by Andrew Lang
by Andrew Lang
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
This afternoon matchup has the Tampa Bay Rays travelling into the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches to face our Washington Nationals. In this game, Stephen Strasburg will make his 2020 Spring Training debut. He will be on a strict pitch count as expected. The Rays are starting lefty Ryan Yarbrough. He is a Florida native who went to Old Dominion University. Continue reading
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
This was supposed to be a rare marquee matchup between former Tiger teammates Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, but the Houston starter was scratched with a sore groin. Astros’ manager Dusty Baker will start Cristian Javier in Verlander’s place. This is the second start by Scherzer who was on a 30-pitch count that was capped at two innings in his last appearance. This time Scherzer will be ramped up a little more in this start and will try to go three innings for his Washington Nationals. Continue reading
Non-Roster Invitees by Nats Graphics
As the magician says, “Pick a card, any card from the deck” of fifty-two cards is a much easier trick than trying to make the Opening Day roster as an NRI (non-roster invitee), but it is possible. In a blind pick of one card from a full deck to say get the 10-of-hearts with no magic involved has only a 1.92% probability, and the chance that an NRI makes the team is actually higher than that. That’s the good news, and we’re telling you there is a chance. If Clint Robinson was standing here today (he kind of is), he would tell you as living — breathing proof, that there is a chance. Continue reading
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
Sometimes you feel like you drew the short straw when you get picked to play in a road game for Spring Training in a city hours away. That is the case today as the Washington Nationals take a trek across the state of Florida with 7 hours on a bus in one long day for a game in Tampa. Big league players graduated from the long bus ride circuit during the regular season, but someone’s gotta do it in Spring Training when your number is called. It is waking up at 5:30 am to get to a 6:30 am bus ride up the Florida Turnpike to Route 4 west to George Steinbrenner Field to face the New York Yankees. It is 210 miles of boredom each way for anyone who cannot sleep. For some of these players, this will be the closest they ever come to playing the Yankees. Playing the Double-A Trenton Thunder just is not the same as playing the actual Yankees. These are the Yankees! Okay, you can be sure that not all of the Bronx Bombers starting twenty-five are playing today, but some will. I’d volunteer to play if I was a Double-A guy. Why not. Continue reading
Photo by Andy Ward for TalkNats
The last time we saw Anibal Sanchez on a mound against the Cardinals it was on the road and he was twirling a no-hitter in the 8th inning. That game just happened to be the most important start of Sanchez’s career — Game 1 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS). Today, the Washington Nationals will take to the road from their home stadium at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and drive the 14 miles north to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Sanchez will start on the mound with the hopes of going two innings and about 30 pitches. Some of the Nats players actually have Spring Training residences closer to Jupiter and will drive themselves, and this is why the Nationals relocated from Viera to Palm Beach County so they could avoid long road trips and with that said — the team has one of those excruciating road trips tomorrow when they head to Tampa to play the Yankees. Few want to go on that Tampa trip on a bus for 3 ½ hours each way and over two hundred miles. Continue reading
Brandon Snyder‘s walkoff hit on 2/23/2020; Photo by Tom Sileo for TalkNats
If you followed Sunday’s split-squad games which were being played simultaneously at FITTEAM and in Jupiter, you hopefully were able to follow the radio call of Charlie Slowes as the Nationals had a walk-off single by DC’s own Brandon Snyder (Westfield High School, Centreville, Virginia) to get the Nats to 1-0 in Grapefruit League play. Minutes later, the game in Jupiter ended as Derek Self self-destructed and blew the save as the Nats lost against the Marlins. Most of the records do not matter unless you are a player fighting for a job. Who knew on February 23rd of last year that injuries would give opportunities to players like Jake Noll, Andrew Stevenson and Wander Suero. Just because Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez referred to Stevo as his 5th outfielder does not guarantee Michael A. Taylor the bench spot nor does it guarantee Stevo the fifth spot on the bench. Wilmer Difo, Adrian Sanchez and others are all fighting for spots on the roster. Health is the number one factor as we know going into the final roster selection. Having an outstanding Spring Training can’t hurt, and Noll like Clint Robinson before him shows that NRIs can make it. Continue reading
Washington Senators at Spring Training DeLand, FL 1923
Few things state winter more strongly than the sight of the powerful constellation Orion the Hunter situated squarely in the southern night sky after dusk. He is the de facto lord of the long nights. Like all rulers his time to reign has an expiration date. As the sunrise moves north the constellation slips below the horizon eventually becoming a pre-dawn attraction during the summer. Also like most rulers, he doesn’t exit all that gracefully. In the mid-Atlantic February is typically a test of patience and wet weather gear. Slushy, sloppy, and almost interminably gray sums up our shortest month. Climatologically it may not end well. But, at least it ends with baseball players in camp at some warm weather haven.
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
If today’s weather holds up, it is Austin Voth at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, and Erick Fedde up the road in Jupiter. It is Voth who gets most of the starters today and manager Dave Martinez in his dugout. Continue reading
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
It has been 116 days since we last saw our Washington Nationals playing in a baseball game. While these Spring Training games do not count for much, there is still some fun in it all. As expected, Max Scherzer will start the game on a strict pitch limit of approximately 30-pitches. Top prospect Carter Kieboom is starting at third base. There is a familiar outfield of Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Michael Taylor, and if there is any significance with that, you will notice that Robles is manning centerfield and Taylor is in rightfield. Last year, Robles was shifted to righftfield when Taylor was playing in the first half of the season. That was a move in which manager Dave Martinez was criticized for, and as a good manager he adjusted as Robles proved to be one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball in many metrics. Continue reading
Unlike the wimpy Mets, the Nationals worked out Friday in the rain. It was also MLB Network 30-Clubs-In-30-Days at the complex and you can see the tripod setup with lighting. Here’s a shot of the glove layout beside the Nationals clubhouse. Usually we see the players eating lunch out here. Continue reading
"Opening Day should be a National holiday"
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