nationals buzz

Mark Hornbaker: A season to remember

September 27, 2011, 5:00am

With only two games remaining for the Washington Nationals and the team making one last run at a .500 record, it is hard not to be excited about the 2012 team. The 2011 team will go down in history as a team that never gave up on themselves. On three different occasions this season, the Nats have looked like they were going into a free fall in the standings. On May 18, the team had a record of 18-18 and wasn't playing all that great but they were able stay around .500 level. Over the next 12...

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The results are in: Fans "liked" Social Media Weekend

September 26, 2011, 8:26pm

Nationals

The results are in: Fans "liked" Social Media Weekend

Hats off to you, Nationals fans. During MASNsports.com's inaugural Social Media Weekend, our goal was to text, tweet and post to you, the fans, and show you guys some love for rooting hard for your team and staying loyal to both the Nationals and MASN. Judging by the results, you guys shared the love right back. Through our always-expanding social media platforms -- Facebook, Twitter and our text messaging service -- we wanted to give a little something back by offering chances to win great...

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Dave Nichols: Dawn of a new era for baseball in the District

September 26, 2011, 7:28am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Dawn of a new era for baseball in the District

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson has been in this business for 50 years. He was a world champion as a player and again as a manager, and has specialized in taking teams on the precipice and pushing them over the edge to greatness. So he's seen this movie before from the inside. This season has had plenty of storylines, but the biggest story of all to emerge might just require hindsight to see it after a couple of years - years that Nats fans hope are filled with deep playoff runs. ...

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Baseball to add wild card by '13, report states

September 24, 2011, 3:20pm

Nationals

Baseball to add wild card by '13, report states

Baseball purists, look away. A report announced today a plan to add an additional wild card spot in each league, as well as a one-game playoff to determine which team will move on to their respective Divisional Series. The new playoff scenario, reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, is a "done deal" according to Sherman's source, and will likely be put into effect either in 2012 or, at the latest, 2013. However, another of Sherman's sources said the proposed change will not go...

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The final homestand of 2011

September 23, 2011, 2:59pm

Nationals

Well, Nationals fans. It's almost over. We're just three games away from the end of the 2011 season at Nationals Park. While the season doesn't officially end for the Nationals until next week, this weekend's three-game series with the Braves is the final homestand for our boys in the nation's capital. If you're heading to the park to take in one final game, there are plenty of perks to get you out there to root on the Nationals, who are aiming for that coveted .500 mark. Tonight in the...

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Jenn Jenson: The last homestand

September 23, 2011, 5:40am

Nationals

Here we are at the last homestand of the season. For me, it's bittersweet. On the one hand, today's game begins a sort-of-sad countdown: three games left, two games left and before you know it, the last home game will be over. It's an end of sorts because every baseball season is a little different. The players change, the coaches change and the fan experience changes. Sure, these things are changing all the time, but transitions are bigger during the offseason. The end of the season will...

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Ted Youngling: Late-inning sigh of relief with Storen

September 21, 2011, 10:21pm

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Ted Youngling: Late-inning sigh of relief with Storen

Monday afternoon in The Bronx was yet another momentous day for the New York Yankees, as Mariano Rivera passed Trevor Hoffman as baseball's all-time leader in saves collecting his 602nd in victory over the Minnesota Twins. In the spirit of that historic accomplishment, the Washington Nationals sure hope they have a future Rivera on their hands in 24-year-old Drew Storen. Amazingly, in just his first full season in the bigs, Storen has 40 saves for a team that's been in next-to-last place...

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Rachel Levitin: Arrive early, stay until the end

September 21, 2011, 4:43am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Arrive early, stay until the end

There's a lesson I learned while I was kid watching ballgames at Wrigley Field: Get there early and stay until it's over - no matter what. That lesson tried my patience for years. Non-baseball fans would ask me, "Why watch such a boring game, especially if the team you're watching isn't making a run for a playoff spot?" Years later, watching baseball in Washington, I know why getting to a game early and staying until it's over (no matter what) makes sense. The game on the field is the...

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Mark Hornbaker: Nationals are heading in the right direction

September 20, 2011, 5:29am

Nationals

With the 2011 season winding down, the Nationals find themselves in a battle with the Mets and the Marlins for third place in the National League East. Most Major League Baseball fans would not be too excited if their favorite team was seven games under .500, but Nationals fans have a lot to be happy about with the 2011 team. At the beginning of the season, I told anyone who would listen that a successful season for the 2011 Nats would be placing higher than the Mets in the standings....

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Dave Nichols: Will Wang be part of new dynasty in Washington?

September 19, 2011, 4:52am

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Dave Nichols: Will Wang be part of new dynasty in Washington?

Sunday was just the latest chapter in the comeback of Chien-Ming Wang. Until he tired in the seventh inning, Wang dominated the Florida Marlins for 6 2/3 innings. The last batter he faced, backup catcher Brett Hayes, lined a sinker that didn't sink into the stands in left field, but up until that point he'd allowed just one earned run on five hits. Wang struck out five and, most importantly, did not walk a batter. Wang was sharp from the very beginning, using his always-present sinker to...

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Ted Youngling: MLB releases 2012 schedule, but was timing right?

September 14, 2011, 7:47pm

Nationals

Ted Youngling: MLB releases 2012 schedule, but was timing right?

It's never too early to think about next season, especially if you're a Washington Nationals fan. Major League Baseball released its 2012 schedule Wednesday morning to the delight and disdain of several fans across the country. Of course, it seems a little odd that the league would release next year's schedule when this season is still happening, but for the 20 or so teams who are out of contention, this means they are one step closer towards the hope and optimism spring training and April...

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Just a little friendly hazing for the Nats rookies

September 13, 2011, 12:47pm

Nationals

Just a little friendly hazing for the Nats rookies

It's no secret the bonds of a major league baseball team can closely resemble those of a fraternity. Twenty-five guys, living in and out of suitcases, spending virtually every minute together for an entire season. Ah yes, the brotherhood of baseball. So what would the spirit of a fraternity be without a little good ole' fashioned hazing, right? As it so happens, pictures, like the one seen below, recently made their way onto Nationals catcher Jesus Flores' Twitter account, showing the...

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Rachel Levitin: A look back before NatsTown becomes a ghost town

September 14, 2011, 4:44am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: A look back before NatsTown becomes a ghost town

We're about halfway through September now, which means baseball in Washington is nearing an end for 2011. Things will start to quiet down around the Navy Yard. Patrons' use of the Green Line Metro Station near the ballpark will decline. Street vendors won't be trying to handout hats during the evening hours and no one will be out on Half Street selling cheap water and peanuts. Live music won't wail from the tiny corridor of The Bullpen beer garden. In short: NatsTown will become a ghost...

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Mark Hornbaker: A game to remember during Washington's last pennant race

September 13, 2011, 5:17am

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Mark Hornbaker: A game to remember during Washington's last pennant race

On this day in 1945, a large crowd of more than 24,000 fans turned out to Griffith Stadium to watch the visiting Cleveland Indians play the red-hot Washington Senators. The Senators went into the game having won eight of 10 games and found themselves only one game behind the American League-leading Detroit Tigers. With such a big game in the nation's capital, it would only be fitting that both teams would be starting pitchers who were World War II veterans. The Cleveland Indians' started...

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Sept. 16-18 Social Media Weekend will give Nats fans a chance to win

September 12, 2011, 7:23am

Nationals

Sept. 16-18 Social Media Weekend will give Nats fans a chance to win

This season, MASNsports.com has seen tremendous growth, thanks in large part to its ability to interact with fans through social media. With in-game alerts via text message, breaking news broadcast through the @masnNationals Twitter account and the MASN Nationals Facebook page, which has created a daily forum for fans to gather together to discuss and cheer for the Nationals, social media has become our best tool when it comes to delivering the latest information to you, the fans. So, as a...

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Dave Nichols: Strasburg's shortened start the prudent course of action

September 12, 2011, 4:45am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Strasburg's shortened start the prudent course of action

Stephen Strasburg made his second big league start of the season for the Washington Nationals on Sunday. The big righty struggled a bit with his normally pinpoint control and saw a drop in velocity on most his pitches, but he gutted out a 57-pitch, three-inning start, giving up one earned run on three hits. He did not walk a batter for his second consecutive start and struck out four Houston Astros, three on his devastating changeup and one on a biting two-seam fastball. Manager Davey Johnson...

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Nationals to increase security at Nationals Park this weekend

September 09, 2011, 5:41pm

Nationals

The 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, is coming up this weekend and the Washington Nationals are making sure their fans are safe with increased security around the stadium. The Nationals are taking the following measures this weekend: Due to heightened security precautions surrounding 9/11 Remembrance Day, the Washington Nationals encourage fans to arrive earlier than normal and leave backpacks, bags and extra items at home throughout the weekend. Enhanced security procedures at Nationals...

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The Road Back: Chronicling Stephen Strasburg's return to the major leagues

August 24, 2011, 1:29pm

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The Road Back: Chronicling Stephen Strasburg's return to the major leagues

On June 9, 2009, the Nationals selected Stephen Strasburg with the No. 1 overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft. Strasburg, a right-hander from San Diego State University, was one of the most highly touted draft picks in recent memory and from his first day in the Nationals' organization, caught the eye of baseball fans around the country. Nearly one year later, amid flashbulbs at a sold-out Nationals Park, Strasburg made his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, going seven...

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Jenn Jenson: Rain, rain, rain delay

September 09, 2011, 5:55am

Nationals

So, how 'bout that weather? Yesterday, the second game of a doubleheader with the Los Angeles Dodgers was rained out. The day before yesterday, the game was postponed by rain. And the day before that? Still more rain that first threatened to put off Stephen Strasburg's return to the mound and later created a mid-game delay. This week brought a crazy amount of rain to the Washington area, with important consequences that include three deaths in Maryland and Virginia, property damage from...

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Jenn Jenson: If you're really lucky, you can play baseball for a living

August 26, 2011, 6:32am

Nationals

Jenn Jenson: If you're really lucky, you can play baseball for a living

One of the things I like about baseball is the opportunity to watch people who are living their dream. It makes me happy, and on some days it also reminds me to count my blessings and focus what I might achieve in my own life. Of course, there's more than one professional baseball dream, from being drafted, to stepping on the field for a major league debut, to winning the World Series and everything in-between. I'm sure a lot of major league players pinch themselves every day and say,...