It is fun to look back at great games in Nationals history, especially Max Scherzer's no-hitters of 2015, his first season with the Nats. The first no-no was June 20 against the Pirates and the second one that season occurred Oct. 3. "Nationals Classics" this weekend on MASN include Jayson Werth's grand slam in a win over Miami on April 9, 2014 (tonight, 9 p.m.), the April 30, 2017 win over the Mets in which Anthony Rendon crushed three homers and had 10 RBIs in a 23-5 runaway (Sunday,...

We don't know for sure, since there were no radar guns at the time, but those that saw lefty Steve Dalkowski pitch have said he threw his fastball well over 100 mph. Maybe 110 mph, maybe even 115 mph. Not kidding. His fastball was legendary. But so was his walk total. Dalkowski, once an Orioles farmhand, died recently at 80. Sadly, he died due to the coronavirus. As a kid, I heard about and read a bit about Dalkowski. He was an O's legend of sorts. One who never threw a pitch in the majors....

In addition to paying all full-time employees' salaries through at least the end of May, the Nationals have not yet discussed asking for the organization's highest-paid employees to reduce their salaries while baseball is shut down during the coronavirus pandemic. General manager Mike Rizzo, during his regular conference call with reporters today, confirmed the Lerner family's recent commitment to pay all full-time employees full salary and benefits through May, following a trend established...

The Major League Baseball season has been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic shutdown. So has the First-Year Player Draft, which has been pushed back from early June to at least sometime in July. It has been reported the event also will be cut to anywhere between five and 10 rounds, with the possibility of deferring signing bonuses into the 2022 season. But that doesn't mean the Nationals have stopped scouting, analyzing players or preparing for the draft. In his weekly conference...

At the risk of rubbing salt into an open wound caused by the sports shutdown, the Orioles are supposed to be playing the Royals tonight to begin a four-game series at Camden Yards. I would have spent the following weekend in Chicago for the three-game set against the White Sox, as the season rolled merrily along. A year ago today, the Orioles were in the middle of a series against the Twins in Minnesota that treated them with concrete gloves. No kidding. The Orioles were swept by a combined...

Wade LeBlanc expected to be pitching for a new team this season rather than becoming a stay-at-home dad. He was waiting to be placed on the 40-man roster, bypassing the opt-out date last month in his contract. But he retains status as an invitee to spring training despite the camp's closure and a sports shutdown with no known date to reopen. I've found it interesting how players are maintaining their focus on the season, with the Orioles keeping everyone connected and dispensing information...

The Nationals informed full-time employees they will continue to receive full pay and benefits through at least the end of May, a source familiar with the decision confirmed. Following the lead of nearly every other major league organization in recent days, Nationals ownership sent an email out to all full-time employees Thursday with news they will continue to be paid through May 31. The club previously had committed to paying full salaries through the end of April. A decision on payments...

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So I was at it again yesterday, recording another Zoom video interview. That's three now with a few more coming. Hopefully, our readers here are enjoying the interviews and stories. Today's chat, with former Orioles pitcher and current MASN broadcaster Ben McDonald, featured some great insights and stories. Fans have been thrilled to have Big Ben back with the organization the last few years. He and Adley Rutschman are the only two humans on the planet that can say they were drafted No. 1...

Washington Nationals Philanthropies and the Greater Washington Community Foundation today announced a new partnership with Get Shift Done to launch the Get Shift Done DMV initiative which will coordinate, schedule, and pay adversely affected hourly workers in the hospitality industry to work shifts for local food access providers. Get Shift Done DMV, with founding investments from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Capital One, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, and...