The Nationals released outfielder Elijah Dukes today, ending what was, at times, a tumultuous two seasons with the team. Mark Zuckerman notes that Nats manager Jim Riggleman will likely choose from the trio of Willie Harris, Justin Maxwell or Mike Morse to fill Dukes' starting spot in right field this season. Dukes hit .250 last season, with 8 home runs and 58 RBIs in 107 games. more ›

It is the week of the baseball draft, and in what looks like a yearly tradition, it is time to see what the Nationals organization does with the first pick. Everyone expects them to draft pitcher Steven Strasburg. Strasburg is a talent so great that only a team as incompetent as the Nationals would fail to draft and sign him. It should be an interesting Tuesday. Strasburg is represented by hated agent Scott Boras, so the team is a long way away from introducing the next Ben McDonald to the world. more ›

Well, that was quick: less than 24 hours after we relayed the news that Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden was on the hot seat, Bowden resigned from his post, citing that his "ability to properly represent the Washington Nationals has been compromised because of false allegations contained in the press." The Nats have not yet named a replacement or an interim GM. Bowden's resignation comes less than a week after the team fired of his longtime assistant, Jose Rijo, who was helming Nationals' operations in the Dominican Republic. Rijo and Bowden -- who maintains his complete innocence -- are both involved in a federal investigation over the signing of Dominican shortstop Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, who, after receiving the largest signing bonus in team history, turned out to be four years older than believed. With spring training well into full swing, the Nats are keeping the wheels moving with assistant general manager Mike Rizzo at the helm. There's no word on what strategy the team will take to replace Bowden. more ›

Yesterday, Nationals manager Manny Acta called a team meeting to remind his players that they are not "independent league players." The point was that, despite being younger and not as talented as some other clubs, they are expected to be able to complete routine plays like hitting the cutoff man and fielding the baseball. It is clear that Manny will live with a team that is last in the National League in every offensive category, the worst team in the National League, and quickly becoming the worst team in baseball, but he will not tolerate basic baseball errors. To put it another way, the manager of the Nationals expects the same level of play from his team as my junior varsity coach expected from my team. more ›

Jim Bowden has been a busy man this offseason. Since we last left the Nationals, they have acquired outfielder Elijah Dukes, infielder Aaron Boone, pitcher Tyler Clippard, and catcher Paul Lo Duca. They have also signed outfielder Wily Mo Pena to a one year deal. Betting that he can't possibly have two horrible years in a row, the Nats have also signed outfielder Ryan "more strikeouts than total bases" Langerhans to a one year deal.... more ›

I have a small confession. Months ago, when I agreed to take over Nats coverage for DCist, I was anticipating a historically bad season. The kind of season that I could tell my children about, and allow me to forever hold my head above future bandwagon fans. So imagine my surprise that on my inaugural post there are a staggering seven teams with worse records than the Nats, despite seven Washington losses in their last... more ›

News and notes surrounding Washington's loveable cellar-dwellers: Belliard Signs Extension: Though he was widely considered the Nats most moveable commodity, he and the team agreed to a 2-year, $3.5 million extension to keep big Ron in D.C. Belliard’s versatility makes Manny Acta’s job much easier for the next few years with his ability to play multiple infield positions, his willingness to be a bench player when needed, and his veteran leadership. In the meantime, his... more ›

Well, we may have been reluctant at first due to his, um, colorful past (as were many others). We also doubted his All Star chances. Now, though, we’re now firmly aboard the Dmitri Young Chuckwagon. In the same week he was named to the NL team for next week’s All Star Game in San Francisco, Young went 3-4 yesterday. His day was highlighted by a grand slam, cementing the Nats 6-0 win in front of... more ›

Prompted by the opening of online balloting for the 2007 All Star Game a few weeks ago, we recently started wondering who might represent the Nats in San Francisco (since, you know, somebody has to). Dmitri Young? The guy's hitting for a scorching .500 average over the last 21 games. But he's mired behind popular stars like Albert Pujols and Nomar Garciaparra, as well as reigning MVP Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder's 23-homer bat. Even... more ›

So we’re six weeks into the Nats post-Robinson era, and no one besides Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden has any clue what’s going on in the search for a manager. Kasten is dedicated to a process that is “thorough” and he is “prepared to hire the best fit.” He recently said an announcement might be made in the next two weeks, but resists giving any insight into the process whatsoever. What’s going on down there at RFK? Is this really the relationship they want with the press and their fans? more ›

Alfonso Soriano is still a Washington National. For this season, at least. After what we assume were some intense negotiations with over a dozen teams, Jim Bowden failed to trade the Nats’ star left fielder. The 4 p.m. trading deadline came and went without a deal for Soriano, or any other Nationals for that matter. As a waiver-wire trade will be logistically impossible to complete, Soriano will stay with the Nationals for the remainder... more ›

With the first half of the 2006 season in the books, it’s time to reach deep into the bag of sportswriting gimmickry and pull out some mid-season hardware for our own amusement. With the team on pace to lose 95 games, many sad moments have defined the season thus far, but there are a few bright spots in there. So without further ado, DCist proudly presents the Superfluous All-Star Break Awards of 2006: The FEMA... more ›

The following is the second in a two part point/counterpart series by DCist Sports regarding Alfsonso Soriano and his future with the Washington Nationals. Today Jeff Beam provides the case for keeping Soriano. Yesterday, Matt Bourque made the case for trading him. First off, lets not deny the obvious: sometime between now and the July trade deadline, the Nats are going to have a serious fire sale. Every player not named Zimmerman, Patterson, and Cordero... more ›

When the Nats completed the series win over their budding rivals from Baltimore last weekend, things were looking up. They'd won two in a row (and three of four), stalwart starter Livan Hernandez appeared to have returned to last year's All Star form, and Alfonso Soriano was proving why Jim Bowden coveted him so badly. The team seemed to have turned a corner on their poor start. But Momentum, she is a fickle lady.... more ›

The outcome was pretty much a foregone conclusion, but it's still one more step toward getting the Nationals on the right track. Today in New York, baseball's team owners unanimously approved the Lerner group's purchase of the Nats for the sticker price of $450 million, according to the Post. more ›

Livan Hernandez finally managed to stay out of early trouble last night, but his teammates couldn't cause any of their own against Carlos Zambrano. The 24-year-old right hander spread four harmless singles over eight innings to shut out the Nats 4-0 in Chicago and pick up his second win. No National had more than one hit. Alfonso Soriano struck out three times on the same day the Post commended him for not letting his... more ›

This week we reported that some police officers have been wrongfully enforcing the D.C. smoking ban in restaurants, found one of the area's best burgers in an unexpected place, recognized that maybe there may be too much junk food in local food banks and commended the Post for its four Pulitzer prizes. We checked out some local bands at the Black Cat, found unintentional hilarity over at WMATA's website, pondered express service on Metro... more ›

This entry was written by DCist contributor Jeff Beam. Just another day at the office for the 2006 Nationals. After Monday's much-needed day off, Tuesday was off to the races. By midday, the team had learned that Ryan Drese would be out four to six weeks, but would avoid season-ending surgery. By the late evening, when Gary Majewski was wrapping up a 10-3 victory in Philly, their GM was on the hot seat, and the... more ›

The Post reports this morning on impressive growth throughout the region in the number of black-owned businesses. Census Data released yesterday detailed the strides black businesses made between 1997 and 2002; nationally black-owned firms grew 45 percent (compared to about 10 percent for all firms), but they still only account for 5 percent of all businesses. While growth took pace across the region, media focus has been on Prince George's County, which now has... more ›

Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden, already under fire for his questionable off-season personnel moves and his team's underachieving start, added fuel to his own fire today as the club revealed Bowden was arrested on DUI charges last Sunday while in Florida. According to the AP, Bowden released a statement today saying, "I intend to plead not guilty at a future date in a Miami Dade court. I deeply regret any embarrassment that my... more ›

This entry was written by new DCist contributor Jeff Beam Away from the three ring circus created by Major League Baseball, City Council, and Mayor Williams’ office, the 2006 edition of the Nationals prepares this week to close shop in Viera, Florida and head north for another season along the Anacostia. A number of roster moves via trade, promotion, and shoulder tears have changed the look of the team, so we’ve compiled a season preview... more ›

The battle over transportation in Virginia has been full of laughable moments, from Delegates noting how they don't hear taxpayers clamoring for tax increases when they return home to news stories on the lack of concern about traffic in Virginia hamlets with three-digit populations. Of course, we laugh to keep from crying, or rather, we laugh to keep from tracking down these Prince William County Delegates and punching them in their smug faces. We know their day of electoral or karmic reckoning is coming, we just don't know when. more ›

Yesterday, it finally came to a head. The issue everyone kept putting on the backburner finally rushed to the forefront of the Washington Nationals' spring training season. Alfonso Soriano, the highest paid player of the club, refused to take the field in his assigned role of left fielder against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. Brandon Watson eventually took the field in Soriano's place, playing centerfield while moving Ryan Church... more ›

Earlier this week, the Nationals dodged a bullet when former baseball hero Sammy Sosa opted for likely retirement rather than take Washington's admittedly measly non-guaranteed $500,000 offer. Bully for the Nats, who won't have to see wasted green on the bench and whiffs at the plate, but still, it's a sign of the straits in which the club finds itself that one of the major attempted deals of the offseason was a throwaway contract to a washed up slugger. As the 2006 season approaches, the city's attention remains focused on the ups and downs of the stadium saga, a distraction that threatens to seriously undermine the value of the club, but the difficulties in settling the Nats into D.C. on a more permanent basis are merely symptoms of a more serious problem with baseball, the league's antitrust exemption. more ›

After a promising start to the weekend (a 4-1 win on Friday night), the Nationals dropped back-to-back games to the Cardinals in all too familiar fashion: Back-to-back 6-0 losses to the best team in baseball, and consecutive no-shows by the Nats' bats. Saturday, the Nats had no answer for the previously struggling Jason Marquis, managing just two hits. Yesterday they collected just four hits and two walks. It all adds up to another series' loss... more ›

(Editor's Note: DCist would like to welcome Chris Kelly to our Sports staff. He will be assisting in our coverage of the Nationals with a weekly column each Monday.) Call 'em "The Comeback Kids", "The One-Run Wonders", "The Cardiac Kids"; doesn't matter. Call 'em whatever you want, but your first place Washington Nationals extended their 10-game winning streak yesterday with yet another 1-run victory (8 out of their last 13 wins have been by 1... more ›

After being swept by the woeful Reds (21-31) last Thursday, the Nats' prospects against the non-woeful Cardinals (33-18) looked pretty bleak. Friday's inevitable loss brought the team to .500, a low since late April, when the team record was just 11-11. Then Saturday's "L" put them under the halfway mark for the first time since the Nats' seventh game of the season, where they fell to division rival Atlanta. But then something happened: the Nats... more ›

tough. more ›

The short, troubled association of the Washington Nationals and centerfielder Endy Chavez came to an end late last week, and unlike Boyz II Men, we still can let go. Chavez's conspicuous habit of causing third outs during spring training earned him the nickname "Inning-Endy" among Nats bloggers, and it seemed to many like his time with the Nationals would be short. Sure enough, the Nats sent him down to the minors before opening day, and his return was not expected. So when he got called up in the middle of the series against the Dodgers last week, something had to be up. more ›

It was starting to look a little dismal for the Nationals. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Nats had lost six of their last eight games (although it'd be unfair not to point out that they murdered the Mets 11-4 on Sunday). But then a funny thing happened: Nick Johnson drilled a home run into the right-center stands in the first inning. Caveat one: Yes, the Phillies had already scored a run of their own. But... more ›