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Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER Rafael Soriano participated in his first workout with the Nationals today. |
"I wanted to be here a little bit early and be with my new team," the reliever said. "So I go and try to get my visa, and I see nothing happens. So now I have to wait and see what happens."
Soriano, who has been throwing on his own at home, finally got word yesterday morning his visa was approved and immediately made plans to fly to Florida.
"The guy called me and said: 'Hey, I got your passport. You can go anytime you want,'" the 33-year-old closer said. "So I said: 'Let me get a flight and get here.'"
Signed in late-January to a two-year, $28 million contract -- with $14 million of the money deferred -- Soriano has been through
plenty of big-league camps over his career, but few in which he entered knowing his exact role.
Though he owns 132 career saves, this is only the second time Soriano has reported for spring training knowing he would be his team's closer. (He entered 2010 with the Rays knowing, as well.)
Soriano said the opportunity to be the Nationals' primary closer was a major factor in his decision to sign. Now he just needs to navigate his way through the long grind of spring training before bursting out of the bullpen for his first save situation in April.
"I cannot wait for the season to start," he said. "To me, I feel like that will be the moment, the time for me. And I want to be ready and healthy to help the team win."
45 comments:
A little pet peeve. Can't you use his Press Conference photo in a Nats uni instead of constantly using his Yankees uni?
Here, you can borrow a Soriano Nats photo from Amanda Comak:
http://media.washtimes.com/media/image/2013/02/07/20130207-171926-pic-985651638_s640x394.jpg?cc1250dbc85e17d7f3649bd0301ac6c4f16a0f62
In Mark's defense, it appears he now gets his photos from the USA Today Sports archive or the AP and I checked and they have no stock photos of Soriano in a Nats uni
http://www.usatodaysportsimages.com/search/fulltext/rafael%20soriano
I prefer the Getty Images archives and when I checked it I saw the Nats did a studio photo shoot already with Rafael Soriano on January 17th.
http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?query=z.i.H4sIAAAAAAAEAOy9B2AcSZYlJi9tynt_SvVK1-B0oQiAYBMk2JBAEOzBiM3mkuwdaUcjKasqgcplVmVdZhZAzO2dvPfee--999577733ujudTif33_8_XGZkAWz2zkrayZ4hgKrIHz9-fB8_In7dfLn91et79-79Hr_2tFr8umeL7CL_NX-NX-PXeEz__-3r7DzLy7Sp6iJbVulV1syL5UVbLX_NEdrI82t9ubS_Rx7T8NdM6qpqX2Z1tmh-Hf3s18L_d3fQ5Fu_hoX0m5lXf3f885vQ_3-9d6-vm9N3Btyv6f3NYLJz8-uvqb8D8q-dnU9t7_4fvzY-2OHOF6170_3-61Dj0n5h_8J7vy79US8s2PDPXx8f7eKvX48_n1gYnb_5tfMQiv2ToexYKOcdKO5vfq0Oodg_GcqehVJ3oLi_iTK5hYE_fm39g8m0i99-Q9P2N8Y_IBzRJF-ZT3_N4K9fO5809hvzBxM7dzh4v_9auWvu_f5rN6uV_Rx_GBx_K_vi5dS96H7_daraYxX7F381yf2vzF94fu3ZlWXjX9P8AT79dZq1N57gr187zxwG_h_0-8r_wv7x6zYBtPDPX_vds-duIugP-0VWe7h5f_xGzbRa5U_Wy1npETH41AD8ccB5sHMfv_86xENr2zz469eZ1_KHUAh_GQgfA8Le3kNuNgmaTbxmn3jNiJucfPl__Hov8qu8af-fAAAA___24f1JfQQAAA..&rid=159776511&rcat=Event&rt=DC%3a+Washington+Nationals+Introduce+Rafael+Soriano#
Good news via twitter. Pitchers are working on the pick off move and holding runners today.
Mattheus, Storen, Clippard and this guy. Go ahead, try and score on us after the fifth inning.
Come to think of it, those first five frames are not going to be any walk in the park either.
Oh, my, we've come a long way from Tomo Ohko, baby.
Ghost, check the NIDO HowTo section for how to embed a hyperlink in your comment. That was the longest one ever! ;-)
Story about bryce coming up on mlbtv
Sect222, I am inept. I will try again.
Sunshine - Tomo Ohko! If only John Patterson had stayed healthy. That guy had #1 stuff.
Oops. Maybe not
Grrr
I'm sorry but I'm pretty new to baseball facts..why do pitchers and catchers report earlier than other position players? what do they do in the "additional" week of work out?
Totally different subject - check out the Nats website, a new video shows Danny E shaving his humongous beard right before our eyes.
@Davide
manager and coaches can focus on the pitchers, see where they are at physically, schedule bullpen sessions, etc. if pitchers are there, catchers have to be also.
@ original Nats Fan
Got it. Thank you.. :)
original Nats Fan said...
@Davide
manager and coaches can focus on the pitchers, see where they are at physically, schedule bullpen sessions, etc. if pitchers are there, catchers have to be also.
February 16, 2013 11:36 AM
Also, it takes a little longer to get pitchers stretched out. They need to be able to pitch at least 6 or 7 innings by the end of spring training.
Starting pitchers, that is.
And Henry threw one into Center Field. OY! So it begins!
Mark Zuckerman @ZuckermanCSN
Henry Rodriguez's first pickoff attempt of the day winds up in center field.
How about a little Photo-Shop Nats' uniform stuff???
Even Soriano's Rays' uni would be better than the hated Yankee's outfit!
MicheleS, say it ain't so. I'm shaking my head side to side.
Doc, exactly and it's 2 posts this week in Yankees uni's. Comcast must have an account with Getty Images but if they don't then yes Photoshop.
Even the Washington Times where they are laying off workers had the ability to use Nats photos in their numerous Rafael Soriano posts.
Love it! Mark replaced the photo!!!!!
Back off, Ghost of Steve M. Mark has provided FOR FREE this forum where you shoot off your mouth way too much anyway. You would have no room for complaint even if it was a photo of Alfonso Soriano in a Yankees uniform.
I'm heading over to NIDO to buy Mark a drink for putting up with us. :-)
Horsey, you're looking a gift horse in the mouth. Steve M. is the man, and a proud contributor to this site.
Your comment about Soriano, Alfonso by name, makes no sense.
Besides sportfan, Mark channnnnnged the picture!!!!
And also besides, Mark expects us to provide frequent commentary---that's how this site survives as a commercial entity, e.g., the more the merrier ($).
Which stable are you out of? The one flying Philthie colors?
And so it goes. Mudslinging already and the games haven't even begun, yet! Wait until Peric shows up!
Henry R reminds me of old Senators' shortstop Johnny Sullivan. His throwing was so bad it was expected, hence Arch MacDonald's deadpan call: "Grounder to Sullivan and he throws it in the dugout."
"Mark Zuckerman @ZuckermanCSN
Henry Rodriguez's first pickoff attempt of the day winds up in center field."
That's what happens when position players haven't reported yet and you have no one covering second.
And then there was Clark Griffith's son-in-law, Sherry Robertson. Arch: "Fly ball to right, Robertson knocks if down and throws it to second."
I can't top the radio calls and Arch was just great with his gruff voice, but I was there when Carlos Paula had a fly ball go off his head in Right Field. Just a difficult club to love but we did!!
By the way, Mickey - I loved how you played the game! LaRoche sort of reminds me of how you picked it at first base.
Horsey, i love Mark. I was a founding contributor to help Mark and very commited to his success. I gavé him a suggestion on Getty Images. Didn't think that was a problem.
Who wants to see Yankees unis?
Doc, thanks for the kind words and back to you!
Watching the twitter feeds of the beat reporters is making me laugh. The stuff coming out is just hilarious.
Thanks Mark!!!
What are the odds of a 10 year old going to Jarry Park (with Dad) and following the Expos until they left, and continuing to follow the team through Mr Loria and MLB's destruction of an organization.
Phoenix rising. Thanks Mark and all you posters, best part of my day.
I'll be buying the World Series DVD.
sjm308 -- I didn't think anyone on here went back as far as I do. Carlos Paula! How about Bingo Binks in CF, and Milo Candini coming in to relieve Chick Pieretti? Saw my first game in 1945, first opener in 1946. We deserve today's Nats. Any others on here who took the streetcar to Griffith Stadium?
Drake is in the house, with a new 'do.
Hell yes! Took the streetcar from Takoma Park to Griffith. Pretty sure it was a nickel at first and then it was bumped up to a dime.
Gotta go, but one final Senators memory: Arch MacDonald's gong on his calls from the teletype on road games. "Here it comes and there it goes -- bong -- over the hills -- bong -- and far away -- bong -- into the left field stands -- bong -- a home run for Hank Greenberg."
LT death burgers in Georgetown? Open seemed like 24 hours? Been there many times.
Would have loved to ride the great, modern, air conditioned street cars that DC Transit once had. But thanks to Dwight D. Eisenhower I never go the chance.
Why isn't that LaRoche kid in school?
@DWS
You're not alone. My Dad began taking me to Jarry in their inaugural season and I've followed them to Washington also. I was fortunate enough to be on hand in Washington (man I love that city) for the first game at Nationals Park and I managed to scrounge a week next month to see some spring training games.
Love this team. Go Nats.
Is that LaRoche kid's homework done?
Toma Ohka was one of the Nats best pitchers in 2005. Trading him after he showed up big Frank was a huge mistake. Team has a winning season and contends until the final ten games had they kept him.
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