**OnlineHost** Welcome to Washington Nationals Chat!

RizzoTheNat: Daniel! Hey, how you doing?

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : I'm all right. Trying to figure out this "relief pitcher" business.

RizzoTheNat: Yeah, it's an adjustment.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : I asked Joel Hanrahan for advice. He just told me to throw the baseball at the short guy with the scary mask.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Kip Wells told me that he had no idea what I was talking about, and that he didn't know much about baseball to begin with. Then he said he was late for a cricket match, and he ran out to the mound.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Then I asked Julian Tavarez, but he just started vomiting spiders out of his mouth.

RizzoTheNat: Yeah, we've kind of been thrown for a loop in the bullpen ever since we lost Chad Cordero.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Oh yeah, didn't he get Tommy John or something?

RizzoTheNat: Nah. He was suspended by the league office for refusing to break in the bill of his baseball cap.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : yeah, I probably would have suspended him too

RizzoTheNat: So, hey! What's with the screen name? That has to be the longest screen name of anyone I've ever seen in here.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Oh. Yeah, it's a play on a line from the Fresh Prince opening credits.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : So as the general manager, what are you doing here? Can I ask what this small talk is all about?

RizzoTheNat: Yes! Yes, absolutely...uh....

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : You're letting me go.

RizzoTheNat: I suppose that's just about right, yes. You know, as a general manager you have to make tough decisions, and this is certainly--

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : No, I know. No need to apologize. We've lost every game I've appeared in this season.

RizzoTheNat: And not only that, but

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : yep, I've had five years to prove myself in the majors and I've disappointed, I get it

RizzoTheNat: Well, I'm glad you understand. Now let's talk about your options here. We're designating you for assignment, meaning that we might be able to trade you,

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : haha nobody is going to trade for me

RizzoTheNat: or you can report to our triple-A affiliate.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : I'm not going back to the minors, actually.

RizzoTheNat: Oh? Got something else figured out?

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Yeah. Something, uh, else.

RizzoTheNat: All right. Well good talk, good talk.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : I don't mean any offense, but you look kind of like The Dude's landlord from The Big Lebowski.

RizzoTheNat: /gives awkward grin, thumbs-up, weak fist pump

/jogs away

**OnlineHost** Welcome to Downtown Washington, D.C. Chat!

**OnlineHost** Rain falls over the Capitol.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : /sloshes through sidewalk, head down

WhosTheBoskie: Daniel? Daniel Cabrera?

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : /turns around

Who are you?

WhosTheBoskie: Boskie, man! Shawn Boskie!

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Oh. Sorry, I just don't remember you at all.

WhosTheBoskie: I retired with the team back when we were in Montreal. I figured I'd see you out here eventually.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Why?

WhosTheBoskie: Well, I mean, it's where we go! The career 5.00-ish ERA starters. We're just barely good enough to stick around for a few years. Barely good enough to play out the string. Then we get old, or they lose patience with us.

WhosTheBoskie: Since we've been up there so long, we don't want to go back to the minors. So we're left with nothing to do. Nowhere to go.

WhosTheBoskie: You're not going back to the minors, are you?

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : No.

WhosTheBoskie: And why not?

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : I suppose...well, throughout my time in the majors, I've known that I was lucky to be up here. I figured that maybe someday I'd "capture my potential," or whatever, but I wasn't counting on it.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : It's like a slot machine. You pull it, and it starts spitting out coins. Too many coins. You didn't win this much, but they keep spilling out.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : When it stops, are you going to be disappointed that it stops? Are you going to scoop up the coins, sit down, and play some more?

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : I'm just scooping up my good fortune and leaving. Am I winning all that I could? Maybe not. Doesn't matter.

WhosTheBoskie: Exactly how I felt.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : And now you're out here, walking around.

WhosTheBoskie: Sure. Nowhere else for us, you know? We're always going to be pitchers, but we're not going back to the majors, and we're not going back to the minors.

WhosTheBoskie: This is what's left. It's not so bad, really. Get some exercise. Appreciate the weather, even when it's raining, like it is tonight.

WhosTheBoskie: Watch the girls walk by. Listen as a car drives by, blasting the scratchy AM broadcast, try to guess the inning.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Huh. Yeah.

**OnlineHost** Lightning flashes.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : So where are we supposed to sleep?

WhosTheBoskie: There's an underpass near here. Not too drafty, and the blue won't bother you.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Lead the way.

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : ...

If_Anything_I_Could_Say_
That_This_Cabrera : Is this purgatory or something?

WhosTheBoskie: Nah, man. This is M Street.

**OnlineHost** The rain continues to fall.