Ask Boswell

Washington Post sports columnist Thomas Boswell was online Friday, Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. ET to take your questions about the Redskins, the Caps, the Hot Stove league and his latest columns.

The transcript follows.

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Capitals City: Tom -- Thanks for your column on the Caps. It is strking to me that here we have a team in first place, reigning league MVP, reigning coach of the year, attendance and TV viewership is up significantly. But the local news coverage has not reflected this apparent upsurge in fan interest. For example we don't have weekly Caps chats, why is that?

washingtonpost.com: Our goal is to have a weekly Caps chat, but to try and schedule it on the day of or the day after a big game. We're still working out the kinks in the system, but interest in the Caps chat is also up.

Tom Boswell: My son has been drumming into me for almost a year how much he's interested in the Caps and, by their late-season run last season, I was getting on board. I promise never to pretend to know more about hockey than I do. I really enjoyed talking to Wilson because he'd always say, "I'll teach you about hockey. But let me ask you questions about similarities between hockey and the other sports you cover." I got much the better end of that deal.

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Bethesda, Md.: Tom,

Nice column on the Caps. With the Caps, as you said, being the best team in town right now, are we going to be seeing more Caps columns from you in the future?

washingtonpost.com: On Top of Their Game (Post, Dec. 4)

Tom Boswell: Yes, I hope so. Right now, their path to a couple of trips to the Stanley Cup over the next five years is much clearer than the Redskins, Wizards or Nats. They have the most exciting player in the world, a young team and a deep system. I really enjoyed their one trip to the finals under Ron Wilson. Unfortunately, some of their best teams (long ago) were oriented toward defense, tended to be a bit dump-and-chase dull on offense and had the estimable (but not highly quotable) Murray brothers as coaches.

Boudreau is a pistol, McPhee is extremely sharp and Ted Leonsis loves to chat. So they're going to be fun.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Boz, I've been a staunch defender of the Lerners in the past, giving them the benefit of the doubt on their commitment to build a strong franchise, but if the Nats don't step up to the plate and hire Hondo ASAP they are fools with tin ears when it comes to PR. Frank Howard is the greatest living link to Washington's baseball past. Watching 20 somethings (along with us old folks) stand and give Hondo an ovation as he walked on the RFK field before the last game there, is proof that he transcends age. (I would guess seeing those white seats at RFK and hearing what they mean might have something to do with it). He would be the best ambassador for the Nats imaginable and would, like everything he does, give it his all. It's time to bring Hondo home where he belongs and is loved.

Tom Boswell: Agreed.

When I was young and green in the '70's, my editor sent me to Spokane to do a long feature on Howard who was then managing out there. Nobody has EVER been as nice to me as Hondo was. We went out to eat with a bunch of his young players and Frank said, "How can you swing that lumber tomorrow if you don't pound that Budweiser tonight?"

Frank's a great guy. I assume a role can be found. He's 72 and not looking for some big position. And next year will be his 50th in baseball. Mark Lerner grew up on him. I don't think this will be a problem.

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Hondo, Texas: In frustration over the perpetually injured Nick Johnson, is it true that Frank Howard will take over at first for the Nats next season?

Tom Boswell: Just a rumor, so far. But I'll try to promote it.

If Hondo wasn't limping in from leftfield every inning with some bump, bruise, strain or sprain, he didn't think he was playing hard enough. Never saw a leftfielder backup third base as well as Howard, especially on grounders to second base with nobody on base. If there wasn't a reason to hustle, Howard found one. He seemed to feel so guilty about being so big, or perhaps, about merely being a very dangerous hitter, not a great one, that it drove him batty and he always tried to overcompensate. An endearing flaw.

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Ted Lerner, Bethesda, Md.: Boz,

Do you see me spending any dough on the moribund Washington Nationals this offseason? If not, will the proletariat revolt?

Teddy

Tom Boswell: This will be a defining winter for the Nationals and they know it. Maybe THE defining winter for quite a few years. At some point, they are goig to lose some very valkuable people if they don't step up to the plate.

But every indication is that the Nats are as dead serious, and willing to go high, on Teixeira as you'd probably wish them to. However, if "all things are equal" there's very little way they can beat the Angels and, presumably Yanks and Red Sox, too. But if they go higher than anybody -- or one year longer -- that might conceivably do it. If the world puts the odds at 5-to-10 percent, then I'd say 10-20 percent. And that's a lot higher than I thought at the end of the season.

Now, OTHER THAN Teixeira, I think they'll be looking for trades (which perhaps increases salary, like Olsen and Willingham) or "value" free agent signings. Those value signings -- which include some good players -- usually don't happen until Jan. or Feb. when the players who haven't been asked to dance say, "Uh oh."

The most fascinating player who falls between Very Top (CC, Manny, Tex) and Value may end up being Adam Dunn.

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Love Your Work: Tom: Great article on the Caps. I guess your point was spot on. You said watch to see how the Caps respond to their stinker the other night. They played pretty well last night. There is definitely something special building with this team (finally).

Tom Boswell: The Caps had a ton of energy last night. Late goals made it 5-2, but they were banging in front of the net all night and had plenty of good chances. Most shots on goal this season for them? On the last empty net goal, I liked the way Ovechkin, when he probably could have bulled around the last defender to get a score himself, passed to Backstrom instead for an easier shot and cheap goal -- for a second-year player who'd appreciate the good-teammate gift.

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Lusby, Md.: Any chance of the Nats signing Scot Podsednik to add a little speed to the offense?

Tom Boswell: The Nats are thinking a lot bigger than Podsednik. They're in so many trade talks -- you know Bowden, he's in heaven playing 20-dimensional chess -- that they'll probably get something done. However, I don't remember a slower developing offseason ever. Of course, an unemployment report with -533,000 jobs will freeze up a lot of checkbooks. This is one year that it's good to have a low payroll with room to grow, like the Nats. They have no excuse not improve themselves. The players are there, tons of them, and prices will be fair to cheap.

The next four-to-six weeks, not April-through-September, may be the real Nationals season this year. And it's going to tell a ton about ownership.

However, it's worth noting that Mark Lerner is on the Capitals board (and is a huge hockey fan) and he has just seen McPhee's long-term Plan work out very well. Hope he doesn't forget that there's a difference between the franchises. The District didn't build the Caps/Wiz stadium for them.

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Washington, D.C.: I've been saying for a long time, that we can trace the Redskins' mediocre play to their move out of the City to some no-name place in Maryland. I realize others trace it to Snyder taking over.

Why do people think there's no price to pay for killing the mystique of a place (Washington) and a playing arena (RFK)?

When will the 'Skins return to DC?

Tom Boswell: I loved RFK. It was worth one-two-three points a game vs. FedEx which, as everybody knows, can't compare for home field edge.

How many games have the Redskins lost by three-points-or-less or in overtime at home since they've been in FedEx? I don't know. I'll have to figure it out.

They've paid a price on the field for all the extra seats around the field. Of course, I know, I know, RFK was REALLY old. I'd love to see the NFL back in DC and in a louder, crazier stadium. Last week, FedEx was almost empty by the last minute. And that was an afternoon game.

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Vienna, Va.: Bos -- I know it's baseball HOF time again and I was wondering if you'd weigh in on Jim Rice's chances. I've always felt he was unduly passed over, not because he didn't have the numbers (because they are certainly on par with many other of his contemporaries in the Hall) but because he was not a buddy of the press or a wildly popular personality. Like Art Monk (also an inexplicable non-inductee until last year), Rice has always been merely a solid leader and performer who was a taciturn man but who showed up to play, and play with the same team for 15 years. I would think his career performance would be looking even better after the steroid excesses that have inflated offense in the last 15 years.

Tom Boswell: I've probably told this story before. Sorry. The year after Rice was MVP, he got in an argument at home plate and, by accident in the general confusion, spun around and knocked over the home plate ump. After the game, nobody wanted to ask him about it.

He stood glowering into his locker.

So, I asked -- okay, I asked him three times in three different places in the locker room -- about the incident. He wouldn't answer. But the third time he did offer to stuff me in a trash can.

The next day, the Orioles saw me come into their dressing room and started yelling, "Boz, look out for the trash can!"

Anyway, years later I always voted for Rice for HOF. We got along fine. He appreciated that I voted on the merits and -- both of us older and wiser -- we had our little trash can memory.

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Charlottesville, Va.: Hello Tom, with the exception of a few signings, the big free agent market has been fairly quiet. Have teams been holding back because of the economy?

Tom Boswell: Talking to people in the industry today, they've never seen it so slow and are trying to figure out what it means, who it helps and how to play it.

Makes next week in Las Vegas even more interesting.

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Manor Park DC: Mr. Boswell:

Vinnie Cerrato is to Dan Snyder as Syd Thrift was to Peter Angelos as Grima Wormtongue was to Theoden King of the Mark in "Lord of the Rings": an irresponsible meddler whispering demoralizing poison in the ear of the powerful. True or false?

Tom Boswell: No, not fair.

When Syd was Vinnie's age, he was a good GM.

Whether you think Cerrato is weak or okay, he's not as highly regarded as Thrift was for quite a few years. Maybe he'll get there. Got quite a ways to go. Syd never spent a No. 2 draft pick on a player who, in December, still can't get on the field because he hasn't mastered the playbook.

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Washington, D.C.: Mr. Boswell,

Is Stan Kasten able to make a difference with the Nats. I used to talk with him in the upper deck of RFK when he first came to DC. I was very impressed with his talk but now over two years later I see very little of the customer service promises and focus on excellence that he would talk about in the Nationals product.....What happened?

Tom Boswell: Another good question. In Atlanta, the Braves were standard setters in customer services. The Nats aren't. Yet. Kasten hasn't changed. So what's the reason? And how much progress -- this area is usually called "branding" -- will we see in '09?

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Fairfax, Va.: "Last week, FedEx was almost empty by the last minute. And that was an afternoon game."

Be fair now. It was cold, raining, and the Redskins were getting beat really badly. Its more than fair for fans to leave in the last five minutes of a game like that. That brings up a point though. There's been much made in the media about how Redskins fans aren't supporting the team because there are some/many opposing fans at home games. That's ridiculous. The Redskins have the largest stadium in the NFL, so its easier for opposing fans to get into FedEx Field than any other opposing stadium, including their own. Also, the Redskins are the most valuable franchise in the NFL, which would not be possible without excellent fan support. Thoughts? Keep up the good work, and thanks for the chat.

Tom Boswell: All good points. I had a good friend who said he was soaked and so cold he had to stand under a hot shower for a log time when he got home. I said, "What if it had been 5 or 10 degrees colder?" He said, "I'd be dead."

Support for the Redskins ranks somewhere ABOVE excellent. It's a great tradition and, after the recent complaints after the Steelers game, I've been looking at the crowd harder. Looks like a fine group of folks, to me. In general anyway. What percent of bad apples does it take to cause a problem? One per cent? Two per cent?

Also, the intensity of Redskins interest has stayed extremely high for a franchise that is under .500 by -- just glanced -- looks like 20-to-30 games since '91.

It's the level of Redskins interest that keeps other franchises, like the Caps and Nats, convinced that they will get major fan support if they are winners.

And the Caps are drawing VERY well. That only took one year.

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Washington, D.C.: Who would be the Nats most attractive asset that is tradeable to give up in a trade?

Tom Boswell: Believe it or not, maybe Nick Johnson. He started in the Series for the Yankees. He's a prime-time hitter. His value is badly damaged. Yet if he stayed healthy for one or two years, couldn't he be one of the last pieces of the puzzle for a winning team?

The Nats have almost NO players that are thought of as proven winners. From his time with the Yankees, his general demeanor and his background (mom is Larry Bowa's brother) Nick fits the bill.

Assuming, of course, that you don't want to trade any of the much hyped "young core" of Zimmerman, Lannan, Flores, Milledge, Balester...

Plenty of teams think they could teach Zimmerman to hit as well or better than he did (with Frank Robinson around) in '06. But the Nats, I assume, aren't dumb enough to consider it.

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NL East cellar again: You called Adam Dunn, "fascinating." Really? I am so glad I didn't renew.

Tom Boswell: Frank Howard, 6-foot-7, 270 pounds, hit 40 homers three times in his career.

Adam Dunn, 6-6, 240 pounds, has hit 40 or more home runs the last FIVE years in a row. He just turned 29. He hits it 10 miles and draws more than 100 walks and had the 9th highest on-base percentage in the league last year.

According to baseball-reference.com, the five players that Dunn resembles most -- statistically -- at the same age are (in order): Darryl Strawberry, Jose Canseco, Harmon Killebrew, Rocky Colavito and Reggie Jackson.

If they get Dunn, you might want to consider a partial season ticket plan! Unless those other five guys bore you.

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Washington, D.C.: Nick Johnson's "mom is Larry Bowa's brother"?

Tom Boswell: A fast-typing slow-thinking classic! Thanks. Maybe I should frame that for Nick. Sorry, Larry's sister.

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Grasonville, Md.: I'm a little tired of the maudlin spectacle revolving around the murder of Sean Taylor. And how does a defensive back with 12 lifetime interceptions and one playoff win in 3 1/2 years earn the Redskin Hall of Fame? Should the following Redskin defensive backs be made Hall of Famers- Mike Bass, 30 interceptions; Joe Lavender, 29 interceptions as a Redskin; Paul Krause, 28 as a Redskin; and Mark Murphy, 27 interceptions? Each did more for the Redskins than Taylor.

Tom Boswell: This is a tough subject. You make interesting points. But if a young man who is murdered gets a little too much praise over the next year, who is harmed? And perhaps it is all deserved. My views on Taylor's exciting level of play, but with a tendency to make gamble-for-the-big-hit mistakes, can be found in plenty of old columns. Night Train Lane is safe.

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NYC: Hello Mr. Boswell, Thanks for all the work you do to bring us a very well informed perspective on Washington Sports. Is there any parallel, other than losing, between the pre- Grunfeld Wizards (where the team was being run by "friends" of the owner) and the current Washington Redskins?

Tom Boswell: Interesting. Nothing wrong with a little "creative tension," perhaps.

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Gainesville, Fla.: Why are there so many thugs and criminals in sports (pro and college)? Do you think it has anything to do with perpetually indulging the natural inclination of male arrested development in our culture with sports, politics, money and power being at the apex of those who get indulged and held to lower expectations with regard to good behavior? I was always taught sports should build character not indulge bad behavior.

Tom Boswell: At the professional level, sports teaches character far less often than it reveals it.

Luckily, at the high school level (and lower) there are a lot of wonderful coaches who set an example of character. During the six years I covered high school sports, I was always impressed at the high ratio of good-people-to-jerks in coaching. And my high school football coach, the late Sleepy Thompson, will always be a hero.

Lots of fun this week. Looking forward to Skins-Ravens, the free agent craziness next week and much more.

And we didn't even get to the Hoyas-Terps basketball game. Wow! That had to leave a mark.

Got to go back to a column for tomorrow. See you next Friday.

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