Are we possibly only a few weeks away from baseball? If Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association can come to an agreement - and if society at large is ready for it - we could see "Spring Training 2.0" begin roughly three weeks from now, then the regular season begin the first week of July. In the meantime, the Nationals are all set to hold their virtual ring ceremony on Sunday at 7 p.m. on MASN, a surprise development that has caught some folks off guard this week. It's not the...

Pitchers who are confined to their homes during the pandemic are challenged to find a mound and perhaps a willing partner to provide a target. Hitters are relegated to batting cages, if they have one built or access to a facility that's open, in order to stay sharp. What's an infielder to do? José Flores, who replaced Bobby Dickerson as Orioles third base coach and infield instructor prior to the 2019 season, is trying to teach and encourage from Puerto Rico. He doesn't know whether...

I recently described my relationship with my only sister to a friend as "perfect." I recently turned 60, and for 60 years, that word has fit, well, perfectly. There is a big gap, about 20 years, in our ages. So making that perfect was not easy. It's not like we grew up as best friends or went to school together. The age difference could make her seem more like a parent. And I guess that could fit in the sense that my sister was my babysitter often when I was a kid as my parents were off...

Jumping into the minor leagues today again and looking at some of the outfielders who played at low Single-A Hagerstown last season. Manager Patrick Anderson, now with short-season Single-A Auburn, saw some good growth and potential from his outfielders. We have already talked about all the tools Cody Wilson has shown. Wilson, 23, played 77 games for the Suns in 2019. He's still working to get better at the plate (.215), but hit nine doubles, four triples, five homers and 23 RBIs. Anderson...

All this time off has given us plenty of opportunity to look back and fondly remember events of the past 15 years. Great games that were won. Great players that made an impact. Big decisions that had long-lasting ramifications for the future of the organization. But what if some of those big moments didn't happen? What if one of those decisions wasn't made the same way? What impact would that have had on the Nationals in the long term? I've thought of several possible moves that could've...

In separate interviews with "MASN All Access" yesterday, Ben McDonald and I offered similar thoughts. The junior college ranks could really benefit in the 2021 season from this year's five-round MLB draft. The draft next month could be very college-heavy. Teams may not take chances on high school players they hardly saw play or didn't see play at all during abbreviated senior seasons this year. Players not drafted could sign for $20,000, but most players who are, in my opinion, in line to...

MASN broadcaster Bo Porter really enjoyed his first season as a co-host on the "Nats Xtra" pregame and postgame shows. And he could not have asked for a better ending, as the Nationals went all the way to win the 2019 World Series. Porter knew it was a big step to go from being a player to a coach to a manager and now to broadcaster in a matter of a couple of seasons. But he said feeling comfortable and respected by the people he worked with made all the difference. "It was great," Porter...

The Nationals had made it known they would not raise their championship banner or hand out World Series rings in an empty ballpark. No fans? No formal celebration of the franchise's first title. "I think as far as raising the banner and the distribution of rings, we're going to wait for our fan base to be involved to do those types of things," general manager Mike Rizzo said last month during an interview with MLB Network Radio. "Those are once-in-a-lifetime things to do, and our fan base...

The Washington Nationals will unveil their 2019 World Series championship rings during an historic virtual celebration on Sunday, May 24 at 7 p.m. ET, the first virtual championship ring ceremony in MLB history. The hour-long celebration, presented by Budweiser, will be simulcast on Nationals.com, MLB Network, MASN, andthe Nationals Facebook and YouTube channels. The show will feature appearances from several members of the 2019 World Series championship team, Nationals ownership, and notable...

The Nationals announced this evening they will hold a virtual ring ceremony and present players and staff members with their long-awaited World Series championship rings Sunday night, a concession to the reality of the world during the coronavirus pandemic. With the 2020 Major League Baseball season on hold and fans unlikely to be in attendance if and when games do begin this summer, the Nationals decided to mail out their championship rings to be opened in unison Sunday night on a group Zoom...