Our shadowy past exists in the time machine known as the Washington Nationals

We did Atlanta's Yankee back-stories yesterday. The Braves have nothing on our nation's capital.

With Chien-Ming Wang apparently headed there, Gridlock City will be bursting with old plot threads and characters from previous seasons. They should run pop-up captions, like on "Lost."

Brian Bruney -- Never did get back on track. Will he be burly Brian (230 lb) or Brian on bran (209)?

Tyler Clippard -- Once, the "Yankee Clippard." Who can forget that shot to the gap he hit against the Mets! We traded him for Jonathan Albaladejo. Still not sure who won that deal.

Chien-Ming Wang -- Why, why, why did we let him run those bases? He shoulda been a lifelong Yankee.

Wil Nieves -- Pre-Chad Moeller, we once wondered if he'd ever get a hit.

Ivan Rodriguez -- He killed us in two post-seasons (Marlins, Tigers.) We cackled over the deal that brought him to NY, then saw the difference in his game. Moments after the last out at the old Yankee Stadium, he posed with Jorge; two great catchers at the end of several eras.

Alberto Gonzalez -- Our former attorney general, part of the Randy deal. Remember how we touted him?
.

Christian Guzman -- Wow. A lingering thread from the mysterious age of Knobby. Boot up Windows '95.