'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
In the Nationals' brief history, Greinke represents one of their greatest "What if?" questions. What if the right-hander hadn't nixed the rumored trade that would've brought him to D.C. instead of Milwaukee before the 2011 season — and possibly cost the Nationals multiple members of their core?
According to one source with knowledge of the discussion, the Nationals have already indicated they will exercise the 2014 option on Rizzo's contract, securing him through at least next season. But their focus remains on a longer-term commitment.
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray, in Florida for the weekend to attend the Washington Nationals' Grapefruit League opener, discussed the area around Nationals Park on Sunday morning and said he's pleased with what it has become.
Over the course of a roughly 10-minute session, Lerner chatted about everything Nationals -- including getting over Game 5, the organization's spring training venue situation, ticket sales, payroll, construction around the ballpark and the prospect of luring an All-Star Game.
The Washington Nationals parted ways with left-hander Sean Burnett on Wednesday afternoon when Burnett agreed to a two-year deal with a club option with the Los Angeles Angels.
Under a cloudless sky that whipped cold wind into a sea of red, the end arrived at 2:08 p.m. local time.
Ted Lerner watched the raucous, champagne- and beer-spraying celebration from the corner of the Washington Nationals' clubhouse, sipping Dom Perignon alongside his wife, Annette.
Four Washington Nationals were named to the 2012 National League All-Star team. Three of them are here for the event, joined by principal owner Ted Lerner, representing one of the most intriguing teams in baseball this season.
"To get from the Dead Sea — below sea level — to going up Mount Everest, it's a long haul," Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner said of the team's farm system. "Doing it in just five years, patting ourselves on the back, it's pretty phenomenal."
Let's say it in one simple sentence: The Nats would be nuts to sign Prince Fielder.
Bruce Boudreau recalled Thanksgiving 2007 with a certain amount of awe. Just named coach of the Washington Capitals, he was walking from the practice facility atop Ballston Common Mall to the food court and then his temporary housing at a nearby apartment cloaked in anonymity.
As a 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook the Virginia, Maryland, D.C. area — and much of the rest of the East Coast on Tuesday afternoon, Washington Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner watched as the center field scoreboard in his team's park swayed back and forth.
Jan Vesely's magic moment came when he kissed his girlfriend on ESPN and shook hands with NBA commissioner David Stern. Bobby Lucas' magic moment came when he attended a pre-game reception at Nationals Park and shook hands with team owner Mark Lerner.
The Nationals spent a good deal of spring training talking about the differences in their clubhouse.
Washington Nationals' first-round draft choice Ross Detwiler sauntered out to the mound at RFK Stadium last night with his $2.15 million left arm and bounced the ceremonial first pitch in the dirt to catcher Brian Schneider.
Greinke, who signed a six-year, $147 million deal with Los Angeles this offseason, wanted to tell Lerner that everything the Nationals had sold him on was right.
Zack Greinke impressed by Nationals' rise, but doesn't dwell on decision →
"I talked to [Lerner and the Nationals' front office staff] for a couple hours, probably," the right-hander said Tuesday afternoon, before he'd help the Dodgers take the three-game series from the Nationals.
Zack Greinke impressed by Nationals' rise, but doesn't dwell on decision →
