Ice cream and American Heroes

April 29, 2008

Hey, look at that! I was planning on posting about the duo of backup-backup catcher Wil Nieves (Ice Cream) and pitcher John Lannan (American Hero) and it turns out today is Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day! While Wil Nieves may be the “flavor of the month” as someone said somewhere, maybe the flavor is so delicious, it should stick around a while? As Nieves said in a postgame interview, he’s “hyper” behind the plate to keep the pitcher on his toes and the infielders awake. I like that. Watching him enthusiastically punch his glove and hop up to trot out to the pitcher’s mound is fun. Whatever works, right? Of course, I tend to root for the underdog. Surprise! Even Jim Bowden admits he has a hard time sending someone down who is performing so well. Besides, Nieves isn’t a crusty veteran who takes for granted his time here like it’s a right, not a privilege, but rather as someone who genuinely appreciates and relishes every game played, putting all his energy into having fun and enjoying the moment.

So what’s it gonna be when Paul Lo Duca returns from his rehab assignment? This morning while checking MLB news, I was mulling over the fact that at least we don’t have anyone on the team who’s making sordid headlines about illicit affairs with underage girls. Tarnished reputations? Sure, we have a few, and the reminder of those popped into my head immediately after the previous thought. The feel-good story of Wil Nieves is refreshing to the baseball palate for fans of a so-far losing team - kinda like a tart sorbet on a hot summer day and I’ll definitely savor while it lasts.

Posted in Players, Positions, Washington Nationals