September 14, 2006 [LINK / comment]

9/11 and baseball

One of the blogs I should visit more often is "Baseball Crank", as he shares my interests in baseball and my general political outlook. Like me, he makes it easy for fans to see baseball-only blog content. He was on his way to work at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and wrote a survivor's essay shortly thereafter: "Why Baseball Still Matters." It's a plaintive invokation of Our National Pastime's vital role in keeping this nation united in these trying times -- or at least at peace with itself. Remember Joe Torre, Rudy Giuliani, and President Bush at Yankee Stadium after the baseball season resumed? If that didn't put a lump in your throat, nothing will.

Nationals rebound in desert

Each team scored a total of 14 runs in the three-game series, so the fact that the Nationals came away from Phoenix with two wins should count as a positive sign, especially after getting swept in Denver. Here are some other reasons for Nats fans to draw some (faint) cheer:

• Alfonso Soriano is on the verge of becoming the fourth MLB player ever to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in one season. (See MLB.com.)
• Ryan Zimmerman still has a good shot at winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
• Chad Cordero has returned to solid, consistent form, getting lots of strikeouts.
• The Nationals are only [6.5] games behind the Braves with just over two weeks left to play!

UPDATE: I just noticed they changed the players shown in the banner image on the Nationals' Web site. As I had anticipated on August 7, Jose Guillen's face is gone, replaced by Nick Johnson. Does that portend a trade?