Spring training schedule out

The champagne hasn't even been cleaned out of the visitors' clubhouse at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and already we're ready to talk about spring training.

The Nationals just released their 2011 Grapefruit League schedule. No real surprises; the slate features all the usual suspects. For the second straight year, the Nats are scheduled to play the Yankees both in Viera and in Tampa. Last year, the home game was rained out, so if this one is played it will represent the first appearance by the Pinstripers at Space Coast Stadium since 2000.

Here's the full schedule...

February 28 vs. Mets in Port St. Lucie (1:10 p.m.)
March 1 vs. Mets in Viera (1:05 p.m.)
March 2 vs. Marlins in Viera (1:05 p.m.)
March 3 vs. Cardinals in Jupiter (TBD)
March 4 vs. Braves in Viera (1:05 p.m.)
March 5 vs. Yankees in Tampa (TBD)
March 6 vs. Braves in Viera (1:05 p.m.)

One season following another

And so the 2010 baseball season has ended, with a World Series champion few saw coming. (I will point out this humble scribe picked the Giants to win the NL West back on Opening Day and picked the Giants to beat the Rangers in seven games. I probably also need to point out this same humble scribe picked the Phillies to beat those same Giants in the NLCS. Eh, nobody's perfect.)

So how did San Francisco do it? Well, they managed to draft and develop four top-notch starting pitchers: Tim Lincecum (first round, 2006), Matt Cain (first round, 2002), Jonathan Sanchez (27th round, 2004), Madison Bumgarner (first round, 2007). They managed to draft and develop a top-notch catcher: Buster Posey (first round, 2008). They managed to unearth a diamond in the rough and develop him into one of the game's best closers: Brian Wilson (24th round, 2003).

And then they managed to make some incredibly shrewd acquisitions in the last two years as they sensed their time coming: Edgar Renteria (December 2008 free agent), Andres Torres (January 2009 free agent), Freddy Sanchez (July 2009 trade), Aubrey Huff (January 2010 free agent), Pat Burrell (May 2010 free agent), Javier Lopez (July 2010 trade), Cody Ross (August 2010 waiver claim).

They fielded one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and a lineup lacking anyone who hit 30 homers or drove in 90 runs. They boasted a rock-solid defense that committed only 73 errors during the regular season.

And they had a manager who figured out how to use every one of those parts to his team's advantage, mixing and matching lineups and getting contributions out of just about everyone on the roster.

That's how you win a World Series.

Couple other thoughts on this first true day of the offseason...

-- Bud Selig says he wants to add to two more teams to the postseason and thinks the change could be made by 2012. Am I the

WS Game 5: Giants at Rangers

Photo courtesy Texas Rangers

Will the Giants win it all, or will the Rangers keep the series going?

What began on cloverleafs of practice fields across Florida and Arizona towns nearly nine months ago could come to an end tonight. Yep, the baseball season could be over by night's conclusion if the Giants can win Game 5 and in the process capture their first World Series championship since the franchise landed in San Francisco in 1958.

But for all that to happen, the Giants will have to do something that seemed impossible one week ago: Beat Cliff Lee twice in a row. The Rangers obviously have their backs against the wall, down three games to one, but there's no one they'd rather have on the mound in this situation than their ace left-hander. Lee may have been terrible in Game 1, but something tells me he's going to bounce back with a strong performance tonight.

That doesn't necessarily mean Texas is a lock, because the Giants are still sending Tim Lincecum to the mound. And something tells me "The Freak" will be motivated to be the guy who delivers San Francisco a championship. Should be another fantastic matchup. Plenty of thoughts and analysis to come...

        THE 106th WORLD SERIES — GAME 5

        SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS at TEXAS RANGERS
         Where: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

      Gametime: 7:57 p.m.

     TV: Fox Radio: WTNT-570 AM

     Weather: Partly cloudy, 71 degrees

GIANTS
RF Andres Torres
2B Freddy Sanchez
C Buster Posey
LF Cody Ross

Listach leaving for Cubs bench

Pat Listach, the Nationals' third base coach the last two seasons, is leaving the organization to become bench coach of the Cubs.

An official announcement won't be made until after the conclusion of the World Series, but a source with knowledge of the decision confirmed Listach's departure.

Listach has close ties both to the Cubs organization (he served as a manager in their minor-league system from 2006-08) and to new Chicago manager Mike Quade (who preceded him as skipper at Class AAA Iowa). The 43-year-old former AL Rookie of the Year now will function as Quade's right-hand man in the dugout at Wrigley Field.

Listach has aspirations of becoming a major-league manager and interviewed for the Brewers' vacant position last month. He's currently managing a Puerto Rican winter league team that features a roster including Nats prospects Danny Espinosa and Chris Marrero.

The Nationals will begin searching for what will be their fifth third base coach in seven years. Listach followed Dave Huppert (2005),

Coach vs. QB, manager vs. player

File photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

Nyjer Morgan and Jim Riggleman butted heads before this season's bench-clearing brawl.

So Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb aren't exactly seeing eye-to-eye right now, huh? Rex Grossman gave the Redskins a better chance of winning in the final two minutes yesterday against one of the lowliest franchises in the NFL than the quarterback with six Pro Bowl appearances and a 96-53-1 career record as a starter?

Weren't these kind of controversies in Redskins Land supposed to disappear now that accomplished, sane people were in charge of the organization? Guess not.

Quarterback controversies, of course, are nothing new. Certainly not in this town, where the last QB who had actual job security might have been Sammy Baugh.

Coach vs. player controversies also are nothing new in the sports world. They happen every year in every town in every sport. They've even happened plenty of times in NatsTown over the last six years.

If you've forgotten these classic Nationals manager/player butting of heads, here's a refresher course...

FRANK ROBINSON VS. JOHN HALAMA (2005)
You can be forgiven if you have no memory of this one. Honestly, how many of you even remember that John Halama pitched for the Nationals? But the journeyman left-hander did, and he actually started three games, including one on September 7 against the Marlins at RFK