From Jonathan England in Suitland:
With the 1st pick in the 2008 draft, the Washington Nationals select.... Ok, thats a long time from now, but we gotta have hope! Maybe Oden will stay in school one more year and we can draft him! What philosophy do you think that Nats will take in this year's draft--emphasizing "high-ceiling" high school players, or trying to get some college players who might have more of an immediate impact? Keep up the good work and dont hang out with Pac-Man while your in the ATL.
Mark Zuckerman:
First of all, I don't think there's any chance of me hanging out with Pac-Man in Atlanta. I doubt we hang in the same parts of town...
As for the 2008 draft (and wow, that's what we're resorting to talking about already?), it should be obvious there's a decent chance the Nats are going to have the top pick, based on their record this year. The team's draft philosophy both this year and next, I believe, will be to take the best available player, regardless of position or age. This may sound obvious, but it's not always the case in the baseball draft. The key thing here is that the Nats won't draft players based on their ability to sign the guy. If nothing else, the new regime has stressed it will pay top dollar to drafted players and not be scared away by huge signing bonuses.

From Ziggy in Quantico:
Mark: Love the work so far this year, but.... is it safe to say that whatever fan base existed in 2005/2006 is basically evaporating right in front of Kastens/Lerners eyes? As they go forward, do you consider it "risky" for the owners to consider a new stadium as their most attractive FA for the near future?
Mark Zuckerman:
I think it's too early to say the entire 2005-06 fan base is evaporating. Based on the things I read/hear from fans, there's still plenty of you out there. But there's no doubt the Nats have taken a PR hit over the last six months or so, and surely some of those new fans who came out of the woodwork during the 2005 pennant race have lost interest. But that's a simple fact at this point, it's not going to change.
The Lerners/Kasten/Bowden have made their strategy clear. They're attempting to build up the minor-league system, hoping fans "pledge their allegiance" now, turn out in huge numbers next year when the park opens and then stick around while this young club grows into a contender. Does it make sense? Yes, on a certain level it does. Is it risky? I suppose you could say that, because it seems like they're placing all their eggs in this basket. If the Nats aren't contending by 2009, there could be some serious backlash from fans at the turnstiles.

From Miss Chatter in Falls Church:
So are you guys wearing surgical masks in the clubhouse yet with half the team being sick?
Mark Zuckerman:
No surgical masks yet, though that may not be a bad idea. Seems like two or three new players are coming down with this mysterious ailment every day. The real question, though, is whether we're wearing blindfolds yet to prevent us from watching the baseball being played on the field! (Answer: No, but check back with me after a few more 8-0 losses.)

From Brian in Mount Vernon:
Who is the first call up from Columbus to take a spot in the rotation, Tim Redding, Joel Hanrahan, or Emiliano Fruto?
Mark Zuckerman:
That's actually an interesting question, because the answer could be changing. The consensus on Opening Day would have been that Hanrahan would be the first starter promoted from Class AAA. He pitched better as spring training went on and was probably the best of the pitchers who didn't make the club. But out of nowhere came Fruto with his six innings of no-hit ball the other night. The Nats certainly like Fruto's potential, but I've got to think they'd wait at least a few more weeks before calling him up. Remember, he's only 22 and he was just converted into a starter. Better to let him build up stamina/pitch count before throwing him to the wolves in D.C. So if something happened in the next week or two, I'd say Hanrahan is the guy. After that, Fruto. (Though don't forget Jason Simontacchi, recovering from his groin strain).

From Jeffrey Saffelle in Alexandria:
In his first two starts, John Patterson struggled mightily. His Opening Day start was a gorgeously warm day, while Patterson's second start was in near Artic conditions. Now, Manny Acta hints in his postgame press conference that John is coming off surgery and he's doing the best he can, under the circumstances. Are the Nationals just covering for Patterson, or quite possible, is there still something wrong with his right forearm? PS--After this frustrating first week, is Manny still flashing that charismatic smile that I love so much?
Mark Zuckerman:
The Manny smile hasn't been shown off as much as we saw in Florida, but it hasn't been replaced by a Frank Robinson scowl or anything. If anything, Acta has shown very little emotion through the first week of the season.
As for Patterson, there is no question there are some concerns about him right now. He did not look good in either of his starts, and his velocity was down several MPH. John insisted poor mechanics were causing the problem, but there are some who wonder whether his arm is 100 percent or not. Now, it's quite possible he's just still regaining strength and stamina after basically taking last year off. Is it also possible there's still a lingering problem? Perhaps. Either way, it'll be VERY interesting to watch Patterson Friday night at Shea Stadium.

From Robert in Springfield:
At his age, Kory Casto needs to play pretty much every day. What do you think the chances are the Nats will send him back down?
Mark Zuckerman:
I don't think Casto's in any immediate danger of being sent down to Columbus. Manny gave him last night off, in part because of his struggles at the plate but also to give Chris Snelling some at-bats. I fully expect Casto to be back in the lineup tonight. The Nationals remain very high on the 25-year-old, who is admittedly struggling in his first big-league stint. They'll continue to throw him out there on a near-daily basis, at least until Nook Logan comes off the DL.

From Rudy in Reston:
Right now, it's obvious the Nationals are playing just as bad as Sanjaya from American Idol sings. They're both pathetic. As the early deficits and blowout defeats continue to mount, who do you think will step up in the clubhouse and become a vocal leader?
Mark Zuckerman:
Can I just point out that while I can proudly say I have NEVER watched an episode of American Idol, I still know who this Sanjaya character is. That's my No. 1 problem with this show/phenomenon: You can't escape it. Can't turn on the TV, can't open the paper, can't listen to the radio without being subjected to it. Isn't there anything more important to talk about in this world?
Like the Nats. ... To answer the original question, the clubhouse has been very quiet through this first week-plus. No one's throwing any tantrums, but neither is anyone stepping up to whip the boys into shape. I'm not sure there's anyone in uniform who really fits that description. If things continue on this path, though, look for Ryan Zimmerman, Brian Schneider and Dmitri Young to try to gather the troops together and prop them up.

From GoNats in Manassas:
So, what's GOOD about the team right now?
Mark Zuckerman:
The fact they're 1-7 instead of 0-8?
OK, there have been a couple of positives. Shawn Hill has pitched very well in two starts, even though he has nothing to show for it. Matt Chico showed some grit last night, again, even though he had nothing to show for it. Dmitri Young has made more immediate impact than we expected. And Ryan Zimmerman is still Ryan Zimmerman. That's about it, though.

From Paul in Arlington:
So, what is your take on the clubhouse atmosphere during this past week? If this week is truly a microcosm of the whole season, how do you keep these players from souring on the idea of being a Nat?
Mark Zuckerman:
This is a topic worth keeping an eye on. The clubhouse to date has been very mellow. No one's blowing their stack over all the losses. That could be construed as a bad thing. My No. 1 concern right now would be an acceptance of losing by the players. They heard all the negative predictions all spring, and now they're seeing them proven correct (through eight games, at least). You don't want them to lose a sense of reality and think they're still capable of contending this season, but you also don't want them to just accept losing as a fact. I haven't quite seen that yet, but a few more ugly games on this road trip and those feelings could start creeping in. It's up to Manny Acta and the leaders on his team to make sure that doesn't happen.

From Miss Chatter in Falls Church:
Speaking of Nook - did he travel with the team? How is his foot recovering?
Mark Zuckerman:
Neither Nook Logan nor Cristian Guzman made this trip. They're doing their rehab in Washington, and there was really no reason for them to travel. Both guys are progressing and are eligible to come off the DL in another week. But look for both to spend at least a few days on a minor-league rehab assignment. They need to get their swings back, and you don't want to do that on the major-league level.

From Freddie Blassie in Pencilneckgeek, VA:
Hey, since you're in Atlanta, why don't you go eat at one of my favorite restaurants there, Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs. It's a four-scar restaurant.
Mark Zuckerman:
Hey, Classy Freddy: Four-scar? Was that a typo, or are you referring to the fact that you can't eat there without needing quadruple bypass surgery for dessert? I'll always have a soft spot for old-time rasslers, but I'll stick to the basics when it comes to fine dining. You know, like blue raspberry popsicles, so my mouth can look like George "The Animal" Steele when I'm finished.

And on that note, it's time to say farewell for now. We're going to attempt to make these Wednesday afternoon live chats a regular gig, hopefully always do them at 2 p.m. now that we're in-season. There will be a few times where scheduling conflicts don't allow it, but we'll try to notify everyone in advance when there's going to be a change. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, and apologies to those who didn't get answered. Feel free to send more questions in for Monday's first installment of the Nats Mailbag. In the meantime, keep the faith, Nats fans -- as bad as this week has been, it can't get much worse. Right? Right?