May 26, 2013

Washington Nationals Adam LaRoche wins Gold Glove at first base

October 30, 2012 by

Adam LaRoche smiling at fans welcoming him back after missing a few games – Philadelphia Philles v. Washington Nationals, August 1, 2012. (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)

Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche today was named the recipient of the 2012 National League Rawlings Gold Glove for first basemen. The defensive citation is the first of LaRoche’’s career.

LaRoche, who could be a free agent by week’s end, posted career high offensive numbers which could have garnered him more attention overall, allowing his defensive prowess to shine for the voters — N.L. managers and coaches. It also helps that stalwarts such as Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez now ply their trade in the other league.

LaRoche beat out last year’s winner, Joey Votto of the Reds, and Freddie Freeman of the Braves to earn his first career Gold Glove.

The hardware should be especially rewarding to LaRoche, who came back from shoulder surgery to post his finest offensive season to go along with his normally stellar defense as the 33-year old looks to sign a long-term contract. He’s sure to waive his option and test the free agent waters should he and the team fail to work out a long-term deal before he can file for free agency at the end of the week.

From the press release:

LaRoche led all National League first baggers this season in fielding percentage (.995), games started (149) and innings (1323.1). At 6.1, LaRoche also paced NL first basemen (min. 1000 innings) in Ultimate Zone Rating, a figure that blends the number of runs above or below average a fielder is in three categories: range runs, double play runs, and error runs combined. He also led the NL with 159 plays made and 38 plays made out of zone (OOZ).

LaRoche is the third Washington-based big leaguer to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman earned the Nationals’ first Gold Glove in 2009, while Senators catcher Earl Battey earned the first of his three career Gold Gloves in 1960, his lone season in Washington. Rawlings established the Gold Glove in 1957 to reward defensive excellence.

Beyond his Gold Glove season in the field, LaRoche enjoyed a breakout season at the plate in 2012, hitting .271 with 35 doubles, a career-high 33 home runs, 100 RBI (tied career high) and a career-best 76 runs scored in 154 games. Louisville Slugger will announce their 2012 Silver Slugger recipients Thursday at 6 p.m. (ET) on MLB Network.

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Can the Washington Redskins Defense Keep Pace With the Offense?

September 24, 2012 by

DeAngelo Hall contemplates the state of the defense in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. (photo Brian Murphy)

It’s like car maintenance—the minute you get one part fixed, another breaks down.

The Washington Redskins have shown they can score. The team that was 26th in the NFL in points per game last year is now first in a league—a league that still boasts Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and duos like Stafford-Johnson and Dalton-Green. RGIII’s rating is the second-best among rookie quarterbacks in the league. Alfred Morris is a keeper. [Read more...]

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Washington Capitals Game Four Re-Cap: Holtby steals game; everyone makes sacrifices

April 20, 2012 by

Here’s all you need to know about how loud Verizon Center was in the waning moments of last night’s Washington Capitals 2-1 regulation win over the Boston Bruins, tying this Eastern Conference Quarterfinals matchup at two games apiece, direct from an NHL press release:

“With 9.5 seconds remaining in the third period, there was a stoppage and resulting face-off in the Washington zone. During the stoppage, the game clock operator and Series Manager determined that 0.9 seconds should have been added to the time remaining in the third period and attempted to contact the on-ice officials to delay the puck drop to accommodate making the necessary clock adjustment to 10.4 seconds remaining.

“The off-ice officials were not able to attract the attention of the referees or linesmen despite sounding the horn, which was not audible due to crowd noise, and the puck was dropped.” (emphasis added.)

Yup. [Read more...]

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Caps 2011-12 Preview: Pairings will determine success of defense

October 6, 2011 by

Its not everyday you come across a team with the amount of talent the Washington Capitals have on defense. A team that, at one point in their history, couldn’t stop anything, now has more than six solid defenseman to choose from.  If they are paired the right way, Washington could have one of the best defensive groupings in hockey.

(photo by Cheryl Nichols)

No discussion of the Capitals defense could begin anywhere else than with Mike Green.  Hard to believe, but the 26-year old rear-guard, the 29th overall pick in the 2004 entry draft, begins play in his seventh NHL season on Saturday . [Read more...]

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