Frigid first day for position players

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

Visual evidence of the conditions this morning at Space Coast Stadium.

VIERA, Fla. -- Yes, the above photo is accurate. I just snapped the shot a few minutes ago inside Space Coast Stadium, where the conditions this morning don't exactly conjure up the typical, iconic images of spring training.

The temperature is 41 degrees, but throw in a stiff, northerly breeze and the wind chill factor is 34. (I know, I know. This is falling on absolutely deaf ears back in Washington. Point is, this is quite rare for these parts.)

The show will go on, though, and at the top of the hour the entire Nationals roster will take the practice fields for their first official, full-squad workout of the spring. Everybody is present, accounted for, has passed their physical and is bundled up in October-style gear for today's session.

Before they embark from the clubhouse, manager Davey Johnson is holding his annual spring training meeting, but don't get too

Spring Training Guide: The town

Photo courtesy Viera.com

Viera has been the franchise's spring home since 2003.

It's easy to make fun of Viera, Fla., because the town is such a punching bag, inflicting wounds on itself with cheesy slogans -- remember "In Viera, Even Better"? -- and strip malls and an overall lack of charm.

Truth be told, Viera gets a bad rap. It's not nearly as bad as the horror stories might suggest. It's not even such a terrible place to visit ... if you know how to find a few off-the-beaten-path locales.

You're in luck, because your humble beat writer has spent the last eight springs on the Space Coast and during that time has managed to find plenty of hot spots (not to mention plenty of cold spots to be avoided at all costs).

So, if you're planning to head down there this spring to catch Nationals camp, be sure to print out this handy-dandy guide to the sights, sounds and smells of Viera. (Also, if you missed it yesterday, be sure to read my guide to Space Coast Stadium and the nearby practice facility where the Nationals work out prior to the exhibition season.)

Viera represents just one small chunk of the Space Coast, a planned community well inland that boasts a dizzying array of chain restaurants, government buildings and the occasional brush fire.

Spring Training Guide: The complex

USA Today Sports Images

Stephen Strasburg signs autographs following a workout last spring.

The countdown to spring training is in full swing, so what better way to note how tantalizingly close we are to baseball season than to start talking about what you can expect to see at Nationals camp in Viera?

Yes, it's time for the annual Nats Insider Spring Training Fan Guide. Also known as Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Spring Training but Were Afraid to Ask.

Those of you who have been to Viera know there may not be a more fan-friendly experience in either the Grapefruit or Cactus Leagues. The up-close access to players is unparalleled, the atmosphere is laid-back and the weather is ... well, it's usually better than what you'd get in Washington that time of year, though be forewarned that it's often legitimately chilly down there, especially when the wind kicks up.

We'll spend today talking about the daily drill at Space Coast Stadium and its adjacent practice fields. Tomorrow we'll turn our

Viera making push to keep Nats

USA Today Sports Images

Space Coast Stadium could be hosting its final Nationals camp this spring.

When the Nationals gather for spring training in four weeks, they'll do so knowing it could be their final camp in the remote outpost of Viera along Florida's Space Coast.

Ownership has never hid its desire to relocate to another base, preferably Fort Myers on the other side of the state, but possibly Kissimmee in central Florida or perhaps even all the way to Arizona. And with construction bonds for Space Coast Stadium due to be paid off in April, the Nationals will no longer be financially bound to the locale the franchise has called its spring home since 2003.

There are, however, significant road blocks still standing in the way of a new spring training venue in 2014. Fort Myers has shown an unwillingness to pay for upgrades to the City of Palms Park facility the Nationals would like to inherit, dragging out negotiations. Viera, meanwhile, is making a new push to keep the Nationals right where they are and perhaps even bring another major-league franchise to the area to share Space Coast Stadium.

"We may not be successful, but we have to try," Andy Anderson, chairman of the Brevard County Commission, told Florida Today in an article published yesterday.

Spring training schedule released

US Presswire photo

Space Coast Stadium could host its final Nats spring training in 2013.

The Nationals have announced the exhibition schedule for what likely will be their final spring training in Viera, a 32-game slate that underscores why the franchise hopes to relocate to Florida's Gulf Coast in 2014.

Washington will open the Grapefruit League on Feb. 23 in Port St. Lucie, the first of six spring encounters with the Mets (who train about an hour south of Viera). The Nationals also face the Astros (who train 50 minutes west in Kissimmee) six times. They'll face the Braves (who are an hour west in Lake Buena Vista), Cardinals and Marlins (who train nearly two hours to the south in Jupiter) five times a piece, while facing the Tigers (who are nearly two hours away in Lakeland) four times.

The Nationals also must make a six-hour round trip to Clearwater on March 6 for a single exhibition game against the Phillies.

All told, the Nationals will spend more time on Florida's highways than any other club in the Grapefruit League, the primary reason