Everybody in baseball knows the Washington Nationals are old-school.
Both president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez have a reputation for championing a more traditional perspective than most of their peers. And while the tandem, which delivered the franchise’s first title in 2019, remains respected by many across the sport, the Nationals have struggled to keep up with baseball’s technological arms race over the past half-decade, despite recent signs of progress.
But this spring training, the club took old-school to another level. Before camp commenced Feb. 14, signs that read “I don’t care how fast you throw ball four” were posted around the West Palm Beach facility’s bullpen area.