Nattitude

And you thought you were happy to see the start of spring training? Can you imagine what it feels like for these guys to finally have A Place to Call Home?

I liked the makeup of the team and its attitude when it was up in Montreal, and the move to Washington has done nothing to change that - I'll be following their season with a lot of interest. Now it's up to the team and the organisation to win over the fans and prove that the decision to move the team was the right one. Baseball fans in Montreal have every right to feel that they got stiffed by Major League Baseball, but that's all the more reason for us to wish that the same thing doesn't happen in Washington.

If it were to happen, it certainly won't be for lack of enthusiasm on the part of the players:

"I know I'm ready to go right now," said [outfielder Brad] Wilkerson. "Our talent is a lot better than we showed last year because of injuries. Two years ago, we were tied for the wild-card spot with a month to go in the season. If we stay healthy, I think we could be there [in contention] at the end of this year, too."

Maybe, maybe not, but if you're looking to win over the fans with your attitude, that's about as good a way of going about it as there is.

Update: If you want a taste of the inside story from the Nats' camp, Balls, Sticks & Stuff recommends the blog being written by the Washington Post's sportswriters.