• [DY Wave]: MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported a few weeks back that Dmitri Young wanted to make a comeback in 2012. The 38-year-old former Cardinal, Red, Tiger and National dropped 50 pounds and he's playing in the Venezuelan Winter League. Young's not the only player with ties to the Nats playing in the VWL, more on that a little later today. All the best to DY, he's been MLB's Comeback Player of the Year once before, I don't doubt DY can do it again. Nats' prospect Ryan Tatusko reported on the Twitter (@RyanTatusko) that he'd make his first VWL start tonight. Sammy Solis made his second start of the Fall in the AFL last night, links for the results below.
• THE BIG SLIM STORY:
• "While Delmon Young was playing for the Tigers in the MLB postseason Wednesday night, big brother Dmitri was in Venezuela, trying to re-start his own baseball career." - "Dmitri Young in Venezuelan winter league" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post
• NATS BEAT:
• "[Justin] Verlander transformed his approach earlier in his career; [Stephen] Strasburg began the same transformation this fall." - "How Stephen Strasburg can learn from Justin Verlander" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "The finish caps an impressive first year as a closer for Storen, who threw more innings than any closer in baseball except Kimbrel and saved 43 of his team's 80 victories." - "Drew Storen finishes third in reliever award standings" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "By all accounts, Rizzo has done an impressive job rebuilding the Nats, whether restocking their farm system, signing veterans or acquiring key players via trade." - "For new GMs, rebuilding takes time" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "McLaren has served as a scout on two other occasions (in 2006 and 2009 for the Tampa Bay Rays) and does enjoy it, he said, and did again this year, but 'would listen to a coaching job in the right situation.'" - "McLaren 'hopeful' to interview for coaching vacancies; could return to Nats as a scout" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "If you accept the conventional wisdom that the Nationals will go into 2012 with an outfield of Michael Morse, Jayson Werth and a third flychaser to be named later, then who is your designated fourth outfielder?" - "The all-important fourth outfield slot" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• "I still think it's worth getting another reliable pitcher, especially when Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann are both likely to finish short of 200 innings..." - "What kind of pitcher should the Nationals pursue?" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "Affection, honesty, harmony and non-violence are qualities that yield happiness for individuals, families and society at large." -
• AFL UPDATES:
• AFL: Salt River 10, Scottsdale 5: Derek Norris - 0 for 2, 1 R, 2 BB; Sammy Solis - 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's - MLB.com Gameday
• "Sammy Solis wants to 'get the fastball command back a little (tonight). It was a little off last time out so I would like to fill up the zone a little more.'" - "Solis zeroes in on strike zone for tonight's second Arizona start" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "Left-hander Sammy Solis has sometimes allowed runs early and then settled down during his first year of professional ball." - "Solis allows four runs in four innings; Scottsdale falls 10-5" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "AFL Update: October 13, 2011" - NationalsProspects.com
• NATSTOWN:
• "There is a general sense among many in the baseball media that the Washington Nationals are poised to, at the least, attempt to make a huge spash this offseason." - "Five Reasons The Washington Nationals Won't Be Players For C.C. Sabathia" - WIll Yoder, The Nats Blog
• "Key Stat: 89.8. This was John Lannan's average fastball velocity this year. It is a full 1.0 MPH faster than it was last year and 1.3 MPH faster than his career average..." - "A Few Good Men: 3 - Lannan" - Mac, Capitol Baseball
• "There's the video, up above: watch as Nyjer Morgan (or was that Tony Plush?) nearly gets decapitated by a Gaby Sanchez clothesline..." - "Video of that brawl between Nyjer Morgan and the Marlins back in 2010" - Nats Enquirer
• Your Daily Message From SI.com's Joe Posnanski on Twitter (@JPosnanski): "Didn't clock it, but I think Miguel Cabrera went to 1st on the intentional walk about as fast as he ran home after tagging up." -
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Braves: "This is part five of a five part series of posts that will examine the most pressing questions for the Atlanta Braves this off-season. Question Five: Do the Braves have any money to spend?" - "Top-5 Off-Season Questions For The Atlanta Braves: #5" - gondeee, Talking Chop
• Phillies: "'Do the players listen to me? Without a doubt,' [Charlie Manuel] said. 'I know they listen to me. Do every one of them? There might be somebody who didn't get to play or who's upset or something . . . [but] I think they listen to me.'" - "Manuel won't take hit for what ailed Phillies' offense" - Paul Hagen, Philadelphia Daily News
• Moar Phillies: "If the Phillies' priority in the coming years is to infuse younger talent at the major-league level, they will do it with Joe Jordan overseeing the development of the farm system." - "Phillies hire Baltimore's Joe Jordan to oversee farm system" - Matt Gelb, Philadelphia Inquirer
• Mets: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2011 Dickeys, the most prestigious Mets awards on the internet. We begin the festivities with The Dickey for Best Rookie." - "The Dickeys: Amazin' Avenue 2011 Mets Awards, Best Rookie" - Chris McShane, Amazin' Avenue
• Marlins: "If the allegations are true, it wasn’t the first time Beckett killed time in the clubhouse during a game. He and Brad Penny did that with the Marlins in 2003, prompting manager Jack McKeon to lock the clubhouse door during games." - "Jack McKeon recalls locking the Marlins clubhouse door to keep Josh Beckett and others in the dugout" - Joe Capozzi, Fish Tank, The Palm Beach Post