FIXED You don't need a congressional study to know the Nats might be historically bad. But there's a new vibe in the clubhouse. Last year vets owned the floor. Now that Jose Vidro, Jose Guillen and Livan Hernandez are gone, it's power-sharing time. And while Frank Robinson is a legend, 38-year-old Manny Acta may relate better to the young squad. Veteran Brian Schneider is already setting an example. When his wife, Jordan, went into labor on March 3, he got the call at 12:15 a.m. and made it to West Palm in time for the birth of his daughter, Tatum. "I'm so glad it was at night," Schneider says. "I didn't want to have to run off the field."

NEEDS FIXING The Nationals have an owner, and they don't play home games in San Juan anymore. Now if only they had a rotation. Injury-prone John Patterson has never won 10 games in a season. Shawn Hill (6.90 career ERA) is the closest thing to another true starter. Even Jason Simontacchi, who last saw the majors in ¹04, will get a shot. "This is what the Tigers looked like three years ago," Acta says. "We are going to leave here with five starters." Sweet.

MIDSEASON FIX Docs placed a rod in Nick Johnson's broken femur and screwed it in three places after his ugly Sept. 23 collision. The slow-healing first baseman is hoping for a midseason return.
-- Tim Kurkjian