The Washington Nationals today claimed left-handed reliever Doug Slaten off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Slaten, who stands 6-foot-5, is 3-5 with 13 holds and a 3.68 ERA in 126 career big league appearances with Arizona spanning four seasons (2006-2009). During his four-year big league career, Slaten has suffered just one blown save, stranded 77 percent of inherited baserunners (60 of 78) and...
NATIONALS THIRD BASEMAN RYAN ZIMMERMAN
EARNS FIRST RAWLINGS GOLD GLOVE AWARD
Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman today was named the recipient of the 2009 National League Rawlings Gold Glove for third basemen. The defensive citation is the first of Zimmerman's career.
Zimmerman led all National League third baggers this season in total chances (MLB-best 459), assists (MLB-high 325), range factor per game (2.97) and games started (153). At 18.1, Zimmerman also paced NL third...
The Washington Nationals today named Jim Riggleman field manager. Nationals President Stan Kasten and Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the joint announcement.
Riggleman will return in 2010 after posting a 33-42 (.440) record upon assuming the Nationals' helm on July 13. Riggleman's Nationals displayed marked improvement in extra-inning (3-1), one-run (13-9) and NL East (17-16) contests despite having a rookie starting pitcher toe the rubber 45 times in 75...
Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman today was named the recipient of the 2009 National League Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger for third basemen. The Silver Slugger citation is the first of Zimmerman's career.
Zimmerman enjoyed a breakout season at the plate in 2009, hitting .292 (178-for-610) with 37 doubles, a career-high 33 home runs, 106 RBI and a career-best 110 runs scored in 157 games. He ranked among NL leaders in runs (fourth), total bases (fifth, 320), RBI (sixth),...
The Washington Nationals today named Bryan Minniti Assistant General Manager and Jay Sartori Director of Baseball Operations. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Minniti joins the Nationals after spending the previous nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the last two as their Director of Baseball Operations. With the Pirates, Minniti's focuses included rules compliance, transactions, budgeting and contract negotiations. Minniti graduated...
The Washington Nationals today claimed catcher Chris Coste off waivers from the New York Mets. Nationals Senior Vice President & General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Coste, who will join the Nationals' big league camp, batted .308 (4-for-13) with two doubles and one RBI in 10 spring training contests with the Mets. The 37-year-old appeared in 88 games last season with the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros, and has posted a career .272 batting average with 47 doubles, 23...
Ben Goessling, Nationals Guest Host, MASNsports.com Blogger
Ben Goessling joined MASN in January 2010. He covers the Nationals and makes guest appearances during pre- and post-game broadcasts.
Goessling is in his third year covering the Nationals after two seasons on the beat at the Washington Times, where he was a frequent contributor to MASN's pre-game shows during the "Hot Corner" segment. In addition to covering the Nationals and two World Series, he covered the Washington Capitals,...
Phil Wood, Co-Host of Nats Xtra
A native Washingtonian, Phil Wood has spent his entire career in the D.C.-Baltimore area. Throughout the years he's hosted radio sports talk shows in both markets with a decided emphasis on baseball, and has also performed on-air duties on and around broadcasts of the Washington Bullets and Capitals; Baltimore Orioles, Colts, Ravens, and Skipjacks (AHL); and Bowie Baysox.
Phil's a past winner of the NSSA Maryland Sportscaster of the Year Award, a "Best...
Byron Kerr, Co-Host of Nats Xtra
Kerr returns to MASN as a fill-in anchor for Nats Xtra and as the fill-in sideline reporter for Nationals baseball games. He has been the pregame/postgame host and sideline reporter for MASN at the BB&T college basketball Classic at Verizon Center the past two seasons.
He is the host of the Nats Insider weekly magazine show and Nats Talk Live post-game call-in show heard on the Nationals Radio Network and its flagship, Federal News Radio 1500 AM. Kerr is the...
Ray Knight, Co-Host of Nats Xtra
Two-time MLB All-Star Ray Knight will return for his third season as the co-host of Nats Xtra, MASN's pre- and post- game show.
Few baseball players garner as much respect as Ray Knight. In the twilight of his playing years, Knight mustered one of his best seasons to triumphantly lead the New York Mets to a World Series Championship. It was the team's first title in 17 years. His play earned him the Most Valuable Player honor for the 1986 World Series and...
Johnny Holliday, Host of Nats Xtra
One of the finest play-by-play announcers in the country, Johnny Holliday returns for his third year with MASN as the co-host of Nats Xtra, the exclusive pre-game and post-game show. In addition to his baseball duties, Holliday has spent 30 years as the "Voice of the Terrapins." In addition to calling the action for the Maryland football and basketball teams, Holliday hosts the Ralph Friedgen and Gary Williams television shows. As the Terps' director...
Debbi Taylor, Nationals Sideline Reporter
Debbi Taylor comes to MASN from Sun Sports/FSN, where she was a sideline reporter for the Orlando-based Regional Sports Network. She was also a sports reporter for the Fox affiliate in Orlando where she covered the Daytona 500 and Super Bowl. Prior to Orlando, she anchored sports at the CBS/FOX affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island.
Debbi got her start in sports broadcasting from spending 6 years at the New England Sports Network (NESN) in...
Rob Dibble, Color Analyst
Rob Dibble joins MASN for the 2009 season as color commentator for Washington Nationals broadcasts.
Prior to joining MASN, Dibble was a baseball analyst for MLB on Fox, and a contributor to FoxSports.com's baseball coverage. Additionally, Rob serves as a co-host (along with Fox's Kevin Kennedy) of The Show, MLB Home Plate's afternoon drive-time baseball talk show on XM Radio.
Dibble worked with ESPN from 1998-2004, as a co-host of The Dan Patrick Show on...
Bob Carpenter, Play-by-Play
Carpenter is in his fourth year in the Nationals' broadcast booth. He joined MASN as the play-by-play announcer after 10 years in the TV booth of the St. Louis Cardinals and more than 20 in the major leagues. The St. Louis native debuted in 1984 with Cardinals baseball on the Sportstime Cable Network, then returned in '95 on KPLR-TV and KMOX Radio. He has been nominated for 4 St. Louis/Mid-America Emmys, winning twice in '96 and '97. His signature home run...
Roch Kubatko, Orioles Guest Host, MASNsports.com Blogger
Roch Kubatko joined MASN in August of 2008 as the author of MASN's popular and exclusive "School of Roch" blog. He covers the Orioles and the Ravens, co-hosts MASN's Hot Stove Show, makes frequent guest appearances during Orioles broadcasts and appears on 105.7 The Fan.
In twenty-one years with the Baltimore Sun, Kubatko became one of the region's most talented sportswriters, having won the 2004 Maryland Sports Writer of the...
Dave Johnson, Color Analyst
Former major league pitcher and Baltimore native Dave Johnson serves as co-host of the Orioles' Radio Network pre- and post-game shows on WHFS-FM, as well as serving as a color analyst for MASN's Orioles coverage.
Dave spent all or parts of five seasons in the majors, including three seasons with the Orioles, 1989-91. In his second week with the O's, he earned American League "Player of the Week" honors with a pair of complete-game victories in early...
Tom Davis, Guest Host of O's Xtra
Baltimore native Tom Davis is a 37-year veteran of Charm City sports broadcasting. He hosted Orioles telecasts on HTS from 1984-2002 as well as anchoring the pre-game show.
Tom was sports director for WQSR (105.7FM) throughout the 1990s, doing updates and commentary on the station's "Rouse & Company" morning show. He also produced and hosted the popular TV show "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (during the baseball season) and "Touchdown Baltimore"...
Amber Theoharis, Orioles Reporter/Studio Host
Amber Theoharis is an Emmy-award-winning sports reporter entering her 4th season on MASN as part of the Orioles' broadcast team. The Baltimore area native provides live in-game reports as well as player interviews and clubhouse updates for MASN's pre and post-game show O's Xtra.
This fall, Amber will enter her 7th season covering the Baltimore Ravens as studio host of MASN's post-game show Ravens Xtra.
In the offseason, Amber finds...
Jim Hunter, Play-by-Play / Host of O's Xtra
Veteran broadcaster Jim Hunter is in his 13th year as a member of the Orioles broadcast team. Jim enters his 6th season in the TV Booth on MASN. He is the host of "O's Xtra," MASN's Orioles pre-game and post game shows, paired in the studio with Orioles Hall of Famer Rick Dempsey. Jim will also call play by play of O's games on MASN with Buck Martinez or Hall Of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer. He also has called play by play of MASN's extensive...
Rick Dempsey, Color Analyst/ Co-Host of O's Xtra
Dempsey has spent 34 seasons in professional baseball as a player, scout and manager. In 2002 Rick became first base coach and catching instructor for the Baltimore Orioles. Previously, he was the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen coach.
After his playing days in Baltimore, Rick signed as a free agent with Cleveland in 1987. He left the Orioles having caught more games than anyone in club history. A reserve role with the Dodgers came after...