An Hour From Now ...

... actual Grapefruit League baseball begins.

Sights here: HofF Don Sutton in the house, preparing to begin his Nationals broadcasting career on MASN tomorrow with play-by-play man Bob Carpenter, who should be here shortly.

Charley Steiner, Dodgers radio man, XM radio host and former SportsCenter anchor. Long talk with him at batting practice. Likes the Dodgers' chances quite a bit. A pretty complete team, and it's deep. NL West hasn't been much last couple years, either, so ...

Nats VP of player development Bob Boone on hand. No sign of GM Jim Bowden or Prez Stan Kasten yet. Probably on their way right now.

Not a sellout here at Holman Stadium, despite being the first game here. Only sellout, says one usher, is the Red Sox later in the spring.

Really would be a shame if this facility is left vacant when the Dodgers leave.

Oh, and one final mention of this, and I promise this is it: Jim Clarke officially hired as PA guy for Potomac Nationals.

Talk to you when game starts.