Nationals game cancelled due to rain

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Capital Weather Gang warned fans of both the Nationals and Red Sox to bring their rain gear to Nationals Park for Friday’s 4 p.m. exhibition game A couple hours before the scheduled first pitch, the game was cancelled due to the inclement weather, so fans didn’t get the chance to walk through the gates.

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Since the game won’t be rescheduled, Saturday’s exhibition between the two clubs at the Naval Academy will be the Nationals’ final tune-up before Opening Day on Monday. At 2 p.m., the contest will start at Bishop Park in Annapolis. MASN will televise the contest.

Fans dedication runs deep

There wouldn’t be a baseball game without loyal fans cheering the team on to victory.  Major League Baseball has some of the best fans in sports who are dedicated to the game, players, and go all-out when preparing to attend a game.

Nicole Cahill, a Florida resident and both Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals fan, has been to multiple games and her goal is to hit all 30 ballparks. So far, she’s been to the Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.

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“My favorite ball park was Wrigley Field. I literally cried walking up the steps to the bleachers in right-center field,” Cahill said.

Bring back Mariano Rivera for Opening Day pitch

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If I had to pick anyone to throw the Opening Day first pitch, I would want it to be Mariano Rivera, retired pitcher for the New York Yankees and 13-time All Star, five-time World Series winner.

I grew up in a family filled with Yankees fans and attended at least five Yankees games, all of them when Rivera was still pitching for the Yankees. Rivera resides in New Rochelle, a town in my county and has a car dealership, Rivera Toyota Scion dealership, where my uncle has seen him. He used to have a restaurant, Mo’s New York Grill, but it’s closed.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Rivera was a key contributor to the Yankees’ success. He won five American League Rolaids Relief Man Awards and three Delivery Man of the Year Awards, and also finished in the top three in voting for the AL Cy Young Award four times. 

Getting Ready For Opening Day

MIAMI, Fla.–Opening Day is less than a week away for the Miami Marlins and a lot of people don’t know if the team is ready for what is predicted to be in their near future. The first pitch of the Marlins season will be thrown next Monday, April 3rd. Marlins fans hope that their team can find a way to pull it all together in the next few days before that first pitch is thrown.

The Marlins have struggled through most of the preseason and after taking a look at the first week of their regular season schedule, critics are skeptical that it won’t get much better. The opening week consists of six away games in seven days, where the Marlins will play two very good teams. Their first matchup against the big bats of the Washington Nationals will take place at National’s Park. The pitching matchup for that game is out and looks to be a challenging one for the Marlins. The Marlins will be starting Edinson Volquez, who had a rough 2016 season with an ERA of 5.37. For the Marlins to get a win in Washington, it is going to take great pitching because it’s no secret that the Nationals have a very explosive offense, led by one of the best in the MLB, Bryce Harper. Harper has been killing it for the Nationals during Spring Training, registering a batting average of .308 and leading the Spring League with eight home runs. If the Marlins pitchers can figure him out and slow him down, it might provide their pitchers a much needed mental boost.

Immediately following the Nationals game, the Marlins will travel to New York to play a great pitching team in the New York Mets. So, an upset over the Nationals on Opening Day would supply some momentum going into their second game. An unexpected victory in New York would give them two wins that most people would have thought to be impossible.

Trump will not throw Nationals Opening Day pitch

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Donald Trump will not throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day for the Washington Nationals due to a scheduling conflict.

Trump has declined the team’s invitation for Monday, when the Nationals will host the Miami Marlins, a team spokesman told ESPN reporters on Tuesday.

Photo Credit: Sporting News

Presidents have occasionally thrown out the ceremonial fish pitch at baseball games for more than 100 years on Opening Day in Washington.