For the Love of the Game

The WaPo has a great story today about Rick Short, a career minor leaguer (12 seasons) in the National's organization who is hitting .392. With two weeks left in the season he's chasing the magical .400 which hasn't been done in the minors since 1961 and not in the majors since Ted Williams in 1941.

Rick Short has been up to show twice, both this year, for four games.

"He belongs in the big leagues," New Orleans Manager Tim Foli says. He bases this judgment on one of baseball's most tired cliches: "He plays the game right." But in this case it might just apply. The Zephyrs are still talking about a game a few nights ago, when Short -- hitting .399 at the time -- kept trying to hit ground balls to the right side of the infield to move a runner from second to third, eventually grounding out to the first baseman.

"He could easily have swung away right there and tried to get his hits," says New Orleans teammate Marlon Byrd, who played 56 games for the Nationals this season. "Most guys, if you're going for .400, you're swinging to get your hits."

Every night Foli makes his plea to Nationals management: Take him, even as a pinch hitter, if nothing else. When the Zephyrs' season ends Sept. 5 and the Nationals are allowed to expand their roster beyond the 25-man limit, he likely will be called up.

Good Luck.