Did you see the article about how the team greeted Soriano when he came to the game tonight ... it's a great read ...
Where did you read that?
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Alfonso Soriano made his way through the clubhouse to his locker walking on a makeshift red carpet, a pathway constructed of white towels taped to the floor.
Hours after learning the Washington Nationals' star leadoff hitter and left fielder would be staying put, teammates greeted Soriano with cheers and chants of "Soriano! Soriano!" when he arrived Monday for a game against the San Francisco Giants.
"I'm happy," said Soriano, who got word from Nationals special assistant Jose Rijo about 20 minutes before the deadline. "It will be more easy to focus on playing every time because it passed. I was very excited they wanted to keep me here. ... I love my teammates, too. I think they were happy to see me walk in here."
From his locker hung streamers in team colors, a special chair replaced the standard clubhouse offering, and a giant fruit basket and bottle of Dom Perignon champagne waited at his feet. "Vive Soriano!" -- "Soriano Lives!" read one sign. "We love you!" stated another.
"We got a chance tonight!" hollered Robert Fick.
"Trading deadline's over! He's ours!" screamed Damian Jackson. "Hey! Hey! Hey!"
Eventually, Soriano tore down the party favors and pulled on his navy blue undershirt to get ready for work.
"I think it's a period of time now when everybody can exhale out there and go out and focus on the game," manager Frank Robinson said. "I wasn't nearly as sure it was going to happen. I've been around this game long enough to know nothing for sure until it happens. ... It's nice to put his name down on the lineup, absolutely."
