaiting the first pitch of the new year, a .500 season of disappointment still lingering in their anxious hearts. A decent April, a better May, a June equal to last year's. First place in the division, the talk of the country. Deja vu. An injury. Soriwhino has the team bickering in the clubhouse. Another injury. Tim Russert stuffing hot dog after hot dog through his fat face. No owner. The heartbreaking sound of another broken bat out, another loss. It can't happen again, can it?

Bowden gives Brandon Larsen a minor league contract, a neverwas who never was hitting? What is this, Cincinnati, 1998? Instead of developing prospects, we're going to have the highest payroll of all minor league organizations, a payroll full of hasbeens and neverweres. Oh, the agony of suffering through a season with Bowden. As a Reds fan, I had to do it for years. Why must he follow me everywhere? And why must Branden Larsen, too?

The heartbreak is starting. Maybe MLB.com is right. Fourth place? A long shot?

Pray that Soriwhino takes the outfield position and keeps his mouth shut.