Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! As you enjoy tonight’s matchup between the Nationals and the Cubs, get caught up on all the latest Nats news with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s John Jackson discusses the ever-important versatility of Nationals’ right-hander Tanner Roark. As Jackson notes, Roark did an admirable job in his first start of the season yesterday and his performance is a testament to how crucial he his for this ball club.
Last season, Roark was not only a great starting pitcher for the Nationals, but he was also one of the best starters in all of baseball—winning 15 games and posting a 2.85 ERA. When the Nationals signed Max Scherzer, however, there wasn’t room for Roark in the rotation and he was relegated to a bullpen roll.
Despite the fact that he’s no longer a starter, Roark is still crucial to the Nationals. He’s pitched well in the bullpen, and he’s able to step into the rotation whenever necessary—just as he did yesterday. Depending on how long Doug Fister is on the disabled list, we may see several more starts from Roark in the coming weeks. Or, he may be back in the bullpen. Either way, he’ll be a key part of the team throughout the season.
Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga discusses a Newseum exhibit that will open this summer chronicling the 10-year history of the Nationals. As Svrluga notes, the Nationals don’t have a long history like the Yankees, but they certainly have a history and it’s good to see the Neuseum honoring that history this summer.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
On the spot: Unselfish Roark provides big lift
CHICAGO — After winning 15 games with an earned run average of 2.85 in one season, most pitchers would throw a fit if they were unceremoniously dumped from the starting rotation the next season and relegated to a supporting role in the bullpen.
Tanner Roark, though, is not most pitchers.
In fact, after winning his first start of the season Monday as the Nationals edged the Cubs, 2-1, at Wrigley Field, the hard-throwing right-hander was a bit taken aback when it was suggested he might have reacted negatively to the move.
Roark, 28, wouldn’t even concede that he took the mound with something to prove. Read full article here.
The Nationals’ brief history goes on display at the Newseum
(Barry Svrluga, Washington Post)
For so much of their existence, the Washington Nationals didn’t so much make news as just exist. They arrived here in 2005, falling from the sky, the team owned by Major League Baseball, playing to a fan base scorned by the sport a generation earlier. They weren’t wholly nascent, because they had a history as the Montreal Expos and they came to a city with a baseball tradition that dated back a century, even if it included the departure of not one, but two major league teams, even if it was largely defined by losing.
Now, we’re 10 years in. The Nationals — just the Nationals, not the Expos or the Senators or the Twins or the Rangers — have a history of their own. No, it’s not replete with 27 World Series titles (Yankees) or marked by a curse (Red Sox and Cubs). Of course it’s not as long as the Cincinnati Reds (133 years), but it doesn’t even rival the teenaged Tampa Bay Rays (born in 1998). Read full article here.