The Nationals’ Solitary Man – The Post
Promising pitching prospect Jack McGeary scared off teams with his firm commitment to attending Stanford University. Had McGeary not been so adamant about going there, he almost certainly would have gone in the first round of the 2007 amateur draft. The Nats risked a sixth round pick and 2 days before the signing deadline offered McGeary a contract with “first round money” and a deal to have him pitch in the minors during the summer. He will probably also spend his spring breaks in Viera, training with the rest of the franchise.

McGeary is said to be a perfectionist who eats very healthy because of being “cursed with an Irish body.” He never had to be told to do his homework either and is unswayed by peers. McGeary works out by himself, except when he goes over to Santa Clara University and throws with their players — he can’t at Stanford. He sounds great, but I can’t help but wonder how he will deal with long bus rides and fast food in the minors.

There was another ballpark tour yesterday. Barry Svrluga posted some thumbnail photos on Nationals Journal, including a pretzel shaped like a curly W. They need to work on that a little bit.

nationals.com has exhaustive details on the new park, including news that statues and a baseball museum will probably wait until next year. Logistical issues, like parking were also addressed. Right now, the team is trying to buy buildings to knock down so they can build parking lots. We’ll see how that works out.