Major League Baseball

Washington Post staff writer Dave Sheinin was online Tuesday, March 28, at 1 p.m. ET to talk about the latest major league baseball news.

Full Coverage: Washington Nationals

The transcript follows.

____________________

Dave Sheinin: Hi, folks. Thanks for dropping by. I'll try to get to as many questions as I can ... So let's go ...

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Who, in your best judgment, is likely to be named new owners of the Nats and why is it taking so long now that the stadium deal seems complete?

Dave Sheinin: Tons of ownership questions already. My best guess is that it will be Lerner, with Stan Kasten as the team president/F.O.B (Friend of Bud) figure. As for the timing, my guess is an announcement in April, and an official takeover in mid- to late-summer.

_______________________

Thurmont, Md.: Let's face it. Both the Orioles and the Nationals are going to stink.

Which teams do you see as the best in both leagues?

Dave Sheinin: Oh, ye of little faith... Well, actually, I won't disagree with you. I'm very high right now on the A's and the Cardinals.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Where is BJ Surhoff, will he be playing this year?

Dave Sheinin: I got a press release the other day from Ripken Baseball saying the Surhoff is going to be participating in one of Cal's upcoming camps, which leads me to believe he has decided to retire as a player -- even though he is unlikely to make an official pronouncement.

_______________________

New Carrollton, Md.: So...we've got Brandon Watson, Kenny Kelly, and Tyrell Godwin.

Why do we need Nook Logan? Don't we already have 3 of him? Why do we need one more?

and why do we need to trade relief pitching for him?

Can we Please get someone in here whose Idea of "Pitching Pitchin Pitching" does NOT include Trading all of our Pitching away for Outfielders who can run fast but can't hit the ball past the second baseman without a monumental, earth-shattering effort?

Please Dave, give me hope. Tell me that Bowden is on the first thing smoking when our new Owners take over. Even if it isn't true, it'd be nice to dream.

Dave Sheinin: I must say I was as puzzled as you to learn of the Nats' interest in Logan, who, as you astutely point out, is another version of the type of player the Nats already have too many of. Let's hope there's nothing to it.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Does Jim Bowden have a future with the Nats after a new owner is chosen? Or have his trades and personnel moves doomed him in DC? Aside from the Soriano trade, I am thinking of such moves as his trading pitchers Zack Day and Tomo Ohka last season -- wouldn't they come in handy this year on a pitching staff that is searching for those 3rd, 4th, and 5th starters?

Dave Sheinin: This, to me, is going to be the biggest baseball decision faced by the new owners, and it's hard to speculate until we know who that owner is. And even then, it might be difficult to tell. For instance, as The Post has reported, Bowden has been seen often this spring with the Lerners, and there are signs the Lerners would retain him if they got the team. However, at the same time, I see Stan Kasten -- who is rumored to be joining the Lerners' group -- as someone who would be opposed to retaining Bowden. As for Bowden's record as GM, well, there have been hits (Zimmerman, Guillen, Loaiza) and there have been missed (Guzman, Soriano, Ohka). My own opinion is that there have been more misses than hits.

_______________________

RE: Lerner: If Lerner & Kasten come on board, where will that leave acting team president, Tony Tavares?

Dave Sheinin: I've talked to Tony about this, and he is resigned to the notion that he most likely will not be retained here once the ownership change is complete. When he took the job, it was with the knowledge that it was temporary, and he didn't think it would last anywhere near as long as it has.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: Opening Day still isn't sold out. That honeymoon appears to be long over, especially after the nasty fights during the offseason. And there's that story today about the post-Abramoff lag - though 100 full seasons barely affects the end-of-year total.

Is this a harbinger about attendance this year? Last year the team accounted for virtually all of the increase in MLB attendance. Will attendance decline a lot this year?

Dave Sheinin: Obviously, the team's attendance will depend in large part on its performance on the field. However, I think it's fair to say we should expect a significant drop this season, which is only natural. The novelty has worn off a bit, and there is little about RFK, in and of itself, that creates repeat customers.

_______________________

Rockville, Md.: I live in Montgomery County and got tired of waiting for Comcast and MASN to work out their differences. So I dumped Comcast cable (after 22 years) and switched to DirecTV. I'll get all the Nats games, and the reception is great. My message to all the hand-wringers who can't get the Nats on Comcast: There is an alternative. If enough of us switch, Comcast will get the message and start carrying the Nats.

Dave Sheinin: Grass roots protest. Love it.

_______________________

Sec 515: How is Jose Guillen's wrist? Was the first Doctor really wrong?

Dave Sheinin: Guillen is talking as if he might open the season on the disabled list, but knowing that guy, when it comes down to a decision, he won't be able to bench himself. As for the original diagnosis, the team claimed the first doctor who saw Guillen's wrist was a local hand specialist in Viera who did not have experience dealing with athletes. However, as we reported the next day, the guy was actually the Expos' former hand specialist who operated on Tomo Ohka. I don't think his original diagnosis was wrong -- but subsequent doctors disagreed with the recommendation of surgery.

_______________________

Boston, Mass.: Hey Dave,I have an Orioles question:The team has 6 players competing for 2 outfield slots: Matos, Patterson, Markakis, Newhan, Conine and Millar. Of these players, Patterson is clearly the worst. He's also probably the least tradable, given that he hasn't played a game yet in an O's uniform. So what do the O's do? They really need to trade an outfielder for a reliever but if nothing presents itself, should they just concede defeat and release Patterson?

Dave Sheinin: That's what I would do, Boston. Especially if they keep Markakis. A guy like that needs to play everyday -- he won't be a bench guy.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Instead of focusing on trading Joey Eischen, wouldn't it make more sense to cut dead weight like Michael Tucker? What purpose does he serve exactly? There is more than enough 'veteran leadership' on the bench.

Dave Sheinin: I suspect the Nats will cut Tucker as one of the last cuts of camp.

_______________________

F.O.B. (Friend of Bowden): I just don't understand all the critisism of a GM that put together last year's expectation busting team on a shoestring budget?!?! I'm not saying that he's been perfect, but who has? Looking at this from a glass is half full perspective, I think that if Bowden has real big market resources at his disposal, he'll be able to put together a perennial contender with solid backing from a resurrected farm system. Yes? No? Maybe?

P.S. Go Patriots from a class of '94 Alum!!!!

Dave Sheinin: There is certainly something to be said for results, and the Nats overachieved last year in a big way. However, the opposing viewpoint is that many of the players behind that impressive season were already on board when Bowden took over (Cordero, Patterson, Hernandez, Johnson, Ayala, etc.), and that Bowden's moves did little to enhance the team and, in fact, in some cases damaged the team.

_______________________

Svrlugaland, Va.: Did you get an advance copy of Barry's book?

Dave Sheinin: Yes, and it's fantastic. Dude can type.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I'm an astute enough baseball fan to figure out that Bowden has had some hits and some misses. And I know that he is a controversial figure among league-watchers.

But to what degree have his misses resulted from errors in judgment, and to what degree has he just been hamstrung by the ownership issue/budget?

Dave Sheinin: It's hard to separate the two, because every single one of his moves is informed, to one degree or another, by the team's crazy ownership/budgetary issues. But that said, some of Bowden's worst moves do not appear to have been forced by financial constraints. He signed Guzman, for instance, very early in the free-agent market, for a price that most observers around the game thought was exorbitant. And this winter, with extra money to spend because of a boost in payroll budget, he spent the majority of it on Soriano. Now, Guzman might still end up being a good shortstop for the next three years, and Soriano might hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases this year. But I doubt it.

_______________________

Manassas, Va.: I know everyone is getting sick of the Bonds story, but I'm hoping you will take this because I haven't heard an answer to this yet.

If I understand things correctly, Bonds took steroids up to the year 2002, quitting before baseball banned steroids. If that is correct, baseball has no right to investigate him, because he didn't break any baseball rules.

I don't know if what he took was illegal, but if it was, the State of California should be investigating him. If they investigate and find him guilty, then baseball has a right to take some action.

I dislike Bonds as much as any non-Giant fan, but I can't see anyway to punish the guy except for a asterik by his numbers and no official MLB celebration of any milestones.

Dave Sheinin: Nice post, Manassas. I am against the notion of MLB investigating Bonds for that very reason. If you are going to investigate someone for something they did outside of MLB's own drug policy, you should also be prepared to investigate Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and all the dozens of other players of whom there exists evidence of steroid use, despite the lack of a positive test. To investigate Bonds alone, I think, is unfair. A better strategy, in my opinion, would be to wait and see what action, if any, is going to come out of the federal government's investigation. Various observers think Bonds could get nabbed for perjury, tax evasion or something else before this is over.

_______________________

Manassas, Va.: Looking at the Nats' division rivals, do you think that the Mets made the right moves to put them at the top? Also, I've heard a lot about the Phillies, but I'm not sold on their pitching. What's your take on them? Thanks.

Dave Sheinin: I think both of those teams have serious flaws, and neither has enough pitching. It's still puzzling to me why the Mets felt confident enough in their pitching to get rid of Benson and Sao. And the Phillies didn't do enough to address their pitching shortcomings.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: If Bowden had gotten to talk to Soriano before the trade, everyone knew exactly what Soriano would have said. Once said, Bowden would have been unable to trade for Soriano and then force him to eat his words. Bowden never wanted to talk to Soriano before the trade and all this posturing to the contrary is purely for Soriano's benefit. It's a con job.

Dave Sheinin: Dig.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Is Barry Svrulga's book on the stands yet?

Dave Sheinin: It dropped today, as a matter of fact. Hurry while supplies last.

_______________________

Borders, Washing5ton D.C.: What is the name of Barry's book and can I buy it now?

Go Nats!!

Dave Sheinin: Geez, I'm going to start demanding a cut if this keeps up. It's called "National Pastime" and it's available today.

_______________________

Rosslyn, Va.: Enough of this limited budget nonsense.

Seems to me that the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, and Oakland Athletics have gotten by just fine with "shoestring budgets" and surprisingly enough, they've never run out of pitchers in September or had an unhealthy fascination with toolsy OFs.

Dave Sheinin: Nice one.

_______________________

Fairfax, Va.: Hi Dave,

I really enjoy your articles and appreciate that you "chat" with us. Q. What's your thoughts on the WBC and its future? Will it become as big as the Soccer World Cup? What changes do you see happening before the next one in 3 years?

Thanks.

Dave Sheinin: First of all, I can't see the WBC EVER becoming as big as the World Cup. Baseball just doesn't have that sort of profile worldwide. Still, the inaugural tournament was a success on many counts, and it will definitely get another go-round in three years. I think there will be some tweaks made, including the possibility of playing preliminary rounds in March, then staging the semis and finals at the all-star break.

_______________________

Washington D.C.: The difference, in my humble opinion between other small budget clubs and the Nats is that they have had excellent farm systems to draw from. The Expos to used to have an excellent farm system but was obliterated by the idiots on Madison Ave. Fortunately we should have a better farm system in the future. Dave, how many years does it take to retool a farm system?

Dave Sheinin: You nailed it. And as far as overhauling a farm system, it can take four or five years.

_______________________

Greenbelt, Md.: Why does it seem that there is no joy in Natsville this spring? The ballpark fight, Soriano's stubborness, Lawrence's injury. Are these things common to other teams that have stable ownership and management?

Dave Sheinin: Well, to answer that question, let's look at the Orioles' 2005 season: A couple of DUIs, Sidney Ponson's jail time in Aruba, the firing of Lee Mazzilli, Raffy Palmeiro's positive test, Miguel Tejada's B-12 injections, Brian Roberts's gruesome injury, Elrod Hendricks's death. Am I leaving anything out?

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Manny Acta, the Dominican manager who also happens to be the third base coach for the Mets, seemed to do the Nats an enormous favor by benching Soriano during the WBC. As Soriano has been swinging a good bat since he got back to Viera, how do you think the confrontation between the Nats and Soriano might have played out if Acta had shown more patience with Soriano and was suitably rewarded?

Dave Sheinin: Good question. I suspect the very unceremonious benching during the WBC contributed to Soriano's changing his mind. Once he realized his manager felt the Dominican team had a better chance to win with him on the bench -- and with Placido Polanco taking his place on the field -- it was harder for him to cling to the notion that he was an elite second baseman.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Hi David,

Last Spring, Ian Desmond was the talk of the town at Nationals camp. This year, we've barely heard anything about the young Short Stop. The Nats Web site says he's a non-roster invitee. Any comments on what's his status/development so far? Is he still one of the team's top prospects?

Dave Sheinin: The Nats still consider Desmond a potential everyday big leaguers, but he did not hit as well as the team had hoped last season, and he is slated to begin the 2006 season at Class AA.

_______________________

Leaving anything out........: You forgot to mention Swingin' Sammy Sosa. What a bust and he also tore the chemistry of the clubhouse apart!

Dave Sheinin: Wow, how could I forget that whole sordid tale? Thanks for the reminder.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Please give your opinion on Simmerman. Is he as good as all the hype?

Dave Sheinin: I don't know that Brooks Robinson himself, were he to be reincarnated as a 21-year-old rookie in 2006, would be as good as the hype that has been heaped upon young Ryan. As this spring has shown, he can be expected to struggle at times, and to blow people away with his ability at times. That's how it goes with 21-year-old kids who are rushed to the majors. However, I think it is fair to expect a decent year out of him (by which we mean perhaps a .270 average, 15 homers, 60 RBI, etc., plus above-average defense). And the one thing that is sure about Zimmerman is that he has the "makeup," as baseball folks say, to handle this extraordinarily pressure-filled job.

_______________________

McLean, Va.: I watched Sunday's Nationals game against the Astros on TV. It was nice to see all those home runs, but wouldn't they just have been caught fly balls at RFK?

Dave Sheinin: Yes, Mr. Guillen, they would be.

_______________________

Dave Sheinin: Sorry, folks. But I'm out of time. Thanks for all the questions. See you next time.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.