Adam LaRoche wins NL Gold Glove

The Nationals' power hitter was selected as the top defensive first baseman in the National League.

Major League Baseball began its postseason awards program on Tuesday night and the Washington Nationals saw one of their own walk away with an award. Adam LaRoche won the first Gold Glove of his career as he took home the award as the National League's best defensive first baseman.

LaRoche was named as a finalist with Joey Votto of the Reds and Freddie Freeman of the Braves. Votto missed a significant amount of the season with an injury, however, helping LaRoche's case. LaRoche had a .995 fielding percentage and only had seven fielding errors on the season.

Adam is the 2nd #Nationals player (05-pres) and 3rd DC-based player to win a Gold Glove, joining Ryan Zimmerman ('09) and Earl Battey ('60).

' Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) October 31, 2012

None of LaRoche's errors were throwing errors as he helped the nationals win the National League East. It was Washington's first playoff appearance since the franchise moved from Montreal and first for the franchise overall in 31 years. LaRoche is only the second Nationals player that has won a Gold Glove, and first since Ryan Zimmerman in 2009.

This story originally appeared on SB Nation DC.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Adam LaRoche Wins NL Gold Glove At First Base

Washington Nationals' first baseman Adam LaRoche was named the NL Gold Glove winner at first base Tuesday night, beating out the Reds' Joey Votto and the Braves' Freddie Freeman to win the award for the first time in his nine-year MLB career.

Adam LaRoche finished the second year of the 2-year/$16M dollar deal he signed with the Washington Nationals in January of 2011 with a .271/.343/.510 line, 35 doubles, a career-high 33 HRs and 100 RBIs, matching his previous career best in RBIs set in 2010 when he was with Arizona. It was his work with the glove at first base that LaRoche was recognized for on Tuesday night, however, when the 32-year-old infielder was given the NL Gold Glove at first base, beating out the Braves' Freddie Freeman and the Reds' Joey Votto to win the award for the first time in his nine-year MLB career.

The Nats' first baseman finished the year with the NL's second-highest fld% .995 amongst first baseman and seven errors total (all of them fielding errors) in 153 games played. The .995 fld% matched the career average for the former Atlanta Braves' draft pick and the 32-year-old infielder's +5.7 UZR/150 was the second-highest he posted in a full season, behind only the +7.6 UZR/150 LaRoche put up with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007. The +5.7 rating this season was up from his +0.2 UZR/150 in 2009 and +4.8 UZR/150 in 2010, the last two full seasons LaRoche played before a shoulder injury limited him to just 43 games played in 2011.

Joey Votto finished the year (969.0 innings) with a .994 fld%, six errors (3 fielding, 3 throwing) and a +7.5 UZR/150. Atlanta's Freddie Freeman ended the year with a -4.2 UZR/150, a .991 fld% and 12 errors (11 fielding, 1 throwing) in 1289.1 innings at first.

' Here's what the Washington Nationals had to say about LaRoche in a press release after he was named the NL Gold Glove winner at 1B:

"[Adam] LaRoche led all National League first baggers this season in fielding percentage (.995), games started (149) and innings (1323.1). At 6.1, LaRoche also paced NL first basemen (min. 1000 innings) in Ultimate Zone Rating, a figure that blends the number of runs above or below average a fielder is in three categories: range runs, double play runs, and error runs combined. He also led the NL with 159 plays made and 38 plays made out of zone (OOZ).

"LaRoche is the third Washington-based big leaguer to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman earned the Nationals' first Gold Glove in 2009, while Senators catcher Earl Battey earned the first of his three career Gold Gloves in 1960, his lone season in Washington. Rawlings established the Gold Glove in 1957 to reward defensive excellence."

' The Nationals and LaRoche are reportedly talking about a deal that would keep the first baseman in D.C. beyond this season. Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore reported late last week that he had spokem to LaRoche, who told the reporter he remained interested in returning to the nation's capital and hoped a deal could be worked out. The Nationals have until Saturday to negotiate a deal with LaRoche before he can talk to the rest of the teams in the league. The five-day window to talk exclusively with the first baseman started on Monday following the San Francisco Giants' four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 World Series.

' Ian Desmond, who was selected to participate in the All-Star Game for the first time this year was also nominated for his first Gold Glove award at short, but the NL's Gold Glove went to Philadelphia Phillies' shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' SS Ian Desmond And 1B Adam LaRoche Named Finalists For 2012 Gold Glove Awards

Both Washington Nationals' shortstop Ian Desmond and first baseman Adam LaRoche were named finalists for the Gold Glove Award at their respective positions this afternoon. The 2012 Gold Glove winners will be announced at 9:00 pm EDT tomorrow night.

In his first full season in the majors, Washington Nationals' shortstop Ian Desmond committed 34 errors; 21 fielding and 13 throwing. The then-24-year-old infielder finished the year with a .947 fld% and a -9.4 UZR/150, which measures, as Fangraphs.com explains it, "... the number of runs above or below average a fielder is, per 150 defensive games." In his second season in D.C., Desmond cut down on the E's, committing 23 errors total, 19 fielding and four throwing, while posting a .967 fld% and a -5.5 UZR/150.

In 2012, the 26-going-on-27-year-old '04 3rd Round pick cut down on the E's yet again, committing just 15 errors, eight fielding and seven throwing as he posted a career-high .970 fld% and +6.5 UZR/150.

Desmond led the NL in errors in 2010, and his .947 fld% was the NL's lowest amongst qualified shortstops. The Nats' SS's 23 errors in 2011 were the NL's second-most. In 2012, Desmond's 15 errors were 12 fewer than Cubs' SS Starlin Castro's NL-leading 27 E's. The improvement was no doubt aided by Nats' first baseman Adam LaRoche's abilities at first base. Both Desmond and LaRoche were named finalist for the 2012 Gold Glove awards at their respective positions this afternoon:

#Nationals SS Ian Desmond and 1B Adam LaRoche have been named finalists for the Rawlings Gold Glove at their respective positions.

' Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) October 29, 2012

LaRoche, in his second year in D.C., finished with the NL's second-highest fld% .995 and seven errors (all fielding errors) in 153 games at first for Washington. The .995 fld% matched his career average and the 32-year-old infielder's +5.7 UZR/150 was the second-highest he posted in a full-season, behind only the +7.6 UZR/150 he put up with Pittsburgh in 2007 and up from his +0.2 UZR/150 in 2009 and +4.8 UZR/150 in 2010, the last two full seasons he played before 2011's injury-shortened campaign.

Neither Desmond or LaRoche has ever won a Gold Glove. Desmond's competition includes Miami's Jose Reyes, Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins and Cincinnati's Zack Cozart. Atlanta's Freddie Freeman and Cincinnati's Joey Votto are LaRoche's competition for the award. The winners will be announced at 9:00 pm EDT tomorrow night (Tuesday 10/30).

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Wire Taps: Weekend In Review - Washington Nationals' Adam LaRoche And Others Become Free Agents

The World Series ended last night. The Washington Nationals now have a five-day window to negotiate exclusively with their free agents, including first baseman Adam LaRoche.

' The San Francisco Giants' four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers last night officially ended the 2012 MLB season. Immediately after the final out was recorded, players league-wide, including the Washington Nationals' Adam LaRoche, Mark DeRosa, Mike Gonzalez, Sean Burnett and others, became free agents. The Nats now have a five-day window (which ends Saturday) to negotiate exclusively with those players that have become free agents. The only real Nats-related news of the past weekend came from the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, who wrote on Friday that the Nationals and Adam LaRoche continued to talk about a contract that could keep the first baseman in the nation's capital after a .271/.343/.510 2012 campaign in which he hit 35 doubles, a career-high 33 HRs and finished at another career-high +3.8 fWAR. LaRoche is expected to decline the option he has for the 2013 season as he seeks a multi-year deal. "'Whether that's two or four, that'll be up to these guys,'" LaRoche told the WaPost's Mr. Kilgore, "'I would like to stay. I haven't changed my position at all since I made it clear I wanted to stay here. I hope they get it done.'" The Nationals have until Saturday to reach a deal with LaRoche before he can start accepting offers from the rest of the league. Will LaRoche be a National next season? Links and lots of them, RIGHT NOW!!!:

' THE BIG STORY!!!:

' "I don't know what stage you would say it is,' [Adam] LaRoche said in a phone conversation Friday afternoon, while on a hunting trip in Illinois. 'There's nothing definitive. I don't know if this is something that is a week out or two months out.'" - "Adam LaRoche, Nationals still talking contract" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' NATS BEAT:

' ""All eligible players become free agents this morning, a group that will include Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche, right-hander Edwin Jackson, left-handers Sean Burnett, Michael Gonzalez and Zach Duke and utilityman Mark DeRosa." - "Window with LaRoche closes Saturday" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "For the next five days, teams will have exclusive negotiating rights with their free agents. For the Nationals, that list includes right-handed starter Edwin Jackson, left-handed reliever Michael Gonzalez, right-handed starter Chien-Ming Wang and infielder Mark DeRosa." - "Nationals Pastime: Let the offseason begin" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "Of all of the 'new' numbers, however, the one that causes the most confusion is WAR (wins above replacement)." - "Phil Wood: WAR, what is it good for?" - Phil Wood, WashingtonExaminer.com

' "Well as soon as Buster Posey squeezed Sergio Romo's final strike Sunday night, Edwin Jackson, Michael Gonzalez and Mark DeRosa became free agents." - "A few thoughts now that the baseball season is over and the San Francisco Giants are World Series Champions" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "In reality, the Nationals might end up signing at least one outside free agent regardless of what happens with [John] Lannan and [Edwin] Jackson." - "Nationals Pastime: Looking at the rotation and the available starters on the market" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "The San Francisco Giants' victory over the Detroit Tigers to end the World Series last night cemented the start of full-blown free agency." - "Adam LaRoche, Sean Burnett, others can become full-blown free agents Saturday" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' "But in July, almost magically, something clicked. Zimmerman tore the cover off the ball that month, hitting .366/.434/.752. He also managed to club 10 home runs." - "Ryan Zimmerman: A Tale Of Two Seasons" - Chris Cwik, Fangraphs.com

' "[Chad] Tracy hit .269 with seven doubles, three homers and 14 RBI in 73 games for the Nationals this season, primarily as a pinch hitter." - "Nationals veteran Chad Tracy undergoes surgery on left knee" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "Is [Ryan] Zimmerman injury-prone, and is that a concern for the Nationals considering they've got him under contract for seven more seasons and more than $100 million?" - "Is Zimmerman injury-prone?" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "The numbers that Zimmerman put up this season (.282/.346/.478 with 25 home runs and 95 RBIs) fall pretty much right in line with where he's been over the course of his career." - "Nationals Pastime: A closer look at Zimmerman's remarkable season (plus some spring training dates)" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "You have to take any hitting stats with a grain of salt given the dry Arizona air and the altitude at some stadiums." - "Nationals' Rendon making slow progress" - Brian McNally, WashingtonExaminer.com

' "Davey Johnson: The swashbuckling leader injected confidence into the first-time-contending Nationals..." - "Nationals season in review: Biggest contributor" - James Wagner, Washington Post

' Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "One way to ensure everyone's peace and happiness is to cultivate a healthy respect for the diversity of other peoples and cultures."

' NATS MINORS/AFL UPDATES:

' "[Anthony] Rendon has played third base exclusively for the Rafters and said that he feels 100 percent healthy following recovery from a fractured left ankle suffered in April..." - "Rendon's ankle at 'full strength'" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

' "[Anthony] Rendon said he has always taken pride in his defense and he works on it just like he would his hitting approach." - "Rendon making strides in AFL to look the part defensively" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

' AFL UPDATES (10/27): Salt River 12, Mesa 6 - Brian Goodwin - 2 for 4, 2 3B, 2 BB; Matthew Skole - 1 for 2, 2 BB; Jason Martinson - 1 for 4, 1 BB; Paul Demny - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB - BOX SCORE

' AFL UPDATES (10/26): Salt River 8, Peoria 7 - Anthony Rendon - 1 for 2, 1 2B, 1 BB; Aaron Barrett - 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER - BOX SCORE

' "AFL Update: Oct. 28, 2012" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

' "Now the franchise suddenly finds itself likely pegged as an NL favorite for years to come, where nothing short of yearly playoff trips will be acceptable." - "Going deep: Washington Nationals, with the help of many former Harrisburg Senators, will be a force for years" - Geoff Morrow, PennLive.com

' "[Mark] Zuckerman's been covering the Nationals since they arrived from Montreal in 2005; he's seen a lot of downs before the ups of 2012." - "Going deep: Q&A with Washington Nationals beat writer Mark Zuckerman" - Geoff Morrow, PennLive.com

' "Former Harrisburg Senators who made their Major League debuts in 2012." - "Going deep: These nine former Harrisburg Senators reached the big leagues in 2012" - Geoff Morrow, PennLive.com

' "Season Review: 2012 Potomac Nationals" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

' NATSTOWN:

' "During work on an article on the connection between Washington baseball and Japan I came upon the story of Mr. James, 'Jimmy' Trimble. While some have read about him, I found it compelling enough to submit it." - "James 'Jimmy' Trimble III" - Karen and Kevin Flynn, D.C. Baseball History

' "A few Jayson Werth Halloween costumes..." - Nats Enquirer

' "Silly Season" - ouij, Natstradamus

' "Edwin is good enough that you wouldn't mind having him back next year at fair market value and you don't want to lose a potential draft pick you would get by making the offer." - "Wrapping up EJax" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

' NL EAST/WORLD SERIES UPDATES:

' "A walk-off homer by Jayson Werth turns into a blown six-run lead to end the season the very next night." - "2012 World Series: No one always overcomes pressure, but everyone tries" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post

' "So point the finger in one direction: The Giants' starting rotation, which has taken Detroit's entire lineup, locked it in the trunk of an Edsel and driven it into the Detroit River." - "2012 World Series: San Francisco Giants take three-game lead over Detroit Tigers with second straight shutout" - Barry Svrluga, The Washington Post

' Braves: "With Brian McCann firmly entrenched at the position, the Atlanta Braves haven't had to worry about having a catcher waiting in the wings, but a rough 2012 season for McCann suddenly has Braves fans wondering what's on the farm." - "Bethancourt Is The Best Of The Atlanta Braves 2012 Top Catching Prospects" - cbwilk, Talking Chop

' Mets: "In canvassing the officials, the terms that came up most often was about seven years at $127 million." - "If New York Mets pay David Wright $143 million, that should keep him with team" - Joel Sherman, NYPOST.com

' Phillies: via David Murphy (@HighCheese):

As expected, Phils have exercised Carlos Ruiz's option for '13. Will be FA after the season

' High Cheese (@HighCheese) October 29, 2012

' Marlins: "The Miami Marlins are continuing their managerial search, and at least three candidates have been interviewed for the job opening." - "Miami Marlins Have Interviewed Mike Redmond, Bryan Price, Larry Bowa For Manager Position" - Michael Jong, Fish Stripes

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Managers Davey Johnson And Frank Robinson On The Orioles Days, Computers And More

Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson and former skipper Frank Robinson talked about their shared history in Baltimore, stats and computers in interviews with reporters this past season.

A series with the Baltimore Orioles in mid-May had former O's player and manager Davey Johnson in a reflective mood. The 69-year-old Washington Nationals' skipper debuted in the majors in Baltimore in 1965, three years after he signed with the Orioles as an amateur free agent. Eight of Johnson's 13 MLB seasons were spent in an O's uniform and he returned to manage the team in 1996 and '97 before a conflict with the front office ended his time on the Orioles' bench.

It was his playing days Johnson looked back to in a conversation with reporters early this season, however, before he led the 2012 Washington Nationals into a three-game set with the Nats' regional rivals. More particularly, it was teammates like Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, Paul Blair, Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer that Johnson mentioned, saying they were more like a family than a team at the time.

"It was my first big league team," Johnson said, "We tried to live close to each other, we did things off the field. We partied a lot. [The Orioles' owners] the Hoffbergers believed in partying. Of course we won a lot, so we had a lot to party for." A then 30-year-old Frank Robinson joined the Orioles in 1966 and won the Triple Crown, posting a .316/.410/.637 line with 34 doubles, 49 home runs, 122 RBIs, 87 walks and 90 Ks in 155 games and 680 PAs. Robinson helped lead Baltimore to a 4-0 sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the first World Series Championship in franchise history.

Johnson and Robinson remained teammates with the Orioles until 1971 when Robinson was traded to LA. Johnson was dealt to Atlanta a year later. While they were teammates, they went to the World Series three more times, winning again in 1970 when the Orioles beat the Cincinnati Reds and losing to the New York Mets in 1969 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971. When he thought back to those days, Johnson explained to reporters, it wasn't the on-field successes, but the parties, his teammates, the time he saved Frank Robinson from drowning in a pool, that he remembered.

"Those were great times," Johnson said, "I mean, it's funny, I remember those more than sweeping the Dodgers four straight and all the times I used to kick [Earl] Weaver's [butt] on the golf course."

Frank Robinson, who managed in Washington, D.C. in 2005 and 2006, returned to throw out the first pitch of the Nats' first postseason game since 1933 in Game 3 of the NLDS with St. Louis this past October, and he was asked by reporters that day what he remembered about his former teammate, who had led the Nationals to an NL East title and the best record in the league.

"Davey's had success wherever he's been," Robinson said, "So [it's'] not a surprise." As for their playing days together, the Hall of Famer said Johnson was, "... a good headsy hitter, a good headsy player, and he was a thinker. And if [Orioles' manager] Earl [Weaver] would hold still long enough, he would tell Earl how to do things. Earl wasn't having too much of it, but Davey was a real thinker back then. Sometimes he would think too much and that's where he got the name, 'Dum Dum,' because he used to get four hits and then go back out working on hitting the next day and think himself into an 0 for... but he was a good teammate and a good player. He knew the game and he played it well."

Johnson studied mathematics and received a Bachelor's degree from Trinity University two years before debuting with the Orioles, earning the nickname bestowed on him by the O's when he used computers to come up with optimal lineups and discussed standard deviation theory with teammates. At the same time, as Joe Posnanski noted in an October article on the Nats' manager, Johnson watched Earl Weaver closely, learning all he could from the manager Mr. Posnanski wrote was, "... perhaps the greatest strategic manager the game has known."

Davey Johnson combined his interest in mathematics and statistics with what he picked up from Earl Weaver and his own history in the game. As Davey Johnson explained in an interview with former MASN Nats beat reporter Ben Goessling after Johnson took over on the bench, it's a combination of all he's learned over the years that he relies on when making decisions.

"I try to look at everything where, I always want the best decision for that moment,'" Johnson told the reporter, "'I try to be right all the time. I will gamble. I gamble with talent. I'll go against percentages sometimes. But that's more of an instinctual thing.'"

When he spoke to reporters late this season, Frank Robinson was asked if he thought some managers these days relied too much on statistics and managed by computer instead of focusing on baseball instincts like they used to in the past? If the reporter who asked was expecting to find a critic of statistical analysis in the 77-year-old, decidedly old-school Robinson, however, they had the wrong man.

"I don't know who's managing by the computer or whatever," Robinson said, "But a computer is a very important part of baseball operations now. And I think it's more the front office and the scouting department and people like that, the player development department that depends a lot on the computer. I think most managers are still managing by what they see and feel and what's going on in the course of a ballgame. That's the only way you can do it. You can't manage by a computer, and I don't think they do, but you get a lot of good information from the computer."

Bet he wouldn't have admitted that to Davey Johnson in the '60s.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

AFL Update: Washington Nationals' 2011 1st Round Pick Brian Goodwin Tearing Up Arizona

The Washington Nationals had high praise for Brian Goodwin when they drafted the outfielder out of Miami Dade College with the 34th pick of the 1st Round of the 2011 Draft. After a strong season at Low A and Double A in the Nats' system, Goodwin's continuing to produce in the Arizona Fall League.

Brian Goodwin had a .382 AVG and a .492 OBP as a sophomore at Miami Dade College in 2011 before the Rocky Mount, North Carolina-born and raised 6'1'', 195 lb, left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing outfielder was selected by the Washington Nationals with the 34th pick of the 2011 Draft.

After a year at UNC, Goodwin, (who had been drafted by the Chicago White Sox out of high school but didn't sign), transferred to Miami Dade and hit 11 doubles, two triples and eight home runs in 47 games in which he stole 16 bases in 18 attempts and drove in 37 runs while scoring 42 on the year. Nats' GM Mike Rizzo was impressed with what he saw from the then 20-year-old outfielder who will turn 22 this November.

"He's a guy with five tools," Rizzo told reporters on the night of the 2011 Draft, "We see him as a top of the order table-setter with some power. He's got surprising pop in his bat. He's a plus plus runner, plus plus defensive player. We think he can hit at the top of the order and lead off."

"He's your prototypical speedy, defensive, top-of-the-order center field prospect," the Nationals' general manager explained. Goodwin signed for a $3M dollar bonus in August of 2011. At the introductory press conference in the nation's capital, Goodwin's agent Scott Boras was asked to describe the outfielder as a player, and he asked reporters, including the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, a question in return, "'You seen Michael Bourn?'"

Goodwin started his pro career at Class-A Hagerstown, posting a .324/.438/.542 line over 58 games and 266 PAs in which the 21-year-old outfielder hit 18 doubles and nine home runs while stealing 15 bases in 19 attempts and walking more than he struck out (43 BB, 39 Ks). Goodwin was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg in late July, skipping High-A ball, and he struggled to adjust at first as Nationals' Director of Player Development Doug Harris had predicted, but the Nats were still impressed with what they saw from the first-year pro.

"'He has had very competitive at-bats on a daily basis,'" Harris told the Rocky Mountain Telegram's Matt Lawell in a late-August article, "'He has hit a lot of balls hard that he doesn't have a lot to show for.'" Goodwin had a .223/.306/.373 line after 42 games and 186 PA's at Double-A, hitting eight doubles and five home runs for the Senators to end his first season in the Nats' system with a combined .280/.384/.469 line, 26 doubles, 14 HRs and 18 stolen bases.

After his first year in the organization, Goodwin was ranked as the top outfield prospect in the Nats' system by MLB.com. The Nationals decided to send the outfielder to the Arizona Fall League this year, where, after a 2 for 4, two triple, two walk game on Saturday night, Goodwin has a .349/.440/.744 line with four doubles, two triples and three home runs in 11 games and 43 at bats in the so-called "finishing school" for MLB's top prospects.

One "National League scout" MLB.com's Bill Ladson talked to earlier this month predicted that Goodwin, "... will be in the Major Leagues by the middle of next year [2013]," and, Mr. Ladson wrote, the, "... scout didn't rule out Goodwin playing left or center field for the Nationals," who have two outfield spots set for 2013 with Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth penciled in barring any setbacks or hiccups this winter or spring.

High praise for an outfielder with one year of pro ball on his resume.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

This Day In D.C. Baseball History: Washington Senators' Owner Clark Griffith Dies

On October 27, 1955, "The Old Fox" Clark Griffith died in Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C. Griffith had played in Washington since 1912, buying a controlling interest in the franchise in 1920 and owning the team for 35 years before passing it on to his son, Calvin, who relocated the team to Minnesota.

Clark Griffith's playing days ended in 1914. The 5'6'' right-hander out of Clear Creek, Missouri played twenty seasons in the American Association, National and when it was formed in 1901, the American League between his big league debut with the St. Louis Browns on April 11, 1891 and his final game as a Washington Senator on October 7, 1914. Griffith managed the Washington Senators from 1912-1920 when he left the bench for the front office, having purchased a controlling interest in the franchise with the help of a Philadelphia-based business man named William Richardson the previous year.

As the Senators' manager, Griffith, known as "The Old Fox", led Washington to a 693-646 record overall, but never finished better than second in the American League. Four years and four managers after Griffith left the bench, however, Bucky Harris took charge of the 1924 Senators and guided them to the first AL Pennant and the only the World Series Championship in the franchise's history. Over the next nine seasons, the Senators would return to the Fall Classic twice, but they would never again win the World Series.

The last postseason appearance before the 2012 Nationals brought playoff baseball back to D.C., took place in 1933, when the Joe Cronin-led and managed Senators finished first in the American League before getting beat 4-1 by the New York Giants in the '33 Series. In 1934, Washington won 33 less games than they had the previous season and finished seventh out of eight teams in the AL. Cronin, who finished his career as a Senators with a .304/.387/.455 line was traded to Boston that year for infielder Lyn Lary and $225,000 that the cash-strapped Griffith needed to remain in business.

Griffith remained owner of the Washington Senators until his death in 1955, but the Senators would never again return to the World Series.

On October 27, 1955 the 85-year-old "Old Fox" died in Georgetown Hospital. According to his obituary in the New York Times, he entered the hospital for treatment of neuritis and three days later, "... suffered stomach hemorrhages and was put on the critical list." After rallying, Griffith passed away.

Ownership of the franchise was passed on to his adopted son, Calvin Griffith, who would move the team to Minnesota six years later. Clark Griffith's New York Times' obituary notes that he was considered by many the "shrewdest player-trader in the game."

When then-President Harry Truman attended a Senators game in 1948, he referred to Calvin Griffith as, "... a shining example of what this great country of ours can produce." Griffith was buried in Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Brentwood, Maryland.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Chad Tracy Has Surgery On Left Knee

Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson's hairy-chested bench bat Chad Tracy had surgery on his left knee on Thursday, but the 32-year-old, eight-year MLB veteran is expected to be ready for Spring Training.

Chad Tracy had a .320/.400/.520 line with three doubles and one home run as a pinch hitter when the Washington Nationals signed the 32-year-old bench bat to an extension to bring him back to D.C. for the 2013 season this past August. A year after he'd been playing for the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, the former Arizona D-Backs, Chicago Cubs and Miami (Florida) Marlins' infielder who was drafted by Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo when Rizzo was Scouting Director for the Diamondbacks, was an important part of Davey Johnson's bench on the NL East's first place Nats. Tracy finished the year with a .269/.343/.441 line, seven doubles and three home runs in 73 games and 102 plate appearances.

As a pinch hitter, Tracy had a .261/.340/.391 line with three doubles and a home run, helping the Nationals to a league-best .288 PH/BA (according to ESPN). The eight-year MLB veteran missed significant time this summer when he was out of the Nats' lineup from May 26th-July 31st after suffering a groin injury which required surgery while running out an RBI double against the Atlanta Braves, but Tracy still managed to lead the majors in pinch hit RBIs (9) while finishing with the third-highest total pinch hits behind Reed Johnson (18) and four other players with 13.

The Nationals announced via Twitter on Thursday that Tracy underwent surgery on his left knee:

Chad Tracy today had arthroscopic surgery performed on his left knee by Dr. Wiemi Douoguih at the Medstar Washington Hospital Center in DC.

' Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) October 25, 2012

"'We had two parties that wanted to be together,'" Mike Rizzo told the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore when Tracy's extension for 2013 was announced, "'He's been a great teammate. He's been great off the bench. We thought it was a good time to lock him up so he didn't get out to free agency and test the waters.'"

Tracy signed a minor league contract last Winter that paid him $750,000 if he played in the majors. According to reports this past August, the extension he agreed on for 2013 will pay the bench bat $1M with performance bonuses included in the deal. Tracy is expected to be healthy for Spring Training according to reports on Thursday.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Is The Washington Nationals' Chien-Ming Wang Experiment Over?

The Washington Nationals hoped Chien-Ming Wang might return to the form that allowed him to win 19 games in back-to-back seasons with the New York Yankees, but the right-hander's injury issues kept him off the mound for most of the 2012 campaign.

A year ago today, D.C. GM Mike Rizzo talked to reporters in a teleconference about Washington's plans to bring Chien-Ming Wang back for his third season with the organization. The Nationals signed the former two-time 19-game winner when the New York Yankees non-tendered the right-hander after injury-filled '08-'09 campaigns which followed the second of his two 19-win seasons in pinstripes. The then-30-year-old sinkerballer did not pitch in the majors in 2010 as he rehabbed from surgery to repair the capsule in his right shoulder, and he was non-tendered after the season only to re-sign with Washington later that winter.

Wang made it back to the mound in 2011 and earned praise from skipper Davey Johnson, who told reporters late that September that after seeing the 6'4'', 225 lb right-hander make 11 starts in which he had a 4.04 ERA, 4.57 FIP, 13 walks (1.88 BB/9) and 25 Ks (3.61 K/9) in 62.1 IP, he was willing to give up his salary if it meant bringing the Tainin City, Taiwan-born pitcher back to D.C. in 2012.

"As far as I'm concerned, ever since he's started throwing again, he's a keeper," Johnson said. "If you'd seen him throw in December, and where he is right now, it's just... my hat goes off to him, he worked hard and he's a dominant pitcher. He looks great." The Nats' skipper had been particularly impressed with Wang's final outings of the year, a three-game stretch over which the right-hander gave up just six runs on 19 hits while striking out 13 without allowing a walk in 17.2 IP against the Mets, Marlins and Braves.

"If I'm here," the then-68-year-old manager joked, "he can have my salary." A month later, when the Nats' GM talked to reporters about the team's plans for the winter, Rizzo updated everyone on the negotiations with Alan Nero, the agent for the 31-year-old pitcher who'd turn 32 in March 2011. "We are in communication and we're trying to negotiate a contract [with Wang]," Rizzo said, "I wouldn't describe it as imminent or close, but we're still communicating and we still have a mutual interest for Chien-Ming to sign with the Nationals."

Eight days later, the Nats announced that they'd signed Wang to a 1-year/$4M dollar deal (up from the $1M dollar incentive-laden deal for 2011), to bring the pitcher back for the 2012 season. After working his way back from a devastating shoulder injury, Wang appeared to be 100% in Spring Training in 2012 and he was in a battle for the fifth spot in the starting rotation when he injured his hamstring trying to make it over to first base from the mound in a game against the New York Yankees. The injury, diagnosed as a left hamstring strain, would delay the start of the right-hander's season.

With Wang injured, Ross Detwiler ended up beating John Lannan out for the fifth spot in the Nats' rotation behind Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Edwin Jackson, but with Detwiler struggling and Wang ready to return in late May, Davey Johnson had a tough decision to make. The Nats' skipper said he would probably keep Wang in the bullpen, but added that it wasn't the best situation with his injury history. "I don't look at him as a reliever," Johnson said, "I look at him as a quality major league starter."

When Detwiler continued to struggle, and in Johnson's eyes failed to challenge hitters, the manager made the decision to put Chien-Ming Wang back in the rotation, telling reporters, including the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore that it was, "... a tough decision," but one that he thought was, "... best for the whole ballclub.'" Wang would make four starts between May 30th and June 19th, posting a 6.62 ERA over 17.2 IP in which he allowed 26 hits, 13 runs and 14 walks with opponents hitting .361 off the veteran right-hander.

Detwiler returned to the rotation the next time around. Davey Johnson explained at the time that he may have stayed with Wang a little longer out of respect for what the pitcher had accomplished in his career. "The only reason I stayed with him," Johnson said, "[Is] because he's made such a great recovery coming back and he's won 19 games a couple times and I felt like I had to stay with him."

Wang would make just two appearances out of the bullpen before he went back on the DL with a right hip strain. The right-hander made several rehab starts as he worked his way back, but he didn't return to the majors until early September. After watching Wang throw a bullpen session, Davey Johnson told reporters he wouldn't hesitate to start Wang if he needed to down the stretch. "He kept the ball down," Johnson said, "Velocity, he's strong as a bull. Good breaking ball. Good changeup. Good four-seamer, good two-seamer, good command."

"I wouldn't have any qualms at all about starting him or using him out of the pen," the Nats' manager continued. Wang had a 4.15 ERA, 4.25 FIP, one walk and three Ks in 8.2 IP in September. After a September 23rd outing against Milwaukee, Johnson lamented the fact that Wang's season had gone the way it did.

"I like him a lot," the manager said when asked about the possibility of Wang pitching with the team after this season, "It's just been an unfortunate year. He was throwing the ball great in the Spring... and having that big hamstring injury... the one area where we're a little short depth-wise [as an organization] is starting pitching, so, that's a discussion for down the road." Wang was not included on the Nats' 25-Man roster for the NLDS.

Chien-Ming Wang will become a free agent five days after the World Series ends.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Wire Taps: Washington Nationals Waiting For Hot Stove; Gio Gonzalez Talks To MLB.com; Matt Purke Surgery Details

Davey Johnson was named NL Manager of the Year by the Sporting News. Gio Gonzalez talked about the NLDS with MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Washington Times' writer Amanda Comak talked to 2011 3rd Round pick Matt Purke. Lunchtime reading. Links and links and links...

' "'The day I retire from baseball is the day I can sit back and relax,'" Gio Gonzalez told MLB.com's Bill Ladson in an article yesterday in one of the two BIG STORIES of the day. The Nats' 21-game winner is already working out in preparation for the 2013 campaign, but while talking about the 2012 season, the 27-year-old starter notes that the Nationals were exactly at full-strength in the NLDS. Davey Johnson was recognized by his peers yesterday as the NL Manager of the Year by the Sporting News. Washington Times' writer Amanda Comak talked to 2011 3rd Round pick Matt Purke about the shoulder surgery he had in August. [Spoiler Alert: There was no labrum damage, good news for the lefty.] The World Series started last night. The good news. That means just six more games until the Hot Stove season starts. Go Giants... and get this thing over with... When does the WBC start again? What if the U.S. asks Stephen Strasburg to pitch? Future controversy!! Later for that. Links and lots of them, starting RIGHT NOW!!!!!:

' THE BIG STORY: (Today In Two Parts):

' "'You see that I'm a very emotional guy. If you can figure that out, you can figure me out,' [Gio] Gonzalez said. 'If [the Cardinals] found a glitch in my system, hey, they found something.'" - "After career year, Gio Gonzalez striving to be better in 2013" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

' "On Aug. 22, after visiting with Dr. Lewis Yocum, Purke ' who dealt with bursitis at Texas Christian University ' had some of his bursa sacs removed and underwent the cleanup procedure on his left shoulder." - "Nationals prospect Matt Purke recovering from shoulder surgery" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' NATS BEAT:

' "The honor is not generally regarded as the major manager of the year award; that will come next after the conclusion of the World Series, as voted on by the Baseball Writers of America Association." - "Davey Johnson named Sporting News NL Manager of the Year" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' "The Sporting News' awards are not considered the 'official' postseason awards, those recognized league-wide and voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America..." - "Davey Johnson named Sporting News' NL Manager of the Year" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "[Davey] Johnson received four votes, one more than Dusty Baker of the Reds. Tied for third with one vote apiece were Ron Roenicke of the Brewers and Bruce Bochy of the Giants." - "Nationals Pastime: Johnson named Sporting News NL Manager of the Year" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "The Beltways have the two best skippers in baseball." - "Davey and Buck voted Managers of Year" - WTOP.com

' "[Davey] Johnson guided the Nationals to their first winning record since moving to D.C., in 2005, posting a Major League-high 98 wins in the regular season." - "Johnson named TSN NL Manager of the Year" - Cash Kruth, nationals.com: News

' "And of all the local D.C. teams, [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin E.] Dempsey says the Nationals have gained the most fans in the Pentagon." - "General Dempsey a 'rabid' Nationals fan" - Chase Hughes, CSN Washington

' "Looking ahead about four months, one of the main stories entering spring training this season will likely be how [Drew] Storen will respond from that crushing blown save in Game 5..." - "Nationals Pastime: How will Storen respond? (plus AFL updates)" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "The Nationals will probably make a call or two, but [Zack] Greinke, who's 31-11 over the past two seasons, will be pricey -- likely approaching the $18-20 million annual range." - "Looking for a fifth member for the Nationals' rotation" - Phil Wood, WashingtonExaminer.com

' "Despite their continued dysfunction, the Marlins remain a major thorn in the Nationals' side." - "The ever-changing NL East" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "We certainly didn't know what the Nationals would get from Kurt Suzuki when he came over from the Athletics in a trade at the beginning of August." - "Nationals Pastime: What a healthy Wilson Ramos would mean for Kurt Suzuki" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "[Roger] Bernadina, who has a penchant for making the dramatic, gravity-defying catch, sacrificed his body to save closer Tyler Clippard and the game..." - "Nationals season in review: Best defensive play" - James Wagner, Washington Post

' Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "We need to encourage an understanding that inner peace comes from relying on human values like, love, compassion, tolerance and honesty."

' NATS MINORS/AFL UPDATES:

' AFL Update (10/23): Surprise 5, Salt River 4 - Brian Goodwin - 3 for 4, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K; Matthew Skole - 1 for 4, 1 HR, 2 RBIs; Anthony Rendon - 0 for 3; 2 Ks; Ryan Perry - 4.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 Ks - BOX SCORE

' AFL Update (10/24): Peoria 7, Salt River 6 - Matthew Skole (PH) - 0 for 1; Brian Goodwin (PH) - 0 for 1; Jason Martinson - 1 for 4, 1 2B; Paul Demny - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K - BOX SCORE

' "Another 2011 draft pick (compensation for losing Adam Dunn to the White Sox), Goodwin has hit well so far in his AFL debut." - "Arizona Fall League update" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "Right-hander Cole Kimball is finally back to feeling completely healthy following shoulder surgery." - "Cole Kimball 'glad to be playing again'" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

' "AFL Update: Oct. 25, 2012" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

' NATSTOWN:

' "Another 'Senators Short Timer', Doyle would play in 1564 games, however only 78 of those games were with the American League Washington Senators." - "This Date in Washington Senators History" - Art Audley, D.C. Baseball History

' "Jhonatan Solano was one of the catchers the Nationals called up from the minors to fill in after Wilson Ramos was lost for the season in May." - "2012 Season Review: Jhonatan Solano" - Darlene Langley, District on Deck

' "In the most interesting development of the offseason so far for the Washington Nationals, Michael Morse was selected for jury duty today." - "So Michael Morse had jury duty today..." - Nats Enquirer

' "If Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan can't get out of jury duty, Major Leaguers probably don't have much of a chance either." - "Cut 4" - MLB.com: News

' "Adam LaRoche finished second in the Sporting News' NL Comeback Player of the Year voting, just two votes behind San Francisco Giants' Catcher Buster Posey." - "Adam LaRoche finished second in Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year voting" - Cheryl Nichols, District Sports Page

' "By walking [Pete] Kozma you would either force the Cardinals closer, Jason Motte, out of the game, or force him to hit." - "Prosecution's Closing Statement" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

' "[Roger] Bernadina probably saw the career pinnacle of his productivity in 2012, finishing the year with a .291/.372/.405 slash line..." - "2012 Player-By-Player Wrap Up: Roger Bernadina" - Joe Drugan, The Nats Blog

' "When we discuss the construction of the 2013 Nationals, the linchpin player is Adam LaRoche." - "The LaRoche Saga" - The Nationals Review

' "The official BBWAA awards don't come out until after the World Series is over, but like the Golden Globes are for the Oscars, the Sporting News Awards are a precursor to the other awards." - "Washington Nationals Davey Johnson voted NL Manager of the Year by Sporting News" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page

' WORLD SERIES/NL EAST UPDATES:

' "That Pablo Sandoval pumped his right arm in the air and grinned on each of his treks around the base paths Wednesday night delighted all and surprised none." - "2012 World Series: Pablo Sandoval hits 3 homers, Giants rout Tigers in Game 1" - Barry Svrluga, The Washington Post

' "The Tigers' near-legend, Justin Verlander, not only lost, 8-3 to the Giants, but got bombed, lasting just four innings in which he gave up five runs... " - "Justin Verlander is rocked by Pablo Sandoval in shocking start to 2012 World Series" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post

' Phillies: "There has been some talk about the Phillies signing a veteran reliever to bolster what was a lackluster bullpen for much of the 2012 season." - "Last Year's Reliever Market As A Cautionary Tale" - Bill Baer, Crashburn Alley

' Mets: "The New York Mets let Jose Reyes leave in free agency last offseason. Reyes hopes the same thing doesn't happen to former teammate David Wright." - "Jose Reyes wants New York Mets to keep David Wright" - Mike Mazzeo, Ian Bagley - ESPN New York

' Braves: "While the rest of the baseball world is winding down, Braves right-hander Brandon Beachy is just getting cranked up in his recovery from elbow reconstruction surgery." - "Beachy working on patience as he begins throwing program" - Carroll Rogers, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

' Marlins: "'Ozzie? Ozzie is excitement,' the team's owner, Jeffrey Loria, told me. It took Guillen just six months to prove that he is not quite as exciting as his employers had believed." - "Ozzie Guillen's firing a sign fans not buying what Marlins are selling" - Ben Reiter, SI.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' 3B Ryan Zimmerman Has Arthroscopic Surgery On Shoulder

Washington Nationals' third baseman Ryan Zimmerman had several cortisone shots in his right shoulder this season as he dealt with inflammation in the AC joint. According to reports this afternoon, the 28-year-old infielder finally had arthroscopic surgery.

The Washington Nationals' 28-year-old third baseman Ryan Zimmerman needed multiple cortisone shot in his right shoulder in order to make it through the 2012 campaign. After struggling at the start and having the issue diagnosed as inflammation in the AC joint of his shoulder, the '05 1st Round pick received a cortisone shot which turned his season around. From April 5th through June 24th, the right-handed hitting and throwing infielder posted a .223/.289/.308 line with 10 doubles and three home runs in 56 games and 246 plate appearances. Once Zimmerman had a cortisone shot that found the right spot and reduced the inflammation, the third baseman was himself again (outside of some odd throwing mechanics), posting a .321/.389/.584 line with 26 doubles and 22 HRs over the next 90 games and 399 plate appearances.

Zimmerman knew all along, and talked openly about the fact that he might have to have surgery to fix the problem once the season ended. "'If it continues to do this every few weeks,'" Zimmerman told reporters including the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore in June, "at the end of the year they can go in there and take the little chips out." The Nationals' first 1st Round pick and veteran of eight seasons in D.C. wasn't about to miss the opportunity to go to the postseason for the first time in his career, however, and he received another shot in mid-September to ensure that he would be available for the first playoff games in the nation's capital in over 79 years.

In spite of the rough start, Zimmerman finished the year with numbers similar to those he put up over the course of his career, completing his eighth MLB season with a .282/.346/.478 line, 36 doubles and 25 HRs in 145 games and 641 PAs over which he was worth +4.5 fWAR. In the first postseason action of his career, Zimmerman was 8 for 21 (.381/.364/.714) with a double and two home runs in the five-game NLDS with St. Louis that ended with the Nats' Game 5 loss to the Cardinals.

According to several reports this afternoon, Zimmerman underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder this morning:

Ryan Zimmerman had full arthroscopic surgery in his right shoulder this morning, Mike Rizzo said. Full go in six weeks.

' Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) October 25, 2012

Ryan Zimmerman had a successful arthroscopic scope of his shoulder this morning. The #nats 3B will be full go in 6 wks & ready for ST.

' Amanda Comak (@acomak) October 25, 2012

Ryan Zimmerman had arthroscopic surgery on his R shoulder today to fix the AC joint that plagued him all season. Full recovery in 6 weeks.

' Mark Zuckerman (@ZuckermanCSN) October 25, 2012

In his story on the announcement made by D.C. GM Mike Rizzo, Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore noted that team doctor, Dr. Wiemi Douoguih performed the surgery on Zimmerman, who is, "... expected to recover in six weeks and should be fully healthy for the start of spring training."

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Davey Johnson Named Sporting News NL Manager Of The Year

69-year-old Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson led the Nats to a 98-64 record, their first NL East crown and helped bring postseason baseball back to the nation's capital for the first time since 1933. Today he was named The Sporting News' Manager of the Year for his efforts.

Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson led the NL East Champion Nats to a 98-64 record this season and helped bring postseason baseball back to the nation's capital for the first time since 1933. Asked in early October about the possibility of winning the BBWAA Manager of the Year Award for his efforts in his first full-year back on the bench since 2000, the Nats' 69-year-old skipper said it wasn't necessarily something he had good feelings about after having won the award before.

"I just have bad thoughts about that," Johnson joked, referring to the fact that he'd won the award when he was in Baltimore only to get fired after leading the 1997 Orioles to a 98-64 record. "Last time I got the award, the same time I got my pink slip. I'm not big on individual awards. It's always been, 'What's the team doing as a group?' Being in the playoffs, that's step one. Winning the division is step two and winning the World Series is step three. As far as individual awards? That's nice. I guess it's fun to be considered by your peers as [having] a decent year, but it's not a big deal to me."

Davey Johnson was named The Sporting News' NL Manager of the Year this afternoon. The winner of the award, as noted in a press release this afternoon, is, "... selected by a panel of 17 major league managers." Johnson was quoted in the release saying that the fact that it was a selection made by his peers meant a lot to him:

"To be recognized by my fellow comrades, a particularly accomplished bunch, makes this award especially meaningful. I send my thanks to them and the folks at Sporting News, as well as the Lerner family and Mike Rizzo for giving me the opportunity to manage such a special, talented group of men. To put on the uniform every day and compete is an honor I never take for granted."

"In baseball, in this day and time," Johnson told reporters earlier this month when asked about his reputation as a player's manager, "you have to be totally aware of what every [one of] the 25 guys are going through. I haven't had to be fatherly with any of them. I've had to be fatherly in the past with some players. You've got to be aware of what's going on and you've got to try and help them any way you can. Sometimes it's just by patience and just by letting them play."

"Sometimes it's yanking them out of the lineup," Johnson continued, "But, and I've said this before, every day, the players know what should go on. They know where they should hit in the lineup and it's my job to know too. And I think it's every day you've got to earn their respect and their trust and vice versa. But all 25 [players] are very important. I don't believe in having a doghouse. A guy has a bad outing and you guys want me to ship him into the doghouse and put somebody else in there. It's my job not to be that way. But if somebody does real good they know that I'll expand their role. I think that thing alone would qualify me as a player's manager."

Johnson is expected to return to the bench in Washington next season, but no official announcement has been made as of today.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' 2012 Season In Review: The Mike Rizzo Story

"It's the Mike Rizzo story," Davey Johnson said when he was asked about the Washington Nationals' success in 2012 in winning 98 games, winning the NL East and getting to the postseason for the first time since baseball returned to D.C.

It was fitting that the final question* of the post game press conference with D.C. GM Mike Rizzo, after the Washington Nationals' Game 5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, was about the Nats' general manager's decision to stick with the plan they had set up over a year earlier and shut Stephen Strasburg down in early September even after it appeared likely that the Nats would bring postseason baseball back to the nation's capital for the first time in 79 years. Asked if he would think at all about what might have been in the NLDS had the 24-year-old, '09 no.1 overall pick been available to make two starts, Rizzo said, "I'm not going to think about it, no."

"We had a plan in mind," Rizzo explained, "and it was something that we had from the beginning. I stand by my decision and we'll take the criticism as it comes, but we have to do what's best for the Washington Nationals and we think we did."

Depending on which side of the fence you're on in what ended up being one of the biggest stories of the year involving the Nationals, that's either an obstinate GM, refusing even now to admit that he could have handled the innings limit differently to make sure Strasburg was available in October, or a strong-willed executive who did what he believed was right in spite of the criticism he knew he'd endure because he thought it was the best thing for the player and in turn the best thing for the franchise long-term.

Jayson Werth explained in ESPN.com's Buster Olney's feature on the Nats' GM entitled, "Out On A Limb", that it was Rizzo's direct approach and honesty when they talked in the winter of 2010 that convinced him to take a generous deal to leave the comfort of Citizens Bank Park and turn away from interest in Boston in favor of joining the upstart but unproven franchise in Washington, D.C. The 7-year/$126M dollar deal the Nationals' general manager convinced the Nats' owners to offer the outfielder looked a lot better this year when Werth put up a .300/.387/.440 line in 81 games and 344 PAs in a season that was shortened by a broken left wrist that kept him out of the lineup from May 6th-August 2nd.

"I had never met a GM like that," Werth said of Rizzo's approach, "A lot of GMs I've known in the past are kind of the opposite -- you don't know what to believe. Mike came across as very honest. Very passionate about the organization."

Oakland A's GM Billy Beane is quoted in Mr. Olney's article as well, explaining that he, "... likes dealing with the Washington GM because Rizzo is unafraid, unlike some of his peers."

"He's very straightforward," the A's GM tells ESPN's Mr. Olney, "and very decisive. He doesn't take the approach that it's going to be a zero-sum deal, -- 'I win, you lose.'" The two GMs have made several trades in the last few years, with Josh Willingham going to Oakland for Corey Brown and Henry Rodriguez in 2010, Gio Gonzalez coming to Washington (along with RHP Robert Gilliam) in a late 2011 deal that sent RHPs A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock, left-hander Tom Milone and catcher Derek Norris out west and Kurt Suzuki switching coasts this past August in a deal that sent minor league catcher David Freitas to the Athletics.

Corey Brown, Henry Rodriguez, Gio Gonzalez and Kurt Suzuki all did their part in helping to get the Nationals back to the postseason this year for the first time since the Nats franchise moved to the nation's capital from Montreal in 2005. (ed. note - "And Tommy Milone and Derek Norris played big roles with the A's.") ESPN.com's Mr. Olney also noted in his article that Rizzo's ability to identity players like Adam LaRoche (who fit in nicely in his own second year in D.C.) and develop the likes of Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond and Bryce Harper, played a significant role in helping Washington return to the playoffs.

But it was Rizzo's unwillingness to budge on the Strasburg decision when the rest of the baseball world thought he should that brought into question the former scout, scouting director and assistant GM's approach to developing young talent. As the 51-year-old executive explained when the Nationals did finally shut Strasburg down, however, he felt all along that the honest approach Werth, Gio Gonzalez, Billy Beane and others appreciate was the best route to take.

"I've thought about what I could have done differently and how I could have handled it differently," Rizzo told reporters including ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick in early September:

"I was always taught, 'Be frank and forthright, and tell the truth and everything will be OK.' We told the truth going as far back as last winter. There was never any deception over what we were going to do and when we were going to do it. I felt that was the right way."

"I believe in my heart that it's the right thing to do for the player," the Nats' GM told reporters, "and the right thing to do for the player is the right thing to do for the franchise."

Though the Strasburg shutdown dominated the headlines, Davey Johnson told reporters late this season that the story of the year in Washington, D.C. was the work Mike Rizzo did to put together the roster and provide the depth that was needed for the team to go 98-64 and take the NL East crown. "I think [Rizzo] is definitely the Executive of the Year," Davey Johnson said, "I think he should have been last year, the year before, I mean, the draft and the trades and things he's done. Awfully good baseball man. As I said before there's no question in my mind. We've had, and the proof is in the pudding, we had this year devastating injuries and the young players in the system have done an outstanding job in different roles."

"Tyler Moore," Johnson said, offering examples of the organization's depth, "was a first baseman. He's played in the outfield. [Steve] Lombardozzi was a second baseman and a good one. He played left field predominantly. And at the same time playing a new position and still being productive. It's Mike Rizzo. It's the Mike Rizzo story."

* = Final question included in available footage of Rizzo's post game interview, at least.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Outfielder Tyler Moore: Goon Squad Rookie Slugger

Davey Johnson praised the work outfielder Tyler Moore did this year, coming off the bench as a rookie for the NL East Champion Washington Nationals.

A then-23-year-old Tyler Moore was coming off a .297/.363/.447, 30 double, nine home run 2009 season when the '08 16th Round pick out of Mississippi State University moved up a level from Class-A Hagerstown to High-A Potomac to start the 2010 campaign. For the first half of the year with the P-Nats, the Brandon, Mississippi-born slugger struggled, "... hitting .197 with just nine home runs," as Tim Swartz wrote at MiLB.com last season, before turning things around and hitting .346 with 22 HRs in the second half to finish the year with a .269/.321/.552 line, 43 doubles and 31 HRs in 129 games and 553 PAs.

"When you break down the 2010 season that he had at Potomac," Nationals' Director of Player Development Doug Harris told MLB.com this past summer, "... he really came into his own in the second half. It's a credit to him." Moore led the Carolina League in doubles, HRs and RBIs in 2010 and earned Washington's Minor League Player of the Year Award.

"It was kind of up and down to say the least," Moore told reporters when he visited the nation's capital late that year to be recognized for having won the Minor League POY award. "First half of the year just went from struggling real bad and just kind of got to a point where enough is enough and just kind of had to go out and stop thinking about everything and just go hit." The right-handed hitting and throwing first baseman said he was in the zone at the plate in the second half. "It just felt like I was hitting offspeed in fastball counts," Moore explained, "and just felt like I was just going up there and seeing the ball and hitting it."

The P-Nats' second-half run for the Carolina League championship helped the slugger stay focused. "That made us lock in a little more," Moore said, "Everybody on the team. Everybody just got contagious hitting and it just kinda went off for us and we were able to win a championship." Moore moved up to Double-A in 2011 and continued to hit with the Harrisburg Senators, collecting 35 doubles and 31 HRs in 137 games and 561 PAs and finishing the year with a .270/.314/.532 line.

After hitting 31 HRs in back-to-back seasons, Moore started the 2012 campaign at Triple-A Syracuse, and was called up to make his MLB debut in late April. In part-time work at the plate with Washington, Moore was 3 for 19 with seven Ks in his first month in the Majors when he was sent back to Triple-A. The big right-handed bat wasn't down for long. After being optioned on May 29th, Moore was called back up in the first week of June as the Nationals started a road trip through Boston and Toronto during which he connected for his first extra base hit in the majors in Fenway Park and then five days later his first major league home run. The 25-year-old outfielder hit his first and second home run in quick succession in the same game in the Rogers Centre in Toronto, and went 17 for 40 (.425/.521/.800) with three doubles, four home runs, eight walks and nine Ks in 13 games in the month of June.

From the time he was called up the second time through the end of the season, Moore posted a .277/.349/.562 line with nine doubles and 10 HRs in 63 games and 152 PAs. Davey Johnson praised the work his outfielder had done, especially considering he was playing part-time as a rookie and hadn't ever played the outfield before this season. "I think when he was here the first time and then he went back out and then he came back in," Johnson said, "I think he learned from that experience and he's doing more things and staying prepared and he's much more aggressive when he goes up to pinch hit."

"You know an everyday ballplayer likes to go up there and take a pitch and get comfortable with the timing and everything," the Nationals' 69-year-old manager explained, "but I talked to him about it and I said, you go in there and you start swinging from the get-go and you'll gauge your timing better. And he's handled it like a veteran. Got some hits for us." Perhaps the biggest hit of the year by Moore, however, wasn't a home run, but an opposite field single in Game 1 of the NLDS in St. Louis in his first career postseason AB.

With the Nationals down 2-1 with two on and two out in the top of the eighth, Davey Johnson brought Chad Tracy out to face Cards' right-hander Mitchell Boggs, forcing Cardinals' skipper Mike Matheny to go to his pen for Marc Rzepczynski. Johnson then countered with Moore who hit a 93 mph 2-2 fastball to right to drive two runs in and give Washington the lead. "I actually did not think that Mike was going to get Boggs," Johnson told reporters after the game, "But I told [Chad] Tracy when he went up there, if he takes him out and brings in Rzepczynski or whatever his name is, I'm hitting Moore. And he did, so I hit Moore."

"I'd rather have the veteran player in that situation than a rookie," the Nats' manager explained, "But rookies have been having success all year. They have been doing a heck of a job, and Moore has got some big hits for us, as he did tonight." Johnson continued to praise Moore later in the post game interview following Game 1. "He's got a great stroke," Johnson said, "He's short through the ball. He's got a great future. He's done '' all of my young guys have done a great job, out of position and not in a regular role."

Moore finished his rookie campaign with a .263/.327/.513 line, nine doubles and ten home runs in 75 games and 171 plate appearances. What does the future hold for Moore? It might depend on the decision the Nationals make with Adam LaRoche. Moore spent the majority of his time in Washington's organization as a first baseman and with his offensive production in the last three seasons may have earned a look at either first or in left field again in 2013.

The Nationals drafted Moore three times, in '05, '06 and '08 before signing him the third time around. Whether he's on the bench, at first or in left next season the hard-hitting outfielder figures to play a role on the Nats' 2013 roster after another strong season in the organization.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Drew Storen Qualifies For Super Two Status

According to a FOX Sports/AP report this afternoon, 25-year-old Washington Nationals' closer Drew Storen qualified for Super 2 status.

In 28 relief appearances at three levels of the Washington Nationals' system in his first pro season after signing shortly after he was selected in the 1st Round of the '09 Draft with the Nats' second 1st Round pick after they took Stephen Strasburg no.1 overall, Drew Storen had a 1.95 ERA, eight walks (1.95 BB/9) and 49 Ks (11.92 K/9) in 37.0 IP in which he recorded 11 saves. A former Stanford Cardinal closer, taken with the 10th pick in 2009 with the compensation pick Washington received when they failed to sign '08 1st Rounder Aaron Crow, Storen started his second pro season in Double-A Harrisburg but quickly moved up to the Nats' top affiliate (Triple-A Syracuse), throwing 16.2 innings combined in which he had a 1.08 ERA, three walks (1.62 BB/9) and 18 Ks (9.72 K/9) before he was called up to make his MLB debut on May 17th.

"'What more can we ask him to do in the minor leagues that he can't do in the major leagues?'" Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo asked rhetorically at the time, as quoted in an article by Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. The Nats weren't as concerned with the possibility of Storen reaching Super 2 status as the WaPost writer noted, since, "The implications of making Strasburg a Super 2, the likely fate of Storen, are far more severe and expensive than in Storen's case."

Storen was (4-4) with five saves, a 3.58 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 22 BB (3.58 BB/9) and 55 Ks (8.46 K/9) in 55.1 IP in 2010 and (6-3) with 43 saves in 73 games and 75.1 IP in 2011 in which he had a 2.75 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 20 BB (2.39 BB/9) and 74 Ks (8.84 K/9). Surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow delayed the start of Storen's 2012 campaign, but he was (3-1) with four saves, a 2.37 ERA, 2.40 FIP, eight walks (2.37 BB/9) and 24 Ks (7.12 K/9) in 37 games and 30.1 IP for the NL East champs. In his first postseason run, Storen made four appearances, winning one game and saving one before blowing a two-run lead in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the NLDS with St. Louis.

Storen agreed to a $1.6M dollar signing bonus out of the Draft, was re-signed to a $418,000 deal in 2011 and renewed on a 1-year/$498,750 deal for 2012. The 25-year-old right-handed reliever, as a player in the, "... top 22 percent of players by service time with at least two years but less than three," in the majors, is, "... eligible for arbitration along with the 3-to-6 year players,", according to a FOX News/AP report this afternoon, and Storen qualified for Super Two status under the new guidelines established under the latest CBA:

"Under the labor contract agreed to last November, the top 22 percent of players by service time with at least two years but less than three are eligible for arbitration along with the 3-to-6 year players. From 1991 through last year, the top 17 percent in the 2-to-3-year group had been eligible.

"The cutoff was 2 years, 139 days, down from what would have been 2 years, 144 days under the old rule. Seattle outfielder Michael Saunders still fell one day short."

Storen's due a significant raise over the $498,750 he made in 2012. The reliever is one of six pitchers eligible for arbitration this year along with pitchers Tyler Clippard, Ross Detwiler, Tom Gorzelanny, John Lannan and Jordan Zimmermann; outfielder Roger Bernadina, shortstop Ian Desmond and catcher Jesus Flores.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' 2013 Rotation: Will The Nats Sign Edwin Jackson? Add A New Arm?

The Washington Nationals have Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler set to start in the 2013 rotation, but what they'll do after that is a big question mark going into the winter...

The 102-60 2011 Philadelphia Phillies had five starters with double-digit wins, three of the top five starters had ERAs under 3.00 for the year, and six different pitchers made all of the starts for the team. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick combined to post the NL's lowest ERA at 2.86, almost a full run lower than the Washington Nationals, who ended the year with a 3.80 ERA amongst starters, which was good for the seventh-lowest team ERA in the National League.

The Phillies' starters had the lowest FIP (2.98), lowest xFIP (3.17), the highest K/9 (7.88 K/9), lowest BB/9 (1.87 BB/9) and highest total innings pitched (1064.2). In explaining his decision to once again pursue a top starter on the market last winter after having done so unsuccessfully the previous two years, D.C. GM Mike Rizzo, on 106.7 the FAN's The Mike Rizzo Show, said that the goal last winter was to assemble the sort of elite rotation he saw in Philadelphia, so Washington could compete with the elite in the NL East.

"I see the Philadelphia Phillies," the Nationals' general manager said, "which is a team, they're on top, that's the team that we have to knock off the top, and I see them run four quality starters at you every night. They've got a guy on the mound, a starting pitcher, they go four deep quality starts and their fifth guy is pretty good, and I think that's what we have to emulate. That's what we have to get to, and I think when we get to that, and I think that in the very, very near future, we have a chance to compete with them."

The Nationals went into the winter with Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, John Lannan, Ross Detwiler, Tommy Milone, Brad Peacock and Chien-Ming Wang on the roster as potential starters for 2012, but in late December, the Nats dealt Milone and Peacock to Oakland as part of the deal for Gio Gonzalez, and Washington then signed Edwin Jackson to a one-year/$11M dollar deal. All of a sudden, with Strasburg (on an innings limit from the start), Gonzalez, Zimmermann, E-Jax and Detwiler, the Nationals had a starting rotation capable of competing, they hoped, and had some pitching in reserve should they need help with Lannan and Wang on hand to eat up some of the innings.

On the way to stopping the Phillies' five-year reign as the NL East Champs, and finishing 98-64, Washington used eight starters total to get them through the 2012 campaign, with Tom Gorzelanny making just one start at the end in the last game of the season so Gio Gonzalez could rest up for Game 1 of the NLDS with St. Louis. The top five Nationals' starters finished the season with double digit wins, two of them with ERA's under 3.00 on the year. The Nats' starting pitchers had the lowest ERA in the National League (3.40), lowest FIP (3.46), second lowest xFIP (3.68 to the Phillies' 3.54), second-highest K/9 (8.07 to the Brewers' 8.37 K/9), eighth lowest BB/9 (2.84 BB/9) and the 10th highest total IP (953.0 IP).

Stephen Strasburg will be free of any limitations in 2013. The Nats' '09 no.1 overall pick will have something to prove next season. Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler are hardened and wiser for having reached the playoffs for the first time in each of their careers. Edwin Jackson? Jackson told reporters after the World Series he would like to come back if a deal could be worked out, but he's known to be looking for a multi-year contract.

The Nationals have to decide whether or not to tender a contract to John Lannan, who made $5M last season when he lost his arbitration case. A baseball source told MLB.com's Bill Ladson the chance of the Nats paying Lannan $5M again in 2013 is unlikely.

Will the Nationals bring Jackson back as the 5th starter behind Strasburg, Gonzalez, Zimmermann and Detwiler, or will they turn to the free agent or trade markets again and look to supplement the rotation with a new starter? Is there anyone in the Nationals' organization that could take that fifth spot?

Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell said in a chat this morning that the Nationals should keep one thing in mind going into 2013 when they make decisions on E-Jax, Lannan and Wang...

The Nationals got lucky in having all of their starters remain healthy in 2012:

"You need at least 7 starting pitchers, and some say eight, so that you end up with five as the season goes along and you almost always have injuries.

"Next year, the Nats lineup may have less injuries, but maybe the rotation has more. You absolutely can't count on 150 starts from your top five pitchers -- as the Nats got this year. The Nats shouldn't think of themselves as a 98-win team -- that's too aggressive. You need more margin of error in your planning. They need to come to camp with two established starting pitchers in addition to SS, GG, JZ and RD. If one of them is Jackson, okay. They should remember [how] essential the Lannan insurance policy was. In a more normal season, you might have seen Lannan for 20+ starts."

The WaPost's Mr. Boswell also took a look at potential free agent pitchers Washington could add to "lengthen" their rotation in today's chat. The last word from the Nationals' GM came immediately after the Nats' loss in Game 5 of the NLDS, when he was asked if it was tough to transition quickly from playing in the postseason to thinking about the 2013 roster? "We've actually been thinking about that and planning it for the last three or four weeks," Rizzo said. "We never stop. We're always thinking about roster construction and what our plans are going to be and what we're trying to do."

The plan, the Nats' general manager said was to, "... take a little deep breath and see where we're at, assess it, get all of our evaluators together and figure out a game plan." Last year the message at the end of the 2012 campaign was that the Nationals thought they were a starter and an outfield bat away from competing in the NL East, this winter they have to figure out what it will take to do it again, defend their division title and get back to the postseason.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

MLB.com's Bill Ladson: Washington Nationals' Sean Burnett Likely To Decline Option

30-year-old left-hander Sean Burnett finished the 2012 season, his fourth in Washington, with a (1-2) record, two saves, a 2.38 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 12 walks (1.91 BB/9) and 57 Ks (9.05 K/9) in 70 games and 56.2 IP. The 30-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates' 1st Round pick (2000) struggled late in the season, and it was later revealed that Burnett had been dealing with irritation in his left elbow throughout the second half of the 2012 campaign.

Once the Nationals were eliminated from the postseason following their Game 5 loss to St. Louis, there were almost immediately reporters that Burnett would undergo surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. According to a report from Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore earlier this week, the pitcher had surgery and would reportedly be ready for the 2013 season:

Sean Burnett underwent arthroscopic surgery Thursday two remove two small bone spurs. It shouldn't even interrupt his throwing program.

' Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) October 19, 2012

Burnett was in the second year of a 2-year/$3.95M dollar deal in 2012. According to a report by MLB.com's Bill Ladson this afternoon, the lefty is expected to decline the mutual option for 2013 which would pay the veteran of six MLB seasons $3.5M next year and instead become a free agent. If he does elect for free agency, the Nats will have a five-day window after the World Series to negotiate exclusively with the reliever if he wants to return to the NL East champs.

The Nats MLB.com beat reporter wrote this afternoon that his sources say, "Burnett will be looking for more than a one-year deal, but his first priority is to stay with the Nationals." Should he become a free agent, Burnett will join a relatively short list of left-handed relievers on the market this winter.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

AFL Upate: Washington Nationals' Prospects In Arizona Fall League - Week Two

The Washington Nationals' organization's 2012 Minor League Player of the Year Matthew Skole and 2011 1st Round pick Anthony Rendon were in action in the Arizona Fall League last night where the Nats' prospects are competing against some of the best competition they've faced thus far in their respective careers.

The Salt River Rafters fell to 5-5 overall with a 5-3 loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions last night in Arizona Fall League action in Scottsdale, AZ's Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Matthew Skole, the Nats' 23-year-old, 2011 5th Round pick out of Woodstock, GA and Georgia Tech, has continued to hit after putting up a .291/.426/.559 line at two stops in the Nationals' system this year at Class-A Hagerstown and High-A Potomac in which he hit a combined 28 doubles and 27 HR's while driving in 104 runs in 119 games and 524 PAs. Skole's production this season earned his the South Atlantic League's Player of the Year and the Nats' Minor League Player of the Year awards in his second year in the organization. After going 2 for 4 with a run scored and a strikeout last night, the 3B/1B is 11 for 22 (.500/.607/.773) with three doubles a home run, six walks and six Ks after six games out in Arizona.

Skole's teammate, and the reason the infielder drafted as a third baseman has been seeing time at first out in AZ, Anthony Rendon, was 0 for 4 last night, dropping his AFL line to .231/.355/.308 after seven games and 26 ABs in which he's hit two doubles with five walks and five Ks. Rendon, the Nats' 2011 1st Round pick (6th overall) struggled with injuries in 2012, suffering a stress fracture in his right ankle just two games into the season that kept him out of action until August. Upon returning to the field, however, and after just nine games at Class-A Potomac overall in which he had a .333/.438/.630 line with two doubles and three triples, Rendon was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg where he hit three doubles, a triple and three home runs in 21 games.

23-year-old right-hander Paul Demny was the only Nats' pitching prospect in action in last night's loss. The '08 6th Round pick who put up a 5.46 ERA and 4.74 FIP with 61 walks (4.44 BB/9) and 97 Ks (7.06 K/9) in 28 G (23 GS) and 123.2 IP at Double-A Harrisburg this season in his fifth year in the Nats' organization, gave up a run on two hits in a 23-pitch inning of work in last night's loss. In four games and 6.2 IP thus far in Arizona, Demny has given up seven hits, three runs and five walks while recording four Ks.

Not in action Saturday night, but also representing the Nationals' organization in AZ are Brian Goodwin, the Nats' 2011 1st Round pick out of Miami Dade Community College (and before that UNC), who had a combined .280/.384/.469 line in 100 games and 452 PAs split between Class-A Hagerstown and Double-A Harrisburg in which he hit 26 doubles and 14 HRs in 2012. So far in AFL action, the 21-year-old outfielder has a .231/.286/.538 line with two doubles, two home runs, two walks and nine Ks in six games. Jason Martinson, 24, a 2010 5th Round pick out of Texas State who had a .245/.340/.430 line with 13 doubles, seven triples and 22 HRs in 135 games and 586 PAs for the Class-A Suns and High-A P-Nats in 2012, is 0 for 11 with a walk and six Ks so far in AFL action.

On the mound, 24-year-old, 2010 9th Round pick Aaron Barrett, a right-hander out of the University of Mississippi, has continued to impress after saving 17 games (16 w/ Hagerstown, 1 w/ Potomac) while posting a 2.09 ERA and 73 Ks (12.72 K/9) in 42 games and 51.2 IP in relief in 2012. Barrett's given up six hits and two unearned runs so far in Arizona while striking out four in 4.0 IP. Cole Kimball, who had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in 2011, returned for 5.2 IP in the Nats' system this season, and has thrown 2.2 innings in AZ so far, giving up one hit and two runs (1 ER) in 2.2 IP. Former Tigers' prospect Ryan Perry, who was converted back to a starter earlier this year, has made two starts for the Salt River Rafters, giving up eight hits, seven runs and four walks in 5.0 IP in which he's struck out five batters.

The Rafters are back in action tomorrow night at home in Scottsdale's Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, where they'll take on the O's, Cubs, Tigers, Astros and Dodgers' prospect-filled roster of the Mesa Solar Sox. More updates to follow from the so-called finishing school for the game's top prospects...

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Catchers Jesus Flores, Wilson Ramos and Kurt Suzuki And The 2013 Nats' Roster

Provided Wilson Ramos is able to return from a torn ACL in his right knee, the Washington Nationals might have a tough decision when it comes to Jesus Flores since it will likely be Ramos and Kurt Suzuki behind the plate in D.C. in 2013.

After a strong 2008 season in which he established himself as the no.1 catcher in Washington's organization, a then-24-year-old Jesus Flores was 26 games and 103 plate appearances into the '09 campaign when D-Backs' outfielder Chris Young fouled a pitch from Nats' right-hander Garrett Mock back and off the Nationals' backstop's shoulder. Though he played through the pain for two innings, the one-time NY Mets' prospect selected in the '06 Rule 5 Draft, left the game and was later diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right shoulder.

Flores returned to take three at bats at the end of that year, but once again felt pain in his shoulder, and it was determined then that he'd suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder while rehabbing. The injury and subsequent surgery was originally expected to cost the catcher somewhere from 3-6 months on the sidelines. Flores finished the 2009 season with a .301/.371/.505 line, three doubles, two triples and four home runs.

Flores would not play for the Nats in 2010. When he returned to the majors in 2011 he wasn't the hitter he had been before the injury. In 30 games and 91 plate appearances in the majors, in a season spent between Triple-A Syracuse and D.C. as Nats' catcher Pudge Rodriguez struggled with injuries, Flores had a .209/.253/.314 line with six doubles and a home run for the Nationals.

As Flores and Rodriguez split time in the backup role, Wilson Ramos, acquired in a July 2010 trade with the Twins that brought the top catching prospect in Minnesota's organization for the previous three seasons to Washington, established himself as the no.1 catcher in the nation's capital.

In his first full season in the majors, the 23-year-old catcher put up a .265/.354/.398 line with 22 doubles and 15 home runs in 113 games and 435 plate appearances, firmly establishing himself as the no.1 catcher in the Nationals' organization. 25 games and 96 PAs into his 2012 campaign, Wilson Ramos chased a passed ball behind the plate when a Jordan Zimmermann pitch got by him and as he planted his right foot to turn and throw and had his knee buckle on him. Ramos went down in obvious, serious pain.

That night Davey Johnson admitted to reporters that the news they were likely to get soon was not going to be good. "I don't know how bad it is," Johnson told reporters after the game when asked about Ramos, "He's going for an MRI, but I have a bad feeling he tore something in there and his down time will be a while. We'll just keep our fingers crossed, but right now it's not good at all."

The damage to Ramos' knee was so severe it required two surgeries, one after the swelling from the initial procedure had healed. With Ramos out for the year and Jesus Flores and a string of backup catchers underperforming, the Nationals made a deal for a catcher after the 2012 Trade Deadline.

Washington acquired Kurt Suzuki from the Oakland A's. D.C. GM Mike Rizzo told CSNWashington.com's Mark Zuckerman after the trade, that the appeal in bringing Suzuki into the fold was that he was a relatively young and controllable catcher who was signed through 2013 with an option for 2014 and could help the organization long-term especially with Ramos out for an indeterminate amount of time.

"'He's not a rental,'" Rizzo told the CSNWashington reporter, "'He's going to be here for more than this season. He's a guy who can really take that rotation together and get it going better than it already has.'"

Suzuki, who had a .218/.250/.286 line with Oakland this season, put up a .267/.321/.404 line with Washington, finishing the season with a .301/.355/.482 September in which he hit three doubles and four home runs, doubling his HR production from the previous five months in a 26 game stretch as he helped the Nationals reach the post season for the first time since baseball returned to D.C. in 2005. Suzuki's contract pays him $6.45M next season. Ramos made $491,250 in 2012 and isn't arbitation-eligible until 2014. Flores made $815,000 in '12 and is arbitration-eligible this winter.

Flores was reportedly "shocked" when he learned the Nationals had acquired Suzuki in August, with reporters noting at the time that it raised questions about his future with the organization. Provided that Ramos returns to full-strength and resumes his position as the Nats' no.1 catcher or at least 1A along with Suzuki what lies ahead for Jesus Flores is even less clear.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Is Henry Rodriguez The Next Joel Hanrahan? The Washington Nationals Have To Hope So...

Washington Nationals' reliever Henry Rodriguez's up-and-down, wild, injury-shortened 2012 campaign ended on July 31st, but it doesn't appear that the Nats are ready to give up on the hard-throwing right-hander just yet.

Though he didn't pitch after July 31st, 25-year-old flamethrowing right-hander Henry Rodriguez was there with the Washington Nationals when they clinched the NL East, celebrating with his teammates and soaked in champagne in the home team's clubhouse in Nationals Park. The former Oakland A's prospect, acquired along with OF Corey Brown in a December 2010 trade for Josh Willingham, spent time as the Nats' closer in 2012 when Drew Storen was injured and Brad Lidge struggled on the mound, but after a brief stint as the Nationals' ninth inning option, the control-challenged reliever had a series of injuries to his hand, back and elbow cut his season short after 35 appearances in which he had nine saves, a 5.83 ERA, 5.11 FIP, 22 BB (6.75 BB/9) and 31 Ks (9.51 K/9) in 29.1 IP.

Rodriguez converted eight of his first 10 save opportunities, posting a 2.45 ERA with seven walks (4.29 BB/9) and 21 Ks (12.89 K/9) in 14.2 IP between April 7th and May 12th, but after a blown save against Pittsburgh on May 8th in which Pirates' catcher Ronny Paulino hit a walk-off home run to beat the Nats and another blown save/loss against the Reds three days later in an appearance in which Rodriguez gave up a single and two walks before allowing a walk-off grand slam by Joey Votto, the right-hander had just one more save all season.

In six more appearances in May, one in June and 11 outings in July, over which he had a 7.07 ERA in 14.0 IP in which he allowed 13 walks, 10 hits and 11 runs while missing time after he slammed his finger in a bathroom door and later experienced lower back issues which led to another DL stint, Rodriguez's season ended when he had surgery to remove a bone spur and what was described as a "large bone chip" in his elbow.

According to reports at the time, including one by the Washington Times' Amanda Comak, Nats' team doctor Wiemi Douoghui said once they got a look at Rodriguez's elbow they realized it was, "... in a lot worse shape than he anticipated," which Nats' GM Mike Rizzo told reporters at the time might be a positive sign.

"'He's a power pitcher,'" Rizzo told reporters, "'And if this injury prevented him from performing at his accustomed level, then that's a good thing. Because when he gets healthy, he should revert back to the guy we saw in spring training and the guy we saw at the beginning of the season.'"

Rizzo was not ready to give up on Rodriguez, who'll turn 26 before Spring Training begins next year, and as he explained to 106.7 the FAN in D.C.'s Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier on The Mike Rizzo Show earlier this season, there's a reason you don't give up on pitchers with stuff like Rodriguez's:

"[Rodriguez] came in, remember, as a seventh inning guy for us out of Spring Training and was thrown into a ninth inning role extremely quickly. No one expected [Drew] Storen to go down and [Brad] Lidge to go down, our two closers that we felt very comfortable with before the season started. And all [Rodriguez] did when he was thrown in quickly was [go] 9 for 12 in save opportunities, then had some struggles for sure with his command, but you give up on these guys too quick and they turn out to be Joel Hanrahan on you and it makes you look pretty bad."

Joel Hanrahan was 27 when the Washington Nationals dealt him to Pittsburgh in the trade that brought Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett to D.C. in return for the right-handed reliever and OF Lastings Milledge. Since that deal, Hanrahan, who had 14 saves with a 5.30 ERA, 94 walks (5.04 BB/9) and 171 Ks (9.16 K/9) in 168.0 IP with Washington, has 82 saves over four-plus seasons with Pittsburgh in which he's put up a 2.59 ERA with 98 BB (3.86 BB/9) and 265 Ks (10.40 K/9) in 238 games and 229.1 IP for the Pirates.

Rodriguez pitched on a 1-year/$0.491M dollar deal in 2012, he's not arbitration-eligible in 2014 and he's out of options, so the Nationals are going to have some decisions to make next Spring. Last March, Rodriguez had a 0.75 ERA with two walks and 12 Ks in 12.0 IP in Spring Training. Will Henry Rodriguez be a part of the Nats' 2013 bullpen?