Fouled-Off Bunts

Alright, there’s a bunch of good stuff today, but not necessarily anything I feel like ranting on. Especially because Blogger has been ticking me off all morning.

• Jo(h)n Patterson got knocked around a little bit in last night’s split squad game: Three-plus innings, seven hits and five runs. This might be the opening that Zach Day, who pitches today, needs to solidify himself ahead of Patterson on the depth chart. Still looming ahead of him is the imposing figure of Jon Rauch.
  
  
• What do you do when you get demoted to Harrisburg? Go to Disneyworld! (Last paragraph, but start from the top if you want to read about the wonder that is ¡Livan!)
  
  
• Antonio Osuna, who will quietly be one of Jim Bowden’s best off-season acquisitions, has a not-so quiet band, complete with an accordion -- an underrated musical instrument, if there ever was one. (See also: flugelhorn)
  
  When he’s been healthy, he’s been an excellent middle reliever. Here’s hoping his family’s illnesses are behind him, he gets himself into ‘shape’ quickly, and that his elbow doesn’t explode again this year.
  
  
• They’re screwing around with Nick Johnson’s batting stance. Hopefully, this isn’t just mindless tinkering. And hopefully it won’t lead to more hand injuries. Lord knows he’s had enough of those.
  
  
• Phil Wood has his latest pablum on the connections this team has with Ted Williams’ first Washington go-around in 1969. I still fail to see why anyone would be nostalgic for the late ‘60s/ early ‘70s teams. They were bad teams, with bad players, and a horrible owner, in ugly uniforms. What’s likeable about them? Give me Ed Yost and Goose Goslin any day! (Just because you've gotta like players with nicknames like "The Walking Man" and "Goose" right?)
  
  
• Here’s the lastest WaPo-approved Angelos hate-fest. Here are the key ‘grafs
  
  

  At least two bidders, who would not allow their names to be used for fear it could hurt their chances to buy the team, said they would have grave concerns if the Nationals' television rights were controlled by Angelos. One bidder said that if the Nationals were locked into an Orioles-controlled network and forced to negotiate with Angelos every few years on new terms, it could reduce the sale price of the Washington team.
  
  But if the Nationals are allowed to own part of a regional sports network, it enhances the value of the team in a sale. Baseball is hoping the Nationals will fetch at least $350 million, which will be divided equally among the league's other owners.
  
  "Until you know what the television deal is, it is impossible to value the team because the media rights are the bedrock of the value of the franchise," said investment banker Sal Galatioto, president of Galatioto Sports Partners. "Until you know what your [television] rights payment is going to be, until you know what share of the regional sports network, if any, you are going to get, it is impossible to value the franchise."

  
  
  I haven’t weighed in on any of this lately, because I’ve been too busy making fun of Inning-Endy Chavez. But, I suspect none of you who’ve been reading me for more than two days know where I’d stand anyway.
  
  
• Jim Bowden has Illinois over Duke in the finals, along with Louisville and North Carolina. I’ve got Illinois over UNC, along with Wake Forest and Kentucky. I nailed all the Final Four teams last year in my work pool. But, I lost by one point because I didn’t have UConn winning. Damn Huskies. /narcissism