Nats discover Columbus

Submitted by Jeff on Fri, 03/30/2007 - 5:40am.

Shawn Hill pitched seven strong innings against the Orioles in his final start before the regular season, allowing two earned runs on eight hits, striking out six. "I feel a lot more comfortable now," he said afterwards. The exhibition game in Columbus ended in a 3-3 tie. (Box score)
Nook Logan has been cleared to play in today's game against the Orioles in Norfolk, after passing some running tests yesterday. Logan said he "wasn't surprised" he felt good, having been saying all along that the strain he suffered Saturday was minor.
A healthy Logan may mean that Kory Casto will start the season in Triple-A, but fans in Columbus are already aware that he won't spend much time there. "It's clear he doesn't have a lot more time left in the minor leagues," Stan Kasten said of Casto. "It's clear he's a major-leaguer."
For Nick Johnson, yesterday was a bit of a homecoming: he played in Columbus between 2001 and 2003 when the team was affiliated with the Yankees. Does he wish he was still wearing pinstripes? "It would have been nice," he tells MLB.com. "But that's how baseball is. You gotta move on."
Not everyone is excited about the Nats affiliating with Columbus, notes Dan Williamson of the creatively-named The Other Paper. " So what do the Nationals have that the Yankees don't? Well, they've got a mascot, Screech, who appears to be an eagle." You know, if you really want him, you can have him.
Meanwhile, Norfolk is really excited to host the Nats-O's exhibition game today, a rare game between two major-league teams in the city, albeit with this disclaimer: "This assumes we include the Nats, who are expected to be prodigiously bad, under that major league banner."
The Nats will be leaning on Austin Kearns to provide power in the lineup at the cleanup spot, at least until Nick Johnson returns later this season. Having a new three-year contract signed in the offseason should help him settle into his new role, says Manny Acta. "He knows he's going to be here for the long term, so I think that will only help him."
The Times outlines what those attending Opening Day can expect: face painters, a jazz band, and a jet flyover. (Excited yet? Didn't think so.) The opening pitches will be thrown by a variety of former Senators or family members (including the grandson of Walter Johnson), as well as Manny Acta.
The Post profiles the triumvirate that runs the Nats off the field: Jim Bowden, Stan Kasten, and Mark Lerner. How do those people, especially Bowden and Kasten, get along despite very different personalities? "There's more than one way to skin a cat," said Kasten. Tidbit: Bowden's DUI arrest in Miami last April has yet to be resolved; another hearing is scheduled for April 11.