AGRI Biz

Well, that isn’t how we wanted the 2010 season to begin.   After jumping out to a combined 6-0 lead in both games, the Lords of Reality reappeared and by the end of the day, the Nationals’ split-squad teams lost by a combined score of 25-9.   The scores are meaningless.   The Cardinals gave up 17 runs and the Diamondbacks allowed 11. Texas put up an 11-spot on Kansas City.   It doesn’t matter than Johnny Peralta ...

When Nyjer Morgan joined the Washington Nationals last July, the team was a moribund 23-55 and paralleling the record of the worst baseball team of all time, the 1962 New York Mets.   They couldn’t hit, they couldn’t pitch, and they certainly couldn’t field.   One new player—part time for most of his career—wouldn’t make a difference, right?   Wrong.   From Morgan’s first game through his last (when he broke a bone in his hand sliding into ...

Finding that extra veteran starting pitcher that he has long craved, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo today signed former National Livan Hernandez to a minor league contract.   If he has a good spring, he'll likely be in the starting rotation. If he doesn't, my guess is the deal includes an agreement that he will be released before the start of the season so he can find another major league job rather ...

I was eight-years-old when I attended my first Senators baseball game. It’s not like I wanted to or anything. But I was a fan of Channel five’s “Countdown Carnival” with Bill Gormley, and he asked me—through the television of course—to have a carnival for Muscular Dystrophy. We didn’t get anything for doing it and we didn’t get to keep the money.   But we did get tickets to Senators’ games. Lots and ...

Derek Norris, the Washington Nationals come-from-nowhere prospect, followed up an impressive rookie-league season in 2008 with a breakout year for the Hagerstown Suns and has won the “MiLBY” Award for being the best hitter in all of Class-A baseball.   Norris, 20, batted .286-23-84 in 437 at-bats for Low-A Hagerstown. Translated into a 550 at-bat major league season, his stats look even better: 160 hits, 38 doubles, 30 home runs, and 107 ...

In the days before the arrival of Stephen Strasburg, there was already a pitching prospect considered good enough to be the teamÆs future No. 1 starter. á His name was Jordan Zimmermann. á Zimmermann was a second-round supplemental pick obtained from the Chicago Cubs for the loss of Alfonso Soriano (who do you think the Cubs would rather have these days?). á He was a surprise pick out of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, a Division III program that ...

If I were NationalsÆ General Manager Mike Rizzo, IÆd be driving over to Adam DunnÆs house right now, contract in one hand and pen in the other. á And IÆd be practicing my groveling. á Former Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay has agreed to a four year, $66 million contract. ThatÆs $16.5 million per season for the 30 year old. á Dunn, a year younger at 29, is in the last year of a two-year contract ...

There are many ways to build a championship baseball club. Some teams, like the Atlanta Braves, would rather have outstanding pitching with just enough offense to win a lot of 3-2 games. á Others, like the Boston Red Sox, create their own ôMurdererÆs Rowö and outslug the opposition 12-10. á But regardless of a teamÆs philosophy, there is one thing that all championship teams must have: outstanding up-the-middle defense. á Teams can get away with a ...