Joe Beimel Loves LA

Nats play second fiddle again

By CHRIS NEEDHAM

Updated 3:31 PM EST, Mon, Jul 6, 2009

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How much does it stink to be the Washington Nationals? (Alternatively, how much do the Washington Nationals stink?) So much so that their players are eagerly looking forward to playing elsewhere.

Lefty reliever Joe Beimel is the latest, telling the LA Times that he loved his time with the Dodger so much that, "If I could, I'd go back."

Joey had a three-year run as a key reliever with LA, and he became a bit of a minor fan favorite with his creepy hair and his ability to shut Barry Bonds down. Beimel famously cut his hand on a glass at a bar, on the eve of the Dodgers' playoff series in 2006. It knocked him out for the series -- the Dodgers followed three games later.

Joe Torre wasn't much of a fan. He didn't want the Dodgers to pursue him, telling the LA Times: "We just felt Joe was inconsistent. He took the ball, whether good or bad, and went out there on a regular basis. I love Joe, but he wasn't as good against left-handed hitters as he had been in the past."

So the crazy-haired Beimel signed with the Nats for $2 million in the middle of spring training after no other teams were biting on his soft- and south-paw delivery.

And now he longs for LA. Still, he admits there's an upside to playing for a crapbag team. They let him do stuff:
"I like the way I'm being used here. If we have a lead going into the eighth, I'm usually in there. The only problem is, we haven't had a lot of leads going into the eighth."

Is it better to be a key guy on a lousy team or a mopup guy on a contender?

Joe's got an answer to that, too. "Winning's always the best thing."

No wonder he's looking to LA.

Chris Needham used to write Capitol Punishment. He doesn't want to work on LA.