Welcome to the Gary Bennett Era

Well, we have a back-up catcher. Screw that, though, we need a stadium. It was a trying couple of days, as what I once confidently predicted to be a 10-3 majority dwindled to six sure votes. I feel like a local sports guy predicting the Redskins record in July. Fortunately, it looks like Linda Cropp will, in fact, get on the bandwagon.

The delayed decision on a planned $440 million baseball stadium to house the Washington Nationals appeared close to the necessary seven votes Monday, with District of Columbia Council Chair Linda W. Cropp pledging not to stand in the way.

I'm still not as confident as I'd like to be - we thought this thing would pass last time before Cropp bunged a wrench into the works.

I'm not going to feel like talking personnel until this matter is taken care of, but I'm not the only game in town.

• Capitol Punishment is aghast at the ducats we're paying Bennett. There's a take on the wholly uninteresting Antonio Sucre trade, as well.
• Washington Baseball Blog has a look at Paul Wilson and comes to the only conclusion you can come to with Paul Wilson: eh.
• Rich's Weekend Baseball Beat reviews the 1986 Bill James Baseball Abstract and favors us with this tidbit:

  “[Craig Nettles] Had a remarkable season, doing a good job with the glove and the bat while turning 41 in August. It was the best season ever for a 40-year-old third baseman.” Wade Boggs, Gary Gaetti, and Cal Ripken are the only other 40-year-old 3B who have played more than 60 games since then and not one of them had what could be termed a “good” year. Vinny Castilla turns 38 in July. Cal Ripken’s 1999 is the best on record for a 38-year-old, and he played fewer than 90 games. The combination of age and playing home games away from Coors Field does not bode well for Vinny. Way to go, Bowden, for giving Castilla a two-year deal. Whose money are you spending anyway?

  Darn tooting.

Back tomorrow. Whether I'll be ecstatic or ludicrous is up to the D.C. City Council.