Inside the Chiefs

Dukes, Strasburg and Storen - stories of the week

2010-03-20T17:36:50Z

The Washington Nationals released outfielder Elijah Dukes earlier this week after speing three years in the organization. The Nationals decided that Dukes who struggled this spring would not be in their plans for the future and gave him his unconditional release.

That opens up the rightfield spot for a number of players who are still in camp: Speedy slap hitters Roger Bernadina and Willy Taveras add more speed and defense, while prospect Justin Maxwell can provide excellent defense, speed and has more power.

Veterans Kevin Mench and Chris Duncan also have played well and former Chief Mike Morse has impressed Nats brass with his bat as well this spring.

Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen both were optioned to AA-Harrisburg on Saturday and will begin the 2010 season with the Senators. Both pitchers were impressive in spring training after being drafted number #1 and number #10 in last season June draft. Strasburg out of San Diego State and Storen from Stanford.

Nationals also optioned lefthanded pitchers Matt Chico and Doug Slaten and catcher Jamie Burke to Syracuse today in another round of cuts. The Nationals currently have 39 players in camp.

Spring Training Bracketology - Pitching

2010-03-14T15:36:11Z

With two weeks gone in spring training 2010 the Washington Nationals roster is beginning to take shape. In the spirit of the NCAA field of 65 announcement today we thought we would look at where the Nationals might be with their major league and minor league pitching staffs at this point.

Major League starting rotation: John Lannan and Jason Marquis are locks, while Scott Olsen should be penciled in as the third starter. Craig Stammen coming off late season surgery is good enough for the fourth spot with veterans Livian Hernandez and Miguel Batista are fighting for the 5th spot - that won't be needed until April 19th due to off days.

Major League bullpen: Matt Capps and Brian Bruney are the back end, while Tyler Clippard and lefty Sean Burnett will pitch early. That leaves Jason Bergmann, who is out of options, and Tyler Walker, who has been hit hard to date to fill out the staff. Batista could be used as well early of if he doesn't make the rotation. Lefty Ron Villone, a non-roster player and now 41 years old would give them a second lefty out of the pen but right now is the 13 pitcher on a 12 or 11 man staff.

AAA-Syracuse Staff: A good deal of this staff depends on the health and decisions made with Olsen, Batista and Hernandez, but the Chiefs appear loaded no matter what happens.

J.D. Martin, Garrett Mock, Shairon Martis, veteran lefties Matt Chico, Chuck James, Andrew Kown, Collin Balester, Luis Atilano and Aaron Thompson give the team a wealth of depth to choose from. In addtion, where does Stephen Strasburg begin his baseball career?

Bullpen includes: Six lefthanded pitchers are competing for two maybe three spots and include Doug Slaten, Victor Garate, Jesse English - all picked up in the off season, while Nationals prospects Attie Severino, Yunior Novoa and Jack Spradlin return.

From the righthanded side of the bullpen the guy drafted after Stephen Strasburg - Drew Storen has been fantastic in spring training and could begin the season in Washington, but most likley will start in Syracuse with veterans Logan Kensing, Ryan Speier, Joel Peralta, Rafael Martin and Nationals prospect Josh Wilkie giving the Chiefs quality to choose from. The Nats could even move Collin Balester or Luis Atilano to the bullpen - similar to the last seasons experiment with Tyler Clippard that payed off nicely.

That's 22 names for 12 roster spots - pitching in 2010 looks very strong.

And we haven't even talked about these guys......

Jeff Mandel 12-6 3.38 ERA - AA/A last season

Eric Arnesen 12-7 3.52 ERA AA/A last season

Brad Meyers 11-3 1.72 ERA AA/A last season

Marcos Frias 9-5 2.91 ERA Single A last season

AJ Morris 0-4 3.38 ERA in Single A last season

Tom Millone 12-5 2.91 ERA in Single A last season

Willie Atwood 8-8 4.61 ERA in Single A last season

These pitchers will likely play in AA this season and earn AAA promotions at some point during the 2010 season.

Pitching is strong in this organization and it's all coming very fast through Central New York this summer.

Stories From Above--Kissimmee edition

2010-03-13T21:49:57Z

Remember those commercials from the early '90s that tried to coerce you to stay outside of Disney World if you went? The ones with the targets that illustrated how close Kissimmee/St. Cloud is to Orlando. I didn't see a Magic Kingdom nearby. Lots of pawn shops, roadside motels and IHOPs, though.

The Nationals were the visitors of the Astros today at Osceola County Stadium. And, well, they led. Big. 5-1 in the sixth. And lost 8-7.

Good news:

1) Matt Chico allowed five earned runs in one inning. The rest of the staff (Olsen, Storen, Capps, Atilano and Burnett) surrendered two runs in seven innings and a third.

2) Justin Maxwell made a heck of a diving catch in right field with the bases loaded in the fifth against Geoff Blum.

3) Drew Storen threw six strikes in his first six pitches. Looks smooth, folks. Plus, he's a really engaging guy.

Bad news:

1) Scott Olsen got one groundout in seven batters faced. The first two hitters of the game--Jason Burgeois and ex-Tide/Bat Jeff Keppinger--tripled and doubled, respectively. Burgeois could have made his an in-the-park home run.

2) On the sixth pitch from Storen, Pedro Feliz floated a ball down the first base line. Chris Duncan was mystified by the 30 mph wind and ended the play on his backside. It was one of three trips to the deck for Duncan at first today.

3) The bullpen isn't exactly a SuperMax prison. Each reliever walked a batter.

So, the Nats have won as many games as you and me. What that likely means for Syracuse: A lot of guys on the roster who have legitimate Major-League experience.

Other news:

-Ran into Ian Desmond postgame. He got married this offseason. It's a pandemic. Everyone's doing it. Congrats to Ian.

-Roger Clemens' son Koby played first base for the Astros today starting in the 8th. Koby was in Salem with me in 2008. He's a brave young man who was willing to talk to all comers that season, a really rough one for his family.

-A little girl sitting four rows behind me took quite a fall mid-game. A man a few seats down offered to get her some ice. Very kind. When he returned, the man told the girl's father a story about another child he saw fall at a game once. Very odd.

-Dear Denny's waitress, A blueberry pancake puppy does not sound appetizing. It sounds rabid. Signed, Jason.

Oh, by the way, President George H.W. Bush was here. Talk about burying the lead, huh? Secret service agents were all over the third base seats.

26 days until the opener.

Jason

Stories From Above--empty the notebook edition

2010-03-12T17:55:25Z

Hardest working guy in show business:

Again, a rainout. Nats and Yankees won't be made up.

I just finished lunch at a nice little Italian place here in Viera as a prelude to whatever adventure this afternoon had in store. I asked the waitress, "If you had a day off in Viera, what would you do?" She replied, "Go shopping." I then asked if there was anything historic to be seen. She said "Downtown Melbourne. It's not really historic, but it's better than Viera."

So, this post has no charm. No pre-Modern American flair. It does, however, give me the opportunity to discuss a number of things that have been stewing within me for days (if not hours). Off we go:

*Ran into Mike Daniel, one of the late, late callups to Syracuse last season, this morning. He's still excited about the Saints Super Bowl win. He also finished his degree at UNC this offseason. Really good kid....and someone to keep your eye on to be outfitted for a Chiefs jersey soon.

*Driving to Orlando Wednesday was treacherous. I was moving along at 75-77 in a 70 zone (please don't call the fuzz on me) and people were zooming by me like they were jet-propelled. I have seen 0 state troopers on the highways.

*Total Eclipse of the Heart came on the radio Wednesday night, reminding me of this Big 12 YouTube debacle.

*Restaurants should be required to play music that goes along with their menus. I ate chicken parm this afternoon while Kelly Clarkson made sure I knew she was already gone. You serve Italian, you play Italian. This rule will ensure that nobody will ever open an Owl City Cafe.

*I met a criminal Monday morning. I was in line for security at the Charlotte airport. The man in front of me was yapping loudly on his little Bluetooth headset. Then, his conversation ended and the guy behind me picks up. Here's the one-sided conversation:

"Yeah, I'm in line at airport security."
"I was in bed, already three hours asleep."
"That's ridiculous."
"Why would I do that?"
"I'm happy with the way things have turned out."
"I was already asleep, that's ridiculous."
"Well, I bet the office isn't in a good mood this morning."
"What? If I wanted to get into Betsy's house, I would have knocked on the door."
"That's crazy. Why would I want to do that?"
"This is one of the strangest phone calls I've ever gotten."
"Yeah, I'll talk to you later."

Far as I can tell, this guy was being accused of breaking into Betsy's house.

Here's my problem with his alibi. When the phone call ended, he did nothing except complain to me about how long security was taking. If I were erroneously accused of unlawfully entry at my ex's house, I'd have called a friend immediately to talk about how ridiculous the accusation actually was. Nope. This guy just stood there.....and got agitated with the security line. Sadly, only I--and you, dear reader--know that this guy's airtight alibi might have some gaps. Tough day for Betsy.

Off to Kissimmee tomorrow to see the 'stros and Nats. If we don't get another few feet of rain, that is.

Jason

Stories From Above--Early Warning Doppler edition

2010-03-11T18:21:20Z

Tom Terry, WFTV-9's chief meteorologist, has spent the last 20 minutes flaunting his new tools. Evidently, Channel 9--the ABC affiliate in Central Florida, just spent wheelbarrows of money on new weather radar. And today, it's all paid off. Tom and his buddy Brian have been on television since I got back to the hotel room talking about this massive storm to our north. As I was just writing this last sentence, Tom clicked a button and dragged a cone-shaped thing across the radar to the southeast to signify the path of the storm. Tom is very worried about the children in Longwood, Florida. He just advised parents there to pick their children up from the bus stop. I call Tom by his first name because I think we know quite a bit about each other, now.

Tom, by the way, just told me than Channel 9 has teamed up with the National Severe Storm Laboratory. They've developed a special computer program to look inside the storm. Maybe we can use it to figure out what's motivating this thing to ruin the lives of so many.

Now we just left that graphic to check out the Daytona Beach TowerCam. Surprisingly, the lens is covered with water.

Oh boy! Red dots that look like clown noses have appeared on the radar! Tom clicks on a red dot and we are given a probability that the storm will spawn rotation at the location marked by the red dots. There's a 44% chance that you folks in Apopka will see storm rotation. What does that mean? Heck if I know. But it doesn't sound good.

You've gathered that the game between the Astros and the Nats has been rained out. I spent most of the morning in the rain at the minor-league complex watching the young hitters take some swings in the cage.

Ran into a few familiar faces. John Poppert, last year's do-everything coach, told me he got married in Pittsburgh in the offseason. Also got a chance to chat with former Chief turned Double-A Harrisburg manager Randy Knorr. He's excited to be managing again.

Check out Inside Pitch for a conversation with Andrew Kown. He made his Triple-A debut last year in Syracuse. He's got some interesting things to say about his offseason and the schedule he keeps during Spring Training.

For now, I'm going to go outside to monitor the barometric pressure. Tom would be proud.

Jason

Rocket, Jimy and the berm...

2010-03-11T03:54:57Z

Thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon in Florida as we closed out the Spring Training tour by watching the Mets take on the Braves on their home turf at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Disney.

Before the game, we were able to touch base with former Blue Jays manager, Jimy Williams, who is now serving as a special instructor for the Atlanta Braves minor league system.

Also had the pleasure of talking to former Chiefs player and coach, Rocket Wheeler, who is now managing the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the South Atlantic League--the Atlanta Braves Single-A affiliate. After spending his first 24 years in the Blue Jays organization, Rocket has spent the past eight with the Braves.

One of the special features of Champions Stadium in Disney, is the entertaining berm that stretches down the left field line, around the foul pole and ends at mid-left centerfield. It was so inviting that Jason Benetti and myself decided to file our video blog which you will be able to see on Thursday morning.

--New York Mets shortstop and former Chief, Russ Adams, continues to make his case to make the Mets team as a non-roster players. Adams stroked 3 hits and 3 RBI's against the Braves this afternoon.

--Down the road in Jupiter, the Nats become 0-8 as Garrett Mock and JD Martin surrendered two runs a piece in a 6-4 loss to the Cardinals.

--Justin Maxwell recorded his first hit of the spring, which happened to be a solo home run off of Mitch Boggs in the 8th inning.

--Hall of Fame broadcast announcer, Milo Hamilton, made an appearance at Disney's ESPN Club on Thursday and was quite entertaining.

Stories From Above--when food attacks edition

2010-03-11T00:28:36Z

Before I forget, please note that certain words (like "Cheerios" in paragraph three) in this blog post (and my last one for that matter) are gray. If you click on those (or open them in a new tab with CTRL + T), you will see pictures which correspond with words. It's sorta like a children's book. Word + picture = recall. The cow says.....moo.

My day started with breakfast at the team hotel. It was a free breakfast, so I expected something decent. I couldn't complain. I had two muffins and a few cups or orange juice. I was just about comfortable with the amount I ate, but cereal was going to be the coup de grace (This is not to be confused with the coup de tat. That's where the Frosted Flakes seize the waffle machine and all of its batter in a rush of strategic genius.)

So, I walked over to the Cheerios, grabbed a bowl and looked for the milk. One white jug of 2% and.....another white jug of 2%. Come on. Drinking 2% milk is like cleaning out your refrigerator. It's disgusting and there's always someone else who enjoys what's found while doing it.

With zero cereal in me, I hit I-528 west and zipped over to Orlando to meet the Simones. With the Nationals all the way in Jupiter to play the Cardinals, we decided to take in the Braves and the Mets at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney. In the first two innings, we saw six runs, former Toledo Mud Hen Mike Hessman, former Pawtucket Red Sock, Minnesota Viking and X-Files Creator Chris Carter (who hit a torpedo of a homer against Derek Lowe) and former Charlotte Knights Manager Razor Shines. Some of the stars were resting.

In the third inning, I was lured by a concession stand selling slushies. The flavors available were cherry, lemonade and mixed. I--like anyone else with the sensory systems of a teething four-year-old--chose "mixed" in a heartbeat. Problem, though. I was second in line. The father, daughter and granddaughter trio in front of me couldn't decide what they wanted. They chose an order of churros and a cheesesteak for a main course without much hesitation. The drink was the sticking point. The granddaughter asked for a sweet tea. Vendor said no. I was a little frustrated, but I thought it was ultra-cute that the tiny red-headed kid ordered a sweet tea at the equivalent of a hot dog cart.

Then, the girl picked "water." Woman at the cart: "We don't have any, sorry." You don't have water? Is this baseball competition happening in Khartoum? Thankfully, the daughter spied a bottled beverage stand adjacent and took Picky Orphan Annie with her.

It wasn't over, though. No no. The patriarch of the family got his Churros and almost instantaneously erupted a fit of rage. Seriously, he went emotionally from 0 to 60 in about 1.5 seconds.

Man (fiercely): There are only two Churros here.
Woman at cart: That's what an order is.
Man (angrily): The menu says three. I know I read somewhere that you get three!
Woman: No sir, two.
Man (screaming, now): The sign, here, it shows three!!!!

The guy didn't get his Churros. Was he in the right? Does he have a valid claim of false advertisement? Is the representation more prominent than the writing? You be the judge.

Tomorrow, Nats and Astros. Keep an eye out here, on youtube.com/syracusechiefs and on our homepage.

J. Benetti

Even Van Gundy was on hand

2010-03-10T02:53:35Z

The first appearance by Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg was greeted by over 5000 Florida visitors, Mark Lerner, the team's principal owner, MASN Television crew that included Bob Carpenter and Rob Dibble and former Knicks and Houston Rockets basketball coach Jeff Van Gundy who sat behind home plate with an Orlando Magic hat on.

Strasburg was worth the price of admission, even if it was only two innings and 27 pitches. He will pitch in the major leagues some day, just what day got closer than a lot of people thought going in.

Nats lost again, and righthanded pitcher Tyler Walker has pitched his way to AAA-Syracuse roster with his second 6-run appearance. Aaron Thompson tossed two shutout innings of relief and has looked very good in his first two appearances.

Nats hitting came to life in the 8th inning when they scored four runs and had the tying run on deck before Josh Whitesell popped up to centerfield to end the rally. Nats lost their 7th straight, 9-4.

--Chiefs COO/Vice President Tex Simone was seen talking to Tigers manager Jim Leyland, 3rd base coach Gene Lamont before the game. Leyland and Lamont were teammates in 1965 with the Tigers when Tex was the team's trainer.

--Tex had a busy day when he also ran into another former Tigers and Chiefs catcher John Sullivan who was visiting from western New York where he still resides.

--And the day ended when Tex hit the trifecta when he was seen talking to Braves manager and longtime friend Bobby Cox in the Braves dugout before the Phillies vs Braves game in Orlando.

--Former Chiefs outfielder Jayson Werth hit an opposite field bomb vs the Braves in the 2nd inning. Werth is sporting an unusual long beard and hair style.

--Two local "graphers" reported that today they were able to secure signatures from Ivan Rodriquez, Drew Storen, Ryan Howard and Braves super prospect Jason Heyward. In the "graphing world" that's pretty good.

Last stop on the tour will be at the Braves minor league camp to catch up with former Chief Rocket Wheeler.

Stories from above--precocious edition

2010-03-10T00:37:49Z

Ever wonder what it was like to watch Mozart play the piano at age six?

Stephen Strasburg tossed some pretty memorable pitches today (just ask the radar gun ). He threw two scoreless innings and struck a couple of batters out--Miguel Cabrera on a fastball at 98 and Brent Dlugach on a lethal curveball.

Strasburg did allow two hits, the first of which came from an '09 Toledo Mud Hen, Don Kelly. The young man from Tony Gwynn's San Diego State program, though, was generally confounding to both Tigers and electronics.

Clubhouse highlight of the day: A reporter from the Far East asked Strasburg after his start, "What do you think of your new teammate, Chien-Ming Wang?" Collectively lacking a nose for symmetry, the horde of reporters neglected to rush to Wang to ask his opinion of his young comrade from America.

On a personal note, I have eaten dinner at two separate locations so far--with many still yet unexplored. I'm heartened that this city stands by its motto.

Persona non grata of the day: This guy. Remember who came after The Beatles on Ed Sullivan? Me neither.

Check out Inside Pitch for a conversation with Tim Foli and postgame comments from Stephen Strasburg and our YouTube page for video coverage .

Sat with Justin Maxwell's better half during the ninth inning. They're expecting another child (a girl) in April. Congrats to them.

Will Dogen come back to life tonight? Is Kate dead? Do any of you embrace Lost like I do?

J. Benetti

Women Sport Report recognizes Wendy

2010-03-09T18:45:59Z

Our very own Wendy Shoen was recently featured on Women Sport Report, the first women's only global online magazine for women in sport. Be sure to check out the article: http://www.womensportreport.com/index.php?menu=57&almenu=231&tipus=cikkek&menuszint=0&showpage=newsmore&id=10772

Thank God it's early!!!!

2010-03-09T03:49:32Z

Spent the afternoon at Space Coast Stadium on Monday as the Nationals lost again 11-2 to the Florida Marlins. Nats pitching has been giving up runs at an unbelievable pace - 64 runs in their first 50 innings of work.

Today, Scott Olsen made his first start of the spring and gave up three runs in the first inning and was hit hard and often giving up 7-hits in two innings of work. Collin Balester pitched into the 5th inning but he too was torched for 4-runs and 7-hits before he gave way to lefty Jesse English.

The Nats tallied only six hits, and had solo home runs by Josh Willingham in the 2nd and Ryan Zimmerman in the 6th for their only runs. Pete Orr played second base and made a fine defensive play in the first to save a run.

Tomorrow, the Nationals take on the Detroit Tigers at Space Coast Stadium as "The Franchise" Stephen Strasburg makes his spring debut, The game will be televised on MLB Network - Channel 100 for you Time Warner Cable fans.

Chiefs radio voice Jason Benetti arrived in Viera today and is ready to provide interviews, and his take on spring training 2010.

Church, Baseball and some warm weather

2010-03-09T01:54:04Z

Well Sunday got off to a great start as the chilly Florida weather changed for the better as temperatures warmed up to the mid 70's by game time.

But before the day began we had the chance to attend church at Mary Queen of the Universe in Orlando, FL. The reason I'm telling you this is because there were over 3000 people in attendance for the 9:30 mass. That to me is incredible. Almost the entire group was from out of town all on vacation, and they decided to go to church - in Florida. Maybe there is hope after all.

Anyways back to baseball, the Nats played on the road in St. Lucie against the Mets and lost again, but Mike Morse hit another home run and Ian Desmond tallied two hits. Jason Marquis did not fair well in his first start giving up 5-runs, while lefty Matt Chico tossed two scoreless innings after missing much of 2008 and 2009 with arm trouble.

We decided to visit the Braves game in Orlando and hook up with former Chiefs manager Bobby Cox who is managing his final season with Atlanta. Nothing has changed with one of the greatest managers in the game. Still the same Bobby Cox who called Syracuse home for four years from 1973-76 as a manager and 1970 as a player.

Also ran into former Chiefs pitcher Mike Pazik who tossed the last nine inning no-hitter in team history back in 1971 vs Rochester. Mike is scouting for the White Sox and will return to Syracuse this summer.

Another former Chiefs pitcher, Mark Wiley who pitched the 1979 Chiefs to the Governors Cup Finals said hello. Mark is now with Colorado also as a scout after serving as their pitching coach last season.

Hall of Famer Peter Gammons asked how the Nationals affiliation is working out, while former Blue Jays scout Ted Lekas, now with the Orioles told me he likes the Nationals young arms.

-The Braves played the Astros and former Chiefs infielder Matt Galante was on hand as a special instructor for Houston.

--Former Chiefs in Astros uniforms included Kevin Cash, Josh Banks and Brandon Lyon.

--Former Blue Jays Director of Player Development Dick Scott is now doing similar work with Houston.

Travel day

2010-03-08T22:16:51Z

The best thing about not taking my full radio gear on this trip: The security checkpoint was a breeze. When traveling with broadcast equipment, I expect to be asked any number of invasive questions--the stuff we use to do radio looks rather like something MacGyver might need to diffuse.

Made it safely to Orlando as of a little while ago. If you had "gray Nissan Sentra" in the rental car pool, you win. For the first time in my rental-car existence, I actually got to pick my automobile. I was sent by the clerk to a garage just off the main terminal. In that garage was a row labeled "Compact." From that row, I selected the only non-Kia. Good choice, I think.

As I checked into the hotel, I ran into Seth Bynum. He seems to be doing well. Look forward to talking with him more in-depth sometime after the 1:05 game tomorrow with the Tigers. Quick plug: Friend of the program Bob Carpenter will have the TV call of the game on MASN. If you're bored at work, take a long lunch.

John Simone and I will be reporting from that game and throughout the week via the newly-minted syracusechiefs.com. We'll be posting audio and video all week from down here at Spring Training.

Talk to you tomorrow from the field.

Jason

Morse shines in slugfest with Mets

2010-03-07T02:49:14Z

Mike Morse hit his first home of the spring in the 6th inning that tied the game today against the New York Mets in Viera, Fl as the Nationals opened their spring scheduled at home.

Acquired from the Seattle Mariners last July for outfielder Ryan Langerhans, the former number one selection is proving that he can provide the Nationals with a solid bat off the bench this season.

The Nationals eventually lost again to the Mets 14-6 after giving up 9-runs in the final three innings, but there were some bright spots;

--infielder Eric Bruntlett's three-run home run gave the Nationals a 4-2 lead after two innings.

--Willie Harris made two outstanding catch's in the first inning to help starter John Lannan escape further damage.

--Cristain Guzman played in his first game and collected 2-singles and a RBI as the team's designated hitter.

--Lefty Aaron Thompson acquired from the Marlins in the Nick Johnson deal last season was the best pitcher on the mound for the Nats today tossing two scoreless innings.

--Righty Tyler Walker stuck out the side, but in between gave up 6-hits and 5-runs including two long home runs to Fernando Martinez and Mike Jacobs to pick up the loss.

Nationals take on the Mets in St. Lucie on Sunday afternoon when Jason Marquis makes his spring debut.

We will be back at Disney and check in with Braves skipper Bobby Cox who is managing his final year with the Braves.

The weather is warming up as well as spring training enters its second week. Looking forward to meeting up with Jason Benetti for some video podcast this week.

Desmond looking very good

2010-03-07T02:15:47Z

One game does not decide if a player is going to make the team out of spring training but former Chiefs shortstop Ian Desmond certainly made his case on Friday vs the Atlanta Braves at their palace of a baseball stadium at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

In the field he saved two runs, with fantastic plays up the middle, that very few shortstops could make. But it was at the plate where he would make his mark. He drove in two runs with a single off Derek Lowe in the 2nd inning and a grand slam to the deepest part of the ballpark - 400 plus feet away two innings later. In all, Desmond drove in 6-runs on the afternoon.

With Cistain Guzman penciled in to start the season as the Nationals everyday shortstop, manager Jim Riggleman has to wonder how he can send this talented player back to AAA-Syracuse.

Chiefs fans can only hope to see this budding star one more time before he makes it big in the near very near future.

__Lefty Billy Wagner look unimpressive in his one inning of work vs the Nats, never looking very comfortable on the mound.

--Craig Stammen made his first appearance for the Nationals this spring and despite his final line threw the ball good and indicated after the game that he felt fine.

--Lefty Jesse English, who was picked up from the Giants this winter struggled in his one inning of work giving up two long home runs.

--Chris Duncan played first base for the Nationals and swung the bat well with two hits.

Off to Viera, FL to see the Nationals take on the Mets on Saturday.