The wind swirled through Nationals Park, past the red carpet stretching from dugout to Kentucky bluegrass mowed in a diamond pattern. Fireworks popped and, microphone in hand, James Brown bellowed the name of everyone from the assistant clubhouse manager to Screech, the Washington Nationals' hyperactive, eaglelike mascot.
Inside the inferno, Drew Storen paced back and forth.
Taking a look at the roster the Nationals will break the 2012 season with.
Tyler Clippard remembers it well, the bullpen that birthed his All-Star relief career. It was horrible.
With Jordan Zimmermann's four scoreless innings Saturday afternoon, the Washington Nationals completed their third full turn through their starting rotation this spring.
Sean Burnett worked through his repertoire pitch by pitch, knocking off the rust in a bullpen session typical of the early days of spring training. It would be a few more days before he and his fellow Washington Nationals pitchers had a chance to face batters, so Burnett was throwing for an audience of one - catcher Sandy Leon.
Nationals spring training roster
The Washington Nationals and John Lannan earned the distinction of being the first to argue an arbitration case in Major League Baseball this year as the two sides presented their cases in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Wednesday, a source confirmed.
Brad Lidge has been to the top of the mountain - and on the bottom of the pile. He's been the man on the mound when the World Series championship is decided, the one spreading his arms, ready to receive a jubilant catcher after reaching the sport's pinnacle.
