Fouled-Off Bunts: Everybody Loves PLoD Edition

Thanks to loyal reader Kevin for passing along this story with David Wright suggesting that Paul LoDuca should have to be waterboarded.

"I'd like to think that maybe there's some fabrication [about Lo Duca in the report], or maybe it's not all true," Wright said. "But I've said it from day one - whether it's my best friend in the game or whoever, if they get caught . . . using performance-enhancing drugs or steroids, there should be a harsh penalty."

Lots of Nats fans agree with you, Davey!

The Post has a story on Nick Johnson's comeback attempt. He's working out heavily, dropped some pounds, and thinks he's going to be able to be ready for spring.

I'm glad to see the quotes in there from Manny about the importance of NJ's OBP. It's a strong indication that he realizes that NJ is the superior player -- offense AND defense -- to DY. No matter how tingly DY's story made us feel last season, the team would've scored more and allowed fewer runs had NJ been there. And, of course, Ryan Zimmerman would've won the gold glove.

I'm glad to see that the Nationals are sponsoring job training fairs for their employees. It's always terrific when a company steps up and helps its employees who just can't make it in the world today, giving them the skills and direction they need to find a career to which they are more suited.

The Nationals finally got around to putting up single-ticket prices for the upcoming season. Yegods. Are they trying to reduce demand? Those bleacher seats in the outfield have to be among the very worst buys in all of professional baseball (outside any ticket to a Rays game). $35 to sit in the bleachers? $27 to sit in the upper deck over the bleachers?

They changed the premium pricing fiasco a bit this year. The days no longer line up one-for-one with the bobblehead that they're making you pay for. Instead, it's all Saturday games, and a series against the Cubs. That's a little more reasonable.

Noted asshole Jerry Reinsdorf now says that the ballpark site was a mistake. (I love how the picture there makes him look like a hot air balloon -- an accurate depiction if there ever was one)

Since he was in charge of the process and he strong-armed the city into hiring his son's firm as a ballpark "consultant" (I think I saw that in an episode of The Sopranos), I'd imagine that he'd be willing to refund the city some of the $3.7 million the firm charged, right? right? hello? this thing still on?

Cause I'm lazy, I never mentioned anything about the Rauch/Lopez arbitration filings. They're close, so who cares?

The surest sign that the person you're talking to doesn't know anything or doesn't think things through is when they start the cliched rant about "Gee, I wish I could fail at my job and get a 20% raise." Blah blah blah. That's not a fitting analogy though. If you want to make it fit, you'd have to accept the front end of it, too.

Lopez might be getting a raise after a lousy season, but was he really worth just $400,000 when he hit 23 homers and made the All-Star Game in 2005? Nope. If you want to extend the analogy about being lousy at your job, you'd have to work under a system where for the first 3-6 years of your career, you'd be vastly underpaid relative to the quality of your work with ZERO control over how much your boss paid you. He'd pay you what he want, often near minimum wage, and you'd be expected to still bust your ass, otherwise there'd be no way to ever make more than the minimum.

Not only is the man not paying me enough in my early years, I can't shop my services around. I know I'd like to lock myself into a long-term contract at a nice firm in a warm, tropical climate, but I can't. My company owns my rights until I've given them six solid years of work. Even though I've done well and could get myself some security with a 3-year deal someplace else, I can't. I'm bound to this godforsaken company with some asshat coworkers and investors who bitch and moan about how unproductive I am and complaining about the 'exorbitant' salary I'm making this year when they were more than happy to exploit me over my last few years of work.

Is Lopez worth $5 million or whatever he's asking? Eh.... maybe, maybe not. But don't begrudge him his efforts. And keep this in mind: If deep down in their hearts, the Nationals didn't think they could beat $5 million in labor out of his sorry carcass, they'd have non-tendered him. You think Uncle Teddy just likes throwing away money?

Nats fans, I've noticed from reading the message boards -- yeah, it's a weakness! -- have a 'Unless I've personally seen it, it didn't happen' attitude combined with one of "what have you done for me lately." In Lopez' case, that's a double-edged sword that's slicing him twice with each swing.