From Steve Engmann in Appleton, Wisc.:
Why isn't Chris Snelling given more of a chance? He accounted for 1 HR, 7 RBI's and was a leader in on-base percentage in limited action during the month of April.
Mark Zuckerman:
Wow, I've got readers in Appleton? I once applied for a job there, many, many, many years ago. But I digress ... I'd argue that Snelling was given a chance once Kory Casto was sent down the first time and didn't exactly seize the moment. He had a few nice at-bats but seemed to go into a funk after that and hasn't snapped out of it. I'm not sure what to think of Chris ultimately. I was pretty impressed with him this spring and was interested to see what he could do over the long haul, but so far, he hasn't exactly wowed anyone.

From Jonathan England in College Park:
Good work as usual sir. With the first pick in the 2008 Draft, the Washington Nationals select....Pedro Alvarez? He is from what I hear the consensus #1 pick in next year's draft (and would be in this years as well), but he plays 3B. What is your thinking on Zimmerman's prospect as a SS?
Mark Zuckerman:
Whoa, jumping a little far ahead already, aren't we? I'm still learning the names of THIS year's potential top draft picks! And while the Nats certainly would appear to be in the mix for the No. 1 pick in '08, the Royals may yet have something to say about that. ... Regardless, let's put this Zimmerman-to-shortstop thing to rest. Yes, he played there when he was younger. Yes, he's got some similarities to Cal Ripken, who moved from 3B to SS early in his career. But there are NO plans within the Nats organization to make that move. Zim is perhaps the best defensive third baseman in MLB, and there's no reason to start messing with success. Plus, he looked quite uncomfortable in those couple games he played at shortstop late in 2005. Let's leave him alone and just pencil him in at third base for the next decade, OK?

From Jeffrey Saffelle in Alexandria:
With The Bench struggling so badly early this season, what's the chances of General Manager Jim Bowden calling up Tony Batista from AAA Columbus, if only to give this team some occassional POP off the bench, late in games? Tony's already hit three homers for The Clippers.
Mark Zuckerman:
I suppose that's an interesting thought, because Batista has indeed hit the ball well at Columbus. The problem, though, is where he'd fit in with the Nats. He really only plays third base, and as outlined above, that position is taken care of. What about using him exclusively as a pinch-hitter? Maybe, but I'm not so sure Tony would perform well in that role. In my time covering him, he always seemed like the kind of hitter who needs to get plenty of at-bats to stay sharp and keep a rhythm going. I don't know how he'd do coming off the bench cold in the ninth inning to face Billy Wagner.

From B. Prophet in Leesburg:
Mark: Robert Fick is a dreadful 3 for 25 this season with more strikeouts (eight) than hits (three). Is he on a short leash since a struggling offense has gotten next to nothing from their pinch hitters or will he survive for the same reason a lot of players will around here -- there aren't any better options down on the farm?
Mark Zuckerman:
Fick has quietly been one of the biggest disappointments on the club so far. This guy is supposed to be a professional hitter and someone who can come off the bench in a key situation and deliver. He hasn't come close to doing that yet, though neither has anyone else whom Manny Acta has summoned to pinch-hit. That said, I think the leash is plenty long on Robert. Again, there aren't many other viable options. Plus, his track record suggests he will start hitting eventually. But this is where the returns of Cristian Guzman and Nook Logan become important. A week from now, Acta should have both Ronnie Belliard and Kory Casto available off his bench, and that should help those dreadful pinch-hitting numbers.

From Robert in Springfield:
Foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal today writes about how the Nats organization has lost a lot of people recently and that morale isn't so good. What's your impression of the organization's morale?
Mark Zuckerman:
I haven't read Rosenthal's piece yet, so I'm not sure exactly what he's referring to, but I wouldn't say morale is especially poor throughout the organization. I wouldn't say things are sky-high the way the Nats have played on the field, but I've actually thought the mood in the clubhouse has been pretty good all things considered. The one thing I might say, though, is that there have been a few grumblings about the way the Lerners are operating the franchise. They aren't exactly throwing open their wallets and handing out money to anyone who will take it. Now, much of that has to do with this team not bringing in much revenue in its final season at RFK, and I suspect things will change next year in the new ballpark. We'll see.

From BatGirl in Fairfax:
So Ryan Church slows up for two steps and gets yanked from the game, and then Jerome Williams stands at the plate grinning like an idiot at what turns out to be a single and then continues to pitch. What's wrong with this picture? I think Manny Acta is a great manager and a great guy personally, but that doesn't seem like a fair application of his own rules. Why is Church getting the short end of the stick?
Mark Zuckerman:
Hmm, fair point. Williams' lack of hustle last week at RFK was probably just as egregious as Church's. Still, I'd argue it's a slightly different situation. Williams, a pitcher, had just connected on what he thought was going to be his first career homer. He was obviously stunned. He also hurt his ankle on the swing, an injury that wound up landing him on the DL. Then there's the double-standard that applies to pitchers. Was Acta really going to yank his starter out of the game and leave everything in the hands of his bullpen, just to make a point? I suppose you could argue it would have been justified, but I guess you also can only make that move so many times over the course of a season.

From Screech'sBestFriend in Section 320:
For Washington Nationals' Players that also competed as Montreal Expos (Church, Schneider, Johnson, Cordero, Rauch & Patterson) does it bother them, make them long for better days, when they play against former Expos Farmhands, former teammates they are familar with, that were purged my MLB's Ownership? Players that are stellar standouts for opposing teams. Like Chris Young last night for San Diego. Or, are they indifferent? Life just goes on.
Mark Zuckerman:
I think that might have been the case a couple of years ago, when those awful trades (Young, Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, Jason Bay) were fresher in everyone's minds. There's less mention of them now, if only because there aren't many players remaining from the Expo days. But man, did you see the way Young pitched last night (eight shutout innings)? Think he would look nice alongside Shawn Hill and John Patterson atop the Nats' rotation?

From Frank in Washington:
San Diego or Chicago? Take your pick.
Mark Zuckerman:
Wow, do I have to? That's like asking "Seinfeld" or "The Simpsons"? You can't go wrong. I do love San Diego because of the weather and the laid-back atmosphere, but I'm also a huge Chicago fan and can't wait to go there tomorrow. Wrigley Field remains perhaps the greatest baseball experience in the major leagues. If you've never been there, make plans. An afternoon in the bleachers is like nothing you've ever experienced.

And with that, we'll wrap things up for today. Thanks for the questions as always, and make sure to check back in next week when I chat from Milwaukee. Also, send in your questions for Monday's Nats Mailbag -- natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com. So long!