Jim Bowden for the last time

D.C. Sports Bog - Jim Bowden on the Lerners, Dmitri Young and D.C.

The next time I hear a former GM of any team in any sport be so forthright about the failures of his tenure will be the 2nd time.

And his analysis of the PR situation was spot on. His resignation (or firing we really don't know for sure) closed the door on the Natinals era. And truth be told, not all the mistakes that plagued the team through his tenure were his fault. Yet his leaving the scene absolved the current crew of all past sins (including those of the marketing and player development side) and for that the current management owes JB a debt.

I do have to say that while I admire his ability to correctly judge and admit his failure as a GM, I do have to take issue with his basic philosophy. Sure, Dombrowski in Detroit overpaid for Pudge and Ordonez but he also had Verlander Granderson and other cheap above average players that made his team a contender with the overpaid FA's. The Nats are still building that base and having Texeria wouldn't have changed that.

And if the interviewer really wanted to grill him on a bad FA signing, Meat Hook's isn't the one I'd go after. Try Guzman's first deal. 4 years????? And losing a draft pick by not waiting till the Twins declined arbitration? Double plus stupid.

Finally, Kevin Mench. Really. That's the best you could do. Kevin Mench. While having a power threat on the bench is something the team has needed all season, with a plethora of AAAA hitters available, why take one who obviously isn't going to do the job? Maybe he's just a placeholder, a timeserver but I fail to see what the point is of having him taking up space on the 25 and 40 man rosters. Although I won't get to exercised about it since in 10 days or so it won't matter (unless he keeps getting valuable major league ABs).