May 25, 2013

Washington Nationals designate Maya for assignment, call up Kobernus

May 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

With Danny Espinosa out for at least a few days, and potentially much more, the Washington Nationals called up UTL Jeff Kobernus from AAA-Syracuse after Friday’s win over the Philadelphia Phillies. To make room on the 40-man roster, the team designated for assignment RHP Yunesky Maya, who pitched one-third of an inning in Tuesday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants, serving up Pablo Sandoval’s massive two-run home run in the bottom of the tenth inning.

The right-handed hitting Kobernus, 25 in June, hit .333/.378/.420 in 193 plate appearances for Syracuse so far this season. He’s stolen 21 bases in 27 attempts this year. Last season for Harrisburg, Kobernus swiped 42 bases and 53 the previous year for Potomac in High-A.

Primarily a second baseman coming up through the system, Kobernus was a Rule 5 draft selection by the Detroit Tigers this past off-season and had him working in the outfield to take advantage of his natural speed. The Tigers decided to offer him back to the Nats, and they’ve kept up the experiment. He’s played 19 games for the Chiefs in left field, nine in center, 12 at second base and three games at third this season.

The Nats have decided for now that Steve Lombardozzi will get the bulk of the at bats while Espinosa tried to get the lingering soreness out of the break area in his right wrist, but Kobernus will give the team some flexibility to play second base and left field if needed.

Maya, 31, signed a four-year, $6 million contract in 2010, after he defected from Cuba and established residence in the Dominican Republic. The right-hander never lived up to the contract, floundering every time he’s been given a shot at the Major league level and only posting pedestrian numbers in AAA. In his big league career, Maya is 1-5 with a 5.80 ERA and 1.576 WHIP in 16 games (10 starts). Maya was 1-4 with a 5.07 ERA for Syracuse this season.

Filed Under: Nats/MLB Tagged With: , , ,

Washington Capitals: Seasonal Disappointment for Fundamentally Flawed Team

May 16, 2013 by 8 Comments

The Washington Capitals are 3-6 now in playoff series in the Alex Ovechkin Era, and the franchise has yet to advance past the second round in that time. If you judge the success of an NHL franchise in playoff wins and Stanley Cups, the Capitals have not only been a failure, but a spectacular one at that. Of the six playoff series losses since the ’07-’08 season, the Caps have held a two-game lead in three of them, five have gone seven games and the Caps hosted Game 7 and lost four times. That’s not just losing, that’s losing badly.

Of course, you know all this already.

During the Ovechkin Era, the Caps have been eliminated from the playoffs in eerily similar fashion. They run into a hot goalie, and teams game plan to frustrate the Caps’ talented players by blocking shots and clogging up the neutral zone and passing lanes.

These teams: the Flyers, Canadians, the Penguins, the Rangers — twice (the Lightning sweep in ’11 doesn’t count), have simply shown more patience than the Caps and waited them out.  Eventually, and ultimately, the Caps shoot themselves out and their opponent waits and waits and counterpunches when the Caps run themselves out of the building. It’s not unlike a heavyweight boxing match when a lesser-skilled boxer will allow his opponent to wear himself down punching, then sneak in when he gets tired.

It happened in Game 7 again.

Look no further than the number of shots. Not on goal, but overall number of shots taken. The Caps attempted a grand total of 79 shots. 35 made their way to Lundqvist, and yes, he turned them all away. But Washington also had 27 attempts blocked by Rangers defenders and another 17 missed their mark altogether. The Rangers attempted 47 shots, 27 on goal. Five went in.

Every year the Caps are bounced after a grueling series and we hear the same things from the losing locker room. “We ran into a hot goalie.” “We thought we were the better team.” “We’re frustrated with the result.” I could go back and look up quotes but you know them as well as I do.

Here are this years:

“You can see one guy beat us. Of course they have good team, great players, great defensive team, but the goalie out there was unbelievable. That’s why he’s best in league,” said Ovechkin. “In my mind it was Lundqvist. They have great team, no doubt about it, but Lundqvist was unbelievable. Just unbelievable.”

And:

“It’s the same thing as previous years, I would say,” said Nicklas Backstrom. “We came back regular season then playoff came and we’re not good enough. I can just talk for myself and my effort. Not good enough. No excuses. It’s just a bad effort.”

And:

“We threw the kitchen sink at him at times and he stood there and defended,” Mike Green said. “He’s a great goaltender we knew that, we talked about it before the series how to beat him and the times that we did score was what we talked about. At times I thought we kind of got away from that. I’m at a loss for words.”

But it’s much deeper than that. Yes, Lundqvist is a world class goalie. Yes, Jaroslav Halak stood on his head for three weeks that spring. But the real reason these goalies have so much success over the Caps is that the shots that get through are lesser quality — from farther away — and from less dangerous areas of the ice. Look at the shot chart. You’ll see where the goals are scored during the playoffs.

The Caps got a grand total of 226 shots on goal in the seven game series, an average of over 32 SOG per game. That’s good. But they scored just 12 goals, a shooting percentage of just 5.3 percent. That’s beyond bad. It’s also a testament of where those shots are coming from. In the regular season, the Caps had ten players with a shooting percentage higher than 10 percent. In the series, that number was four.

Ovechkin, obviously, led the team in shots with 30 and scored once, for a shot percentage of 3.3 percent. Ugh. Is that the result of suffocating defense? A hot, world class goalie? An injury? Bad luck? Even during the period of Ovi’s toughest struggles the last couple of seasons, that kind of shooting percentage is simply anomaly.

But here’s the kicker: the next three highest shot totals in the series all came from defensemen. Karl Alzner, of all people, tied for third on the team in shots on goal with 19 (he was 15th on the team in the regular season with 39). Those are shots from the deep perimeter that have a very low chance of going in. And a team with Karl Alzner pacing them in shots on goal isn’t going to win very many series — no offense to Karl. He isn’t paid to light the lamp.

The Capitals are, essentially, a perimeter team. Ovechkin prefers to carry the puck and rush at the goalie, or get fed for one-timers at the face-off dot. Green shoots from the point. He has a wicked shot, but it’s from outside the circles, nonetheless. During the regular season, when defensive players are less apt to “sell out” to block shots during a grueling 82-game schedule, they have success shooting from their outside spots, with talented finesse playmakers like Nick Backstrom and Mike Ribeiro setting them up.

But during the playoffs, the book is out on the Caps. If you clog up the box, put all five skaters inside the circles to jam up the shooting and passing lanes, the Caps will get frustrated. Oh, they have a modicum of success early in the series, winning games early in the series until the opposition realizes the deal and really buys into it. But as the games creep closer to elimination, it works without fail.

There’s not enough room to operate between the circles. That’s one of the big reasons players like Backstrom and Ribeiro are neutralized in the playoffs. That’s often why you see players like Brian Boyle score in the playoffs: they’re willing to go to the net. But the Caps lack enough of these types of players. Just look at the shot totals from the series from the forwards on this team not named Ovechkin. No forward had more than one goal. Jason Chimera was the next highest forward in shots with 15. That’s barely two shots per game. And he was the best of the forwards named Ovechkin.

Look at the goals from the games the Caps won in this series.

– Game 1: Ovechkin scored his only goal of the series on a put-back off the back wall. Marcus Johansson on a breakaway on a great spring pass and defensive breakdown. Jason Chimera though a screen.

– Game 2: Mike Green on the power play in overtime from inside the top of the faceoff circle.

– Game 5: Ribeiro, at the top of the crease.

Only Johansson’s can be called a “pretty’ goal, and that was caused by a spectacular breakdown by the Rangers defense.

Philadelphia. Montreal. Pittsburgh. New York. These are all series where the Caps had home-ice advantage and lost Game 7. They all used the same script against the Caps. It matters not when the book is so clearly out on these Capitals. Stuff the box and they have no other way to score. And the Capitals will be moving into a division with three of the four next season, along with New Jersey and the up-and-coming Islanders. Their path to hockey’s holy grail just got infinitely more difficult.

I’m not advocating the Caps go back to playing Dale Hunter hockey. Far from it. These teams that play hyper-defensively do it because they don’t have the offensive capabilities of the Capitals. You don’t win a Stanley Cup playing that way, you’ll eventually run out of energy or bodies. You need to have a balanced approach, be able to make adjustments when presented with challenges and be willing to sacrifice both in the defensive and offensive zones. The Caps, simply, don’t have enough of those players yet.

The other part I want to mention is the whole “woe is us” mentality following these playoff ousters. Ovechkin’s comments about the officiating, the lack of calls in Game 6, and someone wanting to see a Game 7 were ridiculous and smelled of sour grapes.

“The refereeing… You understand it yourself. How can there be no penalties at all (on one team) during the playoffs?

“I am not saying there was a phone call from (the league), but someone just wanted Game 7. For the ratings. You know, the lockout, escrow, the League needs to make profit… I don’t know whether the refs were predisposed against us or the League. But to not give obvious penalties (against the Capitals), while for us any little thing was immediately penalized…”

For his part, Ovechkin also said that he, the other stars on the team, and the team in general simply didn’t play well enough, but offered no specifics in how or, more importantly, why.

GM George McPhee backed his superstar in his comments to the media Wednesday.

“I don’t think there’s a league conspiracy but it sure didn’t feel right. Alex wasn’t wrong,” McPhee said when asked directly about Ovechkin’s comments. “I talked to them during the series but at some point you stop. They’ll referee the way they want to referee.”

“I didn’t like the refereeing, but if you complain about it during the series and you’re accused of trying to gain an edge. If you complain about it after a series is over, then it’s whining and sour grapes.”

But Ovechkin’s not the only one wondering what happened. Here’s Eric Fehr, talking about both the points I’ve been trying to make.

“The Rangers must have blocked a hundred shots. It was crazy how well they kept us on the outside,” veteran Eric Fehr said. “They do a good job of it, and they are allowed to do a very good job . . . Holding and pushing, they are allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted to do in front of the net.”

Every year teams complain about the officiating. It’s an NHL tradition as think as growing playoff beards. At some point though, these Capitals have to stop feeling sorry for themselves and take matters into their own hands. The way they collapsed after the power play ran dry at the start of the second period of Game 7 was palpable and disheartening.

The biggest difference between the Caps and the Rangers was evident in the third period. After the fourth goal, the Caps were skating at half speed, trying to get off the ice as fast as they could, and the Rangers were still blocking shots with a four, then five, goal lead.

I think Adam Oates has a pretty good idea what constitutes good hockey. He’s lauded as one of the smartest guys to ever play in the league. It took a little while this season, but he was able to find the way to rejuvenate Ovechkin and get him to play his best hockey in years. And not just scoring, but all-around. He was a better playmaker this year. He brought his physical game back. He skated better. Will that be sustainable? Caps fans have to hope so, because the success of this franchise is directly tied to Ovechkin being the “Great Eight”, not the mediocre or league-average Eight.

I also think that Oates still doesn’t have the roster he wants or needs to be successful. After Ovechkin and Backstrom, there’s a serious drop-off in talent. There’s also a significant lack of power forwards on the team. Why did the Caps turn to 19-year old Tom Wilson in Game 5 of the series to make his NHL debut? His size and willingness to play in front of the net. There is a dearth of that on this team. The Caps hope and pray Wilson turns out to be their Brian Boyle or Milan Lucic, and could stand to add another player or two like him.

This column might sound like I’m down on the Caps. I’m not. The last 35 games of this season showed that they can be a force to be reckoned with in the NHL. They didn’t do it with smoke and mirrors, they did it by outplaying the teams on their schedule. But there are significant holes in the roster. Their level of competition will get higher next season. And they are fundamentally flawed when the ice gets shorter in the playoffs.

The Caps have a little under $6 million available under the cap for next season, and that’s before trimming some dead weight off the roster and evaluating their own free agents. We’ve said this for a while, but it’s a crucial off-season for GM George McPhee. Coming into this year, it looked like the Caps weren’t counting on having a season at all with the lockout. The turnaround showed promise after the near-fatal start, but there’s lots to do this summer.

The almost-free path to the playoffs that the Caps’ Southeast Division schedule afforded them is gone. That playoff revenue is critical to the Capitals organization, and it just became much more difficult to obtain.

Oh, and I didn’t even mention the goaltending, which I’m not completely sold on. But that’s a post for another day.

Filed Under: Caps/NHL Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

NATS/P-NATS: Potomac Nationals Home Opener, April 5

April 4, 2013 by

Potomac Nationals Opening Day 2013 at Pfitzner Stadium is Friday, April 5th as the P-Nats host the defending Carolina League Champion, Lynchburg Hillcats (Atlanta Braves) at 7:05pm. Gates to The Pfitz will open at 6:00pm.

Potomac Nationals LogoPOTOMAC NATIONALS UNVEIL 2013 OPENING DAY ROSTER
New P-Nats skipper, Brian Daubach, to lead 13 returning players and 15 newcomers

Woodbridge, VA—Enter the 2013 Potomac Nationals Opening Day Roster. With first pitch of the 36th campaign in Potomac franchise history less than one week away, the P-Nats have unveiled their official roster to begin the 2013 Carolina League season.

First-year Nationals field manager, Brian Daubach, a former World Series Champion with the Boston Red Sox, in his third year within the Washington Nationals Minor League system after the last two seasons leading the Class-A Hagerstown Suns, is tasked with mentoring 13 returning players and 15 fresh faces on the Potomac roster. Daubach led Hagerstown to winning records in each of his two seasons at the helm and took the Suns to a South Atlantic League playoff appearance for the first time since 2005.

Former Major League veteran, Chris Michalak, will oversee a 13-man pitching stable that includes potential starters: RHP A.J. Cole, LHP Robbie Ray, RHP Taylor Jordan, RHP Taylor Hill, and LHP Kylin Turnbull.

Cole (4th Rd., 2010) was signed for a MLB Draft fourth round record, $2 million bonus out of Oviedo High School in Florida, and showed flashed of brilliance (staff-best 108 strikeouts in 89.0 innings) with Class-A Hagerstown in 2011 before being packaged with C Derek Norris, RHP Brad Peacock, and LHP Tommy Milone in a trade to the Oakland Athletics that netted the Washington Nationals 2012 20-game winner, LHP Gio Gonzalez. Then, in the swap that shipped LF Michael Morse to the Seattle Mariners this off-season, the Nationals re-acquired Cole in a three-team deal with the Oakland which instantly put Cole back on Washington’s prospect radar for 2013 (Baseball America and MLB.com Prospect #4). When in sync, Cole dominates his opposition with a steady diet of mid to upper 90’s fastballs and a budding slider that he continues to refine.

Ray (12th Rd., 2010), an exciting southpaw slinger, who owned a 3.13 earned run average over 20 starts with Class-A Hagerstown in 2011, looks to rebound from an arduous 2012 ledger. Ray, MLB.com’s #10 Washington Nationals prospect, who was signed away by Washington from a commitment to play college baseball at Arkansas, fanned 95 batters in 89.0 innings pitched just two seasons ago, and looks to build on his three-pitch arsenal and crafty potential.

Jordan (9th Rd., 2009) had a successful comeback season in 2012 following Tommy John surgery. Jordan was terrific for Hagerstown in 2011 with a 9-4 record and petite 2.48 ERA before his injury sidelined his track. The powerful right-hander went 3-4 with a 4.05 ERA in 9 starts last year to build his strength back and feel comfortable using his entire repertoire in preparation for the 2013 season. Jordan enters this year’s P-Nats slate as the 17th ranked Washington Nationals prospect by MLB.com.

Hill (6th Rd., 2011) found success in 2012 over both Class-A affiliates pitching to an 11-7 record and walking only 34 batters in 139.1 innings pitched. Hill pitched to contact but many of those balls were bounced on the ground and found the gloves per his 1.18 groundball-to-flyball ratio. Hill was promoted to Potomac in late August after going 10-6 over 24 appearances and 20 starts with the Suns. Hill saw action in three starts over 15.0 innings and finished the season 1-1 in the Carolina League. A true strike-thrower, Hill was honored by Baseball America with the Best Control designation with regards to all Nationals farm arms.

Turnbull (4th Rd., 2011) brings with him plenty of hype. MLB.com’s 17th ranked Washington Nationals prospect signed late in 2012 and began his full-season MiLB career in Hagerstown after a four-outing stint with the Gulf Coast League Nationals. A projectable southpaw that throws flames, Turnbull covets consistency in 2013 after registering a 4-5 record and 5.16 ERA in 18 appearances, 17 of those starts, a season ago. The ceiling is high for Turnbull if he can exhibit control and command with his secondary pitches, a developing slider and emerging splitter combination that could prove deadly for Carolina League opposition if he can get them over for strikes. Turnbull has a big frame and will look to maximize his very live arm that pumps heaters as high up as the mid-90s.

Potomac’s lone returning right-handed bullpen arm is Robert Gilliam, a former Oakland farmhand exchanged in the Gio Gonzalez trade, who will begin his 2013 season inactive following 36.0 innings logged with the P-Nats in which he garnered 30 strikeouts.

Nationals returning left-handed pitchers in the bullpen feature Paul Applebee, who will begin the season inactive after earning a 2-1 record in 13 appearances in 2012, Matt Grace, winner of a team-high nine games last season for Potomac, and Josh Smoker, a 2007 compensation 1st round draft pick who will also start the season inactive after just two trips to the bump for the P-Nats in 2012.

Promoted to Class-A Advanced Potomac in 2013, RHP Colin Bates, will join the P-Nats ‘pen after tossing lights out in Hagerstown where he went 8-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 29 relief outings.

LHP Ben Hawkins was terrific pitching out of the Suns bullpen as he racked up 57 strikeouts in 58.1 innings pitched while maintaining a 3-3 record and a 3.55 ERA in 30 trips to the mound.

RHP Greg Holt was a model of consistency in Hagerstown with a 5-2 record while holding opposing batters to a stingy .233 batting average.

LHP Christian Meza was arguably the most dominant force out of the Hagerstown bullpen in 2012. Meza was tied for the ‘pen lead with 8 wins and sported an anemic 2.97 ERA in 33 relief appearances and three spot starts. Meza held opposing sticks to a tiny .208 batting clip while collecting 94 strikeouts in 88.0 innings pitched with just 37 walks. Meza only received a losing decision once in 2012.

RHP Richie Mirowski was a stud relief asset for Hagerstown going undefeated in 16 bullpen trips to the mound. Mirowski overwhelmed Sally League swatters to the tune of 28 K’s in 27.0 innings and finished the ’12 campaign with a 2.00 ERA.

RHP Tyler Herron joins the Washington Nationals after a 2012 tenure spent with the independent Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks of the American Association following an arm injury in 2011. Herron, a former 1st round MLB draft pick selected 46th overall in 2005 by the St. Louis Cardinals, last pitched in affiliated baseball in 2009 with the Double-A Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) where he fanned 18 batters in 26.0 innings but held a 4.50 ERA in eight appearances and four stars. Herron, a former Baseball America Top-10 St. Louis Cardinals prospect, will look to regain the prominence that enticed the Cards to offer him a $675,000 signing bonus.

RHP Derek Self makes the springboard jump from the Short-season-A Auburn Doubledays to Potomac as a strong closer candidate after shutting down opposing New York Penn League hitters to a .260 batting average against to complement a whopping 14 saves in 15 save opportunities, which was tied for the most saves in the circuit. Self boasted a 3.27 ERA and a 3.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

P-Nats hitting coach, Mark Harris, back for his second season overall with the P-Nats, who led the Hagerstown hackers in 2012, will mentor a potent starting lineup this season with Potomac.

The human backstops for the P-Nats in 2013 feature former Baseball America top-25 prospect, C Adrian Nieto, who competed for Team Spain in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The Cuban-born switch-hitter bashed to a .257 batting clip with six home runs and 39 runs batted in over the course of 70 games for Hagerstown in 2012; results that yielded his best professional season. Nieto caught over 30 percent of would-be base stealers in the Sally League last season (20 caught stealing in 66 base swipe attempts) and returns to the Class-A Advanced level after a two-game stint with the P-Nats in 2011.

Also in competition for time behind the dish, C Cole Leonida joins the Nationals after displaying his pop on the South Atlantic League circuit. Platooning with Nieto in Hagerstown last year, Leonida ripped seven doubles, a pair of triples, and four long balls while producing 24 RBIs in 56 contests. Leonida cut down 24 runners in 86 stolen base attempts good for a punch-out percentage of 28%.

The Potomac infield is set for vast power potential and terrific defense. A converted outfielder-to-infielder, 1B Kevin Keyes returns to the Pfitzner Stadium diamond after cranking a team-high 21 homers while driving in a club-best 78 runs. Keyes’ imposing .459 slugging percentage and .749 OPS make him a premier power threat in 2013. Keyes will look to round up his .223 batting average while still squaring up balls that find the gaps as he belted 27 doubles last year.

2B Adrian Sanchez will return to man the right side of Daubach’s infield where he earned a .972 fielding percentage and committed only 10 errors in 76 games at second base. Sanchez owned a solid .269 batting average in 2012 over 101 games and his 101 hits ranked 2nd on the team. Finding real estate often, the durable speedster wreaked havoc on the basepaths stealing 25 bags in 41 tries for the 2nd most swipes in the Potomac clubhouse.

SS/3B Jason Martinson had a career season in 2012 splitting his time between Hagerstown and Potomac. Martinson, MLB.com’s Nationals #20 prospect, hit .245 between the two Nationals affiliates with 123 base hits, 104 runs scored, 22 four-baggers, 106 RBIs, and Martinson stole 30 bases. Martinson’s 2012 .770 OPS swells his bam-box potential at The Pfitz and he projects to be a hallmark in the middle of Daubach’s lineup card.

SS/3B Blake Kelso brings his diverse skill set back to Potomac where he stole the most bases on the squad (27) and collected 107 total bases. Kelso was tied for 2nd on the club with 51 runs scored, and defensively owned a .976 fielding percentage in 100 games committing only 8 errors in 338 total chances while turning 32 double plays at second base, shortstop, and third base.

Infielder Cutter Dykstra, son of former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies great, Lenny Dykstra, and MiLB.com 2012 Organizational All-Star, ripped at a .291 pace last season in 110 games in Hagerstown, while connecting for 28 doubles, seven home runs, and 64 RBIs. Supplementing the fleet feet of the P-Nats roster, Dykstra took 32 bags in 35 attempts last season, good for 2nd most on the club.

Potomac Nationals veteran utility man, Francisco Soriano returns to The Pfitz to begin his fourth consecutive campaign with the P-Nats. Soriano, a fan favorite, served the Nationals well in 2012 with a consistent .270 batting average over 87 games with 44 runs scored, 11 doubles, six triples, 40 walks, and 12 stolen bases. Soriano made appearances at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, center field, and right field, and collectively, had a .961 fielding percentage (11 errors in 74 games).

Potomac is poised for a terrific outfield template with a unique combination of speed, power, on-base consistency, and rangy defense.

Outfielder Michael Taylor, MLB.com’s #5 ranked Nationals prospect, who some have said is a future center fielder contender for the Washington Nationals, returns to Woodbridge following a well-rounded 2012. Taylor, the club’s everyday center fielder, led the team with 33 doubles, while drawing 40 walks (tied for the team lead), and 19 stolen bases. Baseball America has tabbed Taylor as the Nationals farmhand with the “Best Tools” in the categories of Best Defensive Outfielder and Best Outfield Arm. It is Taylor’s unique blend of speed, quickness, range factor, power, and a keen hitters’ eye that makes him a key piece of the Potomac Nationals’ arsenal.

LF Caleb Ramsey, who was a Sally League All-Star in 2012, served as the best all-around hitter with respect to contact and pop for the Hagerstown Suns in 2012. Ramsey batted .294 in 127 games, stomped on home plate 78 times and led the team with 136 hits. Ramsey’s southpaw stick got red hot with runners in scoring position and two outs as he logged a .314 batting average in that situation. Ramsey’s 66 RBIs were 4th best on the club, and he was also 2nd in the league with 10 triples.

CF Billy Burns had a breakout season in 2012 in the SAL posting a .322 batting clip, 3rd best in the league, in 113 games, while running circles around the basepaths with 38 stolen bases. Burns was on base all the time finishing with a .432 OBP, 2nd best in the SAL landscape. Baseball America has dubbed Burns as the Fastest Baserunner in Washington’s organization.

RF Randolph Oduber competed in the ’13 WBC as Team Netherlands embarked on an underdog run deep into the tournament. Oduber was injured for a portion of the ’12 campaign with Potomac but salvaged his season with a respectable .252 batting average in 80 games along with 13 doubles, four triples, five home runs, and 27 RBIs. Oduber also grooved station-to-station for 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts.

P-NATS 2013 OPENING DAY ROSTER

ACTIVE 25-MAN ROSTER

(Listed alphabetically by position)

Pitchers (13)
Colin Bates
A.J. Cole
Matt Grace
Ben Hawkins
Tyler Herron
Taylor Hill
Gregory Holt
Taylor Jordan
Christian Meza
Richard Mirowski
Robbie Ray
Derek Self
Kylin Turnbull

Catchers (2)
Cole Leonida
Adrian Nieto

Infielders (6)
Cutter Dykstra
Blake Kelso
Kevin Keyes
Jason Martinson
Adrian Sanchez
Francisco Soriano

Outfielders (4)
Billy Burns
Randolph Oduber
Caleb Ramsey
Michael Taylor

INACTIVE ROSTER (3)

-Paul Applebee
-Robert Gilliam
-Josh Smoker

Potomac Nationals Opening Day 2013 at Pfitzner Stadium is Friday, April 5th as the P-Nats host the defending Carolina League Champion, Lynchburg Hillcats (Atlanta Braves) at 7:05pm. Gates to The Pfitz will open at 6:00pm.

For all three games of Opening Weekend from April 5th through Sunday, April 7th, the first 1,000 fans in attendance for each contest will receive a P-Nats 2013 Magnet Schedule presented by: Quinn’s Goldsmith. In addition, the best fireworks show in Northern Virginia will be on display following Saturday night’s 6:35pm game. Then, on Family Day at The Pfitz Sunday afternoon, a 1:05pm first pitch will usher in Kids Eat Free sponsored by: Little Caesars Team Dumfries & Haymarket as kids 12 and under will receive a free slice of pizza courtesy of Little Caesars. Kids Run the Bases will take place after the ballgame.

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NATS/CHIEFS: Syracuse Chiefs Opening Day Roster, April 4

April 4, 2013 by

Today, April 4 is the opening day for the Syracuse Chiefs, Washington Nationals Triple-A Affiliate.

Syracuse Chiefs Press Release HeaderCHIEFS ANNOUNCE PRELIMINARY 2013 OPENING DAY ROSTER
12 players from last year’s team to return

Syracuse, NY—The Syracuse Chiefs, Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, are pleased to announce their preliminary roster for the 2013 season. Syracuse, led by second-year manager Tony Beasley, will begin its season on Thursday, April 4, at 7:05 at Lehigh Valley, with its home opener on Friday, April 12 at 2:05 vs. the IronPigs.

Syracuse’s active Opening Day roster features 16 former major leaguers and seven players on the Nationals’ 40-man roster. The Chiefs also return 12 players from last year’s Syracuse squad and 15 former Chiefs in total.

The Chiefs’ opening day staff will consist of 13 pitchers, five of whom spent time in Syracuse last season. Yunesky Maya (11-10, 3.88 ERA in 28 starts with the Chiefs in 2012), Tanner Roark (6-17, 4.39 ERA in 26 starts) and Ryan Perry (1-1, 4.50 ERA in 11 relief appearances) are slated to hold three of the spots in Syracuse’s rotation. Maya returns for his fourth season with Syracuse, with Roark and Perry as second-year Chiefs.

The other two spots in Syracuse’s season-opening rotation will be held by right-hander Ross Ohlendorf and left-hander Danny Rosenbaum. Ohlendorf, a veteran of 108 major league games with the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, is in his first year with the Nationals’ organization. Rosenbaum, recently returned from Colorado after being selected in the 2012 Rule V draft, will begin his fifth professional season in the Nationals’ organization. He sported a 3.94 ERA for Double-A Harrisburg in 26 starts last season.

The bullpen will feature returning right-handers Erik Davis and Jeff Mandel, with Mandel also entering fourth Syracuse season and Davis his second. Right-hander Ryan Tatusko also rejoins the team for the second time after spending the entire 2012 season in Harrisburg, where he sported a 3.50 ERA.

Two other former Chiefs join the bullpen – left-hander J.C. Romero and right-hander Jeremy Accardo. Romero, a veteran of 680 major-league games, pitched in five games for the Chiefs in 2011. Accardo, who’s pitched 262 games in the majors, tossed five games for the Chiefs in 2008, the final year of Syracuse’s affiliation with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The remaining three spots in the bullpen are filled out by two former major leaguers – left-hander Fernando Abad (Houston) and right-hander Mike Crotta (Pittsburgh) – and left-hander Patrick McCoy, who finished 7-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 50 games for Double-A Harrisburg last season.

Offensively, both Chiefs catchers return from last year’s squad. Jhonatan Solano rejoins Syracuse for the fourth time after a season in which he made his major league debut (.312 batting average in 12 games with Washington), while veteran Carlos Maldonado also returns to Syracuse for the fourth time. The two have combined to play in 306 career games with Syracuse.

Syracuse’s infield is split between three returning Chiefs and three newcomers. First baseman Chris Marrero, shortstop Zach Walters, and third baseman Carlos Rivero – a postseason International League All-Star last season – will rejoin the Chiefs after spending time in Washington’s major league camp this spring. Infielder Jeff Kobernus, who led stole 42 bases for Double-A Harrisburg to lead the 2012 Eastern League, will join them for his Triple-A debut. Former major leaguers Mike Costanzo (Cincinnati) and Will Rhymes (Detroit, Tampa Bay) round out the six-man group.

In the outfield, postseason International League All-Star Corey Brown will return to Syracuse for the third time. Brown led all Chiefs players in 2012 with 25 home runs and also appeared in 19 major league games for Washington. He’ll be joined by 22-year-old Eury Perez, the youngest Chief on the Opening Day roster. Converted pitcher Micah Owings, who’s appeared in 174 major league games, and former Canadian Olympic outfielder Jimmy Van Ostrand will both join the Chiefs for the first time.

Tickets for all Syracuse Chiefs home games are on sale now and can be purchased online at SyracuseChiefs.com, by calling 315-474-7833, or in person at the Chiefs ticket office. Full- and partial-season ticket plans are also available through each of the same three methods.

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Washington Capitals recall defenseman Dmitry Orlov from Hershey

March 18, 2013 by
Dmitri Orlov in his full cage for Feb. 7 game. (Photo by Cheryl Nichols)

Dmitri Orlov in his full cage for Feb. 7 game. (Photo by Cheryl Nichols)

The Washington Capitals have recalled defenseman Dmitry Orlov from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). Orlov has not played in an NHL game since April 7, 2012. He played 60 games in his rookie season last year, but was a healthy scratch for the playoffs under then-head coach Dale Hunter.

Orlov missed three months of action with concussion symptoms after getting hurt in Hershey’s game at Verizon Center in December.

Orlov, 21, has recorded 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) and 16 penalty minutes in 22 games with Hershey this season and has tallied three assists in his last two AHL contests. He collected 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) and 18 penalty minutes in 60 games with the Capitals during his rookie season in 2011-12. Orlov finished the season ranked fourth in scoring among rookie defensemen despite finishing ranked 23rd in average ice time per game (16:52).

Orlov will most likely slide right into the lineup in place of Tom Poti, who aggravated a back injury in Sunday’s contest against Buffalo.

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Washington Nationals trim spring roster to 33

March 18, 2013 by

With Opening Day just two weeks away, and manager Davey Johnson’s preference to play his starters heavily in the next-to-last week of Spring Training, the Washington Nationals sent out much of their Major League-ready backup talent to the minors before taking on the Detroit Tigers at Space Coast Stadium Monday morning.

The Nats today optioned right-handed pitchers Erik Davis, Yunesky Maya and Ryan Perry, catcher Jhonatan Solano, infielder Chris Marrero and outfielder Corey Brown to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Additionally, the Nationals re-assigned right-handed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and infielder Zach Walters to minor league camp.

Along with sending these players down, the Nats also granted catcher Chris Snyder his unconditional release. Snyder had an opt-out in his contract and is expected to sign a contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Snyder move signals that the team is comfortable with Wilson Ramos to open the season on the active roster. Ramos missed much of last season with two surgeries to his knee.

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Washington Nationals make more cuts: Rendon, Perez, Skole & more

March 14, 2013 by

The Washington Nationals made another round of cuts Thursday morning before hosting the Houston Astros at Space Coast Stadium, bringing the spring roster down to 42.

The club optioned outfielder Eury Perez to AAA-Syracuse and right-handed pitcher Nathan Karns, catcher Sandy Leon and infielder Anthony Rendon to AA-Harrisburg. Additionally, the Nationals re-assigned left-handed pitcher Pat McCoy and infielders Will Rhymes and Matt Skole to minor league camp.

Rendon put together a very impressive big league camp. The 22-year-old third baseman went 12-for-32 (.375/.412/.875) with four home runs, four doubles and 11 RBIs while with the Nats this spring. He accumulated 28 total bases in 13 games.

Perez, 22, went 8-for-23 (.348/.375/.348) with four runs scored, two stolen bases and no extra-base hits.

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Washington Capitals recall Cameron Schilling; Erskine to IR

March 12, 2013 by

The Washington Capitals reached into their AHL affiliate again for personnel, recalling left-handed defenseman Cameron Schilling to make his NHL debut Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. Schilling will be inserted into the lineup immediately due to injuries to John Erksine (left hand/wrist), who was placed on injured reserve to make room on the roster, and Tom Poti, who is day-to-day with an upper body injury.

Here’s Schilling’s bio information from the Caps press release:

Schilling, 24, has recorded 14 points (six goals, eight assists) and is a plus-seven in 54 games with Hershey in his first full professional season. He currently leads active Hershey defensemen in goals, plus/minus and ranks tied for second in points.

The Carmel, Ind., native played in 144 collegiate games during his four-year career with Miami, collecting 57 points (eight goals, 49 assists) and 155 penalty minutes. The 6’2”, 197-pound blueliner was a member of two NCAA All-Regional Teams (2008-2010) and helped Miami win the 2010-11 CCHA Championship.

Schilling was originally signed by Washington as an un-drafted free agent on March 27, 2012. He will participate in Tuesday’s morning skate and will wear No. 45 for the Capitals.

Schilling is well-regarded by the Capitals brass and will reunited as a pairing with Steve Oleksy, with whom he partnered earlier in the season with AHL Hershey.

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Washington Redskins announce roster moves

March 11, 2013 by

The Washington Redskins announced via press release on Monday several roster moves.

The team signed unrestricted free agent lineman Kory Lichtensteiger, restricted free agents LB Rob Jackson, TE Logan Paulson, LS Nick Sundberg and Darrel Young, veteran free agent T Tony Pashos, tendered NT Chris Baker and terminated the contract of CB DeAngelo Hall.

From the press release:

Lichtensteiger, 27, started all 16 regular season games and one postseason game for Washington in 2012, just one season removed from a season-ending ACL injury suffered in Week 6 of the 2011 season. His play earned him the team’s Ed Block Courage Award, given annually to a player who displays extraordinary courage in the face of adversity. He was part of a unit that helped the Redskins to 2,709 rushing yards in 2012, setting a team record and giving Washington its first league rushing title since 1933. Lichtensteiger (6-2, 284) entered the NFL as a fourth round pick (108th overall) of the Denver Broncos in the 2008 NFL Draft before joining the Redskins as a free agent prior to the 2010 season. He has appeared in 53 career games with 35 starts, including 37 games played and 35 starts with Washington.

Jackson, 27, started 14 regular season games and one postseason contest for the Redskins in 2012 and set career highs in sacks (4.5), interceptions (four) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (one). His four interceptions were tied for second-most on the team and helped the Redskins’ linebackers to 10 interceptions on the season, the most by a linebacker corps in team history. Originally selected by the Redskins in the seventh round (242nd overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft, Jackson (6-4, 266) has appeared in 42 career games, all with Washington.

Paulsen, 26, set career highs in receptions (25) and receiving yards (308) in 2012. He appeared in all 16 of the team’s regular season games with 10 starts and also started the team’s postseason game against Seattle, catching a four-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Paulsen (6-5, 261) has appeared in 43 career games with 16 starts, all with Washington, since entering the NFL as a college free agent with the Redskins prior to the 2010 season.

Sundberg, 25, snapped in eight regular season games and one postseason game for the Redskins in 2012. Sundberg’s play became national news after Week 1, in which he continued to snap in Washington’s 40-32 win at New Orleans despite suffering a broken left arm. Washington finished the year 8-0 in regular season games in which Sundberg played. Sundberg (6-0, 251) has appeared in 40 games with Washington since joining the team prior to the 2010 season.

Young, 25, was a vital piece of Washington’s offensive attack that became the first in NFL history to register 3,400 passing yards and 2,700 rushing yards in a season in 2012. He played in 16 games with eight starts in 2012, rushing 14 times for 60 yards and catching eight passes for 109 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He helped block for running back Alfred Morris’ team-record 1,613 rushing yards and Robert Griffin III’s 815 rushing yards, the most by a rookie quarterback in league history. Young (5-11, 251) originally entered the NFL as a college free agent linebacker with Washington prior to the 2009 season. He has appeared in 45 career games with 16 starts, all with Washington.

Pashos (PAH-shos) was originally drafted out of Illinois by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round (173rd overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 92 career games with 70 starts. From 2003-06, he played in 38 games with 23 starts at right tackle for Baltimore. In 2006, he helped Baltimore allow 17 sacks, second-fewest in the NFL.

Pashos signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 2, 2007. He started 15 games at right tackle in 2007, helping Jacksonville rank first in the AFC in rushing (2,391 yards). In 2008, he did not miss an offensive snap for Jacksonville, starting all 16 games and two postseason contests.

Pashos was released by Jacksonville on Sept. 6, 2009, before signing with the San Francisco 49ers a day later. In 2009, with San Francisco, Pashos appeared in five games before being placed on the Reserve/Injured list on Oct. 26. On March 7, 2010, he signed with the Cleveland Browns as an unrestricted free agent, appearing in 18 games with 15 starts at right tackle for Cleveland during the 2010-11 seasons.

Pashos, 32, played collegiately at Illinois where he started in 47 games at right tackle and was named first-team All-Big Ten twice.

Pashos was born on Aug. 3, 1980, in Palos Heights, Ill. He attended Lockport (Ill.) H.S. and was a second-team all-state selection by the Chicago Tribune.

Baker, 25, played in 14 regular seasons games plus one postseason game with Washington in 2012. Coaches credited him with 26 tackles (14 solo), four quarterback pressures and one pass defensed. Baker (6-2, 333) joined the Redskins as a free agent during the 2011 season after entering the NFL as a college free agent in 2009.

Hall, 29, played five seasons (2008-12) with the Redskins, appearing in 68 regular season games with 63 starts and registered 19 interceptions. He started all 16 regular season games in 2012, finishing with 115 tackles (89 solo), including six for loss, 16 passes defensed, four interceptions, one fumble recovery and one sack.

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Washington Redskins sign Jackson, Young and Paulson

March 9, 2013 by
robjackson

Rob Jackson re-ups with the Skins with a one-year deal. (photo by Brian Murphy)

The Washington Redskins reportedly came to agreements with LB Rob Jackson, FB Darrell Young and TE Logan Paulson before the players were set to become free agents on Tuesday.

Jackson is said to have a one-year deal, not the restricted free agent one-year tender according to The Washington Post. Jackson, a seventh round pick in 2008, has appeared in 42 games in his career. He has 4 1/2 sacks last season with four interceptions and two forced fumbles, taking over in the pressure linebacker spot for the injured Brian Orakpo.

Young and Paulson are said to have three-year deals. According to The Post, Jackson’s contract includes a $1 million signing bonus and could be worth up to $6.2 million over the length of the deal.  Young was the starting fullback last season, with 14 rushes for 60 yards and eight catches for 109 yards. He also one of the Skins’ top coverage players.

Tight end Paulson also signed a three-year deal. Paulson made 25 catches for 308 yards and a touchdown in his best offensive season with Fred Davis out for the year with injury.

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