Nats are already in pit row

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VIERA, Fla.

It was NASCAR day at Space Coast Stadium yesterday, and one of the premier attractions was the Joe Gibbs Racing Team.

Yes, Redskins and Nationals synergy, though it was not intentional and there were no references to Racing Joe's football team on the premises.

"We're not allowed to sell Redskins stuff in the trailer," said a woman who was selling all kinds of Joe Gibbs souvenirs from the Joe Gibbs Racing Team trailer.

You could, however, buy collector models of the Interstate Batteries car. Maybe the Nationals should sponsor a car on the Nextel Cup circuit -- perhaps an Edsel or a Yugo would be an appropriate model.

With two weeks left before Opening Day at RFK Stadium, Nationals manager Manny Acta is doing his best to bring this bucket of bolts of a baseball team to the starting line. He clearly was rattled yesterday when one of his tires blew out -- Larry Broadway was demoted to Class AAA.

"We gave him a fair shot," said Acta, who was as subdued as he has been since spring training opened. "But we had to make a decision."

That decision was Broadway, despite batting .333 (but with just one extra-base hit) in 21 at-bats, didn't provide enough of what the Nationals want at first base. It looks more and more like, whatever it is the Nats are looking for, they hope to find it in Dmitri Young. Young has hit, can hit and is hitting, though Travis Lee is also hitting well and is a more viable option defensively at first base.

It is safe to say Broadway was an Acta guy. Acta knew of Broadway from the manager's earlier stint as a coach with the Expos and had made it apparent early in spring training that he believed in his abilities.

Young, though, is a Jim Bowden guy, brought to camp this spring by the Nationals' general manager. Bowden and Young were together in Cincinnati for four years.