THE CHIEF OF YOU

According to Charlie Slowes and Brad Davis, Nationals super-closer Chad "The Chief" Cordero found at least one pigeon while in Colorado and fed it. I'll leave aside my scorn for pigeons to say that I think the Chief is a very cool person. A superstar who finds respite in the feeding of air rodents says a lot. I'm not sure what that lot is, but it says it.

You'll have noticed that Small Ball has experienced an inertial stop. Little to write about when everybody stinks (as in, pee-ew), but I'm sensing an awakening from deep late-summer slumber. The Nationals have won 4 in a row, all of them important. The previously damaged "power" players like Guillen, Vidro, and Johnson are all in fine form. Why Vinnie Castilla, with his injured knee, hobbles around the field like an old man boggles me, but kudos to his determination. He'll probably get a big fat post-season deal for his indispensable contribution to the Nationals' surprising success this year. Even our psychologically damaged shortstop Christian Guzman is now on his way to perhaps approaching a .200 batting average.

The Nationals continue to threaten, not greatness, but damned goodness. If, with all their injuries and early 2nd-half one-run disappointments, they can stay close to Atlanta, or even claim the wildcard, they'll have accomplished everything they set out to do in their new incarnation. That's exciting.