Byron Kerr

"Mr. Consistency" Erik Arnesen ready for longer look at Triple-A

January 24, 2012, 7:39pm

With the trade of a pair of top pitchers in the Nationals' system (Brad Peacock and Tom Milone), there will be roster availability at Triple-A Syracuse in 2012 for starting pitchers. One of the hurlers who will get an extended look in spring training to fill the void is right-hander Erik Arnesen. Arnesen blazed through Double-A last season, going 8-4 with a 2.43 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 26 games, including 16 starts. He was called up to Syracuse late in the campaign, going 0-2. You really...

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Tomlin and family "doing well," hopes to return down the road

January 24, 2012, 5:21pm

Nationals

Tomlin and family "doing well," hopes to return down the road

Randy Tomlin announced at the end of last season that he had decided to take a leave of absence for family reasons. The Harrisburg Senators' pitching coach stepped away from the game and is currently with his family at home in Lynchburg, Va., but is still keeping up with the Nationals' organization and hopes to return soon. "We are doing well," Tomlin said. "The decision to leave was something I felt I had to do to take care of some very pressing needs here at home within my family. It...

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Morse-for-Langerhans trade was a steal for Nationals

January 22, 2012, 4:11pm

Nationals

That trade for Michael Morse is looking pretty good for the Nationals right now, don't you think? Following the announcement that Morse has signed a multi-year extension with the Nationals, the trade that brought his big bat to Washington two and a half years ago returns to the spotlight. On June 28, 2009, the Nationals sent outfielder Ryan Langerhans to Seattle for Morse. At the time, it was a trade of minor leaguers who both had had a taste of the majors, but each had not been able to...

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Beasley: Bryce Harper "can handle" starting season with Nationals

January 20, 2012, 7:29am

Nationals

Nationals No. 1 prospect Bryce Harper is preparing for his second season of professional baseball after a successful debut. Harper was able to play well at three levels in 2011: low Single-A, Double-A and the Arizona Fall League. Many believe he is ready now and could survive from day one this season with the Nationals. But Harper is only 19. Should he spend another season in the minors to hone his skills? Physically, he is ready, but how important is the mental part of the game to long-term...

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Tyler Moore will focus on outfield, first base at spring training

January 19, 2012, 8:53am

Nationals

Tyler Moore will focus on outfield, first base at spring training

Double-A Harrisburg Senators first baseman Tyler Moore has shown the best power in the Nationals' system the last two seasons with 62 combined home runs. The Mississippi State product has been so highly regarded by the parent club that he practiced outfield positions during instructional league to see if there were additional ways to get him on the field. New Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs manager Tony Beasley knows everything about Moore's game, having skippered him for an entire season in...

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Stephen Strasburg tweets he's back on the mound

January 18, 2012, 6:27pm

Nationals

Stephen Strasburg tweets he's back on the mound

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg used Twitter on Wednesday to announce he has started throwing his first bullpen sessions of 2012. "Threw first bullpen today felt great just like riding a bike!" Strasburg tweeted. This is positive news for the Nationals that their franchise arm is warming up on schedule for spring training, which begins next month in Viera, Fla. Strasburg returned last season from successful Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow and went 1-1...

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Senators' Hot Stove Dinner slated for Feb. 4

January 17, 2012, 8:55am

Nationals

Senators' Hot Stove Dinner slated for Feb. 4

The Double-A Harrisburg Senators recently added former Washington Senators great Frank Howard to their guest list for their second annual Hot Stove Dinner, which is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4. More from the Senators' press release: The dinner will be at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel. For the second year in a row, the dinner is supporting the Harrisburg Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities (RBI) program. Here is the guest list for the event (with possiblities of more being...

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How Bryce Harper is dealing with success and failure

January 16, 2012, 3:36am

Nationals

How Bryce Harper is dealing with success and failure

Triple-A Syracuse manager Tony Beasley said outfielder Bryce Harper has made excellent progress on and off the field in his first year in professional baseball and is learning what every minor league player learns at this level: how to deal with success and failure. Beasley skippered the Nationals' No. 1 prospect from July 4 until the end of the season at Double-A Harrisburg and may see Harper soon in his new job as Syracuse's manager. The 19-year old Harper certainly did not disappoint...

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Beasley ready for unique challenge as Triple-A skipper

January 13, 2012, 11:17am

Nationals

Beasley ready for unique challenge as Triple-A skipper

Tony Beasley, who guided the Double-A Harrisburg Senators in 2011, takes over the reins as manager of the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs for 2012, and is ready for a big difference in the players he coaches and their mental approach to being one call away from Major League Baseball. Beasley moves from managing what are usually the top prospects for a franchise at Double-A to Triple-A, where the players are either one step away from Washington, D.C., or are in a holding pattern, ever so close to the...

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Is Detwiler ready to become the Nationals' fifth starter?

January 12, 2012, 5:20pm

Nationals

With good reason, the center of attention in the Nationals' starting rotation are the three frontline pitchers: Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and newly-acquired Gio Gonzalez. Then there are veterans like John Lannan, and rebounding pitchers Chien-Ming Wang and Ross Detwiler. But who is the key to this rotation for all of 2012? This season could be the time Detwiler finally makes his move. With a clean bill of health and the opportunity to begin the season with Washington, many...

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P-Nats' Hot Stove banquet coming Jan. 29

January 12, 2012, 10:55am

Nationals

P-Nats' Hot Stove banquet coming Jan. 29

The Potomac Nationals will hold their 17th annual Hot Stove Banquet Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Hyatt Fairfax at Fair Lakes. Newly hired manager Brian Rupp will be introduced and speak at the event. Also a keynote speaker will be announced at a later date. Last year, Nationals assistant general manager Bryan Minniti and director of player development Doug Harris spoke and went over the state of the system and looked towards the future. There could also be appearances by players either past or...

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Solis "doing well" in recovery from elbow pain; Hansen also good news

January 10, 2012, 5:14pm

Nationals

Solis "doing well" in recovery from elbow pain; Hansen also good news

Left-hander Sammy Solis is progessing well following elbow soreness that shut down his Arizona Fall League campaign. Solis visited two doctors in Los Angeles to check the elbow pain and there was concern as to the extent of the injury, as there would be with any pitcher who suffers such a setback. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris reports that Solis is "doing well" at this time and the team is receiving "positive feedback" as Solis rests the elbow. He is day to...

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Menhart critical to maintaining pace in Harrisburg

January 08, 2012, 4:53pm

Nationals

Menhart critical to maintaining pace in Harrisburg

The Nationals were faced with a major decision in their system this offseason when Harrisburg Senators pitching coach Randy Tomlin stepped down from his post. The Nats had already had to adjust to the promotion of Randy Knorr from Triple-A Syracuse manager to bench coach with the Nationals. Tony Beasley was elevated from Double-A Harrisburg to Syracuse to replace Knorr. At Harrisburg, the Nationals moved quickly and promoted Paul Menhart from Single-A Potomac to pitching coach with the...

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Young Nationals talent will follow LeCroy from Potomac to Harrisburg

January 06, 2012, 2:42pm

Nationals

New Harrisburg Senators manager Matt LeCroy will see some very familiar faces as he takes the helm at Metro Bank Park this spring in his first season as a Double-A skipper. LeCroy said his team in Potomac persevered when it did not appear to be a formidable offensive threat early on. But behind quality pitching, the team defied a difficult first half, and scraped together hits and rallies in the final month of season to earn a playoff spot. This experience at Single-A will be a major boost...

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Potomac Nationals install new grass field at Pfitzner Stadium

January 04, 2012, 10:20am

Nationals

Early last season, the Single-A Potomac Nationals had to move some home games to Frederick, Md., and had other games postponed because their home field, Pfitzner Stadium, was deemed unplayable by minor league officials. The Nationals improved the clubhouse facilities for the home team during last season, expanding the locker room and coaches' offices, and added a new conference room behind the first base dugout. This season, improvements include a brand new grass field, installed last month,...

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Knorr relishes opportunity to be Nationals' bench coach

January 03, 2012, 7:20pm

Nationals

Former major league catcher Randy Knorr begins a new challenge with the Nationals' organization as manager Davey Johnson's right hand-man - he's the new bench coach in the first base dugout. Knorr has been managing parts of six seasons in the franchise's system, most recently as the skipper for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. Knorr has been with the Nationals before. He served as Nationals' bullpen coach for parts of the 2006 season and the complete 2009 schedule. While he enjoys any role...

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LeCroy thrilled with new challenge at Double-A Harrisburg

January 01, 2012, 4:29pm

Nationals

LeCroy thrilled with new challenge at Double-A Harrisburg

Matt LeCroy played for the Nationals. He is the one who made former Nationals manager Frank Robinson cry once - after Robinson was forced to removed the catcher in the middle of an inning because the opposition was running wild on him. But aside from that infamous moment more than five years ago, LeCroy is quickly becoming a critical asset to teaching the franchise's prospects how to get better. The Nationals believe in LeCroy so much that they gave him the keys to teaching the best of their...

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The stuff of Gio Gonzalez

December 29, 2011, 10:55am

Nationals

I have focused many of my recent blogs on the impact of losing four top prospects in the trade with the Oakland A's for Gio Gonzalez and a minor league player. Brad Peacock, A.J. Cole, Tom Milone and Derek Norris are all close, or already have major league experience. They can help Oakland now. But the importance of what an experienced left-handed starter can mean to a still young Nationals pitching staff cannot be overstated. The 5-foot-11, 185-lb. southpaw Gonzalez has credentials that...

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Nationals believe Rendon is good enough to start career with Potomac

December 29, 2011, 7:49am

Nationals

With the trade of four top prospects, the Nationals still have Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon at the top of their list of the best offensive talent in the organization. Harper proved he could hit and hold his own defensively in his debut season with Single-A Hagerstown, Double-A Harrisburg and a second consecutive stint in the Arizona Fall League. Rendon, the team's first-round pick in the June draft, comes to the Nationals with impressive credentials and was considered for a long period of...

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New wave of prospects expected to move up from Auburn in spring

December 28, 2011, 6:26pm

Nationals

New wave of prospects expected to move up from Auburn in spring

The next wave of prospects from the short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays, including several late round picks, will begin to fill the rosters of Single-A Hagerstown and advanced Single-A Potomac when the 2012 season draws closer. One of those players we will hear from is former Georgia Tech third baseman Matt Skole, who had a very promising start to his career with Auburn. Skole hit .290 with five homers and 48 RBIs in 72 games. He smacked 23 doubles and one triple, while stealing two...