Nats coaching staff

By: Brian McNally
11/20/09 6:38 PM

Been in Caps mode today as they get ready to play Montreal tonight at Verizon Center. But didn't want this to slip by. The Nats have finalized their coaching staff for 2010. Not real surprises were expected since Jim Riggleman simply had the "interim" tag removed from his title last week.

Hitting coach Rick Eckstein drew rave reviews last year from players and front office personnel alike and may have even stayed if Riggleman wasn't the choice. Pitching coach Steve McCatty is back. He was promoted June 2 after the team fired Randy St. Claire and has a good relationship with some of the team's younger pitchers who have come up through the farm system. Third base coach Pat Listach will also return in the same role in 2010.

The changes? John McLaren - who was the manager in Seattle when Riggleman was the bench coach - turns the tables as the team's new bench coach. Riggleman, of course, took over for McLaren after his firing by the Mariners in the summer of 2008. Jim Lett is the new bullpen coach and Dan Radison takes over at first base for Marquis Grissom.

Under Eckstein, the Nats' offense - bolstered by free-agent addition Adam Dunn and trade acquisition Josh Willingham - improved in runs per game (+0.40), home runs (+39), batting average (+.007), on-base percentage (+.014), slugging percentage (+.033) and OPS (+.047). McCatty was the Nats' Triple-A pitching coach for fou...

Strasburg hurt

By: Brian McNally
11/19/09 8:48 PM

At this point, every bump or bruise for Nats top draft pick Stephen Strasburg takes on ominous signifigance. Even if it's something minor. So hearts are aflutter tonight as Washington has scratched Strasburg from his scheduled start in the Arizona Fall League championship game on Saturday. While shagging fly balls in the outfield during a workout today with his Phoenix Desert Dogs, Strasburg twisted his left knee.

The injury was considered serious enough that he went for an MRI. The Nats say the results showed only inflammation. Still - Strasburg will be examined by Dr. Lewis Yokum in Los Angeles on Friday. The Nats changed plans, originally scheduling a consultation for Strasburg with team doctor Wiemi Douoguih in Washington. But because of proximity Strasburg will see Dr. Yokum instead. Strasburg was earlier scratched from the AFL All-Star game after a neck strain, but quickly shook off that injury to pitch well in what was his final AFL start last week (3 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 6 K, 2 BB)

More on Nats/O's AFL prospects

By: Brian McNally
11/17/09 4:07 PM

Okay, so Stephen Strasburg isn't the only local prospect performing well in the Arizona Fall League. The Phoenix Desert Dogs are made up of players from the Nats (six), Orioles (six), Tampa Bay (six), Oakland (seven) and Toronto (five).

For the Nats, Drew Storen, the No. 10 overall draft pick in 2010, is 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA, building on a fine start to his pro career since signing in June. He pitched in 11 games, recorded three saves and ranked third in the AFL in ERA. He walked just three batters in 12 2/3 innings and struck out 11. He also tweeted last night that he "may or may not have just purchased the album "License to Ill" by the Beastie Boys on iTunes." Can't tell if he's being ironic or not. Storen wasn't even born when that album came out. I was nine when it dropped and it's definitely on my iPod. My one issue with that album? Brass Monkey. Worst. Song. Ever. I will not debate this. Moving on.

Nats prospect Chris Marrero had a nice AFL season after making it to Double-A Harrisburg last season. Still a work-in-progress at first base. Marrero needs his bat to carry him to the big leagues, according to scouts. He batted .338 (ninth overall) with six doubles and three homers. His 18 RBI tied for seventh with teammates Brandon Snyder and Josh Bell - both Orioles prospects. Marrero had a .398 OBP (19th) and a .938 OPS (13th). We'll see if his numbers tak...

Strasburg gets one more start

By: Brian McNally
11/17/09 2:14 PM

The Nationals will indeed get one more look at top draft pick Stephen Strasburg. His Phoenix Desert Dogs clinched their division title last night in the Arizona Fall League so Strasburg will pitch in the championship game this Saturday. Game will be broadcast live on MLB Network at 2:30 p.m.

Strasburg so far? He is 4-1 with a 4.26 ERA. But one very, very bad outing - seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings - skewed his ERA. In the other four stars Strasburg has been excellent. He's been clocked as high as 101 miles-per-hour. Remember, the AFL is considered a hitter's league since the pitchers generally take longer to get back into game shape. Most of these kids last played a real game in early September - though most also participated in their organization's instructional league before heading to Florida. But Strasburg hadn't pitched a real game since the NCAA Tournament in May with San Diego State.

In Strasburg's four good starts he pitched 16 1/3 innings, allowed eight hits, six walks and 19 strikeouts. The numbers don't matter, of course. It's a small sample size. But at the very least Strasburg proved he could perform against lineups dotted with elite prospects. It doesn't mean he's guaranteed to start the season in Washington - just that he's on track to fight for a job in spring training. God knows there's plenty of rotation slots available at this point. But I still suspect the...

More front office hires for Nats

By: Brian McNally
11/16/09 2:43 PM

Nats general manager Mike Rizzo has been a busy, busy man this fall. Yes, he had to find a field manager - and settled on interim Jim Riggleman, who was hired full time last week. But Rizzo has also remade a front office that too often the last few years seemed like a patchwork of differing philosophies. We had the holdovers from when the team was in Montreal - led by scouting director Dana Brown. We had Jim Bowden, the former GM, who had his own group of trusted advisors from his days in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. And we had men like Rizzo, scout Kris Kline and others who were hired in the years since the Lerner Family took over the franchise in 2006. I have no evidence the front office was dysfunctional on the inside - other than the back-to-back 100-loss seasons, of course. But it did seem an odd mix. No one person was responsible for putting that entire crew together from scratch and that - from the outside - seems like a bad way to build an organization.

But you can't say that anymore. Rizzo was hired full time in August to replace Bowden. He had three years with the Nats to see what front-office personnel he wanted to stay (VP of player development Bob Boone) and whom he didn't (fired director of player development Bobby Williams). There's never been any indication Rizzo and Brown didn't get along. But Brown also decided to leave at the end of the season and take a positio...

Craig Stammen update

By: Brian McNally
11/16/09 1:48 PM

Had a chance to catch up with Nats pitcher Craig Stammen at the press conference for Nats manager Jim Riggleman last Thursday. The 25-year-old was a nice surprise in 2009 after arriving from Triple-A on May 21. He was a ground-ball pitcher who didn't walk anybody (24 total in 19 starts). He shut out the World Series champion Yankees in New York on June 18. He pitched brilliantly in Colorado on July 6 - seven innings in a 1-0 loss - and his next start at Houston was a complete game with two runs allowed. Stammen's ERA was down to 4.14 after a 7 1/3 inning, one-run effort against the Mets on July 22.

But it was all down hill from there as the elbow pain that had bothered Stammen all season began to flare up again. He ended up having surgery to remove a bone spur after an Aug. 29 start in St. Louis. We still have no clue what veteran pitchers the Nats will go after so it's hard to project a starting rotation at this point. John Lannan - Stammen's housemate this winter as both remain in the D.C. area - is a lock for one. Top draft pick Stephen Strasburg has looked good in the Arizona Fall League and the organization could just slot him in the starting rotation right away. But that's not guaranteed.

No matter what, Stammen should be in the mix. Of all the back-end rotation candidates - and Lord knows there's six or eight of them at this point - he controls his pitches the best and ...

Zimmerman taking over?

By: Brian McNally
11/13/09 1:46 PM

The Nats made third baseman Ryan Zimmerman available via conference call twice this week - once for winning his first Gold Glove. The second for winning the Silver Slugger Award as the best offensive third baseman in the National League. Other than an unintenionally hilarious mishap during Wednesday's call - let's just say Channel 9 weather man Topper Shutt ended up taking over a call he didn't even know he was on - there was one especially noteable quote.

We still tend to think of Zimmerman as the young gun here. Seems like just yesterday he was drafted and handed the unfortunate label of "Face of the Franchise" - which is sort of like being casually tossed a grenade. "Here kid, see what you can do with this. Good luck." To be honest - I like Nyjer Morgan's "Pete Franchise" nickname better anyway. But after signing a 5-year, $45 million extension with Washington last spring it seems Zimmerman is ready to take a leadership role in the Nats' clubhouse - or at least a more public one than he's shown so far. During Thursday's call, Zimmerman was asked for reaction to Jim Riggleman getting the permanent manager position. That quickly morphed into thoughts on the Nats' clubhouse

"[Riggleman] did a great job when he got his chance last year," Zimmerman said. "I think everyone respected him. But to be honest with you I think we’re getti...

Riggleman extras

By: Brian McNally
11/13/09 12:39 PM

Just a few bonus thoughts/quotes on Jim Riggleman's hiring as the Nationals' new manager. I had remembered an interview Riggleman did with MASN during a game last summer where he spoke about his situation in Seattle last fall. Then - as now - he was the interim manager waiting to see if he'd get the gig full time. So during yesterday's press conference at Nationals Park, I asked how that process - where he didn't get a job he really wanted - affected his thoughts as decision time came near in Washington. Make no mistake - Riggleman thinks of himself as a manager first and foremost - even if he hasn't held that title full time in 10 years. If he hadn't been hired by Mike Rizzo?

"I would have felt that ‘You know what we did everything we could do We left no stone unturned. We worked hard. We addressed issues. We did everything we could do [in Washington]. I hope I get the opportunity to continue.’ But it wouldn’t be as painful as it was the year before. Because I think all of us when we feel like we didn’t really show our best then you don’t want it to end. You want to get it right. And that’s kind of the way I left the year before. So this year, I felt good about the opportunity to come back. I thought I would. I thought I was the right person. However, if it didn’t happen, I wouldn’t feel like it was something that I didn&rsqu...

Jim Riggleman press conference

By: Brian McNally
11/12/09 5:26 PM

The Nationals introduced Jim Riggleman as their new manager for 2010. The 57-year-old Rockville, Md. native held the interim title last summer after Manny Acta was fired. Mike Rizzo, Nats general manager, said the team started with a list of 18 candidates, whittled that down to around 10 for phone interviews and then further cuts led to Riggleman and Bobby Valentine as the finalists.

Those two men, of course, are polar opposites in terms of personality. Valentine a consumate showman with a magnetic personalty that some in the game find grating. Riggleman is "a simple baseball man", according to Nats third basebam Ryan Zimmerman. Riggleman had what amounted to a four-month audition for the job, Rizzo said. He didn't even need to come back for an interview from his home in Florida. And in the end, the GM's comfort level with his interim manager made all the difference.

"We discussed vigorously how the game should be played. And although we failed at times to produce there was always a knowledge of how the game should be played," Rizzo said. "Those were a lot of the smaller things that gave me a comfort level with Jim. And we just had a kind of a feeling when we’d get together in the manager’s office – an ease of conversation. We both are the type of people who say what’s on our mind and I think that’s a good dynamic between th...

Nats name Riggleman manager

By: Brian McNally
11/11/09 9:29 PM

The Nationals have named interim manager Jim Riggleman to that position full time, Major League Baseball sources said on Wednesday night. Riggleman, 57, is the organization’s third manager since it moved to Washington from Montreal in 2005. After Manny Acta was fired last summer, Riggleman piloted the Nats to a 33-42 record during the second-half of the season and saw his team end the season with a seven-game winning streak.

Riggleman was informed of the decision on Wednesday. He was chosen from a pool of applicants that included Bobby Valentine – who won a pennant with the New York Mets in 2000 – and former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, among others. An official announcement could come as soon as Thursday.

Riggleman has previously managed the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners. His career record is 555-694 in 10 seasons. Riggleman was the interim manager in Seattle in 2008 and a candidate for that position after the season. When not chosen he then joined Acta’s staff in Washington as bench coach and eventually took over on an interim basis in mid-July.

Zimmerman wins Gold Glove

By: Brian McNally
11/11/09 3:46 PM

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman earned his first Gold Glove on Wednesday. It was only a matter of time. I must have watched 70 of his games in person this year and there was nobody better. Not David Wright. Not Kevin Kouzmanoff.

With a range factor per game of 2.97, Zimmerman gets to more balls than any other third baseman in the National League. He led MLB in total chances (459) and assists (325). His UZR number - a rating system that tries to explain how many runs a player saved relative to his position - was 18.1. That was the third highest of any qualifying player at any position.

Have a conference call with Zimmerman in about an hour. Will have an expanded story up on our website soon after with quotes and reaction.

Nats decline Kearns' option

By: Brian McNally
11/06/09 11:29 PM

The Nationals on Friday declined a $10 million option for outfielder Austin Kearns, who instead was granted a $1 million buyout and is now a free agent. That ends a dissapointing tenure for the 29-year-old in Washington. He was acquired with high hopes in a 2006 trade with the Cincinnati Reds along with second baseman Felipe Lopez, among others. Kearns was given a three-year, $17 million extension by then-general manager Jim Bowden the following winter.

A thumb injury proved costly in 2009 as Kearns hit .195 with three homers and 17 RBI. But 15 of those RBI came in the season's first five weeks. He has a long history of hand injuries and finally went on the disabled list for good in early August after just 80 games. Elbow and foot problems had already limited Kearns to 86 games in 2008. His best season as a Nat was 2007 when he played in 161 games and batted .266 with 35 doubles and 16 home runs. Relief pitcher Ron Villone and first baseman Dmitri Young have also filed for free agency. Catcher Josh Bard and starter Livan Hernandez made that move on Thursday. Young was the National League comeback player of the year in 2007 after making the NL All-Star team. He signed a two-year, $10 million extension that summer but played just 50 games in 2008 and none in 2009 as he struggled to control his weight and diabetes.

The Nats also announced on Friday that prized pitching prospect Step...

Nats' front office hires

By: Brian McNally
11/03/09 10:13 PM

The Nationals continued adding to their front office staff on Tuesday. Former White Sox general manager Ron Schueler was named a special advisor to Nats general manager Mike Rizzo and Bill Singer was promoted to director of professional scouting.

Schueler has been in baseball for 42 years - 11 of those as the GM in Chicago, where his teams won a pair of division titles in 1993 and 2000. He also pitched professionally for four different big-league clubs. Most recently, Schueler spent two years as senior advisor of player personnel for the San Francisco Giants. Singer, meanwhile, will coordinate all Nats' pro, minor league and winter league scouting efforts. Last season, he was a special assignment scout and the coordinator of the organization's Pacific Rim operations. He previously spent three years with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a scout when Rizzo worked there. A two-time All-Star, Singer won 20 games for both the Dodgers and the Angels.

Washington has been busy this month. Rizzo hired Roy Clark as assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel. Schueler and Jay Robertson are new special advisors. Doug Harris was hired as director of player development, Kasey McKeon is the director of player procurement and Johnny DiPuglia is the director of international scouting, Latin America.

Meanwhile, an MLB.com report late Tuesday says that Dodgers hitting coach Don Mat...

Nats add to front office

By: Brian McNally
10/27/09 6:12 PM

The Nationals have named Casey McKeon as director of player procurement and Jay Robertson as a special assistant to the general manager. That further adds to the organization's front office, which had been understaffed after the firing of former GM Jim Bowden last March.

Earlier in the month, general manager Mike Rizzo hired respected scout Roy Clark as an assistant GM and vice president of player personnel. Johnny DiPuglia was named director of Latin American operations after a stellar tenure with the Boston Red Sox. And Doug Harris was hired as director of player development with scout Kris Kline earning a promotion to director of scouting when Dana Brown left for a job with the Toronto Blue Jays.

McKeon was an assistant to Colorado GM Dan O'Dowd for the last seven years. The son of longtime baseball manager and executive Jack McKeon, he has also worked for Cincinnati, Cleveland and San Diego in various scouting capacities, including a stint as the Reds director of scouting.

Robertson spent the previous eight seasons with the Texas Rangers as a special assistant to the general manager. He worked under John Hart (2002-05) and Jon Daniels (2006-09). Previously, Robertson spent 11 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, including a stint as director of scouting. Robertson pitched for five seasons in Toronto’s minor-league system before coaching and scouting stints with Philadel...

Nats fill three positions in front office

By: Brian McNally
10/15/09 11:04 PM

The search for a field manager will continue through the end of the month, but the Nationals and general manager Mike Rizzo already have begun the process of adding front-office staff to the organization.

The team announced the hiring of Roy Clark as vice president of player personnel, Johnny DiPuglia as director of Latin American operations and Doug Harris as director of player development.

Clark previously was director of scouting for the Atlanta Braves for 11 years. DiPuglia was a respected presence in the Dominican Republic for the Boston Red Sox. That's an important step for the Nats, whose Dominican operations slammed to a halt last spring after a scandal involving the age and identity of top prospect Smiley Gonzalez. Harris spent last season as an advance scout for the Cleveland Indians.



bmcnally@washingtonexaminer.com

MacDougal has surgery

By: Leon Saffelle
10/13/09 6:39 PM

According to The Associated Press, Nats closer Mike MacDougal had hip surgery on Tuesday.

The procedure was arthroscopic and his right hip is expected to be ready to go by spring training.

MacDougal was solid for the Nats (1-1, 20 saves, 3.60 ERA), but wouldn't be surprised if there was some competition coming for him by February.

Between the farm and the anticipated offseason moves, the Nats should be looking for a better option. MacDougal would be best utilized as a setup man for 2010 in an ideal world.

Nats' 2010 schedule released

By: Brian McNally
09/15/09 6:30 PM

The Nationals released their 2010 schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The interleague opponents this time are from the American League Central – meaning President Obama’s beloved Chicago White Sox visit the District on June 18-20. You can, of course, expect na presidential appearance at Nationals Park that week - barring any scheduled overseas trips.

Think the players aren’t excited about the schedule from mid-June through the mid-July? Starting with that June 18th series against the White Sox until July 16th when its begins a road trip to start the second half of the season, Washington will play three true road games. That stretch includes 16 homes games, three “road” games in Baltimore at Camden Yards that involve minimal travel and also six off days, including the All-Star break.

The Nats will have three homestands of 10 games – April 16-25 (LA Dodgers, Milwaukee, Colorado); July 1-11 (NY Mets, San Diego, San Francisco); Sept. 20-29 (Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia).

There will also be a nine-game road trip and a pair of 10-game stints away from Washington – May 10-18 (NY Mets, Colorado, St. Louis); May 25-June 3 (San Francisco, San Diego, Houston); July 16-25 (Florida, Cincinnati, Milwaukee)

The Nats are back at home on July 4th in 2010 – a Sunday afternoon game against the Mets. They also host the Mets on Labor Day, which is Sept. 6. W...

Ian Desmond makes big league debut for Nats

By: Brian McNally
09/10/09 5:54 PM

The Nationals' minor-league system certainly looks more flush than it did at this time last year. With top draft picks Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen on board, the club can put together a top 10 list with a decent number of legitimate major-league prospects. One of them is SS Ian Desmond, who is now in his sixth pro season since the Nats drafted him out of high school in 2004. Still just 23 - for a few more days at least - Desmond was slowly slipping off the prospect radar. But despite missing a month early in the season with a wrist injury, he has rebounded and put himself in contention for a big-league spot next season.

Desmond hit .354 in 178 at-bats at Triple-A Syracuse. He also posted a nice average (.306) at Double-A Harrisburg in 170 at-bats earlier in 2009. Desmond has excellent range and a strong arm at SS. But he's also made 28 errors combined in 97 minor-league games. That's unacceptable for a potential major-league shortstop - especially one with the tools to be a good defensive player. Then again - no one said Desmond was a finished product. The Nats will get a better idea of what they have when Desmond makes his major-league debut tonight in the series finale against the Phillies.

Manager Jim Riggleman has said repeatedly that he will not play bench players or young prospects down the stretch just to play them. He feels it hurst the competitive balance of the spo...

Lineups from Nationals Park

By: Brian McNally
09/09/09 3:55 PM

The Nats get set for game No. 2 against the Phillies tonight at Nationals Park. Hometown kid Justin Maxwell gets the start in CF while Josh Bard moves back into the lineup at catcher. Starter Garrett Mock must find some way to navigate through Philadelphia's potent lineup. The 26-year-old had a strong August and put himself in the mix for a starting job next season. But he has to rebound from an ugly three-inning, six-run effort against the Marlins last week.

If Mock could find some way to get Phillies OF Raul Ibanez out that would be an added bonus. No one on Washington's pitching staff has done that yet. A lot of people made fun of Philadelphia's front office when they let OF Pat Burrell go and signed the 37-year-old Ibanez - myself included. He has 30 homers and ranks among the best hitters in the National League. Burrell? He's in Tampa having his worst season since 2003 with 13 homers and 57 RBI and a .722 OPS. That's why Ruben Amaro is GM of the Phillies and I'm not. Add in the moves to get Pedro Martinez and Cliff Lee and Amaro has to be the favorite for Executive of the Year in the National League.

Phillies:

Rollins - SS

Victorino - CF

Utley - 2B

Howard - 1B

Ibanez - LF

Werth - RF

Feliz - 3B

Bako - C

Lee - P



Nationals:

Maxwell - CF

Guzman - SS

Dunn - 1B

Zimmerman - 3B

Willingham - LF

Dukes - RF

Bard - C

Gonzalez - 2B

Mock - P

Ryan Zimmerman does it again

By: Brian McNally
09/06/09 5:10 PM

Down two runs going into the ninth inning, the Nats were headed for their ninth loss in a row on Sunday afternoon against the Florida Marlins. Then Willie Harris homered, Cristian Guzman beat out an infield single on a bad foot and Ryan Zimmerman belted a two-run homer of his own - yet another game winner from the undisputed Face of the Franchise. Just like that, fans left Nationals Park smiling thanks to an improbably 5-4 victory.

Zimmerman has done this before - many times. It was his fifth walk-off homer and the ninth walk-off hit of his career. Zimmerman now has 28 home runs - a career high - and 93 RBI. He is 17 shy of his career high in that category with a little over three weeks left in the season. Safe to say, the Nats are already reaping the benfits of the five-year, $45 million contract extension Zimmerman signed in April. If he doesn't win a Gold Glove as the game's best defensive third baseman it will be pure robbery. He does have 13 errors thanks mostly to a hitch in his throwing motion that hurt him earlier in the season. But no one in the National League gets to as many balls as Zimmerman at that position. Oh, and he won't turn 25 until the end of the month. Whatever other holes the Nats have - and there are many throughout the diamond - third base isn't one of them. And it won't be for a long while.

A quick lesson for Nats' Strasburg

By: Brian McNally
09/03/09 9:02 PM

We had our first Stephen Strasburg media blowup earlier this week. The Nationals’ No. 1 draft pick was confused and a little annoyed that a handful of reporters showed up for his first workout at the team’s spring training complex in Florida. No big deal. Just a 21-year-old kid getting used to the attention that comes with being pinned a phenom. But his ornery remarks to the assembled reporters led to columns chastising Strasburg and others defending him. This isn’t the first time Strasburg has been miffed at the media. During his very first conference call, he sniped at a reporter from the New York Times who asked if there was anything to learn from elite pitching prospects who failed to meet expectations. Now, the question was poorly worded and on its own could cause offense. “I'm sorry, but what would I learn from other top picks?,” was the brusque response. Fair point. Probably nothing. It was obvious that Strasburg thought the question absurd. Which is fine – except he can expect to field about 500 absurd questions every year for the rest of his career. No sport gives reporters more time to come up with them than baseball. This isn’t to kill Strasburg, who went from obscurity to national phenom in less than 18 months. He deserves some slack and fans don’t care how he deals with reporters, anyway. But his first start in the p...

Nats' Morgan lost for the season

By: Brian McNally
08/27/09 6:55 PM

Nats Town - where even a series victory brings bad news. The Nationals took two of three games from the Cubs at Wrigley Field after a 5-4 win on a blustery Thursday afternoon in the Windy City. Afterwards, they learned that center fielder Nyjer Morgan is out for the season with a broken left hand.

The injury occured in the first inning. Morgan singled, stole second base and then stole third. As he often does, Morgan slid - hard - headfirst into the bag at third. But his hand slammed against the stationary base. Morgan left the game after that half inning. Willie Harris will take his place in the starting lineup and the Nats will add a player on Friday for the weekend series in St. Louis.

It's a bad break for a team that has endured its share this season. Washington traded for Morgan on July 1, sending outfielder Lastings Milledge and relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan to Pittsburgh. Relief pitcher Sean Burnett came with Morgan, who instantly became one of the top defensive center fielders in baseball after playing primarily in left for the Pirates. He ran down balls in the gaps. He judged balls correctly off the bat and rarely took a bad route. It was like winning the lottery for a team that entered 2009 without a true center fielder on the roster and has struggled to fill that spot since the team arrived from Montreal in 2005.

To top it off, Morgan batted .351 in 48 games as a leadoff...

Hernandez signing helps Nats protect young pitchers

By: Brian McNally
08/26/09 4:09 AM

Welcome back to the District, Livan Hernandez. Now, tell us again why the Nationals needed you and your 5.47 ERA? Just a week ago the Mets deemed you expendable. Now, Washington is guaranteeing you five or six starts in September?

Actually, the reason for the move is clear. The club does not want to push its young pitchers too far past their career innings mark - which studies have shown can do serious damage to inexperienced arms. This is a team, after all, that just lost 23-year-old Jordan Zimmermann - the best prospect they have not named Strasburg - to Tommy John surgery last month after he tore ligaments in his right elbow.

Caution is the key word now. And that's a problem because the entire rotation is made up of young pitchers and there are no viable veterans in Triple-A. They're all babies there, too. Collin Balester, 23, was sent back to Syracuse late Tuesday night to make room for Hernandez, who will start on Wednesday night against the Cubs. At the very least, Hernandez and his rubber arm can eat up some of those valuable innings so the kids don't have to. And that will be a big help to general manager Mike Rizzo. Here are the total innings pitched by Nats starters this year, including the top four pitchers at Syracuse, and their ages and previous career highs.

Collin Balester - 23

2008: 158 IP (career high with 80 in MLB)

2009: 133.2 IP (30.1 in MLB)

Status: Headed back t...

Livan Hernandez returns to Nats

By: Brian McNally
08/26/09 3:56 AM

After Tuesday's 15-6 drubbing of the Cubs at Wrigley Field, the Nationals made a surprise move. Washington has signed free agent pitcher Livan Hernandez, who was cut last week by the New York Mets.

Hernandez, 34, will always have a special place in D.C. baseball history. He was the man who threw the first pitch on April 14, 2005 when the Nats played their first game in the District after moving here from Montreal. He was the workhorse for that club (246.1 innings), which shocked Major League Baseball by competing for a playoff spot well into the summer. Hernandez had a 3.98 ERA in 2005. He didn't fare as well in 2006 (5.34 ERA), but retained enough value for Washington to trade him to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

This says far more about the state of the Nats starting rotation the last few years. But Hernandez remains the pitcher with the most wins (24) since the team returned to Washington five years ago. Only John Lannan has started more games than the 59 starts Hernandez made in a year-and-a-half with the club and nobody has surpassed his innings total (393).

Hernandez was 7-8 with a 5.47 ERA in 23 starts for the Mets this season. He is 154-147 with a 4.43 ERA in 405 games (404 starts) spanning 14 big league seasons. He is the only current big league pitcher to have started at least 30 games in 11 straight seasons. Hernandez replaces RHP Collin Balester in the rotation. The 23-yea...

Strasburg introduced to Nats fans

By: Leon Saffelle
08/21/09 9:53 PM

The biggest day in the history of Washington baseball, since 2005 at least, was witnessed by about 200 people and members of the media.

On the stage in shallow left field was No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg. The pitcher on whom many fans pin the future of the Nationals ball club, though newly named GM Mike Rizzo says he's not the savior of the franchise.

One reporter even went as far as to ask the young hurler what is was like to be the "face of the franchise." That tag has been downplayed by most members of the management as unfair to bestow upon a player.

From my standpoint, until Strasburg proves his worth, Ryan Zimmerman will carry that mantle — and I'm not sure that Strasburg will easily replace him in that regard.

But I digress.

Strasburg appears to be a level-headed kid, not taking his position in life for granted. He gives the impression that he's a well-rounded and grounded 21-year-old.

And for those who think they'll be a fast track to the majors — not so fast my friend. Every time a reporter asked him a question about his timetable for reaching the bigs, he always deferred to the Nationals.

"That is definitely, completely, up to the organization," Strasburg said. "I'm just coming in here, hoping to be doing what I've been doing at San Diego State and that's helping my team win a ball game."

Strasburg's reactions to everything wa...

Nats ready to name Rizzo as permanent GM

By: Brian McNally
08/20/09 12:51 AM

The Nationals will introduce acting general manager Mike Rizzo as their permanent general manager on Thursday, according to industry sources. The move comes just 24 hours after a Yahoo Sports report claimed that the organization was poised to name Arizona Diamondbacks vice president Jerry Dipoto to the position. The other finalist for the job was Red Sox assistant general manager Jed Hoyer.

Instead, Rizzo inherits the job he assumed on an interim basis when Jim Bowden resigned March 1. During that time, Rizzo has solidified the franchise's activities in the Dominican Republic, acted as the point man in negotiations with top draft pick Stephen Strasburg - who signed at the deadline on Monday - and made a few well received trades. Rizzo has been with the organization since July of 2006, when he was the scouting director for the Diamondbacks. He entered spring training as an assistant GM and the vice president of baseball operations.

That news clears up the curious Yahoo report. Team president Stan Kasten certainly didn't look like a man who was ready to hire someone else as the permanent GM when he sat back in a conference room on Monday night and gave Rizzo, 48, much of the credit for signing Strasburg to a $15.1 million contract over four years. Rizzo himself spoke about the work left to help build the Nats into a legitimate contender.

"I think it's time to take a deep breat...

Nats' GM situation still up in the air

By: Brian McNally
08/19/09 5:02 PM

The Nationals may be bad - but they are always interesting both on and off the field. Late Tuesday night, a Yahoo Sports report claimed that the organziation was prepared to offer its general manager job to Arizona Diamondbacks vice president Jerry DiPoto. The timing of that news was curious considering acting general manager Mike Rizzo took center stage Monday night after the long, tense negotiations with No. 1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg finally ended with a signed contract just minutes before a midnight deadline.

DiPoto is a finalist for the job - along with Rizzo and Boston Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer. But the organization has given no indication a decision is Imminent. The Yahoo Sports story quoted a source saying the move "could happen in the next 24 hours."

Rizzo has performed admirably since being named to the post in the wake of Jim Bowden's resignation in March. Rizzo flew to the Dominican Republic to stabalize the Nats' international development program there and drew praise from team president Stan Kasten for his work. As acting GM, Rizzo has also been the point man in the Strasburg negotiations, rebuilt the team's bullpen on the fly and traded for outfielder Nyjer Morgan and reliever Sean Burnett - a deal that has energized Washington's clubhouse and giventhe team a legitimate defensive presence in centerfield.

Kasten and the Lerner Family, who own the N...

More on the Strasburg signing

By: Brian McNally
08/18/09 2:12 AM

It was a wild night at Nationals Park - and, no, they weren't playing baseball. Instead, the entire front office was huddled in the third-floor offices finalizing a deal with top draft pick Stephen Strasburg. Meanwhile, a dozen or so reporters were on the sixth floor waiting...and waiting...and waiting.

Finally, at 11:58 and 43 seconds (team president Stan Kasten was keeping careful track) the team learned that Strasburg had accepted the team's offer of about $15.1 million. It set off a jubilant celebration. Principal owner Ted Lerner, 83, was there all day - from 9 a.m. until the announcement was made. His son, Mark Lerner, and the organization's entire board was on hand. Not to mention the baseball staffers who make these deals happen. As he walked out of a post-midnight chat with reporters, acting general manager Mike Rizzo was positively giddy. The contrast between Monday night and deadline day last August - when pitcher Aaron Crow rejected the team's final offer - was hard to miss. One day was a funeral. The other, a party.

"There was back and forth throughout the day, we started early in the morning," Rizzo said. "The group of us got together at 9 in the morning and we’ve been together throughout the night. It’s been a pretty consistent flow of back-and-forth and, of course, the last couple of hours, and especially the last 45 minutes, the energy...

Nats sign top pick Stephen Strasburg

By: Brian McNally
08/18/09 12:15 AM

The Nationals have come to terms with No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg. Terms have not yet been confirmed, but Baseball America is claiming the deal is for four years and $15.67 million. The 21-year-old phenom is considered one of the top amateur pitchers since the Major League Baseball draft began in 1965. Washington and Strasburg's advisor, Scott Boras, finalized the contract - which included a record bonus - in the final seconds before a midnight deadline as Monday night turned to Tuesday morning. More to come on washingtonexaminer.com as soon as the media here at Nationals Park has a chance to speak with team president Stan Kasten and acting general manager Mike Rizzo.

Nats/Reds lineups from Great American

By: Brian McNally
08/14/09 6:35 PM

The last three days have been a unwanted intrusion of reality for the Nats. Their bats have gone quiet. Their starting pitching, for the most part, has continued to struggle. The bullpen, steady since the All-Star break, has even had a few rough nights. Last week's eight-game winning streak is a fading memory now. After three humbling losses in a row, Washington tries to get back on track tonight in Game No. 2 of this four-game set against the Cincinnati Reds. Garrett Mock (1-4, 6.14 ERA) goes for the Nats. He is coming off a nice outing against the Diamondbacks - six innings, two runs, five hits. He earned his first career win as a starter and a pie to the face for his efforts.

Meanwhile, they face Aaron Harang, Cincinnati's ace, who has struggled much of the year. He is 6-13 with a 4.43 ERA and has never beaten Washington. That's a welcome change from Bronson Arroyo, Thursday's starter, who absolutely owns the Nats - as he proved again in a tidy 2 hour, 15-minute game where he gave up just two singles in a complete-game 7-0 victory.

In draft news - as we continue to wait on the Stephen Strasburg negotiations - the Nats on Friday announced the signing of eighth-round draft pick Roberto Perez, a shortstop from Puerto Rico. That means Washington has signed 10 of its top 12 draft picks from June. Only Strasburg and fifth-rounder Miguel Pena, a left-handed pitcher, remain unsigned. ...