• Programming Note: There is no baseball today. It will be a while (well probably Friday, but after that) it will be a while before we have to say that again. Spring Training is over, real baseball starts tomorrow, weather permitting. The Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Season Opener is just about twenty-five hours away right now, here are some links to get you through the day...
• LINKS AND LINKS AND...
• NATS BEAT:
• "'When you get to the big leagues it’s a whole different story, but I feel like I had a little bit of a head start. My college time was my minor league time.'" - Drew Storen - "Finding great closers remains a tricky proposition" - Dave Sheinin, The Washington Post
• "'I've never had a shot, so I don't have a lot of history with how it's going to react,' LaRoche said. 'It's annoying, because I like to be able to throw a little bit if I need to, but it's good enough to go.'" - "Adam LaRoche homers, says his shoulder is feeling better" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "'For me, Opening Day is a traditional holiday,' Gregory said. 'It's such a special day for me. It always has been.'" - "NBC reporter David Gregory a regular at Nationals Opening Day" - Bill Ladson, MLB.com
• Phil Wood: "I'll have shirts from Hall of Famers Sam Rice, Bucky Harris and Ted Williams, and fan favorites Frank Howard, George Case, Camilo Pascual, Roy Sievers and Mickey Vernon, as well as some styles you may not have seen in many years." - "Show and tell at NatsFest" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• "'You see the ball and catch it,' Rodriguez said. 'I feel comfortable there. I feel good. It’s just another thing in this game that I can do.'" - Pudge Rodriguez on playing first base - "Another zero for Sean Burnett and another position for Ivan Rodriguez" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• The Universe: NASA Spacecraft Snaps 1st Photo of Mercury from Orbit - Yahoo! News: The first spacecraft ever to circle Mercury has beamed home the first-ever photo taken of the small rocky planet from orbit, showing a stark landscape peppered with craters.
• "'That shot, so far, has done exactly what we want it to do. Whether it took some of the inflammation out or just oiled it up a little bit, either way it's feeling noticeably better.'" - Adam LaRoche - "LaRoche homers in return to lineup" - Mark Zuckerman, CSN Washington
• "Remember that time when the Nationals couldn't even spell their own name? That won't be a problem with their new uni set. The short version: It's a mild improvement.'" - "Uni Watch has all the color, patch and pinstripe changes for the 2011 MLB season" -Paul Lukas, ESPN
• Uniform Change Archive: "Nats Sign On to Promote Dubya Book Tour" - Paul Lukas, UniWatch (11/11/10)
• "'I feel great about the potential of our pitching. I think it has really come together [during Spring Training]. It speaks to how good we can be,' Riggleman said.'" - "Nationals banking on improved starting pitching, defense in 2011" - Bill Ladson, MLB.com
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "Alongside our natural ability to empathize with others, we also have a need for others’ kindness."
• "Tyler [Moore] continues to show strength in his wrists and hands like (Braves second baseman) Dan Uggla," [Nationals hitting instructor Rick] Schu said." - "Prospect progress for Hague, Norris, Lombo, Oduber and Moore" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "'Give me three guys with guts, I don’t care all that much about their stuff and I’ll make a bullpen around them,' Davey Johnson once said." - "Nobody knows what makes a good relief pitcher" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post
• NL East predictions - The Washington Post: "The Nationals have finished last in five of their six seasons in D.C., but this could be the year they escape the cellar — maybe for good. If everything goes right then 2012 could get interesting."
• NATSTOWN:
• "Whether you like Riggleman's 'smart ball' or not, Rizzo thinks he's put together a team that will compete this year." - "Nats News Network's 2011 Predictions Edition" - Dave Nichols, Nats News Network
• "$5 tickets for today’s NatsFest and a chance to race the presidents" - Presidents Race Fan, Let Teddy Win!
• "Opening Day - Bold Predictions Edition" - Mac, Capitol Baseball
• "Nats Opening Day sold out without help from Phillies fans?" - The Nationals Enquirer
• "A Washington Nationals Blog: Back At The National Baseball Hall Of Fame & Museum" - Nats320
• SHARKNATSTOWN:
"'No. Bernadina is just hiding. I'm going to find him. I'm going to find him. He's just hiding. Come out, shark!'" - "Shark Still Gone, Nationals Distraught" - Sharkadina, Street Shark: Roger Bernadina's Unofficial Blog
• NATSTOWN:
• "Watching The Wires" - Sue Dinem, NationalsProspects.com
• "Analysts Split on Nats Improvement in 2011" - Jeff Bergin, Stat Boy - Washington Nationals Daily News
• "My season of thanks and looking to this season" - MissChatter, The Chatter Files
• "Nationals’ Storen finishes awful spring with another clunker" - Zack Myles, DC Double Play
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Marlins: "Jeffrey Loria = George Steinbrenner; without the money" - Craig, Fish Stripes
• Mets: "Sports Illustrated's preview issue hits newsstands today, with the entire Phillies rotation on the cover. Unsurprisingly, SI is picking Philadelphia to win the division..." - "My Prediction For The NL East" - Sam Page, Amazin' Avenue
• Phillies: "Quickly dubbed 'R2C2,' the foursome has drawn comparisons to some of Major League Baseball's best rotations, from the Atlanta Braves group that dominated the 1990s, to the 1971 Baltimore Orioles staff that produced four 20-game winners." - Phillies: "Phillies boast big arms" - Larry Fine, Reuters
• Braves: "[Freddie's] literally never been afraid of anything as long as I can remember," his father, Fred Freeman said. "He’s not afraid of people,; he’s not afraid of situations; he’s not afraid to go up to bat in key situations. - "Braves' Freeman mature for a good reason" - Carroll Rogers, ajc.com
• SI.com's Joe Posnanski on Twitter (@JPosnasnki): "Reading Princess Bride, so daughters run around repeating: 'Hello my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'"