Washington Post sports columnist Thomas Boswell was online Friday, Sept. 1, at 11 a.m. ET to take your questions and comments about the Washington Nationals, Major League Baseball and his recent columns .

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The transcript follows.

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McLean, Va.: I'm happy Marlon Anderson is going to a contender. Will he be eligible for the postseason? He has been a class act and a solid contributor off the bench. He will be missed.

Tom Boswell: Everybody has been waiting to see where the Nats solid bench players would land before the Sept. 1 deadline. Sorry not to be able to watch Anderson and Ward anymore. If Nick Johnson had gotten hurt, as he has so often in the past, Ward would have been as good a replacement as you could ask. And he had an excellent season in his limited at bats.

He and Anderson were both well-like and up-beat personalities in the clubhouse. They were simply too good to stay with a last-place team.

This, however, will knock the Nats down even lower from a competitive standpoint. I suspect that plenty of people with the Nats won't cry if their draft position stays bad or even gets worse. My stomach has a problem with that. Nunez has real "prospect" numbers in the Gulf Coast league -- 6-0, 1.58 ERA in 10 games. But the Nats got Atilano because he just had major arm surgery 10 days ago and won't be back until '08. But he's a former No. 1 draft pick. So, it's a calculated gamble.

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Alexandria, Va.: Boz,

If Soriano goes 50-40 and does not win the MVP, how big of a travesty will it be?

Tom Boswell: The AL MVP race is going to be a tough decision. Wilbon and I were talking about it at the Skins game last night. Of course, Michael's pushing Dye from Chicago! (Who's having a great season.) Jeter will get lots of support. The M and M boys in Minnesota may split some of their vote. With the offensive stats so huge this year, I doubt Soriano or David Ortiz has much chance with their teams out of the race. Travis Hafner has had a monster year, like Soriano's, which has been largely lost in the Indians disaster year.

Nonetheless, if Soriano gets 50-40 we may be talking about it for many years. Especially if it's his only year as a National. He's driving his market price to the moon. The better he plays the more it hurts the Nats ability to pay an astronomical "market price" for a 30-year-old player in his absolute prime who is at the very top of its value.

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Sherbrooke, Quebec: As a baseball fan, I cringe every time a sportscaster mentions Bonds and Aaron in the same sentence. What is MLB waiting for to take action against Barry Bonds? I also believe his records should have an asterisk next to them. What is your opinion?

Tom Boswell: "Rust never sleeps." I never thought I'd root for age to slow down a great player. Maybe nature will take care of what baseball doesn't seem able to handle.

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Alexandria, Va.: I look at the Nats lineup of Soriano, Lopez, Zimmerman, Johnson, Kearns, Vidro, Church/Escobar and Schneider and think that's not too shabby. Keeping Soriano and getting pitching would seem to be the trick. Though the free-agent market looks weak, taking a chance on some pitchers coming back from injury and signing some low-cost bullpen help would make '07 look better than we think. Is this possible?

Tom Boswell: I hope that the Nationals WANT to be respectable next year. But I'm not sure they do. With Paterson back and, perhaps one of the other injured starters returning (as well as Luis Ayala), it's conceivable that the addition of one Loaiza-level pitcher would stabilize the staff.

Don't forget Guzman (even though you were probably trying.) Lopez is presumably a second baseman, not a shortstop, eventually. (Yes, that's the Nats view, too.) Vidro has lost what little range he had last year. Castro made three fine plays last night on balls Jose would not have touched. Part of pitching is the defense which supports it. Guzman-Lopez would get to more balls, make less errors and turn more double plays than the current Lopez-Vidro mess in the middle of the diamond. Also, it's become clear that Ryan Church isn't a center fielder. He's smooth in LF and RF but just doesn't cover enough ground in center, especially in a big park like RFK.

The Nats currently have the third-worst ERA in baseball (5.04) -- still better than the O's unbelievable 5.28 in the first year of Leo. When your pitching is that bad, you have to make some compromises to make sure the defense is a help, not a hindrance. Believe it or not, now that Vidro has lost his extra-base power, Guzman to SS and Lopez to 2nd would be an all-in-all upgrade.

The Nats couldn't move Vidro, and his large salary, in the last six weeks although they sure tried. Vidro is a fine citizen of the game and still a solid slap hitter. But where does he play and for who? Tough question.

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McLean, Va.: Tom -- Great column on the pitching we deserve! Have you gotten any responses from Bowden/Kasten/the Lerners? Or do they ever respond to such columns and try to explain their positions?

Thanks for continuing to raise your strong, clear voice to represent the fans!

Tom Boswell: I'll see them this weekend I assume. Yes, the Nats are responsive and open to "lively discussion." Kasten and Bowden are very confident people who enjoy arguing. That's what you hope for, rather than people with thin skins who don't enjoy all the energy and debate in the game.

I can't wait to hear more about the pitchers that were acquired for Anderson and Ward. I was a little surprised that nobody grabbed Church. Despite all the knocks on his season, he's still slugging .497 and has an on-base percentage of .356 in his 149 ABs. That's a better OPS than Ryan Zimmerman.

Church's career numbers, in 480 at bats, are 29 doubles, 17 homers, 72 RBI, a .263 average and a .788 OPS (better than Jose Guillen's career). He's quite old (28) for a supposedly "young" player. But he's a valuable insurance policy in LF if Soriano doesn't resign. Hey, you gotta have somebody out there. They make you put nine of 'em in the lineup.

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Baltimore: Cabrera is giving me indigestion. Just wanted you to know.

Tom Boswell: Cabrera is EXCITING. His back-to-back no-run games showed his amazing potential once he learns to "pitch at 93-94-95" rather than try to "throw at 97-98-99." All pitchers are inconsistent. If his line last night is now his BAD performance --5-8-(5-4)-4-7-- then that's a big improvement over the guy who got sent to the minors as a reality check.

If you put together the Orioles current pitching and the Nats lineup, you'd have a playoff contender -- OK, well in the NL anyway.

It's also nice to see Jeff Conine get yet another shot at the postseason with the Phils. Remember, a lot of players like Conine, Anderson and Ward, after being "rented" to contenders for the last few weeks of the season, often end up resigning with the teams that traded them away. They appreciate being put in a position to have some big September and October fun.

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Arlington, Va.: Who has a better future for the Nats: Church or Escobar?

Tom Boswell: Escobar may be the most unlucky player I have ever seen. And that is saying a lot. He makes Eric Davis look sturdy. When Escobar lay at first base and cried in the dirt, knowing his season and (for all he knew) his career might be over, I thought I'd seldom seen a sadder injury. Escobar drips talent. And he is a delightful guy to talk to. If he ever stayed healthy --which he never has-- fans would quickly like his personality as well as his play.

If everything broke right for him, Church might turn into a good major leaguer. But if Escobar ever stayed healthy, he could be excellent, perhaps a .300 hitter with 25 homers and respectable skills in center.

However, to be blunt, every time Escobar gets hurt it weakens his total physical package. I just get the feeling that he is never going to have the career that he was "supposed" to have. I hope I'm wrong.

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Soriano is gone: I can't imagine him staying. This can't be any fun for him and next year doesn't look much better. A contender will say, "Here's a no-trade, $75 million, 5-year contract. Make a home with us." How could he resist?

Tom Boswell: He can't. And he won't.

Just my opinion. Maybe he loves Washington and his teammates so much that he will stay. But if he does, a lot of people around baseball will faint. If he stays, it will be one of the most dramatic heart-over-head decisions I've ever seen.

Nevertheless, the Nationals MUST make the very best offer that they can and --screaming and wailing -- bring to the table. Soriano's season-saving performance, the good will of the fans and common decency require it.

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Joe (NY): Do you still think keeping Soriano at the deadline was the right decision? I just think getting one or two legit AA or AAA prospects would have been much better than getting draft picks when Soriano walks. Bowden was just asking for way too much it seems.

Tom Boswell: Keeping Soriano was great. The Carlos Lee traded set the market for what you could get in a deal for a slugging LF. And that wasn't high enough to counter-balance the possibility -- even if it's not high -- that you may resign Soriano. If you have a 1-in-4 shot at keeping him, I'd say you should take it.

Also, say what you will, Soriano and Zimmerman have made a 95-loss team worth watching. When new fans are trying to decide whether it is worth following the Nats or attending games, they need to feel that management considers their feelings or is just collecting their dollars. Keeping Soriano for his shot at 50-40 --and a fighting chance to resign him -- bought an awful lot of good will. Now that the pitching has imploded -- post-Livan trade -- it is twice as important that Soriano was kept. Every night, with the Soriano-Lopez-Zimmerman-Johnson-Kearns top of the batting order and Cordero as a closer, fans are offered entertainment -- even when the team on the field has the fifth-worst record in the sport.

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re: Soriano/MVP: Did the Nationals get transferred to the AL without our knowledge? The chatter asked about Soriano for MVP and you answered talking about the AL MVP race.

Tom Boswell: Sorry, up into the a.m. last night with the 'Skins. Not enough coffee this a.m.! I hope Bowden hasn't traded the Nationals into the AL in return for two young pitchers coming off arm surgery.

Soriano has an uphill battle against players like Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes who play for teams that will or might make the playoffs. Also, Soriano's defense, while much improved, is coming off a very low level.

Ah, the joys of chatting on short sleep!

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Farragut North: I was surprised to see Frank voted worst manager in the players' poll. What kind of variables do you think are behind such a decision? Poor pitching substitutions? Bad motivational speeches? Huh?

Tom Boswell: The things Robinson does best are seldom visible -- motivation, the ability to keep a team playing reasonably hard when it's out of the race. His example and leadership with a player like Zimmerman can't be measured.

However, what IS visible is easy to rip. Nobody tears up the strategy book more cavalierly than Frank. He "trusts his gut" in a computer age. I think the geek theorists have cleaned Frank's clock for years. Also, Frank has always been hard on his pitching staffs. So, when lost of Nats pitchers end up hurt, the No. 1 suspect is going to be Robinson, whether it's justified or not. Also, Frank calls out his players in public as much or more than any manager. That doesn't get you any votes.

However, the one new wrinkle is that Robinson has had a defeatist tone in his remarks all season. They are colorful remarks, honest comments and usually true. But it's a bad habit for a manager. It's everybody EXCEPT the manager who is supposed to "kick 'em when they are down," isn't it?

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Fairfax, Va.: Do you think the Nationals should keep their own record or have to assume the Montreal years?

Tom Boswell: You can be sure that seven different versions of all records will be shoved down our throats for eternity.

Washington records are Washington records. For me, Montreal does not exist. Some people don't like that. They can lump it.

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Washington, D.C.: Can you handicap AL Cy Young award candidates for us? Is the Yankees' Wang in the hunt?

Tom Boswell: First, remind me, which league are the Yankees in?

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Baltimore, Md.: Actually, Boz, the Nats' pitching is worse than the O's considering leagues and ballparks. All of their ballpark- and league-independent stats are worse than Baltimore's.

Tom Boswell: Amen.

BTW, if the ball isn't "juiced" this year, then why have balls -- and not just Soriano's -- been flying into the upper deck all season at RFK. The NEW ballpark is being built in SE The OLD ballpark hasn't changed. And, pleeeaasse, the weather hasn't changed enough to matter.

Baseball tried to take some of the juice out of the players this season and, though no one will ever prove it -- it's NEVER been proven in any of the past "jack rabbit ball" seasons -- this is one of those years when something suspicious happened to the ball at exactly the time when it served baseball's save-the-attendance purposes. You can't be certain. But you can sure have an opinion. I know what mine is.

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20003: Seems to me Frank is a guy who privately enjoys being voted worst manager. Does he chuckle to himself about it in the clubhouse?

Tom Boswell: No.

He hates it.

He's enormously proud. He knows his style is iconoclastic, to say the least. And he wants to manage until he's 74. Getting voted "worst manager" doesn't help.

I think that, over long periods of time, a player's statistics are an accurate measure of his ability. The same usually goes for managers. (Though not always. Somebody gets to manage the Yankees. Somebody gets stuck with 'minor market' teams.) In Frank's case, I think his 2,200+ game career managerial record is close enough to his ability to be used as a fair approximation -- in other words, slightly below average but far from "bad" or "worst."

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Rockville, Md.: What are your thoughts on the planned protest at the O's game on Sept. 21 against the Tigers? Do you think it will get the attention of the media or more importantly those in the front office (i.e. Peter Angelos)? Do you think it's a wise idea? Stupid idea?

Tom Boswell: What took so long?

I already "protested." I canceled my mini-season ticket plan this year. When my son and I went to see Minnesota in Baltimore recently, we walked right up and bought very good seats before the game to see the Twins, who are the Boswell family's favorite underdog. (As well as the original Senators.)

It's a shame. Especially since, under the surface, I think the Orioles have made considerable progress this year. Add a free-agent slugger at 1b or LF and let the young pitching develop and you may have a winning team -- though probably not a real contender -- quite soon.

Or will the dark karmic cloud over Camden Yards allow that?

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Charlottesville, Va.: When are we going to see the team in the Homestead Grays uniforms again, aren't we undefeated this season wearing them? I think they're great...

Tom Boswell: They're great. But what the Nats really need is some of the Homestead Grays' old starting pitchers.

OK, they're in their 90s now. But can they really be worse?

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They can lump it?: For someone who knows what it's like to lose a team of their youth, that's a wonderful sentiment. The fans of the Expos everywhere say "morceau il" right backatcha

Tom Boswell: When you guys get a team back in Montreal, you can recognize all the old Expo records but ignore the glorious "Tampa Bay years."

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Catonsville, Md.: Mussina returns to the city he never really wanted to leave for the chance to mentor an up-and-coming rotation and retire in the uniform he belongs in. ... Pipe dream or possibility?

Tom Boswell: What's in that pipe of yours anyway?

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Bethesda, Md.: Hey Tom -- What would you say if Peter Angelos called and asked you to be the O's GM?

Tom Boswell: I'd change my phone number.

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Hyattsville, Md.: What would you recommend for someone who is going to see his/her first baseball game?

Thanks

Tom Boswell: Don't miss the top of the first inning. With the current Nats rotation, it "gets late early."

Seriously, come 75-to-90 minutes before the game. Watch some of batting practice. Roam around the park, get a feel for different sight lines for your next game. And don't miss the food court behind home plate on the mezzanine level. It's very good. Finish eating before the first pitch, get a scorecard and invent your own method of keeping score. If you're looking for value-for-the-dollar, get the best upper deck seats that are available. Finally, stay until the last out no matter what the score. (OK, not if it's a four-hour game with a rain delay, too.)

Enjoy the whole experience -- the moments of calm and the conversation as well as the moments of excitement. If you're lucky, you'll see a game that's as much of a kick as last night's 6-5 win. You seldom see any team score two runs in the ninth to tie, then two more in the 10th to come from behind to win.

Of course, it's even rarer to see Brian Schneider get two clutch hits TO LEFT FIELD off left-handers in both rallies. Six weeks ago by the batting cage I pointed out to Schneider that statistics showed he had only grounded out to the third baseman ONCE all season. "It's still legal to hit to the opposite field. It doesn't make you a bad person," I said. I didn't think he listened. Could I have been wrong?

See you folks next week, but on Wednesday, I'm told. Cheers.

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