Washington Nationals: Five Takeaways From The Grapefruit League
By Ron Juckett
With Spring Training nearly over for the Washington Nationals, here are five things to take away from Florida to watch for this season.
The Washington Nationals are done with their annual visit to the Grapefruit League.
Although the new Ballpark of the Palm Beaches impressed those who visited, no one will miss the constant games with the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins in nearby Jupiter. Even seven against the interesting Houston Astros lost luster after a while.
Unlike the endless NFL Training Camps, there is good reason Major League Baseball plays nearly 40 games that do not count. It takes time to build shoulder strength for pitchers and for batters to get their swing timing correct for the long marathon to follow.
We see the potential stars of tomorrow like Erick Fedde and Victor Robles or marvel at Matt Albers and Joe Nathan trying one more comeback. Spring in West Palm Beach gives us a look at the fun summer days ahead. After a long winter, to see any baseball is better than none.
The statistics for this time of year are a guide, not facts set in stone. The record is like the television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Scores are made up and the win-loss record does not matter.
Still, what we saw the last few weeks in the Florida sunshine sets the table and tone for the season to come. The Nationals purpose this year is to return to the playoffs and advance. How they do that gets interesting in a good way.
With the focus turning to a brief prelude at home—and the real season on Monday—here are the ten takeaways from our endless Florida vacation.
As everyone heads back to work that counts, early returns are good.