Pete Kerzel

After ordeal, Ramos prefers to focus on baseball

February 21, 2012, 10:03am

VIERA, Fla. - The ink on the inside of his left forearm, only a week old, speaks to the happy resolution Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos prefers not to speak of. In black script among a bevy of sky-blue highlights are the words, "Todo lo puedo en Cristo, que me fortalice" - "I put everything in Jesus, because he's got my back," Ramos said by way of translation - along with the Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, where the saying originated and the date "11-11-11." Last Nov. 11 will forever...

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Marrero's path to Nationals takes an injury detour

February 21, 2012, 5:07am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - While the Nationals' pitchers and catchers undertake their first workout today, the early-reporting position players stretch and hit and throw, first baseman Chris Marrero will think about what might have been. He'll run the steps at Space Coast Stadium, head to the trainer's room for therapy, maybe do some light throwing. But any hopes the 23-year-old had of picking up after his 2011 major league debut evaporated in November, when he tore his left hamstring in a winter league...

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Finding innings for 10 potential starters is Johnson's challenge

February 20, 2012, 4:06pm

Nationals

Finding innings for 10 potential starters is Johnson's challenge

VIERA, Fla. - Nationals pitchers and catchers will work out for the first time this morning, and manger Davey Johnson will put into motion his plan to find enough innings to make sure all of his starting pitchers are ready for the 2012 season. It won't be easy. Quite frankly, the math doesn't work in Johnson's favor. He's got 10 pitchers in camp who have started a game in the bigs in the past two seasons, and only five spots in the rotation. Figuring that his rotation will consist of lefty...

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A little more strength makes all the difference for LaRoche

February 20, 2012, 12:30pm

Nationals

A little more strength makes all the difference for LaRoche

VIERA, Fla. - The swing is free and easy, and Adam LaRoche hopes that he can soon throw with more strength. The Nationals first baseman can finally cut loose a throw without worrying that lingering soreness would inhibit his movement for a couple of days or more. Having his left shoulder surgically repaired in June turned out to be the right course of action for the 32-year-old LaRoche, who signed a two-year, $16 million deal with Washington last offseason and lasted only 43 games, with a .172...

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Johnson says only three roster spots are up for grabs

February 20, 2012, 11:41am

Nationals

Johnson says only three roster spots are up for grabs

VIERA, Fla. - Not so long ago, the Nationals would report to Space Coast Stadium for spring training with more question marks than sure things. The collection of journeymen, hangers-on, hopeful youngsters, guys who had flamed out elsewhere and a few legitimate talents would go through workouts and play games; the front office and manager would try to piece together a 25-man roster that could last the season. Suffice it to say Davey Johnson's job this spring will be much easier. "I'd say...

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Harper: "I want to play and I want to play in D.C."

February 20, 2012, 10:51am

Nationals

Harper: "I want to play and I want to play in D.C."

VIERA, Fla. - If there's a tagline attached to Bryce Harper's second major league spring training, it's this: D.C. or bust. The Nationals' top prospect arrived at Space Coast Stadium on Monday, still tiptoeing between cockiness and confidence, yet still sure that he can break camp with the Nats and contribute at the major league level as a 19-year-old. "They're going to make their decisions and I'm going to come here and play. ... I think that's the biggest thing," Harper said. "If...

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Rookie Rendon shows respect for his roadblock at third base

February 20, 2012, 7:40am

Nationals

Rookie Rendon shows respect for his roadblock at third base

VIERA, Fla. - Anthony Rendon is no stranger to Space Coast Stadium, having made an appearance here at fall instructional league after the Nationals made the Rice third baseman the sixth overall pick in the June draft. But arriving at his first spring training made the 21-year-old think of how far he's come in a very brief time. "It's crazy," Rendon said after arriving at his locker stall in the Nationals clubhouse Monday morning. "Feels like just yesterday I was playing select ball...

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Rizzo on Cameron, Lombardozzi, Strasburg and more

February 20, 2012, 7:07am

Nationals

Rizzo on Cameron, Lombardozzi, Strasburg and more

VIERA, Fla. - More and more position players are trickling into camp - including the Nats' first-round picks in the last two drafts, outfielder Bryce Harper and infielder Anthony Rendon - and Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo held an extended session with reporters this morning and talked about a variety of subjects. * Rizzo said outfielder Mike Cameron, whose retirement was announced yesterday, called the Nationals "out of the blue" Wednesday to tell them he wasn't going to report....

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Notes from the Nationals clubhouse

February 19, 2012, 9:02am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Count Rick Ankiel among the few people happy that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is still searching for a center fielder who can hit leadoff. If Rizzo had found elusive quarry this offseason, Ankiel might still be searching for a job. Two weeks ago, Ankiel inked a minor league deal with the Nationals, getting a spring training invitation that's more formality than anything. Barring a collapse of epic proportions, Ankiel will be on the opening day roster at Chicago's...

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Nats full of optimism as pitchers, catchers report

February 19, 2012, 8:34am

Nationals

Nats full of optimism as pitchers, catchers report

VIERA, Fla. - Scenes from the first day of Nationals spring training at Space Coast Stadium, where pitchers and catchers reported: Handshakes, hugs and introductions - a necessity considering the team's offseason maneuvering. A clubhouse attendant sits at a table removing the elastic band at the bottom of pants legs with surgical precision, an accommodation for players who prefer a looser fit. One by one, pitchers don their dress white uniforms and head off to be filmed by the club's...

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Strasburg: "When they say I'm done, I'm going to be done"

February 19, 2012, 7:54am

Nationals

Strasburg: "When they say I'm done, I'm going to be done"

To prepare for this season, his first full campaign after Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery, Stephen Strasburg started a little later than usual, ramped up his weight lifting for strength and his running for endurance. He took a page from the past, returning to the yoga poses he practiced while in college at San Diego State University, to increase his flexibility and facilitate quicker recovery. None of that will change the path the Nationals will push the right-hander down ever so...

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Cameron tells Nationals he's retiring (updated)

February 19, 2012, 6:49am

Nationals

VIERA,Fla. - A few minutes ago, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was joking with reporters about how empty the Space Coast Stadium clubhouse felt with only 55 players needing locker space. It was a far cry from 2007, when 71 players were jammed into the room, necessitating extra locker stalls in the middle of the clubhouse. Now, there's unexpectedly one less player. According to this tweet from the club's public relations department, veteran outfielder Mike Cameron has notified the...

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Early arrival Werth ready put disappointing 2011 behind him

February 18, 2012, 5:34pm

Nationals

Early arrival Werth ready put disappointing 2011 behind him

VIERA, Fla. - Think Jayson Werth's first season in Washington left a sour taste in your mouth? You've got nothing on Werth, who didn't exactly perform like a player who had signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Nationals, then struggled to find his form, often appearing to be battling himself. "Last year was a little odd," Werth, one of the position players to arrive early at spring training, told reporters Saturday. "You are coming into a new place. I really didn't know...

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Espinosa's goal: Avoid extended slumps

February 18, 2012, 10:40am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Danny Espinosa's main goal this spring? Avoid extended slumps and become more productive more of the time. "I think I'll be able to stop those long slumps," the Nationals' second baseman said. "You're going to have slumps, I don't care who you are. You hit .330 and you're still going to ... have a week of being cold. The difference between the good guys is it's a week of being cold and then being back on track. It's not two, three weeks of being cold, a bad month of...

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Finally healthy, Flores wants to prove he can be productive

February 18, 2012, 10:01am

Nationals

Finally healthy, Flores wants to prove he can be productive

VIERA, Fla. - Jesus Flores' impressive performance in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason was almost offset by the kidnapping of his friend and teammate, Wilson Ramos. Now, Flores has his mind set on showing the Nationals he can again be a starting catcher, even if it means doing so at Ramos' expense. Unseating Ramos will be an uphill battle, since Ramos is viewed as Washington's top backstop entering 2012 after batting .267 with 15 homers and 52 RBIs in 113 games as a rookie last...

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Davey Johnson reflects on passing of Gary Carter

February 16, 2012, 5:23pm

Nationals

Davey Johnson reflects on passing of Gary Carter

Gary Carter's death at 57 from a brain tumor hits home for Nationals manager Davey Johnson, who skippered the New York Mets from 1984-90 and had Carter as his catcher from 1985-89. Carter backstopped the 1986 Mets who went 108-54 and won the only World Series on Johnson's resume. Carter spent the first 12 year of his Hall of Fame career with the Nationals' predecessors, the Montreal Expos. The affable catcher nicknamed "Kid" hit .269 with 220 home runs and 823 RBIs for the Expos and the...

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Leading off, it's Desmond by default

February 16, 2012, 6:36am

Nationals

Barring something unexpected, the Nationals will go into spring training with shortstop Ian Desmond as their leadoff hitter. And manager Davey Johnson is perfectly fine with that, even if Desmond is viewed as an imperfect solution atop the order by some observers. "I like him there," Johnson said at the Winter Meetings. "I think he'll do fine." Desmond struggled as a leadoff man at the start of 2011 under manager Jim Riggleman, batting .180 with only one walk and a .212 on-base...

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Nats getting some MLB Network love

February 16, 2012, 5:55am

Nationals

Spring training is still a few days away - I'll be touching down in Orlando on Saturday, then taking the hour-long drive east to Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., where I'll be holding down the fort pending the arrival of a new Nationals beat reporter soon - but the Nationals are already getting some attention from the national media types. It was bound to happen. But so soon? Last night on MLB Network's "Hot Stove" evening roundtable, ex-major leaguers-turned-analysts Dave Valle and...

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Will Nats out of options complicate roster decisions?

February 15, 2012, 5:57am

Nationals

Will Nats out of options complicate roster decisions?

Over at MLBTradeRumors.com (and, really, how did we ever survive without our daily dose of aggregated baseball headlines before this site?), they've constructed team-by-team lists of players who are out of options. These players must make the 25-man roster or be passed through waivers in an attempt to assign them to a minor league club. Some will make it, as teams are disinterested in them, figuring what they have is better than what they could have if they claimed a specific player. Others...

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O's set March 4 tryouts for ballgirls, ballboys

February 14, 2012, 10:18am

Orioles

O's set March 4 tryouts for ballgirls, ballboys

Ever watch the ballgirls or ballboys stationed along the outfield foul lines at Camden Yards make a nice grab of a foul fly or grounder and think, "Hey, I could do that!"? Well, now's your opportunity. Come Sunday, March 4, the Orioles will conduct an open tryout to field a new group of, er, ballpersons for 2012. The tryouts will occur - where else? - Camden Yards and will be judged by a panel of O's front office members and WBAL Radio sportscaster Keith Mills. Outgoing and athletic men...