• EXTRA! EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT!! Nationals on everyone's list of teams interested in Yu Darvish! Extra! Extra! Read all about it, Matt Purke had a good attitude about getting knocked around! Extra! Extra! Read all about it!! P-Nats exploring options for a new home! Extra! Extra! Read all about it!! Japanese baseballs are more like MLB balls now! Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!! Home plate from Griffith Stadium is not where it's supposed to be!! Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Jesus Flores continues to swing a hot bat!! Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Calvin Griffith cursed D.C. baseball!! Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The Nats' 2011 Draft picks are all over the news!! Extra! Extra! Read all about it...ROUND TABLE!!!
• THE BIG STORY!!:
• "Our Nats round table consists of the following: Mark Zuckerman, Nats Insider and beat reporter for CSN Washington; Edward Chigliak, Federal Baseball; Drew Kinback, NatsNQ; Dave Nichols, District Sports Page; Tom Blaz, DC Pro Sports Report, Chief Editor and Co-Owner of Recruiting Eagle" - "Washington Nationals Season Ending Roundtable" - DC Pro Sports Report
• NATS BEAT:
• "There’s no question Washington got the short end of the television stick when the Expos relocated here in 2005. To placate the volatile Orioles owner, MLB gave him 90 percent of MASN." - "The Washington Nationals deserve a better TV deal" - Tracee Hamilton, The Washington Post
• "Remember in July 2010 when the Nationals traded Adam Dunn to the White Sox for Edwin Jackson? Of course you don't, since that trade never happened." - "Jackson's lack of command and the Nats" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• "The Nationals' first-round pick from the 2011 draft, Anthony Rendon, is still not expected to attend the Arizona Fall League, according to Nationals Director of Player Development Doug Harris." - "Rendon still not expected to attend AFL" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "Bryce Harper, somewhat predictably, is starting to heat up in the Arizona Fall League. He's 8-for-23 in his last six games..." - "Monday morning Nationals notes" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "Seriously, if you've ignored this series (for whatever reason) it's time to join the fun. You'll be glad you did." - "Does baseball really need more postseason?" - Mark Zuckerman, Nats Insider
• "Again, it was a joke, but it still jumps out at you that the Mariners of Seattle, Washington, and the Washington, D.C., Nationals have never played in the Fall Classic." - "Calvin's Curse still hangs around" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• "When C.J. Wilson starts Game 5 of the World Series, it could be his last outing for the Texas Rangers. The left-hander can become a free agent next month." - "Rangers' Wilson tunes out talk about free agency" - Stephen Hawkins, Washington Times
• "The Rangers do little to recognize their first 11 seasons in Washington. There are a couple of pages in the media guide, and the club museum at the stadium has an old Senators jersey hanging in it." - "D.C. fans didn't follow franchise to Texas" - Phil Wood, Washington Examiner
• "In an interview on Thursday, Purke had mentioned that things weren't entirely where he'd like them to be as he got his work in at the Arizona Fall League." - "First Purke impressions and a word of caution before panic" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "They've already started; Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes were linked to the Nationals in reports this week..." "Approach the Nationals' winter plans with some perspective" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "As our own peace of mind grows, so the atmosphere around us becomes more peaceful."
• NATS AFL/WINTER LEAGUE/MINOR LEAGUE UPDATES:
• "'[Brian] Goodwin made huge strides at instructs,' [Doug] Harris said. 'The last three days, he put together some of the best at-bats we had seen.'" - "Goodwin makes 'huge strides' at instructional league" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "Phillies prospect Darin Ruf also homered and drove in two runs for the Scorpions, while Nationals Minor Leaguer Zach Walters added his first Fall League long ball." - "Crawford sparks Scorpions past Dogs" - Robert Emrich, MLB.com: News
• "Being able to see new draftees Matt Purke, Anthony Rendon, Alex Meyer and Brian Goodwin working out and in the system gives the Nationals a running start for 2012 in their minor leagues." - "Nationals draft rated No. 1: Rising talent level in system not going unnoticed" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• Liga de Beisbol Dominicano: Jhonatan Solano - 2 for 2, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI - Tigres del Licey - 11, Aguilas Cibaenas 6.
• Liga de Beisbol Dominicano: Eury Perez - 1 for 4, 1 K - Leones del Escogido 9, Toros del Este 2.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Gregor Blanco 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K - Tiburones de La Guaira 5, Margarita 2.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Josh Wilkie - 1.1 IP, S (3), 2 K's, 19 P, 13 S - Leones del Caracas 10, Cardenales de Lara 5.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Carlos Maldonado - 0 for 2, 2 BB; Adrian Sanchez - 0 for 3; Seth Bynum, 1 for 1, 1 HR, 3 RBI's - Aguilas del Zulia 8, Caribes de Anzaoategui 6.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: - Jesus Flores 1 for 4, 2 K's - Navegantes del Magallanes 2, Tigres de Aragua, 1
• Liga Mexicana del Pacifico: Patrick McCoy - 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB - Mayos de Navojoa 5, Venados de Mazatlan 3
• "The condition of Pfitzner Stadium has irked the parent Nationals for several years, with things coming to a head in July..." - "P-Nats exploring sites for new stadium" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "The 6-foot-9, 220-lb., right-hander struck out 110 hitters in 101 innings last season with the Wildcats, and features what the Nationals call three plus pitches..." - "Nationals adjust Meyer's delivery during instructional league work" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "AFL Update: October 23, 2011" - NationalsProspects.com
• "Winter League Roundup" - NationalsProspects.com
• NATSTOWN:
• "Hale probably has a a worse chance of landing the job in Washington than he does landing the Boston job." - "Hale to the Chief?" - Nats Enquirer
• "The Nationals love affair with Scott Boras seems to be stronger than ever, which helps Fielder, though ultimately I don't think Fielder will sign with the Nats either." - "Why Albert Pujols Won't Join the Nationals" - Joe Drugan, The Nats Blog
• "Tom Milone – Age 24 – Under team control until at least 2014 How He Became A Nat: Drafted by Washington in the 10th round of the 2008 Amateur Draft." - "A Few Good Men 10 - Milone" - Sean, Capitol Baseball
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Mets: "From the cover story, 'Dr. K Is King of the Hill': "Off the field, Gooden is also the picture of control. ...'I think it's just another natural gift of Dwight's,' Strawberry says, 'handling New York, handling the media, handling the money.'" - "Things We Didn't Know Back In 1986" - Rob Castellano, Amazin' Avenue
• Phillies: "Lately, I've been seeing way too many people make the following bad argument for why Jimmy Rollins shouldn't be re-signed..." - "Even If Jimmy Rollins Will Be Vastly Overpaid in the Last Year of His Next Contract, That Alone Isn't a Good Enough Reason to Let Him Walk" - taco pal, The Good Phight
• Marlins: "Bloomberg Businessweek as part of its sports issue ranked the Florida Marlins No. 2 among the smartest spenders among all franchises in the four major sports over the last five years." - "Businessweek tabs Florida Marlins among smartest spenders in sports" – Juan C. Rodriguez, Florida Marlins – Sun-Sentinel
• MUST READ: Braves: "To find out how it’s done, we asked Ed Wade, general manager of the Houston Astros, and Frank Wren, his counterpart with the Atlanta Braves—as well as some of their scouts and players—to reconstruct a swap they made just before baseball’s July 31 trading deadline." - "Anatomy of a Baseball Trade" - Rob Gloster, Businessweek
• Stuff I Read In The Sunday NY TIMES:
• "Nippon Professional Baseball required each team to use a single manufacturer’s ball this season for major-league play. The results included robust numbers on the mound and a decrease in home runs." - "Japan’s Standardized Baseballs Are Popular With Pitchers" - Brad Lefton, NYTimes.com
• "Last week, after more than five years of hectoring by the former Washington Senators public-address announcer Charlie Brotman, a sign marking Griffith Stadium — where the tape measure home run was born — was finally erected on Seventh Street NW." - "No True Sense of History Without a Sense of Place" - Jane Leavy, NYTimes.com