Buster's a reader?

Highly doubtful.

But I have irrefutable proof that I raised this topic before My. Olney.

I can also say the sun will rise in the East tomorrow and be ahead of a lot of prognosticators.


Of more interest is this nugget from the Times:

Indeed, the Nationals have seen this act far too many times already this year. Six times they've entered the ninth inning either leading or tied and wound up losing. Seven times they've scored six or more runs and still lost, including the last three days.
And then the most damning stat of them all: Washington relievers have had 15 opportunities to save games this year. They've blown 10 of them.
"We have tried everybody and their cousins, and we still can't get anybody to put a zero up in the eighth and the ninth innings," Acta said. "And that's really just killing us."
Acta has tried Hanrahan. He has tried Julian Tavarez. He has tried Kip Wells. And he has tried Beimel. The only thing that has changed is the name on the back of the uniform, leaving the beleaguered manager with growing discontent in his clubhouse and few answers for how to remedy the problem.

Does the "discontent" spring from legitimate concerns by the players that Manny is misusing the bullpen?

If that's the case and the players have decided they don't trust their leadership then the game's up.  No organization can function when the leadee's don't trust and believe in the leader.  It's true for Boy Scouts through the Army and right on to the Shady Acres condo board. 

Of course, when the hitters stank last year Lenny Harris was the sacrificial lamb.  Does Randy St. Claire have a long term lease?  His tenure has seen Nats pitchers throw better than expected for the most part.  Esp. the bullpen guys who have thrown an inordinate number of innings with decent results the last few years.

Maybe he'll survive with the old chicken salad out of chicken s(*&^ defense. 

Nats send Terrell Young, the #1 player taken in the Rule V draft back to Cincinnati.  Fortunately, no one from this draft is doing much.  David Patton is the only one I could think of who's still in the Bigs (aside from Everth Cabrera the Padres SS).  He'd fit right in with the pen now.  Don't they get seom money back for returning Young?  That's got to be the reason.