Fouled-Off Bunts: Red Wednesday Edition

Fireworks on Monday! The DC Council is having a hearing on the stadium, specifically focusing on the recent reports of cost overrruns. The DC CFO is expected to tell the council that the city cannot afford to go over the budgeted amount, and still expect to receive a favorable interest rate on the ballpark bonds. The money would have to come from some other source. (Can you hear Selig chortling?)

Jack Evans, who is chairing the hearing, floats the idea of a more traditional structure as a cost-saving device. Good bye steel and glass? Hello red brick? Could be.

Meanwhile, the city has decided (probably for procedural reasons) to allow the holdouts in the ballpark area to stay there til February. They were supposed to leave by the end of the year. Based on the legal defenses they're throwing up, they might as well move tomorrow.

Friend to his precious team sources, Bill Ladson has a more in-depth look at Jose Guillen's surgery.

"I have to spend a month without moving my shoulder," Guillen said. "I believe there was more damage than what was [originally diagnosed]."

In retrospect, Guillen said he should have taken time off during the season in order to allow the shoulder to heal.

"I cannot be playing like this anymore, because it really cost me a lot. I was playing in a lot of pain during the second half. I have to be smart enough next time. I have to look out for my future and my career," Guillen said. "There was no way I could shut it down [in the second half], because we were fighting for a playoff spot. Jose Guillen is all about winning, not about anything else."

I won't make the obvious Jose Guillen is about popping up in the clutch joke; that wouldn't be fair. I'll just wonder what Boswell thinks about his manly man now?

The other news from Rocket Bill's article? According to Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, A.J. Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, has conveyed to Bowden that the Nationals will be somewhere near the top of the list of teams for which Burnett is interested in playing.

Rocket Bill (or possibly a team source) forgot the asterisk:
* provided they are near the top of the list of teams that will pay Burnett the most money over the most years. Pravda, baby! Gotta Love It!

Friend to bloggers, T(h)om Loverro, writes a column with words, but manages to say zippo. Does anyone see a point or a message in there?

Although this doesn't apply to the Nationals (sadly), friend to humanity, Jason Stark looks at a wrinkle in the CBA -- namely that teams like the Mets can spend, spend, spend their way to oblivion without having to worry about the luxury tax this season.

Our friends at the New Orleans Zephyrs are looking forward to next season, and thankful for what could have been.

Bud Selig is a National Disgrace.