Washington Nationals News: Ryan Zimmerman discusses PED allegations
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily features stories onWashington Nationals infielder Ryan Zimmerman’s comments about his PED allegations and Dusty Baker‘s pitching options.
Good afternoon DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s James Wagner discusses some interesting comments made by Ryan Zimmerman yesterday regarding the PED allegations he faced this winter.
Zimmerman was one of several athletes linked to performance enhancing drugs in a documentary by Al Jazeera America that aired in late December. Zimmerman, along with many of the athletes mentioned in the report, vehemently denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against Al Jazeera earlier this year.
Yesterday, Zimmerman discussed the allegations with manager Dusty Baker and the media, once again denying the report and any link to performance-enhancing drugs.
Here’s part of what Zimmerman had say, via Wagner’s article:
"“I’ve never done any of that,” Zimmerman said, referring to banned substances. “I’ve never thought about doing any of that. It’s a tough spot. You do everything the right way. You work. You think something like this will never happen, and then, for some reason, it does.”"
Also in today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Jamal Collier discusses the tough decisions that Baker has to make with the Nationals’ pitching staff this spring.
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.
Emotional Ryan Zimmerman fields questions about PED allegations
(James Wagner, Washington Post)
VIERA, Fla. — Before he publicly addressed allegations about performance-enhancing-drug use for the first time, Ryan Zimmerman wanted to talk to Washington Nationals Manager Dusty Baker. Both happened to arrive at Space Coast Stadium at the same time Tuesday morning, but Zimmerman followed Baker into his office. “Most people don’t follow me into the office unless they’re invited,” Baker thought to himself.
Zimmerman then sat and told Baker how sad, angry and embarrassed he was about the allegations that surfaced in the Al Jazeera America documentary that aired in late December. He wanted Baker to know what was going on. “I could see the hurt in his voice,” Baker said. Read full article here.
Baker faces tough choices regarding pitchers
VIERA, Fla. — Dusty Baker has only overseen a few days of workouts during the Nationals’ Spring Training, yet he is already considering the decisions he will have to make by the end of camp.
“I’ve had some good teams,” Baker said, “but these are the toughest pitching decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
Baker is still learning about his new team, but he spent the first few days raving about the talent he has seen — and the first full-squad workout is not even until Thursday. Read full article here.