District Daily: Matt Williams’ plan to keep Nationals fresh, Denard Span trying to keep his rhythm
By Pablo Roa
Sep 9, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams (9) walks off the field after a pitching change during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Washington Nationals defeated against the Atlanta Braves 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Good morning DoD readers! Start off your day with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web in today’s District Daily:
Sim game, workouts on tap for Nats to stay fresh
WASHINGTON — By virtue of winning their division, the Nationals will have a four-day break between Sunday’s regular-season finale and next Friday’s National League Division Series opener. That schedule provides an opportunity to rest, but also to get rusty.
To combat that, Nats manager Matt Williams is working on a plan to ensure his club is ready for the postseason when it arrives.
“I think it’s important for us to concentrate on staying as sharp as possible,” he said. “It’s difficult, because to create a game situation is difficult. And there’s nothing like getting in the game and playing it and having some big, hairy guy throwing 98 mph at you.” Read full article here.
Span seeing action in final games to ‘keep his rhythm’
WASHINGTON — Denard Span still has what he called “a pretty good gash” on his right knee, but the Nationals center fielder and leadoff man was back in the lineup for Friday’s 4-0 win over the Marlins, the first game of a doubleheader in which the Nats clinched the top seed in the National League for the playoffs.
Span went 1-for-4 with a walk in his return.
“It feels all right,” Span said of his knee. “I was a little rusty since I hadn’t played a full game since Saturday. It was a little stiff, but as the game went on, it got better and better.” Read full article here.
Asdrubal Cabrera gives Washington Nationals a steady hand and stellar glove
(James Wagner, Washington Post)
Years ago, Asdrubal Cabrera got his first taste of baseball pressure in the form of a deal with his father. Like so many teens in his native Venezuela, Cabrera loved baseball; his father, who made a living as a truck driver, told his son if he didn’t sign with a major league team by the time he was 17, he needed to get a degree and pursue another career.
Less than four months after turning 16, Cabrera signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2002, easily beating his father’s deadline. Within three years, he was at Class AAA. By 2007, at age 21, he was in the big leagues. Read full article here.