Wire Taps: Washington Nationals on their names, a John Lannan story + more Nats links...

All you have to know is that John Lannan is down there in the links today. Always nice to see an old favorite pop up in the news doing well. There’s also a story about Stephen Strasburg and his changeup and a bunch of Nationals explaining where they go their names from, and it’s really interesting actually. Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

Nationals’ Strengths No. 3: Stephen Strasburg’s changeup - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Stephen Strasburg’s best pitch wasn’t supposed to be the changeup."

What's in a name? Nationals explain their own - (MLB.com)
"Max Scherzer: I think my dad had a pet dog in college, and then they liked the name Max and it just kind of stuck."

Revisiting the trade that brought Adam Eaton to the Nationals - (MASN)
"The Nationals were in dire need of a starting outfielder who could be a workhorse at the top of the lineup. Eaton fit that bill."

"Nationals Supreme Court: What was the worst postseason managerial decision in team history? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Remember when the Nationals were tortured losers in the postseason? Of course you do. That life persisted until Oct. 30, 2019."

Nationals all-time best shortstops - (MLB.com)
"No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise..."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Fredericksburg Nationals will host a Virtual Opening Day - (WTOP)
"Peanuts and Cracker Jack are still OK, but taking me out to the ballgame is not possible right now. Instead, the Fredericksburg Nationals will hold a Virtual Opening Day on Thursday, which was supposed to be their first day in their new home."

Cropley adjusts to new workout plan during coronavirus shutdown - (KMEG)
"Much like the rest of our country, that thought had never crossed the mind of Tyler Cropley, who played high school ball at Bishop Heelan, before going on to an outstanding career at the University of Iowa. And is now playing in the Washington Nationals minor-league system."

Ex-pitcher John Lannan gets a baptism of fire as Blue Jays mental skills coach – (The Athletic)
"As he walked into a Toronto waterfront hotel in October 2018, John Lannan was pumped. He was a grad student attending his first big conference."

Catching Up with…Sean Nicol - (Mayflies & Big Flies)
"Without baseball on the horizon, I’m using this time to connect with former Senators."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Now a hitting coach, Pat Burrell wonders how much better 2020 data would have made him - (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
"Burrell always thought he wanted to be back in uniform at some point but wasn't interested in all the travel."

Pete Alonso starts foundation to help combat coronavirus - (New York Daily News)
"Part of Alonso’s mission includes nominating a hero, where folks can fill out a form on his website and describe why that person deserves some recognition."

A-Rod/J-Lo reported bid to buy Mets includes investor who lost out on Marlins to Derek Jeter group - (Sporting News)
"Is Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez's reported bid to buy the Mets being fueled by Derek Jeter envy or smart business?"

Self scouting report: Marlins' Tristan Pompey - (MLB.com)
"Evaluating himself using a Major League Scouting Bureau report and the 20-to-80 scouting scale, basing his grades on the standards set by the Bureau, Pompey noted an opportunity to improve in all areas, and an understanding of where he can make improvements."

Snitker tells tales of 'ultimate baseball guy' Cox - (MLB.com)
"Braves manager Brian Snitker recently received a text from Bobby Cox’s wife, Pam, that read, 'Bobby wants to know when the [heck] are you going to start playing baseball?'"