So we’re six weeks into the Nats post-Robinson era, and no one besides Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden has any clue what’s going on in the search for a manager. Kasten is dedicated to a process that is “thorough” and he is “prepared to hire the best fit.” He recently said an announcement might be made in the next two weeks, but resists giving any insight into the process whatsoever. What’s going on down there at RFK? Is this really the relationship they want with the press and their fans?

Don’t get us wrong, there’s nothing wrong with taking the time necessary to do something right. It’s also understandable that Kasten and company would prefer to not conduct a search in public view. They deserve some distance and patience from Nats fans.

But in return, don’t we deserve a little more than the “stay the course” treatment? Ownership expects fans to rally behind the team during the tough building process the next few years, and to continue to spend money on their not-ready-for-primetime product. I’m fine with that, but make us at least feel like you give a damn and let us have some idea of what’s going on. This ain’t Gitmo, Stan; there’s no need for the veil of secrecy. The Padres were not going to make off with Tony Peña in the night.

Maybe I just feel like I’m on a roll, but having already rebuked the Unquestioned Blind Faith leadership technique once this week, I wanna do the same to Stan’s bunch.

Team brass is miffed with the misleading coverage of the search, but the only reason for the illusory reporting is the lack of real information from the team. We can’t even infer any realistic search criteria – any list that contains drastically different candidates like Lou Pinella, Terry Pendleton, and Trent Jewitt is going to appear to fans like shootin’ in the dark.

Perhaps Joe Girardi, Pendleton, and Pinella were never realistic candidates, but each of them publicly removing themselves from consideration doesn’t exactly have us brimming with confidence in the search process. Neither does the appearance of what looks to be a Plan B list of guys like Jewitt and John Russell, who were added and eliminated from the list without explanation.

Do they really want us sitting in the dark, pretending to get excited about the signing of Jermaine Van Buren, or do they want us to be fully vested in this team?

Throw us a bone, Stan. What is it you want?