On Sunday evening, Nationals pitchers John Lannan and Craig Stammen will make another community appearance - this time in support of Bethesda Big Train. The team plays in the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League each summer and won the Championship this season. The 11th Annual Big Train Base Ball & Auction will take place on Sunday evening from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Pooks Hill Marriott in Bethesda. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian will be the featured guest speaker with special appearances by...

It was a crowded night at the ESPN Zone. With various games on television including the big ECU vs. Virginia Tech match-up, the place was filled with enthusiastic fans supporting their football and hockey teams. But a day after the World Series, the sports world was on break from baseball - except for a few lucky Nationals fans. Near the front of the room, MASN's Fantasy Baseball winners gathered at a large table and enjoyed appetizers, dinner, drinks and a long, casual conversation with...

It sure is nice to have some players staying in Washington during this offseason. Both John Lannan and Craig Stammen opted to spend time in the nation's capital this winter while training with strength and conditioning coach John Philbin in Gaithersburg, MD. Staying in the area has allowed both players to make additional community service appearances and to interact with fans on a regular basis. Over the weekend, the teammates showed up at Bethesda Big Train's annual Base Ball & Auction...

Actually, it has nothing to do with luck... Ryan Zimmerman is a deserving recipient of his first Rawlings Gold Glove award, which was announced by Major League Baseball on Wednesday afternoon. The first National to win the award, Zimmerman is the second Washington based player to win. Senators catcher Earl Battey earned one in 1960. "Winning the Rawlings Gold Glove has always been important to me, as I take a lot of pride in my defense," Zimmerman said in a prepared statement. "When I...

While it sure feels like winter might never arrive (no complaints here!), eventually we'll have to drag out the winter coats, scarves and mittens while we wait for baseball to resume in the spring. This year, when you begin to sort through your winter apparel, you might want to consider setting aside an extra coat. Through December 11th, the Nationals are collecting clean, re-useable coats and jackets for DC adults and children during the One Warm Coat Drive at Nationals Park. ...

After collecting a number of prestigious awards this offseason, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is up for yet another important accolade -- but this time, you can help. The first-time Gold Glove winner is up for This Year in Baseball's Defensive Player of the Year. Fans can vote as often as they like through December 11th. Zimmerman is up against Michael Bourn, Jacoby Ellsbury, Torii Hunter, Adam Jones, Melvin Mora, Kaz Matsui, Jimmy Rollins, Yadier Molina and Troy Tulowitski. You can also...

It was a busy Saturday for Nyjer Morgan. The enthusiastic center fielder began his morning in the Silver Spring Thanksgiving parade, visited kidney transplant patients at the Dialysis Corp of America and Georgetown University Hospital, learned more about kidney donation and kidney disease from leading transplant surgeon Dr. Keith Melancon and spent his evening at the 29th annual Kidney Ball benefiting the National Kidney Foundation. Morgan became interested in the Kidney Foundation when his...

Over thirty Nationals employees volunteered their time to cook and package Thanksgiving meals on Monday. Joined by pitcher Craig Stammen, the group spent the day at Food and Friends, a nonprofit organization in NE Washington D.C., to prepare holiday meals for people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses. Together as a team, they sorted food donations, cooked Thanksgiving turkeys and packaged meals to be delivered to those local residents unable to purchase or prepare their...

While center fielder Nyjer Morgan is enjoying time with his family during the offseason, he is definitely ready for spring training. The proud dad has been busy watching his 8 year old daughter play hockey this winter. "She's really good, so I'm really pumped," he said last week while in town for the Kidney Ball. But Morgan is also very excited about playing his first full season with the Nationals. "We've got the fire power, the bats - which is the 'swat team.' That's what I...

You may have already heard, but Nationals pitchers Collin Balester and John Lannan both recently joined Twitter. On Tuesday afternoon, they began a race toward 500 followers on the popular social networking platform. Balester, aka @BallyStar40, joined a week ago and has the early lead with 267 followers. Newcomer Lannan, aka @JLannan31, began tweeting on Tuesday and already has 179 followers. The race has prompted both pitchers to offer up prizes for their 300th, 400th and 500th followers...