Reaction during NL East postgame celebration
By Dan Kolko
ATLANTA - With a 3-0 win over the Braves, the Nationals clinched their second National League East title in three years.
Here is some postgame reaction from the clubhouse.
Manager Matt Williams
On whether he imagined this being possible: "With this team, I could imagine, yeah. I know there was a lot of hard work along the way. There was some trials and tribulations, too, but I am very proud of them. They've taken ownership of the way they want to play this game and how they go about and that's every day. So the fruits of that labor are we get to stand where we're at. There's a lot of work to do though. ...
"If we want to get where we want to get to, then we've got to buckle down again. Tonight is a very gratifying night for all of us, but we realize there's a lot of work to be done yet."
On what makes this group special: "I think it's just the way they've gone about it. They've tasted it before. Didn't get to where they wanted to get last year. There's expectation that goes along with it. Wonderful players and wonderful people. A staff that works their fanny off every single day. I'm proud of that. I'm proud of the way that we've tried to accomplish our goal, our first goal. Now we have to look from here on doing even more. The guys in that coaches room are ready for that. The guys in this locker room are ready for that. I'm certainly ready for that. So, we'll see where we can go."
On the difference for the club this year: "I think it's probably the 10-game winning streak. The walk-offs and the never-give-ups. Having the lead and not having the lead and coming back. Those types of games your certainly don't expect to win, but we did. That's just perseverance. That's just staying with the plan, understanding the process of how we're going to go about doing it and persevering."
On what's next: "It's really important for us to try to have home-field advantage, especially with the way we play at home. We will look to accomplish that. It's not easy. It matters. It matters to us."
Outfielder Bryce Harper
On winning NL East: "It's unbelievable. This is a lot of fun to be around. I mean, this team has played great all year long, and to be able to come in here and clinch this is something we've wanted to do. All year long, we've been fighting, we've been clawing, we've come through injuries and we've done what we needed to do to get to this point."
On overcoming injuries this year: "Everybody just stepping up, the big play. Matt, from Day One, told us to come in here every single day trying to win ballgames, trying to get better every single day. And every guy that came in stepped up. We have an unbelievable group of guys this year and hopefully we can do more and more throughout October."
On Williams as first-year manager taking control: "Having a great team like we do, being able to have a great manager comes along with that. He's had our respect since Day One and Matt has been unbelievable all year long. Absolutely love the guy. We all love him as a manager and hopefully we get some more going."
Owner Mark Lerner
On what this means: "I can't express it in words. It all starts with my dad. He had the vision of how to build this organization - hiring Mike (Rizzo), hiring Matt. Obviously, Matt has done a magnificent job. This is just the first step. We have bigger and higher goals here. But I can't be prouder of this club today. They came to work the first day of spring training and they haven't stopped. Despite adversity with injuries and everything else that's going on, they've hung in there and they're magnificent."
On watching this year's club develop: "I tell you, I live and die with every pitch, and I'm glad this part's over. Now I can start worrying about the next part. I've loved every minute of it. They're a joy to be around, great bunch."
General manager Mike Rizzo
On this being a special night: "It's a great organizational night tonight. We've got some unfinished business to do. We know that. We hope this is the first step of many. But I'm proud of the guys. It's a great organization and as we speak and as we're drinking champagne, we've got our scouts out scouting the other teams. We've got our player development guys in the instructional league who can't enjoy this, but they're as big a part of this as anybody in this room. We're proud of the depth that the scouts have allowed us to have. It's a good feeling right now. It's really a franchise success story and I'm glad to be the spokesman for it, but a small part of it."
On the key for the club this year: "I think that they're an ornery bunch, they're a stubborn bunch. They're a bunch that rises to the occasion and fought through a lot of adversity. We can't cross over or forget the fact that we were without our middle-of-the-lineup guys for a long period of time. We were without two of our starting rotation for an extended period, and guys stepped up, guys from the minor leagues, guys on the bench. You throw Kevin Frandsen out in left field. It was the first time in probably 10 years that he played left field, and he played it like a champ.
"Guys kept just giving us good at-bats and good at-bats. The coaching staff, it can't be beat. They're the best I've ever been around and they really made it possible for us to get through that period of time when we really, really needed to - had some fortitude and sticktuitiveness, and they played great. Matt Williams, he was awesome through the whole process. I can't say enough good things about him. The more complex and crazy that this stuff became, the calmer he was. So he handled the ship when things were really, really rocky and when things smoothed out, the team just took off. So it's a great franchise night tonight."
Starter Tanner Roark
On winning NL East: "Unbelievable. I have no words, anything, I can't describe it. We played our (butts) off. I have no words, this is amazing. ...
"We're definitely riding high right now. We're excited, as you can see. NL East champs, no better feeling. Each and everybody contributed. Its not about me, it's about the team, we won. That's all I can say."
Outfielder Jayson Werth
On what makes this team different: "I'd say it's our depth. We've had a lot of injuries this year and we've overcome a lot. To get to this point, it's quite an accomplishment for this organization, for the fans and the city. It's just a first step, we have a long way to go, still got a lot to play for in the regular season here. Home-field advantage throughout is important. We'll take a day off. We can set up our pitching. Get some guys some rest, but we still got games to play and meaningful games at that. Once the postseason gets here, all bets are off. That's when it's fun, that's when it's easy. It's a good time. I'm happy."
On having popped champagne before, how this one feels: "This is good, you play the whole regular season for this. This is exciting. They just keep getting better, each one. Hopefully this is the first of many this year and the first of many for the next few years. We've got a good team and I like where we are at."
On what makes Williams a good manager: "He's got a good team. He was given a good team. But I think the biggest thing for Matt is he stays out of our way. He puts the lineup up and lets us play. There's a lot to be said about that. It's refreshing to come in every day and not have to worry about anything other than just playing baseball."
Outfielder Denard Span
On what Williams said to team after the game: "He said we are not done. He said we've got promises to (keep). We've got to keep it going. This is just the beginning right now. This means a lot, but this isn't what we set out to accomplish this season."
On one word to describe this team: "Resilient. We kept fighting. People were counting us out, a lot of people picked the Braves this year, but we just kept fighting, kept fighting all year long, a lot of come-from-behind wins. A lot of resilient wins. I love this ballclub, man. All these guys. We put forth the hard work and this is a good feeling when you get a chance to celebrate like this. It's a good feeling."
On what it feels like to be a part of this team compared to past: "I'm leaps and bounds ahead. This is unbelievable. I just saw Mike Rizzo, I thanked him for bringing me here. They've changed my whole career. They just allowed me to come here and flourish as a ballplayer. I just thank them for it. It means a lot to me, man, because I feel like I was held back in Minnesota. I'm just so thankful to be here having fun and doing what I always wanted to do, which was play the game hard and just leave it all out on the field."
Starter Stephen Strasburg
On winning the division: "We just want to go out there and get the job done every single day and keep it rolling. Just trying not to do too much, but just go out there and keep it close."
On comparing this one to 2012: "We didn't really have much experience. It's a little different playing with everybody, trying to go out there and beat you every time. We couldn't sneak up on anybody. I think we learned a lot from that experience and I think it's going to make us better in the long run."
On being able to pitch in postseason after being shut down in 2012: "I'm excited. It's all under the water now. So it's go time."
Reliever Drew Storen
On Nats' defining moment: "There's a ton of them. That's been the fun part. We stuck on our course all year. We battled. We played some weird games and we've had some awesome victories. We've just built on that. As you can tell, we like each other quite a bit, so we're having a good time."
On importance of team chemistry: "That is the factor. Everybody's good up here. You have guys in here playing for the right reasons, and playing for each other, playing for that ring, you're going to have some success."
On resilience: "You have to. Baseball is a funny game. You're going to have your ups and downs, but if you keep doing what you're doing, things are going to work out in the end and the last couple of weeks have been a blast. ... We're rolling. We're enjoying it."
Starter Gio Gonzalez
On 2014 being a special season: "It's been exciting, especially with this group of guys. It's just been incredible. This is the best group of guys I've been a part of. I'm just truly happy to be here. (Mike Rizzo) took a chance with me, giving me an opportunity to be a part of this. Matt Williams, everyone. Everyone has done something big for this team. It's just getting better and better. This roller coaster is just hands off right now, enjoying it."
On what stands out about this team: "A bunch of professionals. Hungry professionals. Guys who have been working their tails off, just staying in that lineup wanting to go out there and play. Guys have been grinding all through the year and I couldn't be more proud of each one of them. You've got a young guy like Tanner Roark, who's been phenomenal. Doug Fister, another key guy to this rotation. Jordan Zimmerman, incredible. Stephen Strasburg, the list goes on. These guys are incredible. Our bullpen has been fantastic. Our offense has been on fire. All in all, this is why we're celebrating because we've done something right and Matt Williams knows where he's taking his team. He's putting us in the right spot."
On Williams: "One word: he wins. He's a winner. The guy wins. He knows what he's doing. He puts the pieces where it needs to be. He knows how to play this game. To him, I think this is almost routine for him. He's been a part of this. I'm just excited to be a part of it. The Nationals have been incredible. Great organization, great ownership. This is awesome. I'm not going to end the night like this. I'm going to keep partying. Dan, you enjoy this."
Manager Matt Williams
On whether he imagined this being possible: "With this team, I could imagine, yeah. I know there was a lot of hard work along the way. There was some trials and tribulations, too, but I am very proud of them. They've taken ownership of the way they want to play this game and how they go about and that's every day. So the fruits of that labor are we get to stand where we're at. There's a lot of work to do though. ...
"If we want to get where we want to get to, then we've got to buckle down again. Tonight is a very gratifying night for all of us, but we realize there's a lot of work to be done yet."
On what makes this group special: "I think it's just the way they've gone about it. They've tasted it before. Didn't get to where they wanted to get last year. There's expectation that goes along with it. Wonderful players and wonderful people. A staff that works their fanny off every single day. I'm proud of that. I'm proud of the way that we've tried to accomplish our goal, our first goal. Now we have to look from here on doing even more. The guys in that coaches room are ready for that. The guys in this locker room are ready for that. I'm certainly ready for that. So, we'll see where we can go."
On the difference for the club this year: "I think it's probably the 10-game winning streak. The walk-offs and the never-give-ups. Having the lead and not having the lead and coming back. Those types of games your certainly don't expect to win, but we did. That's just perseverance. That's just staying with the plan, understanding the process of how we're going to go about doing it and persevering."
On what's next: "It's really important for us to try to have home-field advantage, especially with the way we play at home. We will look to accomplish that. It's not easy. It matters. It matters to us."
Outfielder Bryce Harper
On winning NL East: "It's unbelievable. This is a lot of fun to be around. I mean, this team has played great all year long, and to be able to come in here and clinch this is something we've wanted to do. All year long, we've been fighting, we've been clawing, we've come through injuries and we've done what we needed to do to get to this point."
On overcoming injuries this year: "Everybody just stepping up, the big play. Matt, from Day One, told us to come in here every single day trying to win ballgames, trying to get better every single day. And every guy that came in stepped up. We have an unbelievable group of guys this year and hopefully we can do more and more throughout October."
On Williams as first-year manager taking control: "Having a great team like we do, being able to have a great manager comes along with that. He's had our respect since Day One and Matt has been unbelievable all year long. Absolutely love the guy. We all love him as a manager and hopefully we get some more going."
Owner Mark Lerner
On what this means: "I can't express it in words. It all starts with my dad. He had the vision of how to build this organization - hiring Mike (Rizzo), hiring Matt. Obviously, Matt has done a magnificent job. This is just the first step. We have bigger and higher goals here. But I can't be prouder of this club today. They came to work the first day of spring training and they haven't stopped. Despite adversity with injuries and everything else that's going on, they've hung in there and they're magnificent."
On watching this year's club develop: "I tell you, I live and die with every pitch, and I'm glad this part's over. Now I can start worrying about the next part. I've loved every minute of it. They're a joy to be around, great bunch."
General manager Mike Rizzo
On this being a special night: "It's a great organizational night tonight. We've got some unfinished business to do. We know that. We hope this is the first step of many. But I'm proud of the guys. It's a great organization and as we speak and as we're drinking champagne, we've got our scouts out scouting the other teams. We've got our player development guys in the instructional league who can't enjoy this, but they're as big a part of this as anybody in this room. We're proud of the depth that the scouts have allowed us to have. It's a good feeling right now. It's really a franchise success story and I'm glad to be the spokesman for it, but a small part of it."
On the key for the club this year: "I think that they're an ornery bunch, they're a stubborn bunch. They're a bunch that rises to the occasion and fought through a lot of adversity. We can't cross over or forget the fact that we were without our middle-of-the-lineup guys for a long period of time. We were without two of our starting rotation for an extended period, and guys stepped up, guys from the minor leagues, guys on the bench. You throw Kevin Frandsen out in left field. It was the first time in probably 10 years that he played left field, and he played it like a champ.
"Guys kept just giving us good at-bats and good at-bats. The coaching staff, it can't be beat. They're the best I've ever been around and they really made it possible for us to get through that period of time when we really, really needed to - had some fortitude and sticktuitiveness, and they played great. Matt Williams, he was awesome through the whole process. I can't say enough good things about him. The more complex and crazy that this stuff became, the calmer he was. So he handled the ship when things were really, really rocky and when things smoothed out, the team just took off. So it's a great franchise night tonight."
Starter Tanner Roark
On winning NL East: "Unbelievable. I have no words, anything, I can't describe it. We played our (butts) off. I have no words, this is amazing. ...
"We're definitely riding high right now. We're excited, as you can see. NL East champs, no better feeling. Each and everybody contributed. Its not about me, it's about the team, we won. That's all I can say."
Outfielder Jayson Werth
On what makes this team different: "I'd say it's our depth. We've had a lot of injuries this year and we've overcome a lot. To get to this point, it's quite an accomplishment for this organization, for the fans and the city. It's just a first step, we have a long way to go, still got a lot to play for in the regular season here. Home-field advantage throughout is important. We'll take a day off. We can set up our pitching. Get some guys some rest, but we still got games to play and meaningful games at that. Once the postseason gets here, all bets are off. That's when it's fun, that's when it's easy. It's a good time. I'm happy."
On having popped champagne before, how this one feels: "This is good, you play the whole regular season for this. This is exciting. They just keep getting better, each one. Hopefully this is the first of many this year and the first of many for the next few years. We've got a good team and I like where we are at."
On what makes Williams a good manager: "He's got a good team. He was given a good team. But I think the biggest thing for Matt is he stays out of our way. He puts the lineup up and lets us play. There's a lot to be said about that. It's refreshing to come in every day and not have to worry about anything other than just playing baseball."
Outfielder Denard Span
On what Williams said to team after the game: "He said we are not done. He said we've got promises to (keep). We've got to keep it going. This is just the beginning right now. This means a lot, but this isn't what we set out to accomplish this season."
On one word to describe this team: "Resilient. We kept fighting. People were counting us out, a lot of people picked the Braves this year, but we just kept fighting, kept fighting all year long, a lot of come-from-behind wins. A lot of resilient wins. I love this ballclub, man. All these guys. We put forth the hard work and this is a good feeling when you get a chance to celebrate like this. It's a good feeling."
On what it feels like to be a part of this team compared to past: "I'm leaps and bounds ahead. This is unbelievable. I just saw Mike Rizzo, I thanked him for bringing me here. They've changed my whole career. They just allowed me to come here and flourish as a ballplayer. I just thank them for it. It means a lot to me, man, because I feel like I was held back in Minnesota. I'm just so thankful to be here having fun and doing what I always wanted to do, which was play the game hard and just leave it all out on the field."
Starter Stephen Strasburg
On winning the division: "We just want to go out there and get the job done every single day and keep it rolling. Just trying not to do too much, but just go out there and keep it close."
On comparing this one to 2012: "We didn't really have much experience. It's a little different playing with everybody, trying to go out there and beat you every time. We couldn't sneak up on anybody. I think we learned a lot from that experience and I think it's going to make us better in the long run."
On being able to pitch in postseason after being shut down in 2012: "I'm excited. It's all under the water now. So it's go time."
Reliever Drew Storen
On Nats' defining moment: "There's a ton of them. That's been the fun part. We stuck on our course all year. We battled. We played some weird games and we've had some awesome victories. We've just built on that. As you can tell, we like each other quite a bit, so we're having a good time."
On importance of team chemistry: "That is the factor. Everybody's good up here. You have guys in here playing for the right reasons, and playing for each other, playing for that ring, you're going to have some success."
On resilience: "You have to. Baseball is a funny game. You're going to have your ups and downs, but if you keep doing what you're doing, things are going to work out in the end and the last couple of weeks have been a blast. ... We're rolling. We're enjoying it."
Starter Gio Gonzalez
On 2014 being a special season: "It's been exciting, especially with this group of guys. It's just been incredible. This is the best group of guys I've been a part of. I'm just truly happy to be here. (Mike Rizzo) took a chance with me, giving me an opportunity to be a part of this. Matt Williams, everyone. Everyone has done something big for this team. It's just getting better and better. This roller coaster is just hands off right now, enjoying it."
On what stands out about this team: "A bunch of professionals. Hungry professionals. Guys who have been working their tails off, just staying in that lineup wanting to go out there and play. Guys have been grinding all through the year and I couldn't be more proud of each one of them. You've got a young guy like Tanner Roark, who's been phenomenal. Doug Fister, another key guy to this rotation. Jordan Zimmerman, incredible. Stephen Strasburg, the list goes on. These guys are incredible. Our bullpen has been fantastic. Our offense has been on fire. All in all, this is why we're celebrating because we've done something right and Matt Williams knows where he's taking his team. He's putting us in the right spot."
On Williams: "One word: he wins. He's a winner. The guy wins. He knows what he's doing. He puts the pieces where it needs to be. He knows how to play this game. To him, I think this is almost routine for him. He's been a part of this. I'm just excited to be a part of it. The Nationals have been incredible. Great organization, great ownership. This is awesome. I'm not going to end the night like this. I'm going to keep partying. Dan, you enjoy this."
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