Fifty-six days from now the Washington Nationals first game of the years should be in the record books. We’re closer to the start of baseball season than the end of it and it’s a good feeling, but not as good as when it’s actually here.
I note that baseball is 8 weeks away because I need a convenient headline, but I’m not quite willing to celebrate “Truck Day.” As far as I can tell, “Truck Day” was something the Boston Red Sox created to celebrate the departure of team equipment to spring training. It’s just a little forced to me. I buy into the symbolism of “Pitchers & Catchers Day” (especially when it snows up here) because it means we’re really close to wonderful things like daylight savings time and “best shape of his life” stories, but Truck Day is too far.
In other news, the Nats are outfitting DC Little League and adding Frank Robinson to the Ring of Honor, according to District Sports Page’s Tom Bridge. The photo in this post is by him by the way.
Max Scherzer is overpaid, his contract is weird (Deadspin) and I’d rather they have locked up Jordan Zimmermann, but this should help them stay competitive. Of course, pitching wasn’t the problem in the 2014 NLDS was it? Still, hard to argue with making a strength stronger and Zimmermann is apparently ready to leave D.C. as soon as he can according to internet rumors which are verifiable 100% of the time.
The 40% Detroit Tigers-based rotation has a Michigan friend of mine grumbling.
So, nobody asked new MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred why the Nats need to subsidize Peter Angelos and the Baltimore Orioles while he was visiting the Dream Academy, but at least James Wagner of The Post asked what’s going on with the TV rights fight. The question that I would have liked him to ask is why the Nats their own television rights at all — why are they less of a team than the 29 others? Why does MLB think we’re less of a fanbase? I don’t know how many opportunities will present themselves to ask him point blank.
The Nats and White Sox have a big differential in weeknight and weekend attendance (Fangraphs). The obvious answer is because so many fans are coming from Northern Virginia (so, in a way, it’s a a commuter tax!) and the obvious solution is more targeted marketing to people who live in the District and close-in suburbs. Will it work? Maybe. It’s a good idea either way.
The Nats spring training home appears to be moving down I-95 as West Palm Beach is courting them and the Houston Astros for a complex (The Post). This would have been really handy circa 1990 when I used to visit grandparents down that way. That being said, I’m more inclined to visit spring training at a location on the I-95 corridor rather than I-75.
Jayson Werth is doing time on the weekends for driving too fast. I thought he’d get out of it, but instead he got his sentence reduce to 5 days and that’s good, he’s being held responsible for being stupid and dangerous. It will be interesting to see how he addresses this publicly given that he wouldn’t talk to reports following his NLDS performance he hit .059. Either way, who cares what John Feinstein says? Odds that the @bravesorganist plays “I Can’t Drive 55″ — 1:1. I’ll laugh. He might too.
Ryan Zimmerman, first baseman, will be weird, but makes a lot of sense. Let’s hope nobody on the infield gets hurt though. Or the outfield or catcher. If history is a guide, there will be lots of injuries from running the bases.
Parking lot P is gone, according to JDLand.
Bryce Harper — now available, ladies. It’s always said when things don’t work out. Nice job on the golf course though:
Tickets go sale on February 19. Would somebody please help me pick up an Opening Day ticket? I’ll get you a local beer too.
We’re ten years into the Nats. That was really fast and we’ve come a long way as a fanbase, but the franchise has come even farther. I’m so glad my sons get to grow up with a big league baseball team. I think I’ll be tweeting out my inaugural season coverage 10 years after it happened to commemorate a decade of DC baseball.
It’s 56 days until Opening Day
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The biggest snowfall of the 2014-2015 winter to date 
