As a grandmother of 5, I look at sports a little differently than the stereotypical fan. I love the human interest side of the subject. The same curiosity that compells me to find out why Brittany is dumping Kevin makes me want to know what is going on in Livon Hernandez’ personal situation that may be causing him to be so totally off-form.

Earlier this week, I heard that MLB had approved the use of - - - hold on to your caps, boys! - - - PINK bats in Sunday’s games. The Louisville Sluggers will be dyed pink, and the phrase “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer” and team logos will be burned into them. Players all over the league have ordered them, some with special engravings. The Rangers’ Kevin Mench wanted his mother’s name engraved on the bats he ordered. Besides Mench, Derek Jeter, Marcus Giles and David Eckstein will be using these very special bats.

The players will sign the bats after Sunday’s games. MLB will then collect them for an auction on www.MLB.com, with all the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for research.

Now wouldn’t you think every team’s press office would be touting this event? Well, apparently not. I haven’t been able to get any information on whether any of the Nationals will be sporting pink on Sunday. Inquiring minds want to know. I’ve tried the press office - - - well sort of, but they are hard to reach unless your name is Kornheiser. I’ve tried the ‘Post’ and the ‘Times’. At least the ‘Post’ said they knew about the program but it had never occurred to them to ask if any member of the home team is participating.

Well shame on the whole bunch. I’d love to bid on a PINK bat that Johnson used to hit one out of Turner Field. My granddaughter thinks it would go really well with the little pink tea-roses that were just delivered from my four grandsons in California.

While the principal owner of the Washington Nationals has only been recently announced to the world, it seems that the public and the media are already taken with him.

The friendly, “man of the people”, appears to be an average joe that just happens to have a few billion dollars. Not some stuffed shirt that looks to their sports organization as a good tax write off. Washington Post sports columnist, Thomas Bosweel, calls Lerner, “old school” and says in his column, “He said he wanted to run the Nationals properly so he can ‘leave sum’em important to be my legacy to future generations.’ Maybe a guy who still says ’sum’em’ — and doesn’t care — is probably more likely to leave ’something’ of value behind him.”

Hopefully these first impressions are correct and Lerner will be an owner to envy. Nothing makes for a better ball team than smart people at the top. Smart people who are smart enough to hire the right managers and let the managers do their job - manage the team and win baseball games.

I guess only time will tell, but outlook is good.

Today Bowden entered a pleas of not guilty to the charges of driving under the influence. I wonder if he can see that warning light in the corner of his eye blinking faster and faster as his career plummets, like a skydiver with a streaming chute.

His DUI almost explains some of his dumb moves last year in aquiring players. I mean really how many ’slugging’ outfielders can play at one time in a game Jim?

I haven’t seen any moves this year at all to get our pitching staff some help, except for O’Connor, and he seems to be alright. Just give Frank something decent to work with Bowden, that’s all anyone asks.

I hope the Lerners and Mr. Kasten are on the lookout for a new GM. Because the one they have may be in different sort of lineup.

Heck maybe Frank could move up to GM, and then we could bring in someone else for the Managers job. I just hope Frank Robinson stays with the Nationals in some sort of capacity. He is a great man, and legendary ballplayer, that can always teach something to this generation’s ballplayer.

We’ll just have to wait to see what happens after the owners meeting here in a week or two.

I found some pics of the new stadium design over at nationalspride.com - thought i would share them here as well.

While RFK currently has more than 8,000 parking spaces, the Washington Nationals stadium is only planned to have 1,100 parking spaces. This leaves quite a few fans in without parking and will probably create quite a strain on the metro.

 Suggestions have been made to create an additional underground parking garage but nothing is definite. Get the full story here: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=781137

I’m not sure how the rest of you feel about the Nats’ alternate uniform, but I don’t like them at all. In fact I think they are downright dumb looking.

Keeping with the theme of the curly W, the should use the same type script for the DC logo. To me the DC logo looks too rigid. Whereas the curly W looks fluid, and has a tinge of nostalgia about it.

Just my opinion, what do you think?

The DC council is preparing to force Comcast to broadcast Washington Nationals games to the DC area viewers. Comcast whom has not provided comprehensive broadcasting of Washington Nationals games will soon have no choice but to begin broadcasting more of the games.

The DC council will soon vote to restrict Comcast from doing business in DC unless they broadcast Washington Nationals games to DC viewers.

You can read more on this issue here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/28/AR2006042802134.html

Also, nationalspride.com has organized an online petition. Go fill out their petition to do your part to get the Nats on TV! http://www.nationalspride.com/cable/index.cfm 

As you can see, the Nats Chat blog doesnt have much to read just yet.And that is mainly because this is a new site and we havent had a chance to write anything yet.

 If you are interested in writing about the Washington Nationals and would like to become on of our authors, please contact Bill: bill @ ecentralmarketing.com

Or, post a comment on this post and we will contact you.

Thanks for your interest, we hope to hear from you.

I found this humorous nats comic at another nats blog. Take a look: http://www.ball-wonk.com/archives/2006/05/charles_schulz.html

Welcome to the Nats Chat Washington Nationals blog. This is the first post in the blog and the site is still under construction. You will soon find news and commentary on everything that has to do with the Washington Nats and baseball. We hope you will return shortly to enjoy our blog. Also, don’t forget to visit our nats chat forum where you can talk with other nats fans.

Thanks again for visiting the Nats Chat website we hope to see all our fellow nats fans here this season.