I apologize for the quickie posts the last few days – I’m particularly ashamed since according to my stats, the season is beginning to ramp up and more folks are stopping by here (hi!). Although, maybe the short posts without a “More” link are more appealing to those short attention-span internet surfers? I’ve been under some pretty tight deadlines lately and had to, ya know, accomplish stuff for a while there. I’m going to be writing a book! I’d love to put everyone in suspense and say yes, it is about sports and blogging – my own little ‘tell all’! But no, the topic has nothing to do with either, so therefore it’ll be dry and boring and you all wouldn’t be interested.

Today’s Thursday, right? That means (drumroll) tomorrow is the first spring training game! Wheeee! I’ll try to make up for my hit and run posts of late and live-blog as much as I can of the game. K? Well, provided NFA wasn’t already planning on doing that since they just headed down there.

Oooh, and just for fun, here’s a “more” link…

I screwed up when I didn’t list Simontacchi as a potential starter. I guess he is auditioning for a role in the Rotation Of Our Lives after all. His odds are probably better there than for the bullpen anyway. Remember, he’s Idol 10 when you call in for your favorites… Don’t assume anyone’s ’safe’. Don’t let the headline fool you. [Simontacchi efficient in relief role]

…Jason Simontacchi, made his case to be a starter next time.

Simontacchi, a 33-year-old journeyman right-hander, came on in relief of starter Jerome Williams and retired all six batters he faced. The best part? He did it in 15 pitches.

Nice! Although, I think Svrluga secretly hopes he doesn’t make the cut because his last name is too long for headlines on the print and paper thing he writes for. You know, with all the feel good articles about pitchers and their eagerness at a second chance and swearing up and down they’re healthy and this team will be a winner… well, you read enough of it and start to kinda believe it and pull for them. That’s why there’s been a distinct lack of negativity around here. Even if I already wore rose-colored glasses.

Jesus Colome is going to miss his bullpen audition, methinks. First he had that pain in the butt, and now he’s out sick. Bad timing for him.

Reliever Jesus Colome was sent home yesterday with flu-like symptoms. Colome already had missed a few days earlier in camp with an abscess on his buttocks…

Buttocks… what a funny word. I always wonder when they publish “flu-like symptoms” if they’re talking respiratory symptoms – what the flu really is, or gastrointestinal – what people mistakenly refer to as the flu. Not that I really want to know. I just hope they sanitize the clubhouse as obsessively as I heard the Caps do in order to prevent germs from staging a massive wave of attack on guys in such close quarters. [Update] Well, I guess he had a speedy recovery.

Now back to pitchers, the focus of everything and around whom the earth rotates on its axis…

Tim Redding was pleased with his outing.

“All in all, it was a productive day,” Redding said. “There was some stuff I was real happy with — the slider and the pickoff move, get a strikeout looking…”

Jerome Williams plunked injury-plagued Chris Snelling. Watch it, buddy, you are all vying for the same team!

Biggest news of the day! The Bog Baby has been born! Dan Steinberg and Mrs. Bog delivered a baby girl close enough to 3 AM to call it that. Whew – gotta love those middle-of-the night labors. Congratulations to them and can’t wait for her first quotes. I’m sure they’ll be funny.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 at 2:38 pm and is filed under Players, Positions, Washington Nationals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.