Brian McNally

Updated: Sun, Mar 10, 2013

The Nationals are intently monitoring the World Baseball Classic -- especially Team USA and two of its own pitchers, Ross Detwiler and Gio Gonzalez. The United States advanced to the second round of pool play Sunday with a 9-4 victory over Canada in Phoenix. And that second round is where...

Updated: Sun, Mar 10, 2013

New starter is figuring out his role in Washington LAKELAND, Fla. -- Dan Haren is still figuring out where he fits into the potent Washington Nationals' rotation. Haren went a spring-high four innings, allowing two earned runs in a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Rick Porcello...

Jim Williams

Updated: Sat, Mar 9, 2013

The World Baseball Classic is in full swing, and the MLB Network has pulled out all the stops in its exclusive coverage. By the time the event ends March 19 with the championship game at AT&T Park in San Francisco, the network will have aired all 39 games. The success of the WBC has come...

Brian McNally

Updated: Thu, Mar 7, 2013

The rumblings were there even before spring training started. The Yankees are old, Alex Rodriguez is hurt and for the first time in years they lost more than they gained in the free agent market. It seemed possible that someone other than Boston in the American League East -- maybe Tampa Bay or...

Thom Loverro

Updated: Wed, Mar 6, 2013

So ESPN's "Sports Science" has determined Bo Jackson is the greatest athlete of all time. What does Jim Thorpe have to do -- have his grave moved to Bristol, Conn., the home of ESPN, to get anyone to remember him? Does "all time" include before ESPN went on the air? I know this is an...

Brian McNally

Updated: Tue, Mar 5, 2013

Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth broke his wrist last May, spent three months healing and then reappeared in August as exactly what his team needed and didn't have: A leadoff hitter. That's not what you would expect from a player given $126 million in free agency before the 2011 season. But if...

Thom Loverro

Updated: Mon, Mar 4, 2013

VIERA, Fla. Describing the 2013 Washington Nationals' roster is sort of like explaining how beautiful Cindy Crawford is. But there is that mole above her lip. The closest thing to a Cindy Crawford mole on the Nationals' roster may be Danny Espinosa, who is entering his third season as the...

Updated: Sun, Mar 3, 2013

Third baseman makes spring debut -- but at DH VIERA, Fla. -- Ryan Zimmerman won't test his surgically repaired right shoulder defensively in a game until later this month. He got his bat going Sunday. Zimmerman went 1-for-3 with a RBI single in his spring training debut as the Nationals...

John Keim

Updated: Sun, Mar 3, 2013

The timing worked for Joe Flacco. It didn't work for Mike Trout. And when it comes to contracts, timing is what matters. Thus a guy such as Flacco can become the NFL's highest-paid player. Which, of course, reminds us that the highest-paid player does not equate to being the best player. If it...

Chuck King

Updated: Sat, Mar 2, 2013

Rendon remains hot with another home run JUPITER, Fla. -- Gio Gonzalez won his second exhibition start for the Washington Nationals, allowing two runs and five hits in three innings in a 6-2 victory Saturday over the St. Louis Cardinals. "My arm feels good," Gonzalez said. "I feel healthy. I...