This week, Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier of 106.7 The Fan Radio traveled to the Spring Training home of the Washington Nationals in West Palm Beach, Florida. There are over 2 1/2 hours of interviews from Bryce Harper, Dave Martinez, Adam Eaton, Shawn Kelley, Matt Wieters, Edwin Jackson, Brandon Kintzler, Max Scherzer, Mike Rizzo, Anthony Rendon, Sean Doolittle, Michael Taylor, and Erick Fedde.
The Best of Spring Training compilation with Grant and Danny is on this link: http://washington.cbslocal.com/audio/grant-and-danny/best-of-spring-training-with-grant-and-danny/
Here are some highlights:
When you listen to the interviews, there was some new information. Dave Martinez spoke to his 3 “C’s” of the baseball diamond which are Culture, Communication, and Competing. Bring 100% every day.
Shawn Kelley said that Derek Lilliquist and Davey Martinez told the bullpen pitchers, “We want a bullpen that anyone can pitch at anytime and give guys days [off]. We don’t want to get to the point where guys are on the shelf for weeks at a time or a month or banged up down the stretch.” They want relievers to speak up if they need a day off. “Davey harped on me to discuss it with the group in the bullpen to just be honest..’I need a day’…we won’t have that problem this year. I’m going to be honest with them this year.”
“We’re going to get more time-off this year,” Matt Wieters said.
“I’m really working with Scherzer on sliders,” Brandon Kintzler said. “I think he’s a good guy to work with.”
“If I thought it was necessary we would be engaged in it,” Mike Rizzo said regarding the Nationals are not in pursuit of free agent Jake Arrieta. “He is a great pitcher…but we are really happy and satisfied here…and we are locked in and ready to go with them.”
Max Scherzer wants Mike Rizzo to get a new contract and does not want to see his deal go “sideways”.
Erick Fedde is working on a new cutter this Spring, and he said he feels great.
Prior to Friday’s game, Dave Martinez held a moment of silence and the team raised their caps at the “Circle of Trust”.
Teams wore the Stoneman Douglas High School caps for Friday’s games honoring the 17 students, teachers and staff who were killed and the countless other victims who were injured in last week’s shooting at the Parkland, Florida school.
What a fitting touch for the Grapefruit opener at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches to have Angelique Meneses who is a student at Stoneman Douglas to sing the Star Spangled Banner.
