News and notes surrounding Washington’s loveable cellar-dwellers: Belliard Signs Extension: Though he was widely considered the Nats most moveable commodity, he and the team agreed to a 2-year, $3.5 million extension to keep big Ron in D.C. Belliard’s versatility makes Manny Acta’s job much easier for the next few years with his ability to play multiple infield positions, his willingness to be a bench player when needed, and his veteran leadership. In the meantime, his…

Well, we may have been reluctant at first due to his, um, colorful past (as were many others). We also doubted his All Star chances. Now, though, we’re now firmly aboard the Dmitri Young Chuckwagon. In the same week he was named to the NL team for next week’s All Star Game in San Francisco, Young went 3-4 yesterday. His day was highlighted by a grand slam, cementing the Nats 6-0 win in front of…

With the first half of the 2006 season in the books, it’s time to reach deep into the bag of sportswriting gimmickry and pull out some mid-season hardware for our own amusement. With the team on pace to lose 95 games, many sad moments have defined the season thus far, but there are a few bright spots in there. So without further ado, DCist proudly presents the Superfluous All-Star Break Awards of 2006: The FEMA…

The outcome was pretty much a foregone conclusion, but it’s still one more step toward getting the Nationals on the right track. Today in New York, baseball’s team owners unanimously approved the Lerner group’s purchase of the Nats for the sticker price of $450 million, according to the Post. Lerner won’t officially get the reins of the team until June, when he’ll also be replacing team president Tony Tavares with new hope and ownership partner…

This week we reported that some police officers have been wrongfully enforcing the D.C. smoking ban in restaurants, found one of the area’s best burgers in an unexpected place, recognized that maybe there may be too much junk food in local food banks and commended the Post for its four Pulitzer prizes. We checked out some local bands at the Black Cat, found unintentional hilarity over at WMATA’s website, pondered express service on Metro…

This entry was written by DCist contributor Jeff Beam. Just another day at the office for the 2006 Nationals. After Monday’s much-needed day off, Tuesday was off to the races. By midday, the team had learned that Ryan Drese would be out four to six weeks, but would avoid season-ending surgery. By the late evening, when Gary Majewski was wrapping up a 10-3 victory in Philly, their GM was on the hot seat, and the…

The Post reports this morning on impressive growth throughout the region in the number of black-owned businesses. Census Data released yesterday detailed the strides black businesses made between 1997 and 2002; nationally black-owned firms grew 45 percent (compared to about 10 percent for all firms), but they still only account for 5 percent of all businesses. While growth took pace across the region, media focus has been on Prince George’s County, which now has…

The battle over transportation in Virginia has been full of laughable moments, from Delegates noting how they don’t hear taxpayers clamoring for tax increases when they return home to news stories on the lack of concern about traffic in Virginia hamlets with three-digit populations. Of course, we laugh to keep from crying, or rather, we laugh to keep from tracking down these Prince William County Delegates and punching them in their smug faces. We know…

Earlier this week, the Nationals dodged a bullet when former baseball hero Sammy Sosa opted for likely retirement rather than take Washington’s admittedly measly non-guaranteed $500,000 offer. Bully for the Nats, who won’t have to see wasted green on the bench and whiffs at the plate, but still, it’s a sign of the straits in which the club finds itself that one of the major attempted deals of the offseason was a throwaway contract…

After a promising start to the weekend (a 4-1 win on Friday night), the Nationals dropped back-to-back games to the Cardinals in all too familiar fashion: Back-to-back 6-0 losses to the best team in baseball, and consecutive no-shows by the Nats’ bats. Saturday, the Nats had no answer for the previously struggling Jason Marquis, managing just two hits. Yesterday they collected just four hits and two walks. It all adds up to another series’ loss…