NATIONALS NOTEBOOK
Team Pictures Fresh Start With New Additions
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Saturday, August 2, 2008
A sign in the clubhouse listed three requirements for yesterday's annual team photo session, which happened to fall on the day after the Washington Nationals remodeled their image. Don't wear running shoes, the sign said. Keep facial hair neat. Wear the home whites.
Then, at 3 p.m. -- with bleachers erected in the second base area of the infield -- the new-look Nationals converged for the first time. In step with the passing of baseball's trading deadline and the onset of Thursday's veteran purge, the 25 Nationals who began their series against Cincinnati last night were saddled with a nine-game losing streak but were keen on making a fresh start.
The starting lineup included three players not on the 25-man roster the night before: Elijah Dukes in left, Alberto González at short, Emilio Bonifacio at second. In the clubhouse, Dukes talked about how his quick recovery from a knee injury would give him two months to reestablish his hot bat; Manager Manny Acta, meanwhile, affirmed that Bonifacio "came over here to play second base every day and lead off."
Bonifacio (No. 6) and González (No. 12) moved into clubhouse lockers once occupied by an empty space and Rob Mackowiak, respectively. Music blared in the clubhouse before the game. Based on their current 25-man roster, the Nationals had transformed themselves in 24 hours into baseball's youngest team (average age: 27 years, 197 days), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Acta acknowledged that "you can't erase all the losses we have," but for many of his players, August represents a second chance.
"It's always big to finish strong," said Dukes, out since July 5. "If the Marlins can do it, why not us?"
Mock Back to Columbus
To reduce their roster to 25, the Nationals sent Garrett Mock -- promoted just more than a week ago -- back to Class AAA Columbus. His recent performance as a reliever (3 1/3 innings, no runs) had nothing to do with the move; the team simply couldn't afford to demote a position player, because Cristian Guzmán and Ryan Zimmerman are listed as day-to-day with injuries.
