Nats glad to see Guzman finally over injury hump
Talk about playing from behind. Cristian Guzman right now is playing from three years behind.
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| Guzman is batting a solid .313 in 97 games since his return in '07. (Getty Images) |
Not that the Nationals aren't embracing his re-emergence in 2008.
"It's been very refreshing, and very rewarding," manager Manny Acta says.
But, hey, did it really have to bottom out to the point where even the Lincoln monument was grimacing each time his name was brought up?
Other than your play, Mr. Guzman, how was your evening?
"When you play, you know you can play, and when you're not doing it, you feel bad," Guzman says of the lost three seasons of that four-year, $16.8 million deal for which he will be forever known in Nationals lore. "They signed me. They trusted me. When I can do nothing for them, that's bad."
Guzman's robust .301 batting average, five homers, 20 RBI, 16 doubles and deft fielding compile one of the nicer stories of the season. Especially for a Nationals club more fragile than a glass window. The Nats, last in the NL East, have had 10 players from their opening day roster make 13 trips to the disabled list.
"I don't know where we'd be without him," Acta says.
You could feel the shudder.
This is a guy who was talented enough to become an All-Star in Minnesota when he was 21, then help anchor three consecutive Twins' division title teams from 2002-04 when he was in his mid-20s.
Then, poof.
A shoulder injury serious enough to threaten his career. Surgery. Hamstring problems. Thumb trouble. Lasik eye surgery.
