Sean and Eireann Doolittle are back. Sean also talks to Jomboy. Eric Thames talks KBO ball. It’s a big day full of Nationals links, and as soon as we stop blah blah blah-ing you can start reading all the stories, so we won’t drag this out too much longer and will instead just say: Go read your links...
NATS BEAT:
Will age matter for Nationals in a shortened season? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"The league has lost about a fifth of the season already. Any restart would need three weeks of spring training."
Mendoza enjoyed switch to first base, eager to get back to baseball - (MASN)
"I got the opportunity to catch up with Nationals prospect Drew Mendoza recently to see how it has been for him since spring training was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic."
A short time ago in a home far, far away…
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 4, 2020
' @EireannDolan@whatwouldDOOdo@starwars#MayThe4thBeWithYou#NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/uhj4GZRn2u
Casting Nats players as "Star Wars" characters - (MASN)
"Monday was May 4. For 'Star Wars' fans, it’s an unofficial national holiday. Why? Cause it’s May the Fourth. As in: 'May the Forth be with you.' Yeah, it’s cheesy. Guess what? So is 'Star Wars.'"
Who was the Nationals' opponent when they clinched their first division title? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"The Nationals were ahead of schedule in 2012. They turned the corner from not-so-good, or worse, to fighting for the National League’s best record."
Kendrick's dramatic homer ranks near top of change-of-fortune hits in baseball history - (MASN)
"All Nationals fans would admit that Howie Kendrick’s two-run homer in the World Series Game 7 was a big moment in franchise history."
Rizzo finally received his 'ultimate season' - (MLB.com)
"Mike Rizzo experienced the ultimate baseball high last October, watching the team he had assembled win the final game of the year."
State of the Nats roster: Outfield - (MASN)
"We don’t know when the Nationals will take the field again as a team, but when that glorious day does arrive, we know exactly how they’ll line up from left to right in the outfield."
NATIONAL(S) BEAT:
Can The Nats' Farm Produce More Stars? - (MLB Trade Rumors)
"The Nationals won the 2019 World Series and have much the same core in place for the next several seasons … with one major exception."
If you're a Nationals fan todays episode with @whatwouldDOOdo is must listen.
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) May 4, 2020
• clubhouse chemistry
• Soto Shuffle
• Prepping for the Astros
• The playoff balls
• a lot more
Listen: https://t.co/KUdKd92Qis
Watch: https://t.co/dpsAVia8hT pic.twitter.com/WFB3MefzHN
Who has MLB's best slider? Big names top list, with Nationals rotation mates fighting for No. 1 spot - (CBSSports.com)
"Although Corbin toned down his slider usage a little during his first season in D.C., he still threw it 37 percent of the time. Why wouldn't he?"
Nats slugger Eric Thames reveals three players not to miss in the Korean baseball league - (Yahoo!Life)
"Washington Nationals slugger and 2015 MVP of the Korean Baseball Organization Eric Thames joins Yahoo Sports' Mike Oz to discuss what viewers can expect to see during American broadcasts of the KBO's 2020 season."
1 guy you forgot was ever on your favorite team - (MLB.com)
"NATIONALS: Iván Rodríguez - Pudge is a legend in Texas, where he spent the majority of his career and solidified himself as one of the best catchers in baseball history."
NL EAST UPDATES:
A Phillies Pitcher Had the Worst Relief Performance of All-Time: This Day in Sports History - (The Big Lead)
"[O]n May 5, 1938, Kelleher set a baseball record by giving up 12 runs in a single inning in what would become the final game of his major league career."
This exhausting Mets classic took nearly 7 hours to finish - (NY Post)
"In the early part of another forgettable season in Queens, the Mets and Cardinals played a game no one would forget on April 17, 2010."
Why a shortened MLB season would help Marlins’ playoff chances in 2020 - (Fish Stripes)
"A shorter season means teams who weren’t expected to compete over a full one could remain in the playoff race if they got off to an extended hot start."
For Brian Snitker, delivering beer as a teenager was never dull – (The Athletic)
"But before spending more than four-plus decades in the Braves organization — first as a minor-league player, then coaching and managing roles at virtually every level — Snitker had a series of the kind of blue-collar jobs one might expect after getting to know him or simply spending 20 minutes with him."