Nats all smiles on a frigid day

Associated Press

Denard Span and Kurt Suzuki bundled up at today's workout.

VIERA, Fla. -- The thermometer read 41 degrees, the wind chill reducing that number to 34, as all 53 players in Nationals camp took the fields outside Space Coast Stadium for their first full-squad workout of the spring.

Good luck identifying anyone, though, considering every single player wore a hooded sweatshirt on top of his jersey, leaving all numbers hidden from public view.

"Rain yesterday. Snow today," left-hander Gio Gonzalez cracked. "What do we got tomorrow, hail storm?"

The unusually frigid conditions might have put a slight damper on the proceedings and encouraged everyone to get their work done in a timely fashion before retreating for the warmth of the home clubhouse. But this was still a day full of optimism and friendly
banter, especially for position players who were getting a chance to suit up alongside their teammates for the first time in four months.

Team chemistry was an integral aspect to the Nationals' success last season, and there's no reason to believe it won't play a role again this season. This is a clubhouse full of players who genuinely get along.

"I think the biggest thing I miss during the offseason is the team camaraderie," second baseman Danny Espinosa said. "These are the guys you hang out with every day and shoot the crap with, play the game with, hang out with, go to dinner with. You miss that part of baseball. So it's nice to have everybody out, joke with everybody and start getting ready for the season."

Among Adam LaRoche's motivations to return to Washington following a career year was the strong bond he formed with teammates and members of the coaching staff during the previous two seasons.

"A big part of the reason coming back was Davey [Johnson] and my teammates last year," he said. "It's just a solid group. And I think it's obvious how much we all love being around each other and what that translated into on the field."

Did it actually translate on the field? That's one of the age-old questions in sports, a true chicken-or-egg conundrum.

Does good chemistry breed success? Or does success breed good chemistry?

"I can explain that to you very easily," Johnson said, though his answer was a tad long-winded. "Chemistry is when 25 guys know their role, and they know that if they do their role, it can be expanded. That's good chemistry. ... It's kind of funny. Almost every club I've ever been with, they talk about chemistry, too many groups here and there.

"Well, there's going to be 25 on this team. They all have an opportunity to express their talent. And when everybody feels like they're getting an opportunity to express their talent, it's generally a happy camp. That's my job. But that becomes good chemistry. It's more about 25 guys taking care of No. 1 and playing up to their potential. And then it all fits.

"That's always been the case. And the byproduct of that is winning. And then everyone says: 'Man, what great chemistry!' No, it's because everybody plays like they're capable of."

Whatever theory you ascribe to, the Nationals were -- and remain -- a close-knit club. That much was evident during today's workout, with players from different position groups mingling and joking around, just happy to be together again on a baseball diamond in Florida in mid-February.

Even if it felt more like Washington in mid-October.

"The chemistry, right off the bat, it just feels like we've been around each other," Gonzalez said. "It feels like we just picked up where we left off."