Mary Beth Koeth got numerous shots off of Juan Soto

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo provided courtesy of Mary Beth Koeth

While Jeff Passan’s keyboard clicked off 5,902 words for his ESPN cover story of  Juan Soto, you must appreciate every part of what went into this piece. Titled, “WELCOME TO JUAN SOTO’S MLB” with the kicker, “No one owns the batter’s box like the 22-year-old phenom — who soon might just shuffle his way into history,” Passan wrote one of the best articles ever written about the Nats’ superstar outfielder. The cover photo was taken by portrait photographer, Mary Beth Koeth. She will always be linked to Soto in an artistic sense. When your photography reaches Koeth’s level, it is art.  Continue reading →

Posted in Feature | Leave a comment

Looking at the #Nats 26-man roster  – The Sum Greater than the Parts. But, Nice Parts!

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Forensicane

With respect to the Washington Nationals final roster, I’m almost surprised with how un-surprising things have turned out. General Manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez will formally post up their Opening Day roster shortly, and we should probably see the Alternate Site roster as well. As far as the 26-man roster goes, the sum is greater than the part; but nice parts! Continue reading →

Posted in DaveMartinez, Feature, MikeRizzo, Roster | Leave a comment

A Distant Gaze

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Ray Wyvill

Bucky Harris
Manager 1954 Washington Senators
Age 57

Baseball Lifers have The Look.   Years of seeing out upon the diamonds with a distant gaze produces a common appearance to the men that inhabit the dugouts.  Endless hours of absorbing the sights of the game, calculating a next move, and assessing skills on both sides of the ledger all set against a backdrop of constant uncertainty take their toll.  They all entered the game as clear-skinned youths.  But, the cumulative effect the game takes is written clearly in aged faces.  The “Crows’ Feet” etched into the corners of their eyes are not so much like gentle river deltas meeting salt water.  Rather the chasms are rough and jagged-edged as if they were made by chisels and hammers struck into sandstone.  Tool marks from mishits predominate as if the tiny invisible craftsmen who struck the permanent blows were in a hurry.    To look at a Baseball Lifer’s face is to see what decades under pressure does.  It’s all there encoded into those ragged cavernous Crows’ Feet.  Amassed in the leathery braille in no particular order are hires, firings, blown saves, wins, blown leads, injured stars, playoff losses, celebrations, lost friends, and Opening Days.

Continue reading →

Posted in Feature | Leave a comment

Game #24 is the #Nats Grapefruit League finale in 2021!

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

Today wraps up the 2021 Grapefruit League schedule for the Washington Nationals. After the game, they will head to the airport aboard their charter flight back to Washington, D.C. This finale will be with their Ballpark of the Palm Beaches’ neighbor, Houston Astros. It was reported after this game the Astros will head back to Houston where they will all receive COVID-19 vaccinations. There has been no word when the Nats players, and coaches will be vaccinated.  Continue reading →

Posted in InGame, SpringTraining | Leave a comment

The Nationals could have MLB’s best outfield

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Ryan Morris

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

Outfields are made up of a trio of players. AJ Pollock, Mookie Betts, and Cody Bellinger. Marcell Ozuna, Cristian Pache, and Ronald Acuna Jr. Those names may come to mind when prompted with the question, what team has the best outfield in MLB? A new set has arrived however, one that has been sneaky good in Spring Training and may continue to do well in the regular season. Today I’ll break down the Nationals’ outfield and tell you why they may be the best in the league.  Continue reading →

Posted in Feature, Roster | Leave a comment

Game #23 and we finally have MASN TV coverage!

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Andrew Lang

With only two games remaining on the Grapefruit League schedule, the Nationals monopolistic television provider, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), has finally shown up to broadcast a game. Well, better late than never as they say. With the Nats ownership of just over 20 percent of the network, they do not possess enough voting rights to force MASN to broadcast more games during Spring Training as the Angelos controlled network continues to frustrate the Nats and their fans. These words are nothing personal in our support of the on-air duo of Bob Carpenter and F.P. Santangelo and the on-site employees, this is a rant at the controlling Angelos family.

Well, we have a game today and  that’s the good news.. As Spring Training wraps up tomorrow, the Nats made several cuts on Saturday to give us a good look at what the Opening Day roster could look like. As Edgar Allan Poe wrote, “Believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear.” Continue reading →

Posted in InGame, SpringTraining | Leave a comment

The Kieboom gamble did not payout as he is optioned to Triple-A

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

The cherry blossoms are blooming at Nationals Park; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

While Nationals Park is ready for the 5,000 fans who are allowed to attend on Opening Day, the Washington Nationals’ roster is not ready. It still feels like a work in progress. What general manager Mike Rizzo envisioned back in the offseason has changed. Today, the Nationals pared the roster down to 26 healthy players in what we could see on Opening Day. One player, who will not be on that roster, is the struggling Carter Kieboom.

The Nats made a sizable gamble to bet on Kieboom as their starting third baseman, and he subsequently fell well below the “Mendoza”  line in these 2021 Spring Training games. Rizzo tipped his hand early on and doubled down on Kieboom. This team could have made a hot corner or second base upgrade in the offseason, but only made some mediocre moves on minor league deals for Jordy Mercer and Hernan Perez. The third base spot was there for Kieboom’s taking. Today he was optioned to Triple-A. Continue reading →

Posted in Feature, MikeRizzo, Roster | Leave a comment

Game #22 is back in Port St. Lucie to face the Mets one more time before Opening Day!

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Clover Park in Port St. Lucie; Photo from Stan for TalkNats

One last trip to Port St. Lucie for the 2021 Grapefruit League season for the Washington Nationals against the Mets, and these teams will face each other in six days in a much different setting for Opening Day. The Nats will go to an opener again in this game and will send Kyle McGowin to the mound. The Mets will pitch LHP David Peterson in this one, and Nats manager Dave Martinez will counter with his right-handed lineup. Continue reading →

Posted in InGame, SpringTraining | Leave a comment

What’s left to be decided at #Nats spring training camp?

Posted on March 26, 2021 by SaoMagnifico

Kyle McGowin strikes out Marcell Ozuna; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

There’s just three Grapefruit League games remaining on the Washington Nationals’ schedule before they head north. Opening Day is less than a week away.

We’ve talked a lot about spring training stats, but we know that on Opening Day, everyone starts out 0-for-0 and without an ERA. What matters is what players do when the games actually count.

Still, for players on the roster bubble, spring stats can be very important. And the Nats still have some decisions to make and questions that will have to be answered. Especially with Juan Soto exiting Thursday night’s game against the Miami Marlins with a calf cramp, at the forefront of those questions is health. Continue reading →

Posted in Bullpen, Lineup, Roster, SpringTraining | Leave a comment

Game #21 and #Nats go with the opener!

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo of the front gates of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter by Sol Tucker for TalkNats.com

Once again the Washington Nationals are traveling that 14-mile road trip to the north to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium which is the Spring Training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals jointly. They are part of the four team configuration along with the Nats and Astros that call Palm Beach County home. This time the Nats face the Marlins for the sixth and final time of the Grapefruit League games. But don’t fret, the Nats and Marlins will play each other 19 more times in this regular season.

The last time these two teams met, the Nats got to face Gio Gonzalez as a pitcher for the Marlins. The Nats absolutely smoked Gio in the game, and was not going to make their team. He decided to retire and posted a beautiful letter on his Instagram account.

” … unfortunately my body wasn’t keeping up with my mind,” Gio wrote. It is something I wrote unfortunately too many times about aging athletes when their bodies will no longer do what the brain asks of it.
Continue reading →

Posted in InGame, SpringTraining | Leave a comment