Nationals Under New Management
Washington Nationals
by Oul Saloup
Union League correspondent
Federal Sports
Out of Position
(ATLP) - The
new owner of the Washington squad, Lou Poulas, wasted no time in making
his presence felt in the Nationals clubhouse. Significant lineup and
pitching staff changes have been made today, much to the disappointment
to players and fans alike.
The most notable changes were to the starting lineups. Crowd favorite
Bullet Joe Rogan (RF) has been benched, and Poulas has decided to gamble by
playing star center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. out of position in the
corner outfield.
Elsewhere shortstop Barry Larkin suddenly finds himself out of the
lead-off spot, Ed Delahanty is now platooning with Brian Giles, and the
catcher, Tom Haller, has been demoted in favor of Ed Bailey
The pitching staff was not spared either. The Nationals now move to a 5
man rotation and at the same time relegate 4th starter Frank Tanana to
the bullpen. Joining the rotation are Gene Bacque and Red Fields.
Tanana, along with Bump Hadley, has taken the set-up role away from
Wilbur Wood.
Even worse for fans are the strong rumors of numerous trades in the
works. This All-Ttime League Press (ATLP) Staffer has learned that no less than 8 Nationals have
been offered to various teams around the league in the past 24
hours.
These roster moves and potential trades have caused quite a stir in
Washington. Fans are crying foul, longing for the days of the Scott
Carter ownership; and local talk radio stations have been quick to
criticize. One famous host, Mike “The Mad Dog” Cusso recently had a
rival owner on the air as a guest. This owner, who asked to remain
anonymous, shed some light on the trade negotiation process between his
club and the Nat’s:
Cusso: Are some of these trade speculations just silly rumors or do they have basis?
Owner: Well, I can say I was offered quite a trade proposal last night.
Cusso: Really. Can you elaborate?
Owner: All I will tell you is that I asked Poulas if he was sure about
his proposal because the player he was giving up seemed a perfect fit
for his park.
Cusso: What did he say?
Owner: I overheard him demanding another round from the barkeep.
It is quite clear – for better or worse – things are about to change in Washington.
