That's it. The deadline has come and gone, and just as we had begun to suspect over the last few days, the Nats stood pat. They listened to plenty of offers for Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch, but in the end, Jim Bowden wasn't willing to give in to other teams' demands. He wanted big-time prospects in return for Cordero in particular, and no one was going to meet that price.

Yes, Bowden talked a lot with the Mets and Diamondbacks in the last 24 hours, perhaps even trying to orchestrate a three-way deal. But all that matters is that in the end, he stood firm and didn't succumb to pressure to try to make something happen before the deadline.

So the Nats will move forward with their bullpen intact, with Dmitri Young and Ronnie Belliard signed through 2009, and perhaps with visions of competing sooner than most thought when this team assembled in Viera six months ago. Remember, this team is 36-35 since May 11, and they've done it with a makeshift rotation and one of the least-productive lineups in baseball.

Maybe these guys really aren't that far from competing.

Less than an hour to go until the 4 p.m. trade deadline, and all we can for certainty is that nothing has happened ... yet. Lots of talk still going on, and all of the focus remains on Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch. Here's what we do know at this point:

-- The Red Sox are likely out of any bidding for these guys after striking a deal in principle with the Rangers to acquire Eric Gagne. Gagne still has to approve the deal because of his no-trade clause, but the chances of that falling apart and the Sox and Nats working out a deal in less than an hour are slim-to-none.

-- The Mets, as we've known for some time, covet both Cordero and Rauch. Jim Bowden, though, does not appear to be backing down from his hefty trade demands, which in Cordero's case means BOTH Lastings Milledge and Mike Pelfrey. Rauch could be had for less, but Bowden still might insist on one of those guys being part of the package.

-- Lot of talk about the Diamondbacks getting into the mix for Cordero, an interesting situation because they might be the one team out there actually willing to consider Cordero a part-time closer instead of strictly a setup man. They have an All-Star in Jose Valverde, but he's perpetually teetering on the brink, so Cordero could be insurance for that. The D'backs also have a deep pool of young position players, including Carlos Quentin, Carlos Gonzalez and others. Also, Nats assistant GM Mike Rizzo (formerly Arizona's scouting director) knows that system incredibly well -- he helped acquire Matt Chico and Garrett Mock for Livan Hernandez a year ago. So if Cordero ends up going somewhere, this could be the best fit.

All that said, the odds of Cordero getting dealt before 4 p.m. remain less than 50 percent. Unless Bowden is willing to back down from his demands -- and in three years on the job, has he done that once? -- "Chief" will be available to close tonight against the Reds at RFK. Rauch? He seems more likely to go, though I'd still put the odds at no better than 50 percent.

Stay tuned. We'll have our answer within the hour.

Dmitri Young has officially signed his two-year, $10 million contract extension. The Nats just put out the press release, which includes the following statement from GM Jim Bowden:

"We are very pleased that Dmitri Young has decided to remain with us in Washington, D.C. His infectious love for the game, and playing it the right way, has had a positive influence on this ballclub, both in the clubhouse and on the field."

Terms of the deal: Young will earn $5 million in 2008 and 2009. There's a $6 million club option in 2010 that becomes guaranteed if Young has 500 plate appearances in 2009 or 900 combined plate appearances in 2008-09.

Young, Manny Acta and Stan Kasten will be holding a press conference at 6 p.m., just before the start of tonight's second game at Shea Stadium.

First off, some breaking news ... Jason Bergmann has been placed on the 15-day DL with left hamstring tightness. Not real surprising, because it was obvious Bergmann's leg wasn't going to heal in time for him to start Sunday against the Mets. So now he'll be forced to miss two or three starts, with the Nats makeshift rotation getting another tweak.

Right-hander Joel Hanrahan will be promoted from Class AAA Columbus to start the second game of tomorrow's doubleheader against the Mets. Hanrahan will become the second Nats pitcher to make his major-league debut in three days, joining lefty John Lannan. So your weekend rotation now looks like this...

TONIGHT, 7:10 p.m.: Mike Bacsik
TOMORROW, 12:10 p.m.: Tim Redding
TOMORROW, 7:10 p.m.: Joel Hanrahan
SUNDAY, 1:10 p.m.: Billy Traber

But enough about injuries and such. Lost among the craziness of yesterday's game and news of Dmitri Young's pending contract signing was a superhuman effort by the Nationals' bullpen. When Lannan was stunningly (and incorrectly) ejected by Hunter Wendelstedt for plunking Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in succession, Washington's relief corps was thrown into a difficult situation.

Already depleted by the demotion of Chris Booker and the unavailability of Luis Ayala and Saul Rivera due to overuse the previous two days, the Nats suddenly had to cobble together 4 2/3 innings out of their remaining relievers. The foursome of Chris Schroder, Ray King, Jon Rauch and Chad Cordero combined to surrender just one run the rest of the way, helping make Washington's 7-6 victory possible.

"What you guys so today, that's all we had right there," manager Manny Acta said. "I'm glad the game didn't go for extra innings."

The Nats' bullpen has been a saving grace all season, and the unit has only gotten better over time. The relief corps owns a 1.92 ERA in July, tops in the NL, despite throwing the most innings in the league due to all those injuries and other calamaties in the rotation.

They've done so without ever complaining, despite the heavy workload that has been thrust upon them. When Lannan was given the heave-ho Thursday, they stepped up big-time and came through for their team.

"To be honest, we didn't know what happened," Rauch said of the feeling inside the bullpen when Lannan was tossed. "We knew he hit the guy, but you know he's not doing that on purpose. You're wondering what the heck's going to happen, but then you're also looking up like, 'All right, who's it gonna be [to come on in relief]?' You take it as it is. You just go out there and do your job."

Kudos to Rauch and Co. Too often, we harp on the bullpen when it blows a game. Let's not forget to commend the group when it saves many more games than it loses.

Jesus Flores just belted a three-run homer off Mike Zagurski to give the Nats a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning. John Lannan is off the hook for his first major-league loss, Pat Corrales is now on the hook to earn the win as fill-in manager for Manny Acta (who, like Lannan, was ejected in the fifth).

Can the Nats' beat-up bullpen cobble together two more innings and pull out a win?

Has a pitcher ever been ejected from his major-league debut? John Lannan may have just become the first in baseball history after a controversial sequence of events that also got Manny Acta tossed for the first time in his big-league managing career.

The scene: The Nats take the field for the bottom of the fifth, trailing 3-2. The 22-year-old Lannan, who had experienced an up-and-down afternoon, got Shane Victorino to ground out but then hit Chase Utley (who was 2-for-2) with a high-and-tight fastball. Up came Ryan Howard, who hit the game-winning homer last night and homered in the third inning today. Lannan plunked him with a high fastball as well. Plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt immediately ejected Lannan, much the shock of the kid. How could anyone possibly think he was intentionally throwing at these guys? He's not even old enough to know how to throw at someone!

Acta made that point clear during a long argument with Wendelstedt, and that got the manager tossed for the first time, too. This was one of those cases where Manny had to do what he did. He normally doesn't like putting on a show with the umps, but he needed to stand up for his pitching staff, which has been decimated by injuries and overworked to death.

Meanwhile, it's now the 6th inning, Nats trailing 5-2 and trying to figure out who's going to pitch the rest of this game. Robert Fick, anyone?

Plenty to discuss today, between last night's ninth-inning comeback/implosion, the state of the Nats' decimated pitching staff and John Lannan's major-league debut today. But it appears there's even bigger news...

... the Nats and Dmitri Young are close to agreeing to terms on a two-year contract extension. It's not a done deal yet, not by any means, but it could be completed soon. Not sure exactly what the terms would be, probably something in the range of $4 million to $5 million per season, possibly with a performance-based option tacked on.

So what would this all mean? Do the Nats think Nick Johnson won't be coming back from his broken leg? Well, there are some doubts about that, but this isn't entirely predicated on Johnson's status. Like Ronnie Belliard, who signed a two-year extension the other day, the Nats see Young as a guy who could either play every day or be a valuable bat off the bench. So even if Nick is back healthy eventually, there could be room for both of them on the roster. Also, either one could ultimately be traded since neither is making a ton of money (Johnson is owed $5.5 million each of the next two years).

I think this has more to do with Young's happiness in Washington. Remember, this guy overcame a lifetime's worth of obstacles to become an All-Star on and off the field with the Nats. He owes a lot to Jim Bowden, the only GM who offered him a job last winter, and at this stage of his career, why would he want to go somewhere else?

This also probably has something to do with the lackluster trade market out there. If some AL contender was offering Bowden a top prospect for Young, he'd make the deal in a heartbeat. But nobody's making those kind of offers right now, not for Young and not for anyone on the market. So if you're not going to get anything of value for the best hitter on your team, why not keep him?

Plenty more to come, of course. Like I said, it's not a done deal yet. It could be by the end of the day, or it could extend into the weekend. In the meantime, the Nats scored two in the top of the first off Adam Eaton, but Lannan looks shaky in his first inning on a major-league mound. Infield single, walk, RBI single to start things off, though he just struck out Ryan Howard on a nasty curveball for his first out. Nats up 2-1, still in the bottom of the first.

It's official: John Lannan will have his contract purchased from Class AAA Columbus and will make his major-league debut tomorrow afternoon against the Phillies. Because Lannan was scheduled to pitch tonight for the Clippers, it was easier just to push him back one day and have him start tomorrow for the Nats than wait til the weekend in New York.

What a whirlwind season for the 22-year-old left-hander. From Potomac to Harrisburg to Columbus and now to the big leagues. "The kid has taken every challenge that we've thrown at him so far and he has pitched well at every level," Manny Acta said. "Our baseball people feel that he's ready to come up here."

So here's how the rotation will shape up the rest of the week:

THU: John Lannan vs. Phillies
FRI: Mike Bacsik vs. Mets
SAT Game 1: Tim Redding vs. Mets
SAT Game 2: Billy Traber or call-up (probably Joel Hanrahan) vs. Mets
SUN: Jason Bergmann or Billy Traber vs. Mets

We now have to wait and see how Bergmann's strained hamstring holds up. It doesn't look good, and he'll probably have to miss at least one start, but the Nats won't make the final decision until tomorrow. If Bergmann can go Sunday, then Traber goes Saturday night. If Bergmann can't go, Traber will be pushed back so he has another day to recover from last night's 44-pitch outing. Someone else (presumably Hanrahan) would then be called up from Columbus to start the second game of the doubleheader.

First off, this public service announcement: I'll be holding my weekly live chat today at 2 p.m. Come prepared with your best Nats questions, or feel free to throw some other baseball-related matters my way (Barry Bonds?). E-mail me at natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com, then check back in at 2:00. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Tough one for the Nats last night, and I'm not necessarily referring to their 4-3 loss to the Phillies (though the outcome was tough in its own right). The big story, of course, was Jason Bergmann strained his left hamstring while rounding third base in the third inning. We should know more about Bergmann's condition later today, but last night he didn't sound like someone who expects to pitch Sunday in New York.

Which leaves the Nats with quite the dilemma heading into a three-day, four-game weekend series against the Mets. They were already planning to promote either Joel Hanrahan or John Lannan to start one of the doubleheader games Saturday. Now they may have no choice but to call both prospects up from Columbus to make their major-league debuts. And then there's Billy Traber, who threw 44 pitches in relief last night and must come back on three days' rest to start the other game Saturday. Does anyone sense a 1-6 road trip forthcoming?

The operative question today, though, is this: Who should the Nats call up as fill-in starters? Yes, Hanrahan and Lannan are the obvious choices, but there remains some concern within the organization that this is too much to throw at the 22-year-old Lannan (who began the year at Class A) too soon. And there's merit in that thinking. Do you really want this promising young lefty to make his major-league debut at Shea Stadium in a highly important game for the Mets? Perhaps the Nats would be better off handing the ball to someone with at least a bit of major-league experience, like Mike O'Connor or Brandon Claussen, both currently pitching in their farm system (though not all that well). Here's a look at the potential candidates, with their season stats...

-- RHP Joel Hanrahan, 25: 5-4, 3.70 ERA in 15 starts for Columbus, 71k/36bb in 75.1 innings pitched, .226 opponents' batting average.

-- LHP John Lannan, 22: 3-1, 1.75 ERA in six starts for Columbus, 17k/12bb in 36 innings pitched, .222 opponents' batting average. 12-3, 2.35 ERA overall with Columbus, Harrisburg and Potomac.

--- RHP Emiliano Fruto, 23: 3-7, 4.88 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) for Columbus, 50k/41bb in 62.2 innings pitched, .232 opponents' batting average.

-- LHP Chris Michalak, 36: 3-4, 2.76 ERA in 12 games (eight starts) for Columbus, 21k/14bb in 49 innings pitched, .264 opponents' batting average.

-- RHP Collin Balester, 21: 0-1, 5.00 ERA in two starts for Columbus. 2-8, 3.85 ERA in 19 combined starts with Columbus and Harrisburg.

-- LHP Brandon Claussen, 28: 1-1, 6.98 ERA in four starts for Columbus, 13k/7bb in 19.1 innings, .337 opponents' batting average.

-- LHP Mike O'Connor, 26: 1-4, 5.77 ERA in nine starts for Harrisburg, 25k/10bb in 43.1 innings pitched, .278 opponents' batting average.

Here's the last thing the Nats needed right now: Jason Bergmann left tonight's game in the third inning with left hamstring tightness. We'll have to wait til postgame to find out exactly how it happened, but you've got to believe he was hurt by racing around the bases in the top of the inning. Third-base coach Tim Tolman waved Bergmann around on Ronnie Belliard's single up the middle, and Bergmann was DOA. Hate to see a pitcher get hurt like that.

Billy Traber's now pitching in long relief. We'll also have to see if that precludes him from starting one of Saturday's doubleheader games in New York.

Greetings from the City of Brotherly Love, a nickname that never quite makes sense when I happen upon a Phillies, Eagles, Sixers or Flyers fan. Took the train up from D.C. this morning, which is always nice. Ready to watch the Nats as they embark on a six-game road trip against the Phillies and Mets. Unless...

... I have to leave for San Francisco at some point. Yes, I'm on Barry Bonds watch. The moment he hits his 755th homer, tying Hank Aaron, I'm outta here and on a plane for the West Coast to chronicle his record-breaking moment. There's no telling when this will happen. When Bonds crushed his two homers at Wrigley Field the other day, I figured I'd already be in California. But have you watched him the last few nights? He barely looks like he can drive the ball out of the infield. Clearly, this could take a while.

Which sets up the possibility of Bonds breaking the record two weeks from now against the Nationals at AT&T Park. I have suspected this might happen for several weeks now, and in fact wrote a story last month about it, in which I asked several Nats pitchers and others whether they'd want to be a part of history like that. The consensus answer: No way. No one wants to go down as the guy who gave up No. 756 and wind up on every highlight reel for eternity.

You fans, of course, aren't on the field. So my question to you is: Would you like to see Bonds break the record against the Nats, or would you prefer he get it out of the way against some other team in the next two weeks?

Meanwhile, everyone knows by now that the Nats signed Ronnie Belliard to a two-year, $3.5 million extension last night. Interesting move, considering that Belliard was a strong possibility to be traded. And even if not, you have to wonder if he could have commanded a larger deal over the winter after the fine season he's having. Belliard wanted no part of that, though. He's perfectly happy playing in D.C. and has come to appreciate the never-give-up manner in which the young Nats are playing.

Whether this is a sign Jim Bowden won't make any trades before next Tuesday's deadline or not remains to be seen. Certainly, Belliard is off the market now (despite what some conspiracy theorists might believe, Bowden didn't just sign him to a two-year deal so he could turn around and trade him). I've still got to believe that Dmitri Young will be dealt for prospects. His value is just too high right now, and even if the Nats want to bring him back in 2008, they can re-sign him as a free agent over the winter.

The really interesting case, I think, involves Chad Cordero, and I addressed it in an article today. "Chief" has quietly dominated over the last two months and re-established himself as a top-notch closer. Plenty of contenders could be interested in him, either to close or set up, but the Nats' asking price remains high. I think this is smart on Bowden's part. He's got a 25-year-old closer entering the prime of his career. Why just give him away? That said, if someone out there is willing to part with a big-time prospect in exchange for Cordero, Bowden can't be afraid to pull the trigger.

In other words, it's going to be a very interesting week. Stay tuned ... but don't forget to keep one eye on Barry Bonds.

Ronnie Belliard's extension is worth $3.5 million. He'll make $1.6 million in 2008, $1.9 million in 2009. No incentives.

Not a bad deal for the Nationals, who already struck the jackpot when they signed Belliard to a minor-league deal in February for only $750,000.

How's this for some surprising news: Ronnie Belliard has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Nationals!

Word just came down, and I'm still working on getting contract details, but suffice it to say that this is both surprising and encouraging news for the Nats and their fans. Belliard was one of the guys expected to be dealt before next week's trade deadline, so obviously that won't be happening now.

But wait: Don't the Nats already have Felipe Lopez and Cristian Guzman under contract for next year? Yes. Belliard, though, is willing to serve as a utility infielder -- in fact, he just said that to me over the phone. What a refreshing attitude from a guy who deep down knows he could probably be a starting second baseman elsewhere but would rather stick around here and be happy.

Plenty more in tomorrow's paper, of course...

This just in: Jason Simontacchi has been scratched from tomorrow night's game due to right elbow tendinitis and will be replaced by Billy Traber.

This is the first anyone has heard of any elbow problems from Simontacchi, who did complain of a fatigued shoulder a few weeks ago but has been pretty durable this season. He leads the club with six wins (and seven losses) despite a hefty 6.37 ERA and has for the most part given the Nats a chance to win every time he takes the mound.

The Nationals say Simontacchi will only miss one start, but we'll have to see about that. Traber now gets the call tomorrow night against the Rockies, and there's no telling what to reasonably expect from the lefty. Traber had been a starter most of his career but struggled mightily in that role last season and thus was moved to the bullpen this spring permanently (or at least that's how it was supposed to go). Can't imagine he'll be able to give the Nats more than three or four innings tomorrow.

For the record, Traber will become the 11th different starting pitcher Washington has used this season. Extra credit to anyone who can name all of them.

It's been coming down pretty good for the last half hour here at RFK Stadium. Tarp's on the field and I would guess they won't be taking BP outside. No word yet on the status of tonight's game against the Rockies, though the forecast has called for sporadic showers, so my hunch is that they'll try to get this one in. If it's rained out, they could face an interesting dilemma trying to reschedule a makeup. The logical day is typically Saturday, but the Nats already have an odd 3:55 p.m. start time. The game was originally scheduled for then because it was going to be televised by Fox. Then Fox pulled the game a few weeks ago and the Nats decided not to reschedule it. So if they need to play two, they'd either have to hold a true doubleheader, with the first game either at 1 p.m. or 7 p.m.

But enough about the weather. I was having an interesting conversation with someone yesterday about Manny Acta. This person was wondering whether the Nats' on and off struggles would prompt the rookie manager to have a blow-up at some point. Either a tirade in the clubhouse, in the postgame interview room or perhaps on the field resulting in an ejection. I said I didn't see any real possibility of that. Manny just doesn't have the personality, and has given no indication to date that he's likely to blow up. He remains eternally upbeat and positive, and I don't think he would feel a tirade would do any good.

What do you think? Would you like to see a little more fire and emotion out of Acta? Or do you think his current approach is best?

While you ponder that, here's tonight's lineup (assuming they get this one in). Rookie Ubaldo Jimenez is starting on the hill for the Rockies, making his 2007 debut. He appeared in two games last season...

SS Lopez
2B Belliard
3B Zimmerman
1B Young
LF Church
RF Kearns
C Schneider
CF Langerhans
P Chico

For those of you who don't think the Nationals have an identity problem when it comes to the Baltimore Orioles, consider this.

During the telecast of Tuesday night's game against the Houston Astros, in the bottom of the seventh inning, the closed caption operator typed the following in the standard statement about rebroadcasting any part of the show: "without the express written consent of the Washington Orioles ...."

Hi everyone -- Mark Zuckerman here, back from vacation and ready to get back to your questions. We'll be holding our regular Wednesday live chat at 2 p.m. today. But wait, aren't the Nats playing at 1:00? Why yes, of course. So as an added bonus to you loyal readers out there, I'll be taking questions while watching the game and also providing updates to everyone. So if you can't make it out to RFK and are stuck in the office, check back at 2:00 and I'll try to keep you updated on everything going on out here. Send your questions in advance to natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com. See you this afternoon!

Nationals officials were very clear this season that there is a "plan" in place to get the franchise back to respectability. But aside from looking solely at wins and losses, how do we know if the team is heading in the right direction?

A few Nationals fans are seeking to answer that question by implementing a series of performance metrics that delve into the nitty-gritty of the team's performance.

"I saw how they were always talking about how this is a rebuilding year. ... we said 'There's got to be a was to measure this,'" said Ian Koski, an political consultant in Alexandria and editor of Nationalspride.com.

Koski and friend Jeff Bergin, a government performance analyst for Arlington County, created the "Nationals Progress Index," using data from nine distinct statistical categories they saw as reflective of the "fundamentals."

Categories include runs per game, team batting average, on base percentage, slugging average and batting average with runners in scoring position, team ERA, team WHIP, runs allowed per game and innings pitched by starters.

According to the Index, the Nationals are performing 3.59 percent worse than at the end of 2006.

Though the team has shown strong improvements in ERA and WHIP, it has demonstrated sharp declines in every offensive category. Its runs per game has decline by 19.56 percent, its team batting average is down 5.34 percent and the team's slugging percentage is down by 12.67 percent.

"Surprisingly, their pitching's done pretty well and you can see a noticeable trend of improvement," said Koski, who has emailed a copy of the Index to Nationals President Stan Kasten. "We knew, though, that the team wasn't scoring runs, and now we see exactly how bad that is."

Koski and company plan to update the index every Tuesday morning and provide written analysis and commentary.

Greetings from AT&T Park in San Francisco. It's been a whirlwind day, with press conferences, player interviews, team workouts and now the Home Run Derby, but I figured I'd chime in real quick with some thoughts.

Had a chance to spend quite a bit of time talking with Frank Robinson on the field during batting practice. The former Nats manager is doing just fine in semi-retirement. He's playing golf five days a week, though he's also working for the Commissioner's Office both out of New York and Arizona. His primary focus: Trying to figure out ways to boost African-American participation in baseball. This is a subject near and dear to Frank's heart, and it's admirable work he's doing. He wants to make a real difference, not just make a few token phone calls, and he's been doing some serious research on the subject. His conclusion: Baseball has lost popularity in inner cities because it costs too much for equipment/travel/etc. and young boys aren't growing up playing the game because in many cases they don't have a father figure teaching it to them. That latter part is a great point, because think about it: Who taught you to play and love baseball? I'm betting most of you will say it was your father.

Also talked plenty of Nats with Frank, who still follows the team closely. He watches plenty of games on satellite and is plenty interested how this team develops over time. He talks with Manny Acta on occasion but hasn't spoken with Jim Bowden or Stan Kasten in some time. I know there was some hope that Frank would patch things up with the organization and return to RFK Stadium to be honored, but it doesn't sound like that's going to happen anytime soon.

Dmitri Young was one of the big stars at today's player press conferences. Barry Bonds obviously is the biggest story at the All-Star Game, but I'd wager that few players drew more interest today than Young, whose story of redemption is resonating all around the game. You can read plenty more about it in Tuesday's paper.

Now, onto my big bugaboo: the Home Run Derby, which is entering its third hour as I type this. Is it just me, or has this event "jumped the shark"? I used to think it was cool to watch Ken Griffey, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa send 'em flying into the upper deck. But it just doesn't work for me anymore. The event takes far too much time with all these commercial breaks. The big-name guys won't participate. And the guys who are involved aren't hitting as many shots as they used to. (I'll let you all draw your own conclusions why that may be the case.) Oh yeah, and then there's Chris Berman, who has played his own role in spoiling the derby.

I think it's time to make some changes. Either insist the big-name sluggers participate or turn it into a team event or just get rid of it altogether and hold some other kind of skills competition. Would you rather see Alex Rios and Matt Holliday swing for the fences or Dmitri Young try to hit a target in left-center, A-Rod make a pinpoint throw to first after charging in to barehand a slow roller and Vladimir Guerrero throw a ball 350 feet through a two-foot opening at the plate? I'd be interested in the latter. But maybe that's just me. If you agree or disagree, let me know.

In the meantime, enjoy Tuesday's All-Star Game. Let's hope Dmitri gets to at least come in and pinch-hit and show everyone what those of us in Washington have known all season: The guy can flat-out hit. FYI: You won't be hearing from me for another week or so. I'm going on vacation following the All-Star Game and won't be covering the Nats' weekend series in Florida or Monday's game at RFK against the Astros. Corey Masisak will have me covered until then. Talk to you all next week!

The Washington Nationals Racing Presidents bobbleheads may be popular, but their Class A affiliate, the Hagerstown Suns, have some style when it comes to bobbleheads.

Friday night, the Suns hosted bobblehead night for author Nora Roberts, one of the the best known romantic novel writers in America. She lives in Washington County (born in Silver Spring) and is a big baseball fan.

"I'm thrilled to have this first-ever bobblehead be done in my likeness," Roberts was quoted on the Suns Web site. "I love baseball, and I've enjoyed being a part of Hagerstown Suns games during the past two seasons."

Roberts has written more than 150 romance novels. The first 1,000 fans at Friday night's Suns game were supposed to get Nora Roberts bobbleheads, and she was scheduled to throw out the first pitch.

This has potential to be a whole new field of bobbleheads for the Nationals to consider -- writers.

If Ronnie Belliard gets traded before the July 31 deadline, local baseball fans may see a familiar face taking his place in the Washington Nationals infield -- former Oriole shortstop Manny Alexander.

Alexander, at the age of 36, is on the Nationals' Class AAA Columbus roster, where he was hitting .238 as of Friday in 55 games. He is a veteran major leaguer of 11 seasons and just the sort of spare part that will likely wind up on the Nationals roster in the final two months of the season.

It was Alexander who briefly replaced Cal Ripken at shortstop, after Ripken had started 2,216 consecutive games there, in mid July of 1996, as Orioles manager Davey Johnson attempted then to try to move Ripken, who had lost his range at shortstop, to third base. Johnson also wanted to inject some speed in a plodding lineup.

The move was a disaster. Alexander was a flop. What was worse, he was called in to replace Ripken as a pinch runner at first base in a pivotal game against the Yankees and was promptly picked off. The move lasted six games.

He was traded by the Orioles to the Mets in spring training the following season.

Alexander made news again in 2000, and again did not distinguish himself when steroids and syringes were found in his Mercedes Benz during a traffic stop in Boston, where Alexander was playing for the Red Sox. A Red Sox batboy was arrested on several traffic-related charges, but it was never officially determined whose steroids were in the car.

And now he may resurface one more time, just down the road from where he was once heralded as the heir apparent to Ripken -- maybe on the same weekend Ripken is inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In the bottom of the first inning, there was a bit of a commotion in the owner's box. Why? Because of the gray-haired man who just walked in and took a seat: the President of the United States.

Yes, George W. Bush, noted baseball fan, is making his first appearance of the season. This is the fourth game he's taken in at RFK in the last three years: Opening Night in 2005, June 24, 2005 and July 8, 2006. For those wondering, the Nats are 2-1 with the Prez in the house.

OK, by now everyone knows that first-round pick Ross Detwiler has signed with the Nationals. But here's some more details about the deal... Detwiler got a $2.15 million signing bonus. That's a little less than you might have thought the No. 6 pick would make (the consensus was that he'd get about $2.5 million). But, as GM Jim Bowden pointed out, it was in Detwiler's best interest to sign quickly and get on the field. He's going to report this weekend to the Gulf Coast League in Viera, Fla., probably make two or three starts there and then be promoted to Class A Potomac. If all goes well, Bowden said he won't rule out the possibility that the left-hander makes it up to RFK Stadium in September. And if that's the case, Detwiler's arbitration clock will start and he can get closer to making serious money in the majors. That's the trade-off for accepting a slightly lower signing bonus now.

Detwiler's signing leaves only two of the Nationals' top 17 picks unsigned: Josh Smoker (the 31st overall selection) and Jeff McGeary, taken in the fifth round. McGeary, who has committed to Stanford, almost certainly won't sign. No big surprise there. Smoker? Well, Bowden yesterday said negotiations have not gone well at all, a bit surprising considering how amicable both sides seemed to be not long ago. Bowden claims they're offering the left-hander fair money, comparable to what the other guys drafted around him got. Smoker, who thought he'd be taken higher, thinks he's worth more. Bowden sounded ready to walk yesterday and spend the money on a Dominican prospect instead. Now, is he bluffing, using the media to make Smoker nervous? Could be. He threw out the same possibility with Detwiler the other day, and look how quickly that deal got done.

In other news, Nick Johnson flew to New York this afternoon to visit a hip specialist. The club was very careful not to call this a setback, but clearly Johnson has not progressed from his broken right leg as he or anyone else would have hoped. He's trying hard, he really is, taking batting practice, fielding grounders and running the bases. But he's still got pain when he tries to really push himself, and so that's why he's visiting the specialist. I think we've got to start talking about Nick not playing at all this season, which would be unfortunate given all he's been through. We'll see, there's still time, and maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if he doesn't play this year and comes back strong next spring. Either way, I wouldn't count on seeing him up here any time soon.

With that, here's tonight's lineups (note that Ryan Church is getting his second consecutive day off)...

NATS
CF Logan
2B Belliard
3B Zimmerman
1B Young
RF Kearns
SS Lopez
C Schneider
LF Fick
P Bergmann

CUBS
LF Soriano
2B Fontenot
1B Ward
3B Ramirez
RF Floyd
CF Jones
C K.Hill
SS Izturis
P Marshall

The Washington Nationals on Thursday agreed to terms with their first-round pick, left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler. The Nationals selected the Missouri State pitcher with the sixth overall selection in last month's draft.

Detwiler, the highest pick of the 2007 to come to terms with his team, will be in town on Friday to sign his contract. He'll make an appearance at RFK Stadium as well prior to the 7:05 p.m. game against the Milwaukee Brewers. After that, detwiler will report to Florida to join the Gulf Coast League Nationals.

Detwiler becomes the highest selection from the 2007 First-Year Player Draft to have agreed to terms.

Terms of Detwiler's deal have not yet been disclosed, but expect the signing bonus to be in the $2.5 million range, which the standard has been in the last few years for players selected sixth overall.

Beat writer Mark Zuckerman will be back later today with more info from the park.

Before we get to today's news, a quick programming note: In honor of Independence Day (and because I sincerely doubt any of you will be sitting in front of your computer dying to ask me questions about the Nats) tomorrow's regularly scheduled live chat will not take place. And since next week is the All-Star break, I believe we'll be postponing that one too. Never fear, though, because if you can't wait that long to ask your question, you're in luck. Send them to natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com, and I'll answer them in Monday's paper.

OK, back to the topics at hand. First off, the Nats have signed one of their two "sandwich" picks from last month's draft: high school outfielder Michael Burgess. Burgess, from Hillsborough, Fla., was the 49th overall selection in the draft, and the third player selected by the Nats (behind left-handers Ross Detwiler and Josh Smoker). No word on terms of Burgess' contract, but he's likely to receive a signing bonus of about $620,000, plus some other incentives. The Nats continue to negotiate with both Detwiler and Smoker, and the sense is that both will come to terms before the Aug. 15 deadline.

Meanwhile, here's tonight's lineup against the Cubs (notable for who isn't included)...

CF Langerhans
2B Belliard
3B Zimmerman
1B Young
LF Church
SS Lopez
C Schneider
RF Fick
P Redding

Yep, Austin Kearns is not starting for only the second time this season (he did come off the bench to pinch-hit in that one other game). It was probably time for this move, because Kearns has been struggling mightily for a while now. Though he drove in a run in the ninth inning of last night's 7-2 loss, he has only 27 RBI in 82 games this season and stunningly totalled only four the entire month of June. As a guy who has hit fifth every single day, that's an astoundingly low number, and Kearns realizes it, too. Perhaps a day off will let him clear his mind and get back to producing again.

The other notable name in the lineup, of course, is the starting pitcher: Tim Redding, who has been called up from Class AAA Columbus to replace the injured Micah Bowie (left hip inflammation). I don't think many people expected to see Redding this season, not after a horrendous spring training and a poor start to the season at Columbus. But he pitched well over his last six starts or so, and more importantly, was on schedule to pitch tonight anyways. Best of luck to the right-hander, who last pitched in the majors in 2005. He's going to need it tonight.

Some surprising pregame news today at RFK: Micah Bowie, who was scheduled to start tomorrow's game against the Cubs, has been placed on the 15-day DL with inflammation in his left hip. Bowie said he had been dealing with this problem since early May, when he hurt himself chasing down a squeeze bunt in San Diego, and then re-aggravated it on Thursday in Atlanta when he took a line drive off his shin.

The injury is not considered serious, but it will prevent him from making his next start, so the Nationals have purchased the contract of right-hander Tim Redding to start tomorrow night against Chicago. Also a bit of a surprise, given that there were several other minor leaguers who you would have thought were ahead of Redding on the depth chart (Joel Hanrahan, Emiliano Fruto, Mike O'Connor). But timing was an important issue. Redding was already scheduled to pitch tomorrow for Columbus, so he's right on track. The other guys would have had to have their schedules seriously altered. Also, Redding was pitching well recently. Though his overall numbers (9-5, 5.32 ERA) aren't great, he was 3-2 with a 3.62 ERA over his last six starts, striking out 22 and walking only two.

With all the talk about the All-Star Game roster announcement and Dmitri Young's resurrection from the depths of the baseball world, we've kind of forgotten about the major event that's going to take place tonight at RFK Stadium: Alfonso Soriano's return.

Yes, who would have thought Soriano's first game at RFK as a member of the Cubs would draw so little attention. I have a hunch that will change later this afternoon, when Soriano is mobbed by local TV, radio and newspaper reporters who want to know how it feels to return. I suspect the crowd at tonight's game will give him a rousing ovation when he steps to the plate in the top of the first.

Let's not forget just how good Soriano was last season and how much he meant to the Nationals. He was the single biggest reason to come to the stadium last year. He made baseball fun, and he was fabulous doing it. He gave the Nats an opportunity to re-sign him over the winter, but really, who could blame for bolting for Chicago and the insane $136 million the Cubs offered him.

So if you're coming to RFK tonight, show Soriano your appreciation. He deserves it. In the meantime, here's tonight's Nats lineup:

CF Logan
2B Belliard
3B Zimmerman
1B Young
RF Kearns
LF Church
SS Lopez
C Schneider
P Simontacchi

There will be a lot of focus on Barry Bonds at the All-Star Game next week in San Francisco, but the story of the event is Dmitri Young.

The odds of Young, the Nationals' first baseman, making the major league roster when he reported to spring training this year were not good. The odds of him making the All-Star team were higher than those faced by Buster Douglas when he entered the ring against Mike Tyson.

But here he is, picked for the game at what traditionally is the most-crowded position on any All-Star team. The National League first basemen are Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, Derek Lee and Young.

Young was out of baseball at the end of last season, a player brought so low by legal and health issues that his team, the American League champion Detroit Tigers, sent him packing last September rather than include him in their playoff run.

This honor is a tremendous personal triumph for Young. It is also an honor for Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, the man who took a chance on him.

Dmitri Young has been named to the National League All-Star team, selected by Cardinals manager Tony La Russa as a reserve first baseman after a superb first half to the season that has seen the 33-year-old hit .337 with seven homers and 37 RBI.

Young will be making his second All-Star Game appearance. He was a reserve for the American League in 2003 while playing for the Tigers but did not appear in the game, but this one certainly carries more meaning for him.

Cast aside by the Tigers last fall after a tumultuous year that saw him get divorced and charged with domestic abuse, spend 30 days in an alcohol treatment facility and then learn he had Type 2 diabetes, Young has resurrected his career with the Nationals. After signing a nonguaranteed contract to come to spring training and participate in minor-league camp, Young got himself into shape, made the Opening Day roster and has since become the Nationals' best hitter.

"It would be kind of painful if we would have to go out there every day without him," manager Manny Acta said. "He has meant so much to us, and it's just a great story."

Young's influence has spread to the Washington clubhouse, where he has become a leader and a well-liked and respected teammate. He was moved yesterday when he found out he had been selected to represent the Nationals in San Francisco next week.

"I've come full circle, and basically this made it official," he said. "Let this be a lesson to people who deal with adversity. Never quit and keep fighting."