Tickets are now on sale for the ziMS Foundation's second annual "A Night at the Park" event hosted by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. The fundraiser and live auction will take place on Thursday, June 30 at Nationals Park beginning at 6 p.m. It's also official that country star Rodney Atkins will headline the event. Fans of country music know that you can't listen to a country station for more than a few minutes before hearing his recent hit, "Farmer's Daughter." In recent years, Atkins...

Here are some updates from Nationals director of player development Doug Harris on a few of the players you have asked for in the comments section. RHP Russell Moldenhauer, who was named to the 2009 College World Series all-tournament team with the Texas Longhorns: "Moldenhauer has had some physical things that he has dealt with," Harris said. "(Moldy) is kind of a Matt Stairs type. He is a dangerous guy but we really have to grind his defense. He didn't defend in college. He was a...

Second baseman LJ Hoes, the Orioles' third-round pick in 2008 out of St. John's (DC) High School, has been promoted from Single-A Frederick to Double-A Bowie. Hoes is batting .241 with seven doubles, three homers, 17 RBIs and a .638 OPS in 41 games. He's 8-for-39 in his last 10 games, but he has hits in six of them. Hoes is batting .303 against left-handers and .196 against right-handers. He'll need to work on those splits. Baysox manager Gary Kendall can start writing Hoes' name in...

Washington Nationals outfielder Rick Ankiel has joined Double-A Harrisburg Senators on a rehab assignment. Ankiel has been in Viera, Fla., rehabbing a sprained right wrist taking live batting practice. He was placed on the disabled list May 7, retroactive to May 3, and was batting .221 with one homer and seven RBIs in 28 games.

The Potomac Nationals' offense is starting to get on a roll, and evidence of that came down this week with outfielder Destin Hood being honored as Batter of the Week in the Single-A Carolina League for the period of May 16-22. In the last seven games, Hood hit .448 (13-for-29) with nine extra-base hits (seven doubles, triple, home run) and 10 RBI. Hood connected on five straight multi-hit games and in three of the games, he had at least three hits. During the stretch, Hood had an amazing...

When the Orioles sent right-hander Dan Klein to Single-A Frederick to begin the season, you had to figure he'd have a good chance to move up to Double-A later this year. But it came very fast, as Klein moved to Bowie after just seven games with the Keys and was in the Eastern League on May 2. "I really didn't think about it (moving up) too much going into the year. I just wanted to throw the ball the best I could and what happens happens. They moved me pretty fast, but I wasn't thinking...

Most fans know that Vladmir Guerrero will be headed to the Hall of Fame at some point. Guerrero's tenure with the Baltimore Orioles will be a pit stop en route to baseball immortality in a career filled with a World Series appearance, big hits, a golden arm and the ability to hit the ball thrown anywhere within a hitter's zone, or out of it. At one time, he rivaled anyone in the sport's history before his knees gave out. Any coach in the sport would never teach Guerrero's approach at the...

I got to be honest with you: There are some nights I lay around my blogging cave believing that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is a real life Baron Victor von Frankenstein. Wouldn't it make sense? I can perfectly visualize a dark and stormy night sometime in late 2010 at Nationals Park. The field is covered, not a soul in sight and there is only one light on in the whole park coming from Rizzo's office. Inside the dusty, cobwebbed foundry sits Rizzo - tired but ravenous, what is left...