Nats’ long, strange trip – The Wash. Times
Now this is a tough way to start a season:

With Opening Day so tantalizingly close, the Nationals must first complete their toughest stretch of the exhibition season. From the time they departed for Jupiter, Fla., on Sunday morning through their season opener against the Florida Marlins on Monday, they will have played eight games in nine days in eight cities.

They will have traveled 1,056 miles by bus and 3,240 miles by air and will have gone from Clearwater, Fla., to Miami via Norfolk and the District. And when it’s all over, they get to start a 162-game season.

Ouch and the first three games are not much better with start times of 4:10, 7:10 and 12:10. Hopefully the fact that they are playing the Marlins helps them overcome it all.

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Rizzo Brings ‘More Professional’ Approach to Nats – The Post
Mike Rizzo is a lucky man right now — he is widely praised for basic, common sense professionalism.

For one month now, Rizzo has served as acting general manager, replacing Bowden, who resigned on March 1. Separated from Bowden’s flamboyant personality, the Nationals now operate with less carnival color but more corporate predictability. Within the clubhouse, players talk with appreciation about the change. Their general manager no longer walks into their domain, coffee in hand, cracking barbs about a guy’s latest 0 for 5. Rizzo keeps a steadier profile, very much willing to sign players for the clubhouse, but unwilling to sit on its sofas. “More professional,” is how two veterans describe the atmosphere.

I hope the Lerner family reads every one of these articles and kicks themselves for being so stupid keeping Jim Bowden so long.

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Martis, Zimmermann Make Nats’ Rotation – The Post
Jordan Zimmermann has made the Nationals rotation in the fifth spot, meaning he will start the season in AAA Syracuse and come up to the big club a few weeks into the season, delaying his free agency, but starting his arbitration clock. That could cost the team more down the line, but Ted Lerner is worth $3,500,000,000 million, so let’s not get too excited about the fact they may owe Zimmermann more sooner.

Shairon Martis also made the rotation. He was acquired for Mike Stanton in 2006. Ah, Mike Stanton, those were the days? He’d get traded every year for prospects.

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Shairon Martis