NO, folks, this isn't JEALOUSY or ENVY talking. Just a former EXPOS fan soooo sorry to see that the Nats, now FOUR years removed from Montreal, are still, well, the same ol' Expos, the now-defunct franchise known for THIRTY-SIX years (let's not EVER forget THEIR history) as "the team that never disappoints when it comes to... disappointing!"

D.C.'s first-baseman D'MITRI YOUNG hit .320 last year. Nothing to sneeze at indeed. But he makes me laugh when he says "I made only nine errors, so that speaks for itself" How 'bout LACK OF RANGE, D'mitri? So reminiscent of former 1980s Expo short(VERY short)stop SPIKE OWEN, who had a crazy streak -- I forget the number -- of consecutive errorless games. I also lost count of how many BASEHITS to LF (between SS and 3B) opponents got due to Owen's LACK OF RANGE! Whatever... :/

At least consistent with their ORIGINAL (Expos) management's questionable ways, the Nats got rid of their most-proven SP, JOHN PATTERSON -- who, by the way, was an Expos' FIRST-round draft pick in 1998, re-entered the draft in 2000 (picked up by Arizona) because the perenially-cash-strapped Expos couldn't (or wouldn't...) pay him enough "jack" out of high school, only to later be re-acquired by the Expos... SHAWN HILL is now the only worthwhile SP on the Nats. All the while, CLAUDIO VARGAS (3-0 and a low ERA in Milwaukee camp THIS year), for one, was just sent home packing by the Brewers. Why aren't the Nats jumping on THIS (yet another) former Expo/Nat ??? Oh, I forgot. They're STILL the Expos... only relocated!

In closing, who are you trying to fool with your "secret", (Manager) MANNY ACTA? NICK JOHNSON and RONNIE BELLIARD (as FELIPE LOPEZ is good tradebait...) will start at 1B and 2B respectively come Sunday night, at the stadium that -- if not for BUD SELIG and a bunch of other factors -- should have been built and inaugurated in some 48 hours in Downtown MONTREAL...

I'm sad as a stone today, knowing I can only write -- and weep -- over this... :(