Slightly off topic, irrelevant comment here:

Atkins’ .904 OPS at home last season was the 18th highest in the NL, while his .661 road OPS was the fifth lowest. He also was a defensive liability, ranking 31st in the majors at third base and 30th at first among qualifying players at those positions, according to the plus-minus rankings at Bill James Online.

I've never understood the need to cite sources for freely available facts. I mean, it's not like Atkins's road OPS is some proprietary trade stat. It's a simple mathematical fact, like the height of the Sears Tower or the population of London.

I think that he was citing the source for the defensive rankings, because there are a bunch out there, so he needed to let people know by what measure he had determined Atkins a defensive liability.

I think that he was citing the source for the defensive rankings, because there are a bunch out there, so he needed to let people know by what measure he had determined Atkins a defensive liability.

Ah, I missed that. Yes.

My point still stands, just not applicable here.

[Nationals'] officials believe that the team is reasonably close to a breakthrough, which is why they are pursuing sluggers such as Holliday and free agents Mark Teixeira and Adam Dunn.

???

They've got relatively unproven prospects at C, 2b, SS. They've got a lot of question marks in the OF, but players who might come good. And 1b is really a permanent worry, even with Nick Johnson.

I think they are at least two years away still, and by that time they are liable to have a bunch more problems as places where they are arguably solid now will weaken. They might have a breakthrough, but the odds look just as good that they'll be the NL East version of the Royals - a bland mediocre-to-bad team that constantly seems to be rebuilding. 'Reasonably close' is one of those Bowdenisms that probably led to that comment by - was it Ron Oester?

I think they are at least two years away still, and by that time they are liable to have a bunch more problems as places where they are arguably solid now will weaken.

The Nats are two years away if they sign Teixeira, CC, Burnett, and Lowe, and then trade for Holliday. And then turn around and sign all of the best free agents again next year. In that scenario, they're two years away.

And it’s 2-4-6-8 Magmotorway on thru the night…

My hatred of America may well date back to that single's failure to chart.

My hatred of America may well date back to that single's failure to chart.
Even after America kept the UK financially solvent by charting every single put out by a group in Edwardian clothes in the 60s?

Not that 2-4-6-8 wasn't chart-worthy.