I had a chance to cover the Washington Nationals during the NLDS playoffs vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. Here are the articles:
Photo by Mike Frandsen.
Posts Tagged ‘Washington Nationals’
Washington Nationals fans should not root for Baltimore Orioles
October 8, 2012
Photo by Mike Frandsen.
The Washington Nationals are in the MLB playoffs for the first time in 79 years; the Baltimore Orioles are in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Read why I think D.C. fans should not root for the O’s, despite the great times they’ve given us in the past when we didn’t have a team. http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/10/08/washington-nationals-fans-should-never-root-for-baltimore-orioles-period/.
Jim Riggleman resigns as Washington Nationals manager in contract dispute
June 24, 2011This makes me sick. Jim Riggleman is right that he deserves an extension, but it would have been better if he had just stayed. It’s too bad.
Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman resigned Thursday after the Nats beat Seattle 1-0 at Nationals Park. The shocking move came as Washington won for the 11th time in 12 games, and surpassed the .500 mark for the first time this late in a season since their inaugural season of 2005.
In a post-game press conference, general manager Mike Rizzo said that Riggleman, who has worked on one-year contracts since taking over the team in 2009, told him before the game that if he did not get a contract extension he would resign after the game.
“Jim told me pregame today that if we wouldn’t pick up his option he wouldn’t get on the team bus today, ” Rizzo said.
Jayson Werth, who was called out at home in the first inning trying to tag up on a Zimmerman fly ball in a controversial call, was unfazed by Riggleman’s resignation. Werth was quoted by the Associated Press after the game as saying, “It’s not going to change anything in here. We’re the ones that have been making the pitches and hitting the balls and winning the ballgames, so we’re going to keep going.” Werth, who called for changes on the Nats in May, is hitting .235 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI.
Werth makes approximately $18 million per year, which is about 30 times more than Riggleman’s $600,000 salary. Werth, Strasburg, and 18-year old phenom Bryce Harper are all clients of agent Scott Boras.
I’m not saying that’s the whole reason but it’s part of it. To read the rest of my article on examiner.com, click here.
Has Michael Wilbon jumped the shark?
June 9, 2011Is Michael Wilbon going the way of Keith Olbermann? With his fame he has become progressively more arrogant on the air. Today on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, he told Tony Kornheiser, “How pathetic. A New Yorker slurping a five-year old Washington D.C. franchise? Pathetic.” Wait, what? Both Wilbon and Kornheiser have spent more than 30 years in D.C. and are constantly disassociating themselves from the city and talking about how they love their hometowns, Chicago and New York. But at what point do you become a Washingtonian? Kornheiser has spent more than half his sports fan life in D.C., because you don’t really become a fan until you’re at least around 7. Wilbon has spent about 30 of his 45 years as a sports fan in D.C. Wilbon, you have it wrong. Anyone can like the Yankees (i.e. fair weather fans). You get more respect when you root for a perennial loser rather than jumping on bandwagons. And all Kornheiser did was mention that it was the anniversary of Stephen Strasburg’s major league debut. It’s weird seeing Wilbon up there on NBA panels with experts like Jon Barry and Magic Johnson. Why isn’t Jalen Rose up there instead of Wilbon? He thinks the more you yell, the more accurate your opinions are. It’s a shame, because Wilbon and Kornheiser both used to be good writers. June 9, 2011 – Wilbon jumps the shark.
Nationals sign Jayson Werth, but they should have kept Adam Dunn
December 6, 2010
Adam Dunn plays first base as Stephen Strasburg pitches for the Nationals last summer. Photo by Mike Frandsen.
The Washington Nationals signed free agent outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million deal Sunday, a contract that is the 13th-largest in major league history and will end when Werth is 38.
Werth hit 27 home runs and drove in 85 runs last year for the Philadelphia Phillies. He also hit .296, stole 54 bases, and had a National League-leading 46 doubles for the NL East division champs. The Nationals had to overpay Werth to attract him to Washington, which has averaged 99 losses the past three seasons.
The move comes after the Nationals refused to resign slugger Adam Dunn to a four-year contract and allowed him to sign with the Chicago White Sox for four years and $56 million. Washington offered Dunn a three-year deal and $35 million at the end of the 2010 season.
Dunn was a consistent power hitter during his two seasons with the Nationals, hitting 38 home runs each season with 105 and 103 runs batted in. Dunn has more home runs over the past decade (354) than all but three major league players and hit 38 homers or more in each of the last eight seasons.
Werth is a good player, but the Nats should have kept Dunn.
For a franchise that has never had a winning season, struggled with mediocre attendance, plays games on a TV station that has no programming at all during certain times of the day, and features a vacant lot full of broken concrete instead of restaurants and bars across from its stadium, the Nats haven’t catered much to the wishes of the fans, who clearly wanted Dunn to stay. Dunn wanted to remain a Nat as well.
Dunn will continue to chew gum, blow bubbles and use his relaxed swing to slam colossal home runs over the fence, but it will be in Chicago, not Washington. Meanwhile, Werth will try to prove he is worth the Nats’ investment.
To see the rest of my article on Examiner.com, click here.
Nationals’ Strasburg has torn ligament, expected to need Tommy John surgery, could miss 2011 season
August 28, 2010
Stephen Strasburg walks off to a standing ovation after one of his 14 strikeouts during his major league debut against Pittsburgh June 8. Photo by Mike Frandsen
The Washington Nationals announced Friday that rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg has a significantly torn ligament in his right elbow and is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery. The surgery would most likely sideline Strasburg for 2011 season although it is possible he could return late in the year.
Strasburg, called one of the best pitching prospects in history, finished his rookie season with a record of 5-3, an ERA of 2.91, and 92 strikeouts in 12 starts. His strikeout to walk ratio was an incredible 5.4 to 1. Strasburg’s fastball was clocked over 100 miles per hour and his curve baffled experienced hitters. Strasburg pitched 123 innings this season and the Nationals had planned to shut him down for the year after 160 innings.
The 22-year old rookie right-hander created a buzz around the Nationals that hadn’t been experienced in their six years of existence, with attendance up significantly during Strasburg’s starts. When Strasburg started at home, the Nationals averaged 34,270 fans, nearly double the 17,190 the Nats averaged for other games.
Strasburg was spectacular in his major league debut June 8, striking out 14 and walking none in seven innings in a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh at Nationals Park.
For the rest of my article on Examiner.com, please click here.
Stephen Strasburg strikes out 7, Willingham and Zimmerman homer as Nationals beat Diamondbacks 5-3
August 17, 2010Stephen Strasburg struck out seven batters in five innings and the Nationals came back from a 3-1 deficit to overtake the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-3.
Strasburg pitched well after his first bad performance of the season five days ago when he gave up six runs to Florida, and Josh Willingham and Ryan Zimmerman homered for Washington.
Strasburg didn’t get the victory, though, because of an error he committed in the second inning.
After giving up a solo home run to Adam LaRoche, Strasburg took a lightly hit ball by Stephen Drew and threw it over the outstretched arm of the 6-6 Adam Dunn. That allowed Mark Reynolds to score from first while Drew made it all the way to third. Gerardo Parra hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Drew, and the Diamondbacks led 3-0.
To read the rest of my article on Examiner.com, click here.
Ryan Zimmerman’s walk-off home run leads Washington Nationals over Philadelphia Phillies, 7-5
August 2, 2010[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=ryan+zimmerman&iid=5396560″ src=”http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/5396560/mlb-chicago-cubs/mlb-chicago-cubs.jpg?size=500&imageId=5396560″ width=”234″ height=”301″ /]Ryan Zimmerman hit a dramatic walk-off home run to give the Nationals a 7-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday in front of 38,049 fans at Nationals Park.
In the ninth inning, Zimmerman slammed a Brad Lidge pitch 430 feet over the centerfield wall with Michael Morse and Adam Kennedy on base, erasing the Phillies’ 5-4 lead. As soon as Zimmerman hit the ball, he knew it was over the fence, starting a slow jog, watching as the ball left the field. Zimmerman then threw his batting helmet into the mob of teammates waiting for him at home.
In the past week, Adam Dunn has dominated the headlines for being the subject of a possible trade. Saturday’s trade deadline came and went, and Dunn remains a National. Against the Phillies, it was as if Zimmerman said, “Hey, don’t forget about me!” (By the way, who is that Strasburg guy again?)
To read the rest of my article on Examiner.com, click here.
Washington Nationals keep slugger Adam Dunn, trade Guzman, Capps for prospects
August 2, 2010
Adam Dunn, one of the best home run hitters in the major leagues, will remain a Washington National.
The trade deadline has come and gone, and Adam Dunn will continue to hit home runs for the Washington Nationals, possibly even tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. The slugger, who was sought by several teams, will remain with the Nats until at least the end of the season.
The Nats had already traded infielder Cristian Guzman Friday and closer Matt Capps Thursday for prospects.
The New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays had reportedly been interested in Dunn, but the Nationals’ asking price was apparently too high.
To read the rest of my article on Examiner.com, click here.
Stephen Strasburg strikes out 7, throws 6 scoreless innings as Nationals blank Florida Marlins, 4-0
July 17, 2010[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=strasburg&iid=9062720″ src=”http://view1.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9062720/washington-nationals/washington-nationals.jpg?size=500&imageId=9062720″ width=”234″ height=”352″ /]The Nationals shut out the Florida Marlins 4-0 behind six scoreless innings by Stephen Strasburg and a three-run triple by Josh Willingham Friday.
Strasburg struck out seven Marlins and gave up just four hits as he combined with Drew Storen and Matt Capps for the shutout in front of 27,037 fans in Miami.
The game followed a familiar pattern for Strasburg (4-2). As he has a few times in the last month, Strasburg got off to a relatively slow – for him – start. He threw 34 pitches in the first inning, walking two, and looked a little uncomfortable. Then the rookie phenom settled down, and wasn’t dominant but pitched a very good game, giving up just one walk the rest of the way.
For the rest of my article on Examiner.com, click here.
Mike's Blog 
