Baseball in D.C.

What’s New at Nationals Park

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

What’s New at Nationals Park

Near the capitol, nestled in Washington is the home for baseball: Nationals Park. National’s park offers a wide verity of options, as well as activities for fans. The new park features highly crafted architecture, as well as a mixture of specially hosted activities. Newly offered at Nationals Park are personal, and public tours. These tours allow fans to experience the entire park for themselves, as well as get a feel for the stunning layout of Nationals Park. These tours take place on game days, as well as non game days. Nationals Park is not solely used as a baseball park, but hosts many meetings, and conventions. A wide vast area of space, as well as parking options, Nationals Park takes many conventions under its wing. Nationals Park is now offering catering to specific hosted events, such as: brunch buffets, general concessions, bagged lunches, hors doeuvers, fruit and vegetable trays, desserts, and even three-course meals. Specific amenities are provided when one rents out such a space for an event. Valet parking, wireless, tours, mega tron video, and professional audio are all options one has when planning their event. Baseball games allow fans to experience a fresh, exciting game for all ages in the new Nationals Park.

The Greatest Expos/Nationals in Franchise History

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Washington Nationals have only been in existence since 2005, after changing their name from the Montreal Expos. The best palyers so far, in the Nationals short existence, have been Ryan Zimmerman, Ivan Rodriguiez, and Jason Werth. Nick Johnson was aquired from the New York Yankees, but never produced as he was projected to by baseball analysts. Before 2005 the Nationals were originated from the Montreal Expos, which were started in 1969 as a new Major League Baseball franchise. Two players that started their careers with the Expos and ended up with different teams were Andre Dawson and Gary Carter. Both of these players have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. These two players were the greatest Expos of all time. In the next best tier of greates Expos would be Tim Raines, Andes Galarragga, Pedro Martinez, and Vladimir Guerrero. Pedro Martinez was the only Expo to win the Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher in the National League for that particular season. The last tier of all time best Expos in franchise history would be Ron Fairly, Marquis Grissom, Larry Walker, Steve Rogers and Manny Mota. Steve Rogers and Gary Carter were Rookies of the Year in their respective first years in the Major Leagues. Although the Expos had some very good players thru the years, they never had a number of good players at the same time.

Nationals Season Outlook

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

It would be easy to say the Nationals might be in much better shape at this point in the season if certain major pieces of their organization had performed as expected. If Stephen Strasburg hadn’t gotten injured last season and missed all of this year. If Jim Riggleman hadn’t abruptly quit as manager earlier in the year. If Ryan Zimmerman hadn’t missed two full months after abdominal surgery. If Jason Werth weren’t hitting .224 with just 45 RBIs. These things weren’t expected and can be offered as reasons why the team has fallen below .500 over the course of the season.

But the real story in Washington is the future, and perhaps the very near future. Strasburg is back on the mound and looking strong in his comeback from surgery. Bryce Harper has baseball buzzing with his phenomenal performance in the minors so far, and may make it very difficult for the team not to bring him to Washington to start next season. Michael Morse and Danny Espinosa have emerged as big-time contributors at the Major League level.

With Strasburg back, Zimmerman healthy, and Werth performing closer to his norms, the Nats will be a team to watch in 2012.

Reasons to GO to a Nationals Game

admin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

You may be planning on watching all the Nationals- games on your DIRECT TV this season but we suggest making it to at least one game, if you can. There-s nothing like taking in 9 innings at a ball park and here are a few of the reasons why
Hotdogs ” Is there anything better than stadium food? Sure it costs an arm and a leg but a baseball game hotdog is always steamy, hot and about as delicious as anything you-ll ever eat. You can-t replicate this experience so get out to the field.
Fly Ball ” Only at the stadium will you have the legitimate opportunity to catch a fly ball. For your best chance, get a seat behind home plate or just to the left of the right-field foul pole. If all else fails, try and catch a T-shirt from the cannon!
The Atmosphere ” Sure it-s great watching the game in the comfort of your living room with Uncle Joe but there-s nothing like being in a stadium with thousands upon thousands of like-minded fans. The smells, the soundsbaseball at its finest.
Go Nationals!

Werth the Money?

www.baseballindc.com — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Before you take the title too condescendingly, let it be known how refreshing it is to actually see the Artists Formerly Known As the Expos finally taking consistent steps to shell out enough cash to not only keep their own talent, but bring in valuable free agents from across the league. From Adam Dunn, to actually signing Strasburg (something many pundits were quite skeptical about once upon a time), now giving Jayson Werth a massive 7-year, 126 million deal.And it’s not to say Werth isn’t a fine player, even if a relatively late bloomer in his major league career. At 31, Werth has hit at least 24 homers in 3 straight season, including a career high 36 in 2009, while swiping 20 bags in two of those campaigns. A former first round pick by the Baltimore Orioles, Werth struggled earlier in his major league efforts as a result of injuries, attempting to play through the pain and ultimately missing time, the entire 2006 season in fact. He quickly rose to prominence, however, after signing a 1-year contract with the Phillies, moving into a starting role within the first few months of the season, winning a World Series title by year’s end. In 2009, Werth followed up his breakout campaign with a truly career year earning his first All-Star nod. Though 2010 was not as prolific, the fact that a free agent of Werth’s caliber is willing to come to the Nationals is certainly a sign the club is moving in the right direction.Still, for the same 7-years and just 15 million more, wouldn’t most fans agree Carl Crawford (who’s two years younger) is a much better acquisition. A 4-time All-Star/stolen base champion, Gold Glover, SilverSlugger, what-have you, Crawford represents the struggle still facing the Nationals organization. Though moving in the right direction, they still must overpay to an extent to get desirable players to take a chance on the organization. The Nats still lack the name of, say, the Red Sox (Crawford’s landing spot) to lure the biggest names with anything other than a paycheck. We may not be where we want to be yet, but have hope; things are getting better.

Tommy John Surgery, What Will it Mean?

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:46:38 +0000

Tommy John Surgery is thrown around a lot in baseball circles. So common is the phrase one might think it’s as natural as natural as say LASIK eye surgery in the off season (which can also have complications mind you). Though while LASIK eye surgery should certainly improve a player’s play, at least in theory (cough Nate McLouth cough), Tommy John Surgery is a recovery effort to salvage promising arms from a career threatening injury. Of course, there are several cases in which pitchers return from the procedure throwing at higher velocities than they enjoyed prior to going under the knife. In fact, some parents of younger pitchers have tried to have the surgery performed on their children in an effort to boost performance, even when the kid hasn’t suffered from any form of injury. Is it possible then that Stephen Strasburg, who is likely to find himself at the business end of a scalpel in the coming months, could enjoy a bump in his already physics redefining velocity? To be honest, it’s highly improbable that a post-surgery Strasburg could conceivably top out at anything faster than his blazing 103 mph pre-surgery fastball. Baseballs simply aren’t meant to travel at such high speeds unless shooting off the sweet spot of a big league bat. Many doctors suggest that any increased velocity is more the result of a heightened focus on conditioning and training. Strasburg should consider his self lucky if he is still able to approach his chart topping high end speeds 12 months from now. Of course, relying less on his velocity could make the youngster a better pitcher, forcing him to learn to pitch more shrewdly, less dependent on pure power.While Tommy John Surgery isn’t nearly as unpredictable as it was when Tommy John first braved the procedure in 1974, it is still far from routine. Experts estimate that just under 90 of all pitchers who chance the surgery enjoy a full recovery. Still the risk of complication is there, and any time you are rolling the dice on a multimillion dollar asset, it’s best fans in Washington keep their fingers crossed just for good measure. But with a little luck, and a lot of hard work on the part of Strasburg, Cooperstown is not out of the question one day, should the baseball gods so smile in his direction.

The Original Nationals

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:24:19 +0000

When the Montreal Expos relocated the nation’s capital in 2005, after narrowly surviving a contraction bid along with the Minnesota Twins, a host of names were considered for the city’s newest franchise. Among the first to be tossed around was the “Washington Senators,” the most prominent nickname of the American League team that called D.C. home from the turn of the century all the way up until 1960. The name “Senators,” however, proved both controversial and unattainable. Some local politicians in the Washington area objected to the name because the District of Columbia does not have a vote in the Senate, believing such a name would be technically incorrect and ultimately misleading. Official ownership rights to the name “Senators” was perhaps the biggest hurdle, as the Texas Rangers, known as the Senators prior to their western relocation, still retained the rights to the name. While Major League Baseball inquired as to the rights of purchasing the name, negotiations were unsuccessful. Instead, fans and decision makers dug deeper into baseball history, where they soon found the Washington Nationals, a less storied National League team that took the field from 1886 to 1889.The name Nationals had been used in several instances prior to the 1886, first in 1982, when a team dubbed the Nationals took the field as part of the National Association, a league predating what we now know as Major League Baseball. New versions of the Nationals appeared on 3 other separate occasions, when new Nationals joined the National Association in 1975, a 3^rd Nationals squad played as part of the Union Association in 1884, and yet another Nationals team joined the American Association that same year. The National League Nationals were the longest tenured club bearing the current franchise banner, with striking similarities in on-field performance as well. In their 4 year existence, the team won at just a .326 clip, enduring 6 different managers. Yes, the Washington Nationals have a history many fans are unaware of, unfortunately for the Nationals faithful, the losing legacy is more of the same.

Young Pitchers with Injury Trouble: Prior to Strasburg

www.baseballindc.com — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:19:35 +0000

Almost a decade prior to Stephen Strasburg‘s heavenly descent straight from the clouds to the mound at Nationals Park, with brief stops in Harrisburg and Syracuse along the way, similar hopes rested on the right arm of a young man newly minted as the Chicago Cubs ace. The comparison to Mark Prior has abounded throughout sports media since it was announced Strasburg would miss the rest of the season. Of course, while their meteoric ascents to the MLB center stage is no doubt similar, perhaps the comparison to Prior isn’t entirely fair, after all, many of Prior’s injuries weren’t arm related troubles, or at least not induced directly from throwing a baseball. Prior’s original shoulder injury was the result of a base-running collision with Atlanta Braves second baseman; his first season ending injury was a strained hamstring, also the result of rounding the bases. Prior’s first elbow problem occurred while he was on the mound; though not originally caused by his pitching mechanics, rather a 117 mph comebacker off the bat of Brad Hawpe. Unless you’re pitching from the outfield, not even the tidy mechanics of Greg Maddux could’ve avoided such an unfortunate circumstance. It was not until 2006 that Prior first hit the DL with a strained shoulder, augmented by a strained oblique during batting practice, after which Prior would never return to form.As far as pure on-field play, perhaps Strasburg’s early injury struggles more closely mirror that of Prior’s rotation mate Kerry Wood. While Wood spent much longer in the minor leagues, his rookie season was nearly as sensational as Strasburg’s start, including a 20 L 1-hit performance against the Astros, taking home NL Rookie of the Year honors. Later that rookie year, Wood would miss the final month of the season with elbow soreness. Wood would undergo Tommy John surgery, the very same surgery Strasburg will soon face, missing the entire 1999 season. Wood would struggle in his first year back from injury, though he returned to form the following year. Perhaps the rest of his injury riddled career were more as a result from overuse at the hands of manager Dusty Baker. Even after major surgery at such a young age, Wood was able to rebound, reaching the same top velocities and notching impressive strikeout totals over the next few seasons. Perhaps, if the Wood comparison holds true, there is little room to worry about Strasburg’s long term future. With a little luck, and smart managerial decisions regarding inning quotas, he can still reach his full potential as one of the league’s preeminent players.

Is Dunn Done in D.C.?

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:14:04 +0000

For the past two years, the Big Donkey has been grazing all across the Nationals Park grass, whether in the outfield corner or down the 1^st base line. Nearly two full seasons after signing a 20 million deal with the Nats, Dunn’s contract is set to expire at the end of 2010, which begs the question, should the Nationals re-up with an extension or is it time to let the Donkey roam free?Over the course of his Major League Baseball career, Dunn has been impressively productive at the plate. Since his breakout season in 2004, in which he ballooned his long ball total from a previous high of 27 all the way up to 46, Dunn has never managed fewer than 38 dingers over the past 7 seasons. He has been a model of consistency with the bat, swatting exactly 40 home runs in 4 straight seasons from 2005 to 2008, dropping off the torrent pace by just 2 in his first year with the Nationals. Sure, he has been rated as the worst fielder in baseball, but when signing Adam Dunn, it’s not as if a team doesn’t know what they’re getting into. Boasting the same elite power numbers so far this season, it would be tough to say Dunn has disappointed in any aspect regarding his performance as a National. Still, despite his productivity and generally congenial attitude amid the sinking ship around him, actually citing a desire to stay with team, it may indeed be time to part ways with the slugger.With the Nats lacking talent at several key positions, such depth issues have forced to play out of position at 1B, further exacerbating his fielding woes. A move to the American League could position Dunn as the preeminent designated hitter in the Majors, erasing fielding concerns in one fell swoop. A move to a more immediate competitor might also benefit both sides, as Dunn is 30, a few years senior to the Nationals other big name players, better suited to endure rebuilding efforts. Though Dunn isn’t winding down his career by any means, still potentially capable of sending shots to the far regions of stadiums for 5 seasons to come, it stands to reason his talents might be better served elsewhere. The Nationals should try to get something in return for the big fellow while he is still under contract (via waivers, now that the trade deadline has passed), before the Big Donkey relocates for greener pastures in the off-season.

Does Nyjer Have A Point?

www.baseballindc.com — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:56:13 +0000

Nyjer Morgan has been suspended 7 games by MLB officials, a penalty he will appeal, for hurling a baseball at a Philadelphia Phillies towards the end of a game in which the Nationals actually bested the Phillies 8 to 1. Granted, you probably shouldn’t pelt hard objects at ticket-buying customers, unless of course upon request, in support of Nyjer Morgan, it’s been a long season in the nation’s capital, better yet, a long tenure. Let’s take a look at Morgan’s best possible defenses. He could claim ignorance, saying, “Mr. Selig, it’s been a while since we we’d scored 8 runs, I simply didn’t know it was inappropriate to throw baseballs at fans,” or maybe try to sell that he was just a follower, claiming, “I saw Strasburg go on the Disabled List after throwing a baseball and I figured if I gave it a try, maybe I wouldn’t have to play for the next 12 months either?” Of course he could just be honest, admitting “Sir, I know what I did was wrong, but I’ve spent my 5 MLB seasons with the Pirates and Nationals, isn’t that punishment enough?” In all seriousness, baseball in Washington D.C. may have reached an all time low, and through nearly 6 seasons of cellar-dwelling with nothing but 5^th place division finishes to show for it, that’s really saying something.The National’s inaugural season in Washington is the only season in which they didn’t end the year with a lopsided losing record, winding up with an even 81Ws and 81 Ls (still last in the NL East). Since then it’s been nothing but downhill for the Nats. This year was finally supposed to be different, with the further development of Zimmerman, Adam Dunn in a contract year and finally some return on the top-of-the-draft talent accrued over recent seasons. When Stephen Strasburg lit up the majors with a remarkable start to his rookie campaign, there was finally hope in Washington. Now, with Strasburg on the DL, players taking out frustrations on opposing fans, and the squad losing games at a sadly precedented rate, has there ever been a worse time be a National?