Predictably enough, there's been some discontent from the City of Brotherly Love about the Nationals' announcement of the "Take Back the Park" initiative, a well-intentioned effort to put tickets for the team's May 4-6 series against the Phillies at Nationals Park in the hands of D.C.-area fans instead of having the park packed with Philly Phanatics.
In a series of Thursday afternoon tweets, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania, fired off the following plea: "I'm...
If you're strolling through downtown near Camden Yards tomorrow and hear some strange sounds emanating from the stadium that harken you to warmer weather and the game of summer, your ears aren't playing tricks on you.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Orioles have invited 25 finalists to Camden Yards to audition for the opportunity to be the new public address announcer at the stadium. The new voice will replace Dave McGowan, the longtime PA announcer who announced in December that new job...
When the Nationals open the 2012 season at Wrigley Field against the Cubs on April 5, there are pretty much guaranteed to be winds whipping around the ivy-covered walls and knocking around the pennants on the scoreboard in center field. But the guys from D.C. will be used to that by then, especially after spending most of spring training with an incessant question swirling around Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla.
Who's the Nats' opening day starter?
There's little doubt that Washington's...
It's hard to believe Camden Yards has been around since 1992. I can still recall driving past the construction site as the stadium rose where the B&O Railroad yards used to be, the protestations of politicians who insisted a downtown stadium was pure folly and my first glimpse of the new ballpark on a mid-winter's day when mini-plan holders were invited down to see where their new seats would be.
Mine were in the upper deck in Section 324, three rows from the top of the stadium, looking...
Remember that feeling of satisfaction that washed over you last week when Baseball America ranked the Nationals' farm system No. 1 in baseball? We all knew the ranking, decided upon before the trade that sent four top prospects to the A's in exchange for left-hander Gio Gonzalez, would take a hit once the loss of pitchers Tommy Milone, Brad Peacock, A.J. Cole and catcher Derek Norris were factored out of the equation.
Baseball America promised a revised ranking in mid-March to accommodate...
Innings limit or not, Stephen Strasburg is the focal point in the Nationals' 2012 rotation. Much will be made about Gio Gonzalez's arrival in the National League, whether Jordan Zimmermann can build on his breakthrough season, whether Edwin Jackson will perform enough in D.C. to get the big-money, long-term contract he covets and how well Chien-Ming Wang will hold up to the test of a full season in the starting five.
Strasburg? Mention the right-hander with the arsenal that runs the gamut...
Football season is over, which means baseball season's just around the corner. And it's Babe Ruth's 117th birthday, to boot! Good thing the Sultan of Swat doesn't have to summon up enough breath to blow out all those candles.
NatsTown has generally welcomed the return of Rick Ankiel, who has agreed to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Unless he falls flat on his face or is hurt, it's a good bet Ankiel will come north as part of the Nationals' 25-man roster.
But...
Greetings from Southwest Airlines Flight 2039, where we're somewhere east of Salt Lake City - maybe around Oklahoma - and heading to Baltimore. I can't escape the Nationals news, even for a few days.
According to multiple reports, the Nationals have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with Rick Ankiel, which includes an invite to spring training, where Ankiel will compete for at least a share of the team's center field job.
The 32-year-old Ankiel batted .239 with nine homers and 37...
The Nationals added another arm to their bullpen mix today, agreeing to a minor league contract with right-hander Chad Durbin, according to this tweet from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. No word on whether Durbin will get an invitation to spring training, but it's a good bet he'll be in the major league clubhouse when pitchers and catchers report to Space Coast Stadium on Feb. 19.
The 34-year-old Durbin was 2-2 with a 5.53 ERA in 56 games for the Indians last season. In 12 major league seasons with...
There's really nothing surprising about yesterday's news that right-hander Livan Hernandez had signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros, ending his latest tour of duty with the Nationals.
The Nats have finally gotten to the point where there's sufficient depth in their starting rotation, and enough arms in the minor leagues, that they had no need for a 36-year-old control specialist who got by on guile. Make no mistake, Hernandez wanted to return - "Of course, why wouldn't I?"...
Few personalities are as polarizing in recent Nationals history as Jim Riggleman. Depending on your point of view, he's either the underappreciated baseball lifer who presided over the infancy of the team's 2011 turnaround, or he's a self-centered egotist who put his personal goals over the team's. Regardless of which side of the fence you're on, it's hard to imagine a more surreal day than June 23, when Riggleman's abrupt and unforeseen resignation sucked the joy out of the Nats' 11th...
When the Nationals arrive at Space Coast Stadium in a few weeks, it will be without the usual uncertainty that has accompanied the team to Viera, Fla., in past spring trainings. Up and down the roster, there are more sure things than question marks.
Rotation? So many legitimate starting pitchers that either Ross Detwiler or John Lannan will likely end up in long relief. Bullpen? So many arms that someone like Ryan Mattheus or Henry Rodguez could be squeezed out. Starting lineup? Pretty solid,...
The tenure of Major League Baseball commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig has made one thing crystal clear: What Bud wants, Bud usually gets.
Selig wants to implement his plan to expand the playoffs by one team in each league for the 2012 season. Never mind that the players' union isn't on board with the arrangement, citing the fact that the schedule is already set and would have to be changed to create space for an extra one-game playoff to determine the final four postseason teams from the...
It's less than a month until pitchers and catchers report to Nationals spring training at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., but don't expect general manager Mike Rizzo to be any less diligent about adding to his roster or looking for creative ways to improve his ballclub between now and Feb. 19.
"We're trying to improve ourselves in the rotation and in the bullpen and any other way we can, and we're certainly open-minded and we'll not stop working," Rizzo said Wednesday. "We're...
The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with right-handed relief pitcher Brad Lidge on a one-year contract. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
One of the game's most accomplished active relievers, Lidge is 26-31 with 67 holds, 223 saves and a 3.44 ERA (227 ER/594.0 IP) in 592 career games/one start.
In 10 seasons with the Phillies (2008-11) and Astros (2002-07), Lidge has fanned over 31 percent of all batters...
Yesterday, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said he had a few more roster "tweaks" in mind before players started reporting to spring training in Viera, Fla.
Well, the tweaking is under way.
The Nationals have signed former Phillies closer Brad Lidge, adding the right-hander to an already-crowded bullpen picture. Lidge gets a one-year deal for $1 million.
The 35-year-old Lidge was 0-2 with a 1.40 ERA and one save in 25 games after rehabbing from a rotator cuff injury in his throwing...
When the Nationals traded four top prospects to the A's in exchange for Gio Gonzalez last month, general manager Mike Rizzo talked about the effect the 26-year-old left-hander would have on the Washington rotation. Despite his relative youth, four major league seasons - and three spent primarily as a starting pitcher for the team that gifted "Moneyball" to the game - are more than right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann, whose promising careers were interrupted by Tommy John...
A few leftovers from Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo after today's press conference to introduce left-hander Gio Gonzalez:
* Whether Bryce Harper does enough to break spring camp with the major league club will be one of the biggest stories in the Grapefruit League starting next month. Manager Davey Johnson has gone on record as saying he thinks the 19-year-old outfielder can handle big league pitching now, while Rizzo seems to think the top prospect, who has played less than half a...
First impressions from Gio Gonzalez's introductory press conference: This guy is going to be a lot of fun to be around. Gonzalez is well-spoken, excitable and has his own knack for thoughtful commentary - all of which will play well in the Nationals' clubhouse.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Nationals finally got around to introducing Gonzalez, who was acquired last month in a six-player swap that cost Washington four of its top prospects. Gonzalez flipped between sounding like a kid who's...
If Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was upset at not landing free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, he masked the disappointment well.
Speaking after the Nationals introduced left-hander Gio Gonzalez to the media Wednesday afternoon, Rizzo said the Nationals had done their best to come to terms with Fielder, who agreed to a nine-year, $214 million deal. Rizzo even hinted that the Nationals were "very close" to signing Fielder.
"Does Prince Fielder help any club he's with? There's...