Bob Carpenter Archive
Finally! A sunny, clear day in Viera, where the weather has been anything but spring-like for Nationals spring training. March came in like a lamb and the boys got plenty of work in, and one of them told me that some players start to think more about the season ... Read More
Nyjer Morgan: stay healthy this year, my friend, and the Nationals will be an exciting and productive offensive club. I hope the slides of March, April, May, etc. will be feet-first and not hands-first. The bats will make plenty of noise if Tony Plush is on base, agitating pitchers ... Read More
Mark McGwire handed me the photo and it said, "To Bob, My Friend, Mark McGwire." The Tulsa newspaper had done a story on me and took my picture around the batting cage with Mark and, of course, I wanted him to sign it. This was, after all, the man ... Read More
Happy New Year! It's already starting to look that way for the Nats and our fans, with all the new faces Mike Rizzo is adding to the roster for 2010, and there may be more to come. If it all starts with pitching, and we know it does, the ... Read More
It's only appropriate that during the week the Nationals take a major step toward their future with the hiring of Jim Riggleman, the future becomes clearer with personal accolades for Ryan Zimmerman. First, the manager: Jim is a knowledgeable, classy, solid baseball man and the right one to be ... Read More
If you haven't yet realized this about the game of baseball, here it is: the only predictable thing is its unpredictability. The 15-inning marathon win at Atlanta on the final day of the regular season was not only the longest game in the young history of our team, but ... Read More
A friend of mine, St. Louis Cardinals TV director Tom Mee, is finishing a book on televised baseball; and after he asked me to write a liner note for his cover, it got me to thinking about our MASN Nationals crew and what great work they do! The men ... Read More
Through the clouds and raindrops of South Florida over the weekend, there were a few peeks of sunshine that suggested to me that better days are ahead for the Nationals. Battling their way to a 2-1 series win over the division and Wild Card contending Marlins got the Nats ... Read More
Labor Day has always been the last pause before the end of the baseball season--the final post before that finish line, which comes late this year on October 4. In the days before divisional play, pre-1969, if your team was within five games of first place on Labor Day, ... Read More
I have to give Mike Rizzo credit for catching us all off guard last week with the signing of Livan Hernandez. "Levo" was on the mound the next day at Wrigley Field and gave a typically sound performance: 6 innings, 2 runs on 5 hits, 6 strikeouts and 2 ... Read More
A homestand of one win and six losses isn't usually something to remember, but this last week at Nationals Park was memorable and might have implications for our ballclub for years to come. Before the Nationals even played a game on the stand, Stephen Strasburg was signed and immediately ... Read More
The email from John Dever of the Nationals Media Relations came at 12:17:28 and ended my frantic search from website to website. Stephen Strasburg was finally a Nat, at least a Nats farmhand, and it's a great time to be a fan of Major League Baseball's newest team! ... Read More
After 25 games in 25 days, the Nationals were very deserving of a day off Monday. Some teams need a day off to escape a bad streak, and others don't want to take a day off when they're hot. But, despite winning eight straight, 12 of 16 and 14 ... Read More
Try to figure out the game of baseball and it will drive you crazy sometimes. So, you should enjoy it and wait for those unexpected twists and turns. Tuesday night against the Marlins was just such a time. ... Read More
I was experiencing a bit of deja vu Monday night in Milwaukee as Josh Willingham had his career night with 2 grand slams and 8 RBIs. I was broadcasting at Dodger Stadium in April, 1999 when Fernando Tatis of the Cardinals hit 2 grand slams...in the same inning off ... Read More
Baseball is a simple and beautiful game when things work together, and John Lannan had it all working Tuesday night at Nationals Park. His second career complete game, also his first shutout, was the first whitewash by any pitcher, home or visitor, in the brief history of the stadium. ... Read More
I exchanged brief emails with Manny Acta last evening, and I'm convinced he will be fine as he pursues his next baseball endeavor, or as someone else pursues him. He is a confident, classy and spiritual man who answers to a higher power and isn't afraid to admit it. ... Read More
Craig Stammen gets the opening assignment Monday night on what will be a very challenging seven-day, eight-game road trip to Colorado and Houston. The suspended game to be played in Houston Thursday evening (7:00 p.m. on MASN with the regular game at 8:00) will make for eight game results ... Read More
For the second straight year, MASN used the innovative approach of sharing announcers for our two Interleague series with the Nats and Orioles. We hope you enjoyed it - now let me tell you what makes it work. ... Read More
On this Monday off day, there's time to savor the best week of Nationals baseball so far this season--four wins in six games against two of the best in the American League East. With the Red Sox coming to town and the ballpark about to be filled three nights ... Read More
There are times in baseball when you have to wonder, "What is going on here? Is there any justice in this game?" This past weekend's three-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays was one (or two or three) of those times. ... Read More
There are certain times during a baseball season when everything lines up the right way, and when the game is over, you know you've been a part of something special. Saturday night was one of those times. ... Read More
"Monday, Monday ... can't trust that day" - so sang the Mamas and the Papas forty-some years ago. Monday for a lot of us is a day we dread; it's the start of another work week, and Friday seems to be a long way off. I would suggest to ... Read More
Watching Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns and Kip Wells interact with injured soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital Friday, I couldn't help but admire these different sets of warriors as they spent time together and shared personal moments under difficult circumstances. These Nationals graciously gave of their time on a game ... Read More
Coming off another high-scoring loss Friday night, the Nationals sit among the National League's elite when it comes to offense. The Nats are hitting .277, 3rd in the league and exceeded only by the high-payroll Mets and Dodgers at .291. ... Read More
If you haven't stayed up late with us the last few nights from the West Coast, you've missed some interesting and entertaining baseball. There wasn't much memorable from the 10-3 loss at L.A. Wednesday night, but Thursday night's 11-9, come-from-behind win had a little of everything. ... Read More
Several things jumped out at me after the Nats lost the second game of the series to the Cardinals Friday night. They were only simple things, but they were simple things that make a difference in winning or losing ballgames. ... Read More
Moments ago, the Nats lost their first-ever game at Citi Field in New York, and I have mixed feelings about the ballpark. The Mets may have some hitters who aren't too happy with this place in the months to come. ... Read More
Monday was a tough day at Nationals Park as we were stunned by the death of Harry Kalas. I'll add my thoughts to the long list of accolades he is getting this week. ... Read More
Players really do have to have a short memory in Major League Baseball. The disappointments and failures of one day can't be allowed to carry over to the next, and what happened yesterday has nothing to do with today, or tomorrow. ... Read More
There's not much to like about a 3 a.m arrival at a hotel, but for the Nats in the wee hours Sunday morning, nobody was complaining. A nice win in the spring finale against the Orioles left the Nats' record at 15-17-2 and it was great to be at ... Read More
The Nationals were far too polite with the bats in 2008; and after visiting spring training twice, I can see where the team should be much more potent and offensive this season. The addition of Adam Dunn will be huge; Nick Johnson's return will skyrocket the team's on-base percentage; ... Read More
I've been waiting a while to visit with you Nats fans, at least until I could get to Florida and see in person what all the buzz is about with our ballclub this year. After our initial MASN telecast Wednesday and after spending a few days in camp, I ... Read More
Hello again, Nats fans, and a belated Happy New Year! I think we're in for a fun year on MASN with our new broadcast partner Rob Dibble. Those of you who visit with us on a nightly basis will enjoy Rob's insight into the game, his sense of humor ... Read More
Thanks to Bobby H from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware for his response to my last blog. Of course, we would never forget Sussex County! Regarding his request for info on my family and what I do during the offseason .... I usually don't talk publicly about my family much, but ... Read More
It's hard to believe it's been six weeks since the baseball season ended, but getting back into a "normal" offseason life back home has been interesting and relaxing. Fall is a beautiful time of the year in Oklahoma and college football reigns supreme out here, so it was great ... Read More
After a very successful homestand that saw the Nats sweep the Dodgers and Braves, before taking two of three from the Phillies, it was off to Atlanta for a long four-game series with the Braves. Life on the road has been tough on our ballclub this year, as wins ... Read More
It's been two weeks since I've touched base with you, and a lot has changed for the Nats during that time. The ballclub has suffered through an 0-6 homestand and a 12-game losing streak; they've been to Philadelphia and Chicago and grabbed a couple of wins along the way. ... Read More
Baseball fans always ask me, "What do you guys do on the road to keep busy?" That's a good question, because anyone who travels for a living knows that you can get stale really quickly if you don't stay active while working away from home. ... Read More
Coming to you from Colorado, where the Nats looked great in game one Monday but not great in game two Tuesday. The flight from DC to Denver was a pleasant one Sunday night, as the Nationals had just swept a 3-game series at home for the first time this ... Read More
Life on the road can be a grind in Major League baseball. The Nationals had another nail-biting loss on the road Friday night, 3-2 at Dodger Stadium. John Lannan pitched very well again but got little run support thanks to great pitching by the Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley. ... Read More
