Is it too late for a telethon? A car wash? A blood drive? A war? Anything to save Rob Dibble from getting run out of town?

Yeah, it’s probably too late.

Dibble has been away from the Nats broadcasting booth since shortly after Stephen Strasburg screwed up the commentator’s counsel — basically “suck it up!” and play through pain — by turning out to be really injured.

A lot of sports media people, even the best and brightest, have had it in for Dibble for a while. I don’t get the hate for the guy. Sure, he ain’t Vin Scully. Maybe he’s not even Joe Angel or Fred Manfra. And, no doubt, he says a lot of meatheady things, along the way to saying anything and everything. But that’s the act he had before MASN brought him here.

For me, Dibble is (er, was?) one of the few reasons to tune into broadcasts of the milquetoasty, loserish team in the last two seasons. Everybody I know who doesn’t type for a living and has an opinion of Rob Dibble is warm to his form. I’m warm to his form, too. I mean, he can throw a baseball 100 miles an hour! He likes pro wrestling and Pantera! What more could you want out of a color guy?

But, things sure smell like it’s over for Dibble and D.C. When things get quiet like they are now, that usually means an agent’s negotiating with management about severance.

When I spoke with him a couple months ago, on a night when Strasburg pitched like Strasburg, Dibble was a little too aware of his critics, but seemed OK with being a target. He said he was shocked and a little scared by how much he was reading “Did you hear what Dibble said?” in the papers.

“Who cares what I said?” he said. “I’m supposed to add something. If we’re in your living room having a beer, if you had questions about the game, you’d say, `Hey, you played in the big leagues. What do you think?’ And I’d tell you what I think. Like it or not, that’s my opinion. It shouldn’t count for anything.”

But, bless him, he never stopped yakking. Bottom line: I was right there with Dibble when I heard he wanted Strasburg to “Suck it up!”

Save Rob Dibble!

. I read “you hear what dibble said…?” who cares what I said. I’m supposed to add something, if we’re in your lieving room having a beer, I fyou had questions, on the game, you’d say, heyyou played in the big leagues, what do you think? And I’d tell you. Like it or not, that’s my opinion.it shoudln’tt count for anything.