Zuckerman writes....

I was about to blast him because as far as the Nats go, I'm in a foul mood. He had titled it, "Excusable - for now..." which for me was intolerable if you are talking about Zim, Johnson and Kearns. But before I let loose on Zuck, who I like and respect for his baseball sense, I went beyond the headline.....He's right because the youngsters are worth a damn....atleast until late August to show us something!

Zuck wrote...."It can be a frustrating process at times, especially when a player's inexperience supersedes his talent and leads to cringe-inducing results. More often than not, that has been the case this season with the Nationals' trio of young outfielders: Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes and Wily Mo Pena.

The combined offensive totals of those three players - a .222 average, four homers, 31 RBI and a .310 slugging percentage - would look bad if they were attached to only one name, let alone three. And their lack of production is a major reason for Washington's overall woes at the plate this season."

The numbers are pitiful, but we must suffer the youth.