Five questions facing the Nationals as spring training begins

Five questions facing the Nationals as spring training begins
VIERA, Fla. - Are there four more glorious words in the English language than "pitchers and catchers report"? But before the Nationals' batteries charge from Space Coast Stadium to the Carl Barger Baseball Complex - OK, it's actually more of a leisurely stroll, but after nearly five months off, the pace will be quickened - here are the five most important questions facing the club between now and the April 5 season opener at Wrigley Field in Chicago: Is Bryce Harper ready for prime time?...

A peek behind the plate

A peek behind the plate
A year ago at this time, the Nationals were flush with catchers. Ivan Rodriguez was entering the second season of a two-year contract and Wilson Ramos, acquired the previous summer in a trading deadline deal from Minnesota for Matt Capps, was poised for a breakthrough and pushing for playing time. Jesus Flores was finally ready to return after missing most of two seasons with a variety of shoulder injuries and Derek Norris was waiting in the wings in the minors, ready to shake off a concussion...

Nats announce single-game ticket sales, 2012 promotional schedule

Nats announce single-game ticket sales, 2012 promotional schedule
The wait is over. Well, sort of. You can't buy single-game tickets to see the Nationals at Nationals Park quite yet. But at least you now have a date to mark on your calendar, as the team has announced single-game tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 8. Tickets may be purchased online at nationals.com/tickets, by calling 888-632-NATS (6287) or by visiting the Nationals Park main box office at Half and N streets, SE. Fans can register now at nationals.com/tickets for the...

Catch Camden Yards Classics countdown on MASN beginning Sunday

Catch Camden Yards Classics countdown on MASN beginning Sunday
What's your favorite TV memory of the Orioles at Camden Yards? For me, it's watching Cal Ripken Jr. take a forced victory lap around a packed, appreciative ballpark on the night he played his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking the mark established by Yankees legend Lou Gehrig that was once believed to be unbreakable. Just typing about it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention, baseball's version of a Pavlovian response. As part of the celebration surrounding the 20th...

Camden Yards Classics Countdown reveals 20 most exciting games in Oriole Park history

Camden Yards Classics Countdown reveals 20 most exciting games in Oriole Park history
In honor of the 20th Anniversary celebration of The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseballâ„¢, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Orioles have selected 20 Camden Yards Classics, the most exciting games in the ballpark's history. Highlights of games 20 through 12 can be viewed now on CamdenYards20.com, and the top 10 games will be unveiled on MASN on a weekly basis beginning this Sunday. Game #10 will be shown in its entirety on Sunday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. on the...

Who's the dark horse in spring training?

Who's the dark horse in spring training?
Dark horses, long shots, under-the-radar players, guys who come out of nowhere - every spring training, someone unexpectedly forces his way into 25-man roster consideration. Sometimes it's because of the kind of on-the-field performance that just can't be ignored. Other times, it's because an injury opens up an opportunity. Occasionally, a trade creates an opening. So who among those players soon to report to Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., might fall into this category? Unlike...

Five things Bryce Harper has to do to make the 25-man roster

Five things Bryce Harper has to do to make the 25-man roster
The most interesting battle of Nationals spring training in Viera, Fla., might not be waged on the field. It centers around top prospect Bryce Harper, and whether the slugging outfielder with the cannon for an arm will break camp with the Nationals. As soon as manager Davey Johnson and general manager Mike Rizzo settle into their respective homes away from home at Space Coast Stadium, they'll both be continuing their attempts to convince the other they are right about whether Harper is ready...

Nats aren't first to protect home turf for local fans

Nats aren't first to protect home turf for local fans
Predictably enough, there's been some discontent from the City of Brotherly Love about the Nationals' announcement of the "Take Back the Park" initiative, a well-intentioned effort to put tickets for the team's May 4-6 series against the Phillies at Nationals Park in the hands of D.C.-area fans instead of having the park packed with Philly Phanatics. In a series of Thursday afternoon tweets, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania, fired off the following plea: "I'm...

Search for new O's PA announcer enters audition phase

Search for new O's PA announcer enters audition phase
If you're strolling through downtown near Camden Yards tomorrow and hear some strange sounds emanating from the stadium that harken you to warmer weather and the game of summer, your ears aren't playing tricks on you. Tomorrow afternoon, the Orioles have invited 25 finalists to Camden Yards to audition for the opportunity to be the new public address announcer at the stadium. The new voice will replace Dave McGowan, the longtime PA announcer who announced in December that new job...

Who will start for Nats on opening day in Chicago?

Who will start for Nats on opening day in Chicago?
When the Nationals open the 2012 season at Wrigley Field against the Cubs on April 5, there are pretty much guaranteed to be winds whipping around the ivy-covered walls and knocking around the pennants on the scoreboard in center field. But the guys from D.C. will be used to that by then, especially after spending most of spring training with an incessant question swirling around Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. Who's the Nats' opening day starter? There's little doubt that Washington's...

O's launch Web site dedicated to 20th anniversary of Camden Yards

O's launch Web site dedicated to 20th anniversary of Camden Yards
It's hard to believe Camden Yards has been around since 1992. I can still recall driving past the construction site as the stadium rose where the B&O Railroad yards used to be, the protestations of politicians who insisted a downtown stadium was pure folly and my first glimpse of the new ballpark on a mid-winter's day when mini-plan holders were invited down to see where their new seats would be. Mine were in the upper deck in Section 324, three rows from the top of the stadium, looking...

ESPN's Keith Law ranks Nats' farm system 21st

ESPN's Keith Law ranks Nats' farm system 21st
Remember that feeling of satisfaction that washed over you last week when Baseball America ranked the Nationals' farm system No. 1 in baseball? We all knew the ranking, decided upon before the trade that sent four top prospects to the A's in exchange for left-hander Gio Gonzalez, would take a hit once the loss of pitchers Tommy Milone, Brad Peacock, A.J. Cole and catcher Derek Norris were factored out of the equation. Baseball America promised a revised ranking in mid-March to accommodate...

How will the Nationals maximize Strasburg's innings?

How will the Nationals maximize Strasburg's innings?
Innings limit or not, Stephen Strasburg is the focal point in the Nationals' 2012 rotation. Much will be made about Gio Gonzalez's arrival in the National League, whether Jordan Zimmermann can build on his breakthrough season, whether Edwin Jackson will perform enough in D.C. to get the big-money, long-term contract he covets and how well Chien-Ming Wang will hold up to the test of a full season in the starting five. Strasburg? Mention the right-hander with the arsenal that runs the gamut...

Possible fits for Ankiel in the Nats' outfield (updated with Teahen move)

Possible fits for Ankiel in the Nats' outfield (updated with Teahen move)
Football season is over, which means baseball season's just around the corner. And it's Babe Ruth's 117th birthday, to boot! Good thing the Sultan of Swat doesn't have to summon up enough breath to blow out all those candles. NatsTown has generally welcomed the return of Rick Ankiel, who has agreed to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Unless he falls flat on his face or is hurt, it's a good bet Ankiel will come north as part of the Nationals' 25-man roster. But...

Nats bring back Ankiel on minor league deal

Nats bring back Ankiel on minor league deal
Greetings from Southwest Airlines Flight 2039, where we're somewhere east of Salt Lake City - maybe around Oklahoma - and heading to Baltimore. I can't escape the Nationals news, even for a few days. According to multiple reports, the Nationals have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with Rick Ankiel, which includes an invite to spring training, where Ankiel will compete for at least a share of the team's center field job. The 32-year-old Ankiel batted .239 with nine homers and 37...

Nats sign Durbin; team's farm system rated No. 1

Nats sign Durbin; team's farm system rated No. 1
The Nationals added another arm to their bullpen mix today, agreeing to a minor league contract with right-hander Chad Durbin, according to this tweet from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. No word on whether Durbin will get an invitation to spring training, but it's a good bet he'll be in the major league clubhouse when pitchers and catchers report to Space Coast Stadium on Feb. 19. The 34-year-old Durbin was 2-2 with a 5.53 ERA in 56 games for the Indians last season. In 12 major league seasons with...

Hernandez heading to Astros on minor league deal

Hernandez heading to Astros on minor league deal
There's really nothing surprising about yesterday's news that right-hander Livan Hernandez had signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros, ending his latest tour of duty with the Nationals. The Nats have finally gotten to the point where there's sufficient depth in their starting rotation, and enough arms in the minor leagues, that they had no need for a 36-year-old control specialist who got by on guile. Make no mistake, Hernandez wanted to return - "Of course, why wouldn't I?"...

What if ... Jim Riggleman hadn't resigned?

What if ... Jim Riggleman hadn't resigned?
Few personalities are as polarizing in recent Nationals history as Jim Riggleman. Depending on your point of view, he's either the underappreciated baseball lifer who presided over the infancy of the team's 2011 turnaround, or he's a self-centered egotist who put his personal goals over the team's. Regardless of which side of the fence you're on, it's hard to imagine a more surreal day than June 23, when Riggleman's abrupt and unforeseen resignation sucked the joy out of the Nats' 11th...

Positionally, Werth is the center of attention

Positionally, Werth is the center of attention
When the Nationals arrive at Space Coast Stadium in a few weeks, it will be without the usual uncertainty that has accompanied the team to Viera, Fla., in past spring trainings. Up and down the roster, there are more sure things than question marks. Rotation? So many legitimate starting pitchers that either Ross Detwiler or John Lannan will likely end up in long relief. Bullpen? So many arms that someone like Ryan Mattheus or Henry Rodguez could be squeezed out. Starting lineup? Pretty solid,...

The Nationals and Selig's push to expand the playoff field

The Nationals and Selig's push to expand the playoff field
The tenure of Major League Baseball commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig has made one thing crystal clear: What Bud wants, Bud usually gets. Selig wants to implement his plan to expand the playoffs by one team in each league for the 2012 season. Never mind that the players' union isn't on board with the arrangement, citing the fact that the schedule is already set and would have to be changed to create space for an extra one-game playoff to determine the final four postseason teams from the...