VIERA, FLA. — Good morning and welcome to the first installment of Viera Journal, a daily post that will help guide our coverage of Nationals spring training over the next 10 days.
Every morning, this post will help you catch up on the happenings of the previous day and give you a few things to look for at the next day’s workouts. It’ll be a smorgasbord of quotes, notes, thoughts, analysis, personal experiences and other miscellaneous tidbits that don’t quite fit anywhere else. And hopefully it’ll be fun. Fun is good.
So what exactly will you see in this space? Well, sometimes I’ll start with a takeaway or observation from the previous day’s workouts. Other times, I’ll start with a question that leads into a random story. Like, for example…
“What brings you to Orlando?”
That’s what the nice lady at the customer service desk asked me when I went to pick up my rental car this afternoon.
“I’m here for spring training,” I replied.
“Wow! So cool,” she said. “Is this your first one?”
“Yeah, actually it is.”
“What team?”
“The Nationals.”
“Oh. What position do you play?”
And that, folks, is how I received one of the best compliments I’ve received in a long time. It really wasn’t even intended to be a compliment. I told her that I’m actually a reporter covering the team, and she insisted that was just as cool as playing. Then she said she’d make sure to get me a four-door so “they don’t haze you quite as hard.” Which was kind of weird. Maybe there’s some sort of reporter-initiation process that I just don’t know about?
Breakfast links
— From Thursday’s paper, here are five Nats storylines to watch this spring.
— Also from the paper, columnist Deron Snyder on Alex Rodriguez’s latest public apology.
Worth watching
Well, this is obvious: pitchers and catchers are due to report to the team’s facility this morning. That means we’ll get our first real glimpses of Max Scherzer and Casey Janssen in Nationals uniforms during workouts. Hopefully we’ll get to talk to them, too. I’m specifically curious about how Scherzer’s life has changed since he signed that $210 million contract. Lots of major-league contracts are life-changing, but that one is especially so.
A scheduling note
Here’s what you can expect from us over the next month or so: I’ll be here covering the team in Viera through Friday, Feb. 27. Shortly after that, columnist Thom Loverro will stop by. Shortly after that, fellow reporter Todd Dybas will be in town. And then I’ll be back to wrap up the final spring training games as roster decisions near.
Be sure to give both of those guys a follow on Twitter, if you don’t follow them already: Thom is @thomloverro and Todd is @Todd_Dybas. You can reach me any time either on Twitter, @Tom_Schad, or via email at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
Quote of the day
“Ew.” — The aforementioned rental car lady, when informed that the Nationals hold spring training in Viera.
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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