Rob Carr/Getty Images North America)

On Monday, to much pomp and circumstance of Opening Day, the Nationals opened their ninth season in D.C., but their first season as the reigning National League Eastern Division Champions. Awards were handed out like candy and the new division title banner was unveiled and the fun was just beginning.

Before a sell-out crowd of 45,274, the crowd got to see what they came for and it couldn’t have been written any better. There was the typical run-saving, defensive diving play by Ryan Zimmerman, his shoulder finally repaired and healed. There was the seven inning shutout start by a dominant Stephen Strasburg, unhindered by an innings limit this season. Not to be missed, there was also a strong first save by recent off season acquisition, Rafael Soriano.

But perhaps the biggest news of the day was Bryce Harper’s two home runs. Harper hit home runs in in each of his first two at-bats of the season. Harper, who hit .478 in Spring Training, launched both of his bombs to right field. In the first home run, Harper crushed a curveball from Ricky Nolasco and sent it 385-feet to right field where a Jayson Werth look alike caught the ball. The second time, he sent a 3-2 slider the same direction and brought chants of “M-V-P!” and a curtain call for Harper.

The Nationals managed six hits off of Nolasco, yet it was Harper’s solo home runs that made the difference leading the Nationals to a 2-0 win. The 2012 NL Rookie of the Year recipient is currently slugging 2.000 with a .500 average.

» Continue reading “Nationals Dominate in Season Opener”

(Ray K. Saunders/Washington Post)

After a long and somewhat chaotic off season, the baseball season and coverage from Win For Teddy is back and ready to go.

Yesterday the Nationals held their exhibition game against the New York Yankees. The Nats dropped their last Spring Training game 4-2. On Monday the Nationals face the Miami Marlins at home at 1:05 and the games will start to count. The start of the season also marks Davey Johnson’s last year as manager and the beginning of his “World Series or bust” campaign.

Before the season begins, let’s take a look at the off season’s additions, departures, and other notes in preparation.

In: Denard Span (trade), Dan Haren (free agent), Adam LaRoche (with Drake in tow) (re-signed), Rafael Soriano (free agent), Zach Duke (re-signed), Micah Owings.

Out: Alex Myer (trade), John Lannan, Tom Gorzelanny, and Jesus Flores (all non-tendered), Edwin Jackson (free agent), Sean Burnett (free agent), Michael Gonzalez (free agent), Mark DeRosa (free agent), Michael Morse (trade).

Avoided arbitration: Roger Bernadina, Tyler Clippard, Ian Desmond, Ross Detwiler, Craig Stammen, Drew Storen, Jordan Zimmerman

Retired: Nick Johnson and Brian Schneider who were both a part of the 2005 lineup that helped usher the return and a new era of DC baseball.

Controversy: Gio Gonzalez was linked to a Miami clinic that supplied PEDs. Gonzalez denied the claims made by the Miami New Times and was drug tested two days later. An ESPN report later reported that Gonzalez was the only player who did not receive any banned PEDs. The investigation into Gonzalez has not been closed by Major League Baseball yet.

Back stronger and better than ever: Stephen Strasburg (no innings limit this year!), Bryce Harper (bulked up on muscle mass in the offseason), Wilson Ramos (rehabbing from his knee injuries) and Ryan Zimmerman (finally had shoulder surgery to take care of that nagging throwing problems).

Other randoms: Plenty of players got married in the off season. Ross Detwiler and Craig Stammen also joined the USO Holiday Tour for a once in a lifetime experience. Bryce Harper also had an appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live.’

» Continue reading “The boys are back in town”

TODAY IS THE DAY! Washington Nationals baseball is back!  While the home opener isn’t for another week, this is when games start to count, and we get to see if all of the off season moves paid off.  Here’s what you need to know.

-From us: The Nats made one more move no one saw coming when they optioned John Lannan and named Ross Detwiler the 5th starter.  Lannan has since requested a trade.

-The Nats and Davey Johnson could be the perfect fit as they strive for an unlikely playoff path together. [CSN Washington]

-Everything you need to get through 2012. [District on Deck]

-Mark DeRosa is starting today, and boy is he excited about it. [Wash Times]

-More perspective on the Lannan demotion, and how it shows how far the Nats have come. [WT-Daly]

-Here is Syracuse’s opening day roster. [Nats Prospects]

-An unusual amount of people are picking the Nats to surprise everyone and make a deep playoff run. So, if it happens, does it still get to be a surprise? [Nats Enquirer]

-Predicting 2012 for the Nats. [Federal Baseball]

-And with Potomac’s roster, we are now completely set throughout the organization. [Nats Prospects]

-Playoffs are a definite possibility, but the schedule isn’t going to make it easy on the Nats to break through. [Nats Journal]

With April Fools shenanigans all around, one thing that isn’t a joke is the Nationals’ few games of spring training.  Did that month completely fly by for anyone else?

The Nats will now turn their attention to the 2012 season, one that will be judged harsher than the rest because of the enhanced roster.  But before that begins, we will look back on the stories coming into spring training and how they shook out.

First of all, there were the new pitchers.  Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson came in to help complete the Nats rotation, and their additions should do just that.  Jackson has been inconsistent this spring (and word is that’s his M.O.) but his ability to recover will go a long way.

Gonzalez has really impressed since he came to the Nationals. Not only does he have an awesome Facebook, but he has been consistent.  He will take some of the pressure off of Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann throughout the year.  Gonzalez finished this spring with a 60 pitch, 5 inning outing in which he struck out 7, walked one, and gave up one earned run.

» Continue reading “Wraping Up Nats 2012 Spring Training”

This morning Nationals manager Davey Johnson named Stephen Strasburg the Opening Day starter for the Nationals in Chicago against the Cubs on April 5.

Johnson revealed the decision this morning, however he had already decided in the winter, saying “it was easy.” ”I like to put my best food forward from the get-go,” he said.

LHP Gio Gonzalez will pitch the second game, and will mostly likely be followed by Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson and Chien-Ming Wang or John Lannan (depending on Wang’s health), Adam Kilgore reports.

If the rotation stays in tact, Gonzalez would most likely pitch the home opener against the Cincinnati Reds on April 12. Strasburg’s first home start would be April 16 against the Houston Astros.

» Continue reading “Strasburg to start Opening Day”

With 2 days to go until pitchers and catchers report in Viera (much of the team is there already) we’re all getting back into the baseball spirit.  Enter: possible Nationals fight song found on YouTube.

I’m not sure how I haven’t seen this before, but this is a song by Carol Boyd Leon.  It has a certain “Hail to the Redskins” feel to it, one that kind of makes you want to start a Nationals marching band.

To have a fight song for the team would be fun.  Everyone could sing it during the 7th inning stretch, or maybe pair it with the Presidents’ Race.

But for now, it just makes me really excited for baseball.