I slept past 8 a.m. this morning, hence the late update. Again, I won’t have too much to say this morning.

THOMAS BOSWELL – Nats’ Sunny Outlook Not Just Seasonal – The Post
Good lede:

VIERA, Fla. Washington finally has its first truly serious baseball franchise since the 1930s.

You have to be as old as Ted Lerner, the 82-year-old boss of the Nationals, to remember the last time Washington had a big league team that was a serious annual contender, a legitimate front-line franchise, a club that fought toe-to-toe with the very best. But that time is probably arriving again and perhaps fairly soon.

Boswell cites Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus as sources for this optimism.

Fun Even Before the Games Begin – The Post
Nationals could stay on the run this year – The Wash. Times
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK – B. Boone Steps Back Up To the Plate – The Post
Nationals lose home opener 4-1, but third baseman Zimmerman ‘ready to go’ – Florida Today
Clippard struggles with his command – The Wash. Times
THOM LOVERRO – Acta wants to impact children – The Wash. Times

BALLPARK TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING

Judge stalls Metro plan – The Wash. Times
Ballpark transportation tidbits – Tim Lemke’s $ports Biz Blog, washtimes.com
Getting there: Bridge walk – Tim Lemke’s $ports Biz Blog, washtimes.com
I Drove To Nats Park And Lived To Tell The Tale – Raw Fisher, washingtonpost.com
Ballpark Traffic Management Details – Near Southeast DC Redevelopment, jdland.com