SARASOTA, Fla. - I'm told that a fan drove down here from Baltimore because I wrote that the intrasquad games were open to the public. I did? Was I snacking on vodka-soaked olives? I'm pretty sure I made it clear that the games were closed to the public. Tommy Hunter played long-toss this morning to test his lower back. He was firing the ball from an impressive distance. He looks fine to me, but I'm not a doctor or an athletic trainer. I only play one on the blog. Jason Berken, who's...

VIERA, Fla. - Greetings from Space Coast Stadium, where the Nationals are entertaining Georgetown University in an exhibition game today at noon. If there's such a thing as a pre-preseason game, this is it. The Nationals are taking on the Hoyas in a game that will give manager Davey Johnson and his staff a chance to see some of the younger players in camp. Johnson has already posted the lineup for tomorrow's Grapefruit League opener in Kissimmee, Fla., against the Astros. So in the interests...

SARASOTA, Fla. - If you woke up this morning and your heart was racing, it wasn't the three desserts you ate before bed. The Orioles are playing their first intrasquad game today. It's like Christmas in March. Jake Arrieta will oppose Jason Hammel, but I'm not sure which one is on the "orange" team and which is on the "black." Other pitchers will include Kevin Gregg, Matt Lindstrom, Brian Matusz, Alfredo Simon, Dana Eveland, Darren O'Day, Pedro Strop, Zach Phillips, Brad Bergesen,...

Right now you'd have to look real hard to find some concern about Orioles 2011 first-round draft pick Dylan Bundy. And you still may not find a thing. The scouts have raved about him since the O's drafted him and right now he's in major league camp clearly living up to the hype at this point. None of this will help him get an out once the minor league season starts in April and he has yet to throw one professional pitch, but if you doubt Bundy's talent and potential at this point you'll...

VIERA, Fla. - Randy Knorr may be new to his role as the Nationals' bench coach, but he's not unfamiliar with the team or the inner workings of a major league club. Knorr played 11 years in the bigs as a catcher and spent two tours of duty as a bullpen coach with the Nationals. He skippered in the team's farm system for six seasons, including last year at Triple-A Syracuse. The most important thing about being a bench coach, Knorr said, is the ability to know how the manager you're working...

VIERA, Fla. - Davey Johnson doesn't mind the notion of Major League Baseball adding a playoff team in each league. But he'd prefer the Nationals not try to sneak in as a wild card team. "Now you're talking about a third way to make the playoffs," he said. "I never look at (that option). I always address it as winning the division. I think everybody does that manages. ... Only when that is out of reach do you look at other options." Should baseball follow through with its plans to...

Right-handed reliever Rafael Martin is looking to get off on the right foot in his first big league camp as he will get a chance to pitch in Friday's exhibition against Georgetown University. Double-A Harrisburg Senators pitching coach Paul Menhart has coached the San Fernando, Calif., native for quite some time now in the system and could tell the 27-year-old reliever was desperate to make a good impression this first week. "He was a little anxious (on the first day)," Menhart said. "But...

VIERA, Fla. - Michael Morse swung and drove a low pitch from Brad Lidge into the ground, the ball dribbling to a stop at the lip of the infield where grass turns into dirt in front of the hole at shortstop. On the next pitch, Morse barely made contact on a letter-high offering, and the ball fluttered into the netting of the batting cage above him and dropped to his feet. Considering Morse knew what Lidge was throwing, Lidge's second session of live bating practice Thursday was much better...

VIERA, Fla. - Rick Eckstein was talking shop with some of the Nationals' hitters the other day when Bryce Harper injected himself into the discussion. What the Washington hitting coach heard from his top prospect made Eckstein smile when he recounted the tale because it spoke to how advanced a hitter Harper is, assuming you can believe that a 19-year-old with no major league experience can be considered advanced. "We were talking about certain pitchers, talking about zones," Eckstein said....

VIERA, Fla. - Nationals manager Davey Johnson has announced his starting lineup for Friday's exhibition game against the Georgetown Hoyas: 2B - Steve Lombardozzi LF - Xavier Paul RF - Bryce Harper 1B - Tyler Moore DH - Brett Carroll 3B - Anthony Rendon CF - Corey Brown SS - Andres Blanco C - Sandy Leon P - Matthew Purke Purke will be limited to 40 pitches, the manager said. Johnson said he would try to coax eight innings out of four pitchers in two-inning stints, with three non-roster...