Nats full of optimism as pitchers, catchers report

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...

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

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...

Espinosa's goal: Avoid extended slumps

Espinosa's goal: Avoid extended slumps
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...

Early arrival Werth ready put disappointing 2011 behind him

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...

Finally healthy, Flores wants to prove he can be productive

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...

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?...

Leading off, it's Desmond by default

Leading off, it's Desmond by default
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...

Nationals ready for VanAllen to take next step at Triple-A

Nationals ready for VanAllen to take next step at Triple-A
Left-hander Cory VanAllen looks poised to make the next step to Triple-A Syracuse following his best full season in the minors. The 6-foot-3, 180 lb., Bakersfield, Calif., native became a fixture in the Double-A Harrisburg Senators' bullpen, appearing in 47 games with a 5-4 record, career-best 2.50 ERA in 57 2/3 innings and 71 strikeouts. He ended the 2011 season on a hot streak, posting a 1.32 ERA in his final 10 games, allowing just two earned runs after July 31. VanAllen looked very...

Davey Johnson reflects on passing of Gary Carter

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...

Will Nats out of options complicate roster decisions?

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...

Single-A Suns closer to moving to Winchester, Va.

Single-A Suns closer to moving to Winchester, Va.
According to legal documents which inadvertently failed to redact "Hagerstown Suns baseball club, LLC" from a single line, the Single-A Suns are apparently on the verge of moving their operations to Winchester, Va., for the 2013 season. Winchester must have a suitable stadium in place and the funding by April 21, but this development further illuminates what the parent Nationals expect in field and stadium improvements within their minor league system. Last year, the Nationals were upset...

Lefty Sam Narron leaves baseball as a player to become pitching coach for Auburn

Lefty Sam Narron leaves baseball as a player to become pitching coach for Auburn
His career in the majors lasted one start. He threw 61 pitches and faced 17 hitters, giving up three home runs, five hits and four walks. It was July 30, 2004, and despite giving up four runs, the Texas Rangers rallied to win the game so he didn't get saddled with the loss. That pitcher was Sam Narron. The left-hander spent the rest of his career trying to get back to the majors. This offseason, while considering a return with a major league team at spring training, Narron decided to...

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...

Washington Nationals single-game tickets to go on sale Thursday, March 8 at 10 a.m.

Washington Nationals single-game tickets to go on sale Thursday, March 8 at 10 a.m.
TAKE BACK THE PARK Buy now before single game tickets go on sale! Take Back the Park continues through March 8. Single game tickets to the May 4-6 Nationals vs. Phillies series are available exclusively for season ticket holders and local fans in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. nationals.com/ourpark #ourpark The Washington Nationals announced today that single game tickets for the 2012 season will go on sale to the general public Thursday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets may be...

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 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...

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...

Yankees' Levine impressed with Nationals' offseason moves

Yankees' Levine impressed with Nationals' offseason moves
I had the opportunity to speak with New York Yankees president Randy Levine, who was in town to announce a new strategic plan to improve the athletics and recreation programs at his alma mater, George Washington University (class of 1977). As the subject turned to baseball, Levine was complimentary concerning the Nationals as the Yankees prepare for their first trip to Nationals Park in June. Here is my audio interview with Levine on the Nationals and Yankees. Levine was especially...

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...

Walters moving up shortstop ladder

Walters moving up shortstop ladder
Shortstop Zach Walters, acquired from the Diamondbacks in the Jason Marquis deal last summer, was a nice pickup for the Nationals and is expected to make another big step this season. The Nationals showed their confidence in the San Diego product by selecting him to play in the Arizona Fall League. This experience, coupled with a hot bat, will pay dividends for him this upcoming campaign. Nationals infield coordinator Jeff Garber kept a watchful eye on Walters and sees various top-level tools...