Welcome Back, Boswell

That's more like it, Tom. Much more like it.

In today's column, Tom refreshingly gets back to what he does best: writing about the magic of baseball and the powerful allure it has on us all.

He also playfully takes some jibes at Tony Kornheiser's column from yesterday, acknowledging that it may take some time to get to know the players, but that the journey will be worth it.

Next week, we will begin the process of getting to know the Nats -- the new ones, not the old ones on the dog-eared baseball cards. We will, no doubt, inflict nostalgia on each other about obscure Senators who retired before Brad Wilkerson or Jose Vidro were born. But once the games start, that fetish should fade and a new era can begin. It may not even be too painful on the eyes. After all, over the last dozen years, including last season, the Expos have won more often than the Redskins.

Free of the personal potshots he always takes at Angelos, and free of convoluted statistics to cheerlead the players, he gets back to what made him the best baseball columnist back in the '80s.

We've called him to task many times for some of the bilge he's pumped out. And we need to acknowledge when he does well.