Sorry it’s been silent here for the past four days. This week has just been brutal and finding time for a good post has been tough. Nonetheless, things are breaking up a little bit going into the weekend and maybe next week I’ll do better about posting once or twice during the workweek.

The World Baseball Classic began yesterday, although the games were televised from Japan, which doesn’t really jive with my work schedule seeing as how I think they were on at like 5AM or something. Japan v. Korea is on tomorrow morning at 5AM, and I am sorely tempted to get up for it…but then again I do have TiVO. Something about seeing it live though that makes it great, at least for sporting events. Even though I don’t have the highest expectations for the US team (let’s face it, the Japanese, Cubans and Dominicans are probably better than us and the Mexicans, Venzuelans and Panamanians could definitely beat us too), I am really focused on seeing some awesome baseball by international teams. Japan is my favorite because they’re so intense during the game, but so happy afterward. The Japanese LOVE their baseball too, which I respect. Literally, people go from their offices to the bar and watch baseball until 10 or 11 PM and then go home after their team plays.If you want to see Japanese going nuts over baseball (and can’t afford to go to Japan) check out the No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain episode where he goes to Osaka. It’s on the Travel Channel.

Anyway, a lot has been written or said about the wisdom in the Nats’ signing Daniel Cabrera in the offseason. However, at this point in the franchise’s development, taking fliers on guys like Cabrera is what can really open the club up to some talent. Cabrera was one of Jim Bowden’s final signings and has the hallmarks of a Bowden target: tumultuous past with another club, huge potential upside, possible character issues, largely written off by “the establishment.” Manny is definitely a big supporter of the guy and sees something in him. Whether that has anything to do with both guys being from the D.R. or not, I don’t know. But if you check out my video that I took of Manny talking about Cabrera at NatsFest back in January, I think you’ll get a vibe, as I did, that he sees more in Cabrera than just a countryman in need of a break. I think he sees some real potential to Cabrera to develop into a half-decent workhorse if he can iron out his mechanics, tame his temper and mitigate the effects of his physical awkwardness.

Boz is finally going to start posting on Nationals Journal and his first lengthy post was today on none other than one Daniel “Danimal” Cabrera. And yes, just like I refer to Smiley Gonzalez/myster player from the D.R. as Frowny, I will refer to Cabrera from now on as Danimal. It just sounds more accpeting, like a nickname you’d ahve some guy in your frat or something.

OK, so click here to read Boz’s post on Danimal. It’s very good and mirrors my feelings on the guy. I’m generally positive on Danimal and really hope he can become a nice addition to the rotation in some capacity.

On a final note, I am debating whether I want to either purchasean Orioles Partial Season Ticket plan for myself. I’m not an O’s fan by any means, but they have a plan where you can see every home game on Sunday afternoons for the entire season, which is about two games a month. I’d just get one ticket for myself in the Upper Reserve section. It would be cheaper than buying 13 separate tickets, of course, and I could exchange my tickets throughout the season as needed. My parents have offered to make that my early birthday present, which is also tempting. Taking two Sunday afternoon’s a month to watch baseball would be a treat, plus you get all the same perks as a Full Season ticket holder, which isn’t bad. If I lived in Washington, I’d have already gotten my Nationals season tickets, obviously. But going to DC all those times from Baltimore would just not be economical, unfortunately.

I ahve some time to think it over, as the O’s are having Tag Day next Saturday. Tag Day is where you go to the park and actually pick your season ticket seat(s) and get to see where you’ll be sitting, etc. I need to come to a decision by that time. We’ll see. One fo the Sunday games is a Nats game, plus I’d get two Red Sox games, one Yankees game and a host of other good series games agains the Rays, Tigers and Rangers, among others. I don’t know. It’s a tempting offer, even though it won’t be Nationals baseball.