Nat's Dynasty

[bigbreg7]

04/01/05

New Name, New Stadium, New Hopes

The Washington Nationals are back and ready for their first season since before most residents here were born. The ol' town team hopes to keep fresh hopes alive in Washington, and why wouldn't they? The Nationals have a great team sporting the uniform this year, we can only hope they reach their potential. With names like Livan Hernandez, Jose Vidro, and Jose Guillen leading the charge, media and fans alike have the Nat's penciled in to at the very least get out the cellar that the former Expo's annually found themselves in. However, the Nationals don't have an easy division to compete in. The Marlins, Phillies, Mets, and Braves all have an equal shot at winning the National League West. Veteran third baseman Vinny Castilla was quoted as saying, "Facing pitchers like Tim Hudson (ATL), Dontrelle Willis (FLA), and Pedro [Martinez] (NYM) a couple times a season is no easy task."

Nevertheless the players share the enthusiasm of the fans. As preseason came to a close it was clear that the team had bonded. "We're really a family," said rookie outfielder Ryan Church, "A crazy, crazy family."

Speaking of rookies, it appears as though the Nationals will be sporting four of them on their active roster. Outfielder Ryan Church, rightfielder Val Pascucci, and relievers Gary Majewski and Roy Corcoran. Here's hoping that veterans Vinny Castilla and Esteban Loiaza can help the rookies with coping in the MLB.

Not much in the way of rumors this early in the season. No names have really been mentioned in trade, but a few have come up in free agency. Starters Shane Reynolds and Omar Daal may have been contacted to add a little insurance to the rotation. Also mentioned was defensive third baseman Damien Rolls, but word is he is very close to signing with the Dodgers.

Until next time, this is the National's news desk. Your source for Nat's news as well as the MLB, everyday.

National's Lineup

1: Endy Chavez, CF #
2: Brad Wilkerson, 1B #
3: Jose Vidro, 2B
4: Jose Guillen, LF *
5: Val Pascucci, RF
6: Vinny Castilla, 3B
7: Brian Schneider, C #
8: Christian Guzman, SS
[Pitcher's Slot]

Ryan Church, OF
Peter Bergeron, OF
Jeffery Hammonds, OF *
Jamey Carroll, IF
Nick Johnson, 1B #
Keith Osik, C

National's Rotation

1: Livan Hernandez *
2: Esteban Loiaza *
3: Zach Day
4: Tomo Ohka #
5: John Patterson

Roy Corcoron, MR
Rocky Biddle, MR
Gary Majewski, MR
Luis Ayala, SU
Joey Eischen, SU
Antonio Osuna, CL *

* = contract expires
# = arbitration eligible

Top National's Prospects

1: Shawn Hill, P (AAA)
2: Brendan Harris, 2B (AA)
3: Chad Cordero, P (AA)
4: Gary Majewski, P (MLB)
5: Roy Corcoran, P (MLB)

[bigbreg7]

04/04/05:

Week One Rumblings

Although there was one game played this week, there is still some events that we here at the National's News Desk need to discuss.

In the season opener that pitted the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees, the Red Sox scored five against the Big Unit in an eight-two win. The big news, however, was a major injury to star rightfielder Gary Sheffield. Word has it that Sheffield injured his wrist prior to the game. Upon further examination, it seems as though Sheffield will nee up to seven months to heal. The Yankees have not commented on the situation.

Oddly enough the trade winds are also blowing out of New York. The Yankees finished a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals that sent pitcher Jason Anderson to St. Louis in return for pitchers Chris Widger and Steve Woodard. On the free agency front there were a few deals that stood out: First baseman John Olerud and catcher Todd Hundley to Cleveland, first baseman Brad Fullmer to Oakland, first baseman Mo Vaughn to Arizona, and pitchers Brian Boehringer and Omar Daal to Pittsburgh. Also, the Nat's pursuit of both Shane Reynolds and Damien Rolls fell short as they went to the Royals and Dodgers, respectively.