My mother, who turns 89 later this month, never misses a Nationals telecast. So in her honor, I recently did an entry at my classic Hollywood blog on female baseball fans, with a look at Alyssa Milano's fine new book about being a baseball fanatic. If you have a woman in your life who's a baseball fan -- or if you're a female fan yourself -- I think you'll appreciate it. Check it out at http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/244818.html

There are many Nationals fans who may still recall that series at Anaheim in June 2005 where things got rather testy between Frank Robinson and Mike Scioscia. Put that aside for now, however, and root for the red horde from Orange County, at least for the Division Series. We have a common enemy. His name? Larry Lucchino.

Lucchino, who worked for the Baltimore Orioles in their pre-Cuban Pete days, is now a Boston Red Sox executive. He's been known to be rather full of it, propogating obnoxious phrases like "Red Sox Nation" and such, but now he's crossed the line, made it personal. He dissed the Nats.

Here's what happened: A Harvard Law School class on sports law had an outing at Fenway Park recently, and a Harvard Crimson reporter tagged along, resulting in the following exchange:

When the reporter said he had only ever been to a Nationals game, Lucchino had a ready retort, flashing his team allegiance. “You can’t go see the Nationals,” he said. “That doesn’t count.”

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=529313

Larry, you just exponentially increased the number of Angels fans in the Washington area. May your comment (and its hubris) become the 2009 equivalent of "Is Brooklyn still in the league?" as the New England Evil Empire takes a tumble.

And to the Lerners and Stan Kasten: If this insult doesn't result in the permanent banning of the hated Bosox anthem "Sweet Caroline" from the Nationals Park experience -- no matter how loudly the pink-hatted Ivy Leaguers protest -- then I don't know what will.

Go Angels!.