The Nook Logan Chronicles

After the storm Nook finds a home

2008-08-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

After the now imfamous Mitchell report named Nook Logan as one of those who allegedly violated Major League Baseball's steroid policy, finding a job with a major league team became very difficult. That coupled with the fact that pro baseball has become little more than a 162 game home rune derby with virtually no base stealing, defense or good strong fundamentals to speak of.

Nevertheless, since signing with the Long Island Ducks in New York Nook is in great form indeed. He is currently hitting .308 and leads the Ducks with 22 stolen bases thus far this season. Great job Nook and congragulations for weathering that terrible storm.

For Logan, right side is right side

2007-06-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

BY TODD JACOBSON

WASHINGTON--Nook Logan wasn't a left-handed hitter until the Detroit Tigers turned him into one during his first full season of professional baseball seven years ago, and even after countless hours in the batting cage, he never quite adapted to switch-hitting.

Now, Logan is giving up hitting left-handed altogether.

Logan said yesterday that he would bat solely from the right side of the plate, giving up a seven-year-old experiment designed to take advantage of Logan's track-star speed. He didn't rule out going back to switch-hitting in the future, but for the next few months, he'll focus on hitting right-handed.

"I'm not saying it's going to be automatic success," Logan said. "But it's something to think about, something to work on. If I'm better right-handed, I think it'll be better for my career."

Logan has long been more comfortable from the right side of the plate and his career numbers bear that out.

He is a career .266 hitter, with a .244 average in 430 at-bats from the left side of the plate and a .317 average in 186 at-bats from the right side. His only two professional home runs have come batting right-handed.

Logan had struggled hitting left-handed for the past few weeks because of an injury to his right shoulder, and he approached Nationals manager Manny Acta several days ago with the idea.

Acta's only concern was Logan's adjustment returning to hitting right-handed against right-handed pitchers--hitting curve balls could be especially tough, Acta said--but Logan wasn't concerned.

"Why not just go hit righties right-handed?" Logan said. "I don't think it'll be as tough as everybody's making it out to be. I did it all my life. If I get some at-bats under my belt I think I'll be fine.

The move was spurred in part by Acta's decision several days ago to platoon Logan in center field with left-handed hitting Ryan Langerhans.

"I felt I gave him enough at-bats and gave him the benefit of the doubt," Acta said. "We made the decision. His numbers against left-handed pitchers are much better than against right-handers."

Langerhans is hitting .160 this season, but he's hitting .125 against lefties and .158 against righties.

Logan mired in hitting slump

2007-06-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

Nook Logan creates excitement on the bases, but in the past week he hasn't been getting there as often.

Logan, the Nationals center fielder, has seen his average fall from above .300 to its current .262. Manager Manny Acta said that it's important to keep expectations realistic.

"He's hitting eighth. I'm not asking him to go out there and compete for the batting title or anything," Acta said. "I just want him to be himself and create some things for us -- get up there to .270 or .280 and create some havoc on the bases."

Logan's speed is his biggest asset. It's enabled him to play solid defense in the huge outfield at RFK Stadium, as well as run out bunts and steal bases.

Hitting coach Lenny Harris thinks that speed is the key to Logan breaking out of his slump. Instead of getting under the ball, Harris would like to see Logan consistently put the ball on the ground, allowing him to use his speed.

"He has some good games and bad games. He hasn't put four or five in a row together yet," Harris said. "Once he learns how to keep the ball on the ground and go from there, I think he'll be a good leadoff guy someday."

Logan is a switch-hitter who has historically batted better right-handed, but his numbers have evened out this season.

Also a factor is the team's recent acquisition of outfielder Ryan Langerhans, who the Nationals picked up while Logan was out with a hyperextended left foot during the first month of the season. Langerhans has been used as a utility outfielder, and boasts the same defensive speed that Logan does.

Though Langerhans has subbed in occasionally, Acta has remained loyal to Logan both with playing time and vocal support.

"We don't play him every single day, but he is our center fielder," the manager said. "We want to give [Langerhans] some at-bats, keep him sharp, and also let Nook know that there's somebody else here that can play center in case we need to."

Logan is Nats' hero

2007-05-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

By Corey Masisak
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
May 21, 2007

For seven innings Erik Bedard baffled the Washington Nationals while Micah Bowie and Billy Traber -- stretched beyond their usual pitch limits -- kept the Baltimore Orioles close.
Then Bedard was lifted, Washington battered a beleaguered Baltimore bullpen and the Nationals ended up with an improbable victory to complete an improbable homestand.
On the ninth pitch of his confrontation with Danys Baez in the eighth inning, Nook Logan bounced a single through the right side of the infield to score a pair of runs and send the Nationals to a 4-3 win in front of 29,281 at RFK Stadium.
"It was a situation with the bases loaded where he couldn't use his breaking stuff with the tying run on third and he didn't want it to get away, so I was just looking for a ball I could handle," Logan said. "I did some things I like to do -- get on base, run and make stuff happen for the team."
Ryan Zimmerman started the three-run, eighth-inning rally with a one-out double to right-center field off submarine specialist Chad Bradford. The right-handed Baez came in to face lefty Ryan Langerhans, who singled in Zimmerman.
Baez hit Austin Kearns before Ronnie Belliard's soft fly ball fell in shallow right beyond the outstretched glove of second baseman Brian Roberts to load the bases. Jesus Flores bounced to third, and Melvin Mora threw home for the second out to set up Logan's theatrics.
"It makes me very happy for him," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "He got hurt on Opening Day and lost a month, and then he comes back and the first day in Milwaukee he hurts his shoulder swinging the bat. Now we have [Ryan] Langerhans, who took some playing time away from him.
"It is good. It is up to him to go out there and prove to everybody that he means business and he can become the player we envisioned with him."
Logan also was responsible for the team's first run. He reached first on a bunt single in the third inning. After Bowie struck out trying to sacrifice him to second, Logan took matters into his own hands. He stole second and swiped third on consecutive pitches.
Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo brought the infield in, and Felipe Lopez singled past a diving Roberts to score Logan.
"That's the kind of thing we envision with [Logan]," Acta said. "I said in spring training that I would love for this kid to work himself into a top of the lineup-type of guy because he has the skills to do that."
That was all the Nationals could muster against Bedard, who was dominant from the outset. He tied his career high with 12 strikeouts, including punching out the side on three occasions. He did it in a variety of ways, from getting Ryan Zimmerman on three straight fastballs to pinch-hitter Dmitri Young on three consecutive breaking balls.
While his fastball never topped 92 mph according to the radar gun at RFK, his mixture of pitches was, at times, devastating. Flores struck out in the third inning, falling to one knee trying to catch up to a high fastball.
Bedard also did some damage at the plate, notching his first two career hits and his first RBI.
"We were very happy [to see Bedard leave]," Acta said. "He's tough. It was a tough matchup for us. We don't have that great offensive ball club, and he is a strikeout guy."
Bowie started for the first time since Sept. 29, 1999, and had little trouble for three innings. Once he passed the 50-pitch mark, he began to tire, and the Orioles took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a run-scoring single from Jay Payton and a sacrifice fly from Melvin Mora.
Billy Traber replaced him, and Traber's ability to work out of jams in the fifth and sixth innings proved to be critical. The Orioles had runners on second and third with one out in the fifth and second and third with nobody out in the sixth but managed just one run -- when Bedard blooped a hit into shallow left with two outs in the sixth.
When the Nationals defeated the Braves on Thursday afternoon, they assured themselves of a winning homestand. But after a pair of one-run losses to Baltimore, finishing it at 7-3 with a come-from-behind win probably felt a lot better than ending a 6-4 homestand by being swept.
"It goes from being a pretty good homestand to being a really good homestand," Langerhans said. "It gives us a little momentum going on the road now."

60 seconds with Nationals center fielder Nook Logan on Mother's Day

2007-05-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

By Joe Capozzi
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 13, 2007

Joe Capozzi sat down for a one-minute interview with Nationals center fielder Nook Logan, who's part of a Mother's Day set of baseball cards with his mom, Mickey.

What was it like seeing both you and your mom together on a baseball card?

So special. I know it was a dream for me to get up here to the big leagues, and I dreamed
through her, and she dreamed through me and all her kids. With her being on it with me, my other brothers are all excited about it.

How much of an influence has your mother been on you?

It's crazy knowing all the things we went through growing up to get here. She was behind me all the way. She's still there pushing me every day, the same way she was behind me when I was in Little League. She's still there and it's a blessing that she'll be with me on Mother's Day. It's so special, I can't explain it.

How did your mom come up with your unusual first name?

She started calling me that when I was 3 months. Before she had me, mom's friend had a daughter and she called her 'Nuk-Nuk' after the pacifier brand. And when mom had me, she called me 'nook' with two 'O's' instead of 'n-u-k' like the pacifier.

So the correct pronunciation is 'nook,' like it rhymes with 'look,' right?

Good job! It's a catchy name if people say it right. A lot of people say 'nuke' and I ignore it. If I hear a guy say 'Nook,' I point to him like 'I appreciate it.'

Did you collect baseball cards as a kid?

I did, but I wasn't serious. I played cards with them. Put them in our bike spokes. We did all that. I'll save this one, though. I hope she gets a couple of them, too. It's cool. A lot of mothers will be getting flowers. She gets to be on a collector's item.

Will that card jump in value on eBay one day soon?

I don't know about that. I wouldn't like my mom to be on eBay!

Nook Returns

2007-05-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Nook Logan returned to centerfield after a prolonged stay on the DL. His night was pretty uneventful as he was hitless, although he was robbed of a hit by a great Ricky Weeks throw Nook had basically beat out.

"Instead of sitting back letting things happen, I was trying to make things happen," Logan said. "Tomorrow, hopefully I'll be settled in, got one game under my belt. . . . I was swinging the bat decent when I was rehabbing or whatever. I wanted to bring it here as quickly as possible, but it don't work that way.

Nationals place center fielder Nook Logan on 15-day disabled list

2007-04-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Washington Nationals today placed center fielder Nook Logan on the 15-Day Disabled List (left foot strain). Nationals Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcement.

X-rays of the injury were returned negative. Logan also had an MRI, which confirmed the left foot strain. Logan is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.

More terrible news for Nook

2007-04-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

Nook Logan's foot injury occurred in the top of the fourth inning. With one out in the top of the fourth inning, Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla hit a deep fly ball to straight away center field. Logan was able to get a bead on it and caught the ball, but his foot was stuck under the wall. Logan then started hobbling and sat on the ground. Right fielder Austin Kearns, Acta and trainer Lee Kuntz then came to Logan's aid.

"At first, I didn't know how bad it was," said left fielder Ryan Church. "As soon as he threw the ball in, you could see the expression on his face. Then I knew exactly what he did."

Kuntz wanted to bring a cart on the field, but Logan refused. A few minutes later, Logan was able get up, but Kuntz had to help Logan off the field. Initial X-rays were negative. Later in the day, Logan had an MRI, but would not say what the prognosis was. The team is expected to make an announcement on Tuesday.

"It's very sore. I'm wearing a boot. I don't know [if I'm going on the disabled list]," Logan said on the telephone.

If Logan goes on the disabled list, there is an excellent chance that Kory Casto will be called up. The team was impressed with the way Casto was patient at the plate and could play left field, right field, third and first base very well.

Logan Ready for Opener

2007-03-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

By Dave Sheinin

Washington Post Staff Writer

Saturday, March 31, 2007

NORFOLK, March 30 -- A camp that began six weeks ago in an overcrowded clubhouse in Viera, Fla., with a roster of 72 players that included a staggering 38 pitchers, lurched toward its close Friday along the banks of the Elizabeth River, when the last two subtractions toward a final 25-man roster came into view and the Washington Nationals packed their belongings one last time and headed home.

With two unremarkable plate appearances (a walk and a groundout) and four uneventful innings in center field during Friday's exhibition game against the Baltimore Orioles at sold-out Harbor Park, Nook Logan answered one of the Nationals' few remaining questions -- that of the health of his strained right groin -- in the affirmative.

"I think he's ready to go," Nationals Manager Manny Acta said of Logan, who initially was expected to miss up to a week of the regular season when he first injured himself on March 24. "He ran with freedom and didn't pace himself or anything. So he's ready to go."

And so, barring an unexpected setback in the next 72 hours, Logan will be the Nationals' Opening Day center fielder and No. 8 hitter on Monday afternoon at RFK Stadium against the Florida Marlins, with rookie Kory Casto sent down to Class AAA Columbus to play every day and remain on call as the first outfielder summoned in the event of an injury in Washington.

After a torrid start to his spring, Casto, a favorite of some in the organization for his work ethic and ability to play almost anywhere on the diamond, has cooled of late, and is now hitting .283 for the spring, with no homers and five RBI. Asked about Casto's performance, Acta turned the question into a screed about the folly of making judgments based on spring training, especially the earliest weeks.

"He has performed pretty well," Acta said, "but . . . take a look at the batting averages of most of those guys right now compared to the first week when everybody was raving about some of those guys. That's why we can't be evaluating guys [based] on two or three games in one week. Take a look at it now. A lot of guys were in the first week impressing everybody, and now they're hitting .220 [or] .180. That's why in this game you have to be patient and not read too much into spring training."

The only other remaining roster move for the Nationals will be to send down one reliever -- which almost certainly will be right-hander Saul Rivera, with right-hander Jesus Colome getting the final spot in the bullpen. Acta indicated the two moves could be made Friday night and announced on Saturday, when the Nationals and Orioles meet again at RFK Stadium.

The afternoon brought an impressive show of baseball fandom from the city of Norfolk, which was considered the next-most viable alternative to Washington when Major League Baseball was looking for a new home for the Montreal Expos. Tickets for this exhibition game -- the first in Norfolk between two big league teams since 1974 -- sold out in less than 30 minutes when they went on sale Feb. 24.

Harbor Park, which sits alongside a shipping port on the river, holds just more than 12,000 fans, but city baseball boosters envisioned expanding it to a capacity of 20,000 for the short-term if Norfolk had landed the Expos -- something MLB never seriously considered. Instead of a big league team, Norfolk must settle for hosting the Orioles' Class AAA affiliate beginning this season, after 37 years as a New York Mets farm team.

For the Nationals and their rookie manager, Friday brought a sense of closure to a long, taxing journey that began with almost no expectations, yet somehow managed to exceed them. After the game, Acta and his troops boarded buses for the three-hour drive to Washington, where there is one more exhibition game Saturday, then the black-tie "Dream Gala" and a workout Sunday, followed by the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day.

"I think it went real good," Acta said when asked to sum up the spring. "I have to give a lot of credit to my coaching staff and to the players, because we brought a lot of players [to camp], especially pitchers, and we were lucky. . . . The work went smooth and we were able to get a lot of work in. And knock on wood, we didn't have any serious injuries. So we're ready to go."

Logan Is Feeling Better

2007-03-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

By Barry Svrluga
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 30, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 29--Washington Nationals center fielder Nook Logan went through a series of strenuous running tests Thursday and said afterward that his strained right groin felt "great," giving club officials more hope that he'll be able to start in center come Monday, when the season begins.

"He's in tomorrow," Manager Manny Acta said, indicating Logan would play Friday in Norfolk when the Nationals play the Baltimore Orioles for the third straight day. "I wish my other eight guys could run like that."

Logan went through a series of agility drills running around small cones in the outfield under the supervision of head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz. He then mimicked swinging and running to first base from the batter's box, then swinging again and sprinting to second. He showed no signs of a limp.

"It went well," Logan said. "Great, actually. I wasn't surprised with it, though."

Logan strained the hamstring last Saturday rounding first base in a 4-2 loss to St. Louis in Viera, Fla. Initially, team officials thought he would be out at least two weeks.

Acta said that if Logan came out of Friday's game healthy, he would also play in Saturday's exhibition finale at RFK Stadium as a final test.

Nationals centre-fielder Nook Logan targets opening day for return

2007-03-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

VIERA, Fla. (AP) - Washington Nationals centre-fielder Nook Logan said Tuesday he thinks he can be in the opening day lineup, despite a groin injury the team has said could sideline him through at least the season's first week.

"Just from how I feel today, I think I'll be ready to play this weekend - at Norfolk and RFK," Logan said, referring to the Nationals' exhibition games against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday at Norfolk, Va., and on Saturday at RFK Stadium.

The Nationals open the regular season Tuesday at home against the Florida Marlins.

Logan strained his right groin while running the bases during a spring training game last Saturday. The next day, manager Manny Acta said he expected Logan to be out at least two weeks - which would put his return no sooner than April 8.

"I can see why he would say that timetable," Logan said. "But it wasn't as bad as I thought at the beginning. Only I know how it feels."

If Logan did begin the season on the disabled list, the Nationals probably would shift left-fielder Ryan Church to centre and start rookie Kory Casto in left.

"I've got to prove to them I feel as well as I say I do," Logan said. "It would be my first opening day start, but it's not even about that. It's the fact that I want to help the ball club."

Bad News: CF Logan strains groin

2007-03-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

VIERA, Fla. (AP) -Nook Logan's injury was there for everyone in the sellout crowd to see Saturday: The Washington Nationals' starting center fielder crumpled to the dirt after straining his right groin while running the basepaths in the ninth inning.
No. 1 starter John Patterson's problem Saturday was more of a mystery: Manager Manny Acta said the right-hander "kind of passed out'' after shagging flies during batting practice.

The club said Patterson complained of dehydration and was given intravenous fluids - but he is expected to make his next start and be ready for opening day April 2.
The seriousness of Logan's injury was unclear; no MRI exam was immediately planned.
"It could be three days, it could be five. It could be two months,'' Acta said. "We don't know yet.''
So what had been a relatively injury-free spring training for the Nationals took a couple of abrupt turns on a day that Washington's five-game winning streak ended with a 4-2 loss in 10 innings to the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.
Patterson, who pitched Friday, didn't appear to have overly exerted himself before Saturday's game, Acta said. The two had been chatting shortly before Patterson came off the field following batting practice on a partly cloudy day with the temperature in the 70s.
"It's scary. Almost every year, whether it's football or baseball, something happens on the field,'' Acta said. "So you don't take it lightly.''
Patterson wasn't taken to a hospital, the Nationals said, and Acta expects to have a better idea of how his top starter is Sunday. Similarly, Logan's status could come into focus more after 24 hours.
Logan's speed and aggressiveness are what the Nationals love most about him, but those qualities also might have contributed to his injury.
With the score 2-2 and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Logan singled to right. He rounded first and began heading toward second, then thought better of it and tried to stop and head back to the bag. Logan went down and was tagged out. He remained on his left side, for more than a minute, motionless.
Acta and a team trainer went out to check on him, and eventually Logan was helped off the field and down the dugout steps.
Logan emerged from the training room about a half-hour after the game ended and stepped gingerly through the clubhouse before slowly taking a seat on the stool in front of his locker.
"My foot slipped up under me and I stretched my groin a little bit,'' he said. "It just grabbed.''
But why was he even thinking about stretching the hit into a double? After all, these games don't count.
"You just play the game,'' Logan said. "Trying to make something happen. Trying to win a ballgame.''
If he's out for an extended period, left fielder Ryan Church would move to center, and Chris Snelling probably would take over in left.
"I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about the guy getting hurt. You feel bad for the guy,'' Snelling said. "Hope he'll be ready for opening day.''
Logan sounded optimistic that he might miss as little as a day or two of action, because, he figured, "It turned out not to be as bad as I thought.''
But, as Acta cautioned about both Patterson and Logan: "You don't know until tomorrow or the day after. You can't predict anything right after an injury happens.''
Notes: Snelling, hurt Friday in a collision at home plate, pinch-hit Saturday. ... C Brian Schneider is expected to return Sunday against Atlanta after missing a week with a hamstring injury. ... Washington made four errors, by 3B Ryan Zimmerman, 2B Felipe Lopez, SS Josh Wilson and C Jesus Flores. ... Zimmerman (now hitting .434), Flores (.522) and SS Cristian Guzman (.438) each had two hits. ... RHP Shawn Hill lowered his spring ERA to 0.93 by allowing two unearned runs and two hits over 5 1-3 innings. ... The Nationals said Saturday's attendance of 7,253 was the first sellout at Space Coast Stadium this spring.

Nationals Stay the Course With Logan

2007-03-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

By Barry Svrluga

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

VIERA, Fla., March 13 -- Nook Logan can look in the mirror and wish the reflection he saw was the way his life actually is. He yearns to live in Bizarro World, where there is an exact opposite of everything he knows, where left would be right and right would be left and he would walk to the plate with more confidence than doubt.

"I was out there thinking the other day, 'Why can't my left side be my right side?' " the Washington Nationals center fielder said. "I could make so much more of an impact if I were the other way around, if it was all reversed."

Logan, 27, is a switch hitter. Or, perhaps more accurately, he is trying to be a switch hitter. He grew up in Natchez, Miss., hitting right-handed. When he first was drafted out of junior college by Detroit in 2000, the Tigers knew they had a speedy player on their hands, and what better way to use the speed than to get him to hit from the left side as well. Thus began a struggle that is entering its eighth season. One scout familiar with Logan said recently, "It's never going to work."

But that doesn't mean that, for now, the Nationals won't keep trying. And they will do so by breaking Logan down and building him back up.

"People make a lot of mistakes with young hitters when they try to switch hit," hitting coach Mitchell Page said. "They try to force them to do things. My goal right now over the next two weeks, I just want him to put the ball in play. Ultimately, you want him to hit the top half of the ball so he can drive it. But he has to feel comfortable that he can hit any pitch before we get to that point."

Right now, Logan isn't at that point. Saturday, he came up in the 10th inning of a game against the New York Mets, and left-hander Eddie Camacho was on the mound. In the dugout, Manager Manny Acta said he liked the matchup for Logan, who singled in the winning run.

"It was the perfect situation for Nook," Acta said, "because we all know he is a little bit more advanced from the right side."

Numbers show he's much more advanced. Last season, after coming over in a trade from the Tigers -- who had essentially given up on him -- Logan hit .350 batting right-handed, .286 left-handed. But in reality, the disparity was even greater. Eight of Logan's 20 hits batting left-handed were bunts, his best weapon from that side because he can drag the ball and use his greatest gift -- speed.

Logan's career numbers are starkly different as well. In 152 right-handed at-bats, he has a .322 average, a .356 on-base percentage and a .461 slugging percentage. In 393 left-handed at-bats, those numbers fall to .249, .305 and an anemic .303, respectively.

Logan, though, doesn't want to abandon this way of life just yet.

"Believe it or not, sometimes I go up there and I feel better left-handed," Logan said. "I just don't get the same results. Right now, I'm looking for that comfort zone. I'm trying to slow the game down so that I'm more comfortable rather than trying to catch up to the speed of the game."

Page is trying to help him with that process. The hitting coach would like to see Logan have a more solid base from the left side, allowing the ball to travel to him rather than lunging at it, as he does so often. It is a process that, in an ideal world, would have happened in the minors and not the majors. But Acta has named Logan the starting center fielder because of his extraordinary defensive abilities, and the learning will continue under the spotlight of the big leagues.

"He's got to be able to put the ball in play before he tells me what he has to do with the first pitch, what he has to do with the second and all that," Page said. "No. Just hit the ball hard someplace, and then we'll get to everything else. He's got to be a guy who can put the ball in play and take his walks, and if there are too many lazy fly balls, then we'll deal with that.

"I want him to have the same amount of confidence left-handed as right-handed. But left-handed, he has no feel. He's still learning."

On Monday afternoon, Logan came to the plate against Mets right-hander Chan Ho Park. Hitting left-handed, he drove a ball to right field that sneaked into the corner, and Logan flew around the bases for a triple. In an intrasquad game late last month, he actually hit a home run from the left side, something he has never done in a major league game.

"I got to get comfortable, and I think I will," Logan said.

General Manager Jim Bowden said earlier this spring that the club would not ask Logan to give up switch hitting, at least in part because the drag bunt is such a weapon. Page, too, pledged to stay on his pupil. By the all-star break, he said, everyone will have a better idea of whether this experiment will work.

"I think he's got enough tools to be a switch hitter," Page said. "I just think he's going to have an explosive second half compared to the first half because of the way we're going to go about it. I think he's capable of doing the job."

SPRING TRAINING NOTES: Nook Logan continues to amaze

2007-03-10T23:35:00.000-08:00

Center fielder Nook Logan continues to show why he is an important piece of the team's defense. In the seventh inning on Saturday, Logan jumped to rob Ruben Sierra of a home run in left-center field.

"He is going to make a difference here, whether it's making that catch [in center field] or catching a popup that a lot of guys can't get to," said Acta. "That's why we are high on him."

The switch-hitting Logan also drove in the game-winning run with a single down the third-base line off left-hander Eddie Camacho.

"It was the perfect situation for Nook because we all know he is a little bit more advanced from the right side," Acta said. "It was a better matchup for him."

SPRING TRAINING NOTES: Nook shines in CF

2007-03-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

Nationals center fielder Nook Logan is catching everything in sight this spring. It's gotten to the point where anything hit in the general vicinity of Logan -- who played 27 games for the Nationals last season after coming over from Detroit -- is expected to be caught.

"I just see the ball off the bat . . . I feel like if my first three steps are hard, it will put me in a good position to make plays," Logan said.

Several times this spring, Logan has tracked down balls hit well over his head, catching them effortlessly in stride.

"His defense is unquestionable," manager Manny Acta said.

Logan also credited left fielder Ryan Church and right fielder Austin Kearns, two players who he said get noticed more for their offense.

"I play off those guys, they play off me," Logan said. "We just try to get into position to make plays."

SPRING TRAINING NOTES: Nook Logan at the top

2007-03-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Early start at the top:

Nationals manager Manny Acta said he would like to put Logan at the top of the batting order by the second half of the season, but the skipper made Logan the leadoff hitter Sunday. Logan went hitless in two at-bats, but he walked twice.

SPRING TRAINING NOTES: Nook's defense

2007-03-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

Nationals center fielder Nook Logan made a couple of outstanding catches, including a running snag on the warning track against Markakis, robbing him of his fourth hit.

"Every time they hit the ball hard to center field, I just put my head down and it's like, 'he's gonna catch it.' "

SPRING TRAINING NOTES: Nook Logan homers

2007-03-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

Not that I am a big fan of home runs because I am not but it was nice to see.

Nook hit a three-run homer off of Anastacio Martinez from the left side of the plate for the home team. With runners on second and third, Logan said he was just trying to advance the runners.

"That was the whole thought, if I got a ball to handle," Logan said. "It was a good pitch down and in and I just put a nice, easy swing on it and just caught it on the right spot on the barrel.
"I want to come out and be more consistent; put that type of swing on the ball more often."

Nats' plan centers on Logan

2007-02-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

By Mark Zuckerman
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 28, 2007

VIERA, Fla. -- Nook Logan stood in the batter's box at empty Space Coast Stadium yesterday, staring down a rookie pitcher and formulating a plan of attack.
He repeated the routine twice more during the midday intrasquad game, coming to the plate with a specific plan each time.
This is exactly what the Washington Nationals want Logan to do this spring. Of course, they also want to see him execute, something the young center fielder couldn't do in three tries yesterday.
He failed to move a runner up in his first at-bat, lofting a weak fly ball on the first pitch he saw. He fouled off an attempted drag bunt his next time up and wound up striking out looking. And he tapped a slow roller in front of the plate his final time up, ending an 0-for-3 day.
Thus began a month-long experiment with the fleet, defensively gifted, offensively challenged 27-year-old. The Nationals believe Logan can turn himself into a productive hitter and become more than a one-dimensional player. And they need him to do this by Opening Day, because they need him to be their starting center fielder.
They can only convey the message. Logan must make it happen by himself.
"I'm going to try to work on something every day," he said. "I'm not just going to take the job, say it's mine and just get through the spring. I'm working to be better."
Logan has gotten lost in the shuffle at times this spring, because the Nationals have so many other uncertainties throughout their roster. They have an open competition at first base. They haven't solidified left field. They need to find four competent starting pitchers from a dozen candidates.
But make no mistake: Logan's progress in center field is crucial for this club, because there are no clear-cut backup plans in case things don't work out. And Logan, despite an eye-opening performance after coming to Washington last September, has never shown he can consistently hit at the major league level.
"I don't think there is any question that he is a very special defensive center fielder," general manager Jim Bowden said. "I don't know how much he's gonna hit. I know he's going to have an opportunity with our organization to find out if he can hit."
The Detroit Tigers tried for years to find out if Logan could. In six minor league seasons, he hit .261. In three major league seasons, he's hit .270 with a .319 on-base percentage.
That hasn't been nearly enough production for a top-of-the-order guy, which is what the speedy Logan has always strived to be. So the Tigers, after discovering Curtis Granderson a year ago, let Logan go. He was traded to Washington on Sept. 1 for a player to be named and sought to resurrect his career in a new town.
The early reviews were overwhelmingly positive. In addition to playing Gold Glove-caliber defense, Logan came through at the plate. In 27 games with the Nationals, he hit .300, scored 13 runs and beat out eight bunt singles.
That one-month tryout was enough to convince new manager Manny Acta to make Logan his starting center fielder. Not the frontrunner in an open competition. The starting center fielder.
"With his defense, if he can prove he can get on base, he's here to stay for a long time," Acta said.
That single display of confidence made all the difference to Logan.
"That makes you want to go out there and try to do more," he said. "You don't want to let him down."
Logan's scenario in Washington is awfully familiar to fans who remember two other speedy center fielders who couldn't hit enough to stick around: Endy Chavez and Brandon Watson.
There is one major difference this time around, though. Acta is purposely trying not to put pressure on Logan. Where Chavez and Watson were asked to hit leadoff, Logan will open the season in the 8-hole.
If all goes well, the club doesn't expect to keep him there long. Acta told Logan his top goal this season should be to become the Nationals' No. 1 or No. 2 hitter by midsummer.
"I think it's going to be a waste having him all the time hit eighth," the manager said. "I think he should shoot very high for those kind of things."
But for Logan to do that, he's going to have to improve at the plate. He's going to have to soak in the Nationals' coaching advice, have a plan each time he steps to the plate this spring and -- most importantly -- execute it.
"I've already got my plan for tomorrow," he said moments after yesterday's game ended. "I saw some pitches today. Tomorrow I come out and just get some bunts down. That's the game plan. I know what kind of guy I am. I'm just working hard every day to put myself in a position to do what they want from me."

SPRING TRAINING NOTES: Nook Logan

2007-02-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

BY TODD JACOBSON

The Free-Lance Star

VIERA, Fla.--Nook Logan was 20 years old, eager to please and in his first season with the Detroit Tigers when a teammate lofted a pitch down the left field line before an instructional league game.

Logan, a shortstop, turned to Tigers outfield coordinator Gene Roof. They both were standing in shallow center field.

"I got the next one," he said.

And he did, galloping toward the left field line when the next pop up sliced its way through the air, snagging it before trotting back to the outfield. Two months later, the Tigers made him a center fielder. He's been there ever since.

"It just felt natural," he said.

Defense has never been a problem for Logan, a talented athlete and one of the fastest runners in the league.

As he prepares this spring to open the season as the Nationals' center fielder, a job first-year manager Manny Acta has all but handed to the switch-hitting 27-year-old, it's Logan's hitting that is the question mark.

"I don't think there is any question that he is a very special defensive center fielder," general manager Jim Bowden said. "I don't know how much he's gonna hit. I know he's going to have an opportunity with our organization to find out if he can hit."

That's all Logan wants.

From Detroit to D.C.

There was a time when Logan was the center fielder of the future for the Detroit Tigers.

When he hit .258 and stole 23 bases in 129 games, he appeared on the verge of locking down Detroit's center field job in 2005, but when he lost time to rookie Curtis Granderson late in the year, he struggled.

Still, he entered spring training a year ago in Detroit as manager Jim Leyland's leading candidate to win the job, but Granderson elbowed Logan out of the way with a torrid spring.

By September, Granderson was helping the Tigers to an American League pennant. Logan spent most of the year in the minors and was traded to the Nationals Sept. 1 for $75,000.

"I was hitting around .300 when I was playing consistently," Logan said. "When I stopped playing every day or on an inconsistent basis, the numbers dropped dramatically. It's just being out there every day and competing every day."

Logan got that chance to play every day with the Nationals.

With Washington out of the playoff chase, he batted .300, stole two bases, hit one homer and drove in eight runs in 27 games. He was able to drag bunts for hits from the left side of the plate, and leg out infield grounders. When he's on base, he's almost always a threat to steal, and he's one of three players Acta said will be free to swipe bases at any time this season.

"There is a lot of things that a weapon can do like that, and it only helps the hitters behind him," Bowden said.

Key to outfield

Not only was he a spark on offense, but he helped fortify a defense that was statistically the worst in the majors.

His range was excellent, Bowden said, and he made the routine plays a parade of center fielders had struggled with--and he wowed fans with several acrobatic catches in the outfield to rob base hits.

It's that defense that made Acta install him as the team's center fielder, and it's what could keep him in the lineup even if he slumps on offense. Not that there will be heaps of pressure.

Acta said Logan would likely start the season batting eighth, where he won't need to set the table for the top of the Nationals' order, or drive in runs.

Still, that doesn't mean Logan hasn't been working on his offense. He has.

He acknowledges that his .319 career on-base percentage is a problem--maybe even more so than his .270 average in 545 big league at-bats, so he's vowed to be more selective at the plate.

He's worked with hitting coach Mitchell Page to keep his lower body still during at-bats--especially from the left side, where he's a .249 hitter in 393 career at-bats (he's much better from the right side, where he's a .322 career hitter).

Page said .280 with 40 steals are attainable goals for Logan.

"He has all the tools in the world," Page said. "He's become a real good student, a good guy to work with. He's real open to everything."

And if he improves, Acta didn't rule out moving Logan to the top of the order. Shortstop Cristian Guzman is slated to hit second in the Nationals' lineup, but he missed all of last year thanks to shoulder surgery and hit .219 in 2005.

"He's got the tool that never goes in a slump [speed] so if he continues to follow the hitting program that Mitch is putting in place for him and trying to hit the top of the baseball and hit the ball on the ground and bunting like he does, he's a weapon," Acta said. "And we all know about his defense."

Logan knows that all too well, but there's a part of him--the part that wants to be the Nationals' starting center fielder for more than just a few weeks in April--that yearns to be known for more than his defense.

"I just want to show that I can," Logan said. "I don't want to talk about it. I just want to let everybody see it on the field. If it doesn't happen I am still gonna play great defense, but of course you want to be good at both."

Logan a defensive specialist in center

2007-02-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

Speedy outfielder working hard to improve his offensive game
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

VIERA, Fla. -- It's 12:50 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Nationals center fielder Nook Logan is eating a sandwich and talking to reliever Chris Booker in the Space Coast Stadium locker room.

A couple of members of the media are waiting to talk to Logan, but he says he will talk to them later. He realizes that he has a 1 p.m. appointment with hitting coach Mitchell Page at the cage located in the back of the stadium. Logan, 27, rushes to put his hitting shoes on, and says, "I don't want Mitch to get mad at me."

Maybe Logan should have also said he doesn't want to disappoint manager Manny Acta, because it was the skipper who announced back in January that Logan would be his everyday center fielder entering Spring Training. Logan's spectacular defense is the primary reason.

"For a change, it's good to be in a situation where you feel you got off to a good start with the guy in charge," Logan said. "When he was with the Mets, [Acta] saw me make a couple of plays last year. He didn't get to see every game. ... Now he wants to see it first hand.

"I pride myself in my defense. I try to be the pitcher's best friend. They are on the mound working hard. I see Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones take pride in what they do defensively. And I'm like, 'I'm out here anyway, you might as well play defense the best way you can.'

Everywhere I've gone, I've earned the respect of my pitchers."

But spectacular defense can only go so far for Logan.

Although Logan hit .300 (27-for-90) after being acquired in a trade with the Tigers last September, there are those who feel he still needs to learn about the art of hitting. Page's job is to make sure that the switch-hitting Logan can hit from the left side with consistency, and that's something he hasn't been able to do during his brief career in the Major Leagues. Logan is a lifetime .249 hitter (98-for-393) from the left side, and his batting average is 73 points higher from the right side.

To many, Logan is not fundamentally sound batting lefty. He is a good bunter, but has problems hitting offspeed pitches. Logan is a natural right-handed hitter and didn't start switch-hitting until he was 21 years old, his first season in the Tigers organization.

"He has to get in position more on the left side and be a little more disciplined," Page said. "He has to be able to hit with two strikes."

Logan enters the cage with the bat in hand. He practices only from the left side. Page tosses a few balls to him. At first, Logan is not swinging properly and hits several weak pop ups and grounders. Page tells him that he is not using the lower half of his body enough, especially his left leg. Logan then starts bending the left leg and line drives begin flying off the bat.

Pop.

"That's a double," Page said.

Bang.

"That's another hit." Page added.

"Whatever Mitch is bringing, I'm trying to do," Logan said. "Anything helps. He has been around the game a long time."

Acta has set high goals for his center fielder. Logan will bat near the bottom of the order to begin the season, but after the All-Star break, Acta would like to put Logan in the second hole, so the team can take advantage of his speed.

"You have to shoot high," Acta said. "We are not talking about a 19-year-old guy here. This could also be a make-or-break year."

Logan has his own goals. He not only wants to hit .300, but he wants to improve his on-base percentage. He currently has a .319 career OBP.

"I want to get on base as much as possible," Logan said. "You can look at some players' averages. It can look deceiving. They have the same on-base percentage and batting average. I want my on-base percentage [to be higher]."

Nook moving up?

2007-02-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

Center fielder Nook Logan likely will start the season batting eighth, but manager Manny Acta said he is challenging the defensive standout to step up his offense this season.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on Nook, but one of the goals that I set for him by the second half of the season is he should make himself a top-of-the-lineup type of hitter.

"If he can prove he can get on base, he's here to stay for a long time."

Logan appears ready for the challenge.

"This year I'm trying to work on getting my on-base percentage higher," Logan said. "Everything comes with that -- more stolen bases, more runs scored, more wins."

SPRING TRAINING NOTES: Super Nook

2007-02-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post writes, "on Sept. 1 of last season, the Nationals made what was, to the rest of the baseball world, a minor deal, acquiring Logan, a center fielder, from Detroit, which had cast him aside. Logan has to establish himself offensively, but there's a reason Acta said Wednesday, "If he proves to people that he can get on base, he's going to be here for a long time." It is, simply, his glove."

In other news Nationals manager Manny Acta has now taken to calling Logan "Super Nook".

Washington Times Q&A with Nook Logan

2007-02-17T22:05:00.000-08:00

Nook Logan seized his opportunity last September to become the Washington Nationals' starting center fielder. Logan, who was acquired in a Sept. 1 trade with the Detroit Tigers, hit .300 in 27 games for the Nationals. He is now the club's everyday center fielder. The speedy outfielder is a defensive wizard and a switch hitter who lives in Houston during the offseason. Ken Wright caught up with Logan and talked about how it feels to have a secure job and other topics.

Q: How does it feel to come into camp knowing that you are the club's starting center fielder?

A: It feels good in a way because you are in that position, but you've still got to come out every day and play like the position is wide open. That's the mindset I've got, just come and play like I've still got to go get it.

Q: Well then, what would you like to get out of this camp?

A: Just come in here and just tuneup everything. Get out here and work with the new guys, our new coaches and everything, Mitch [hitting coach Mitchell Page] has been here. I'm looking forward to working with him the whole spring, because I never really had time to work with him last year because I got there towards the end of the year, but I'm looking forward to working with Mitch the whole spring and hopefully get on a little program or whatever and get it going.

Q: The club apparently believes in you, inking you to a new contract. Is everything going good?
A: Everything is looking bright right now. I've just got to go out there and make it happen.

Q: Are you thinking about buying a house in the D.C. area?

A: I'll probably rent for now and see how it goes. It's kind of cold to be up there in the offseason. I'm used to 55 to 65 degrees in the winter.

Q: You're a switch hitter and had a good little month in Washington. Can you talk about that last month because your performance earned you a full-time job after spending most of last season in the minors?

A: I was just trying to reassert myself, to show people that I can play when given an opportunity. I had an opportunity here so you've got to make the most of it.

Q: Do you want to show the Detroit Tigers they made a big mistake in getting rid of you?

A: In a sense you do, but in a way you want to take care of yourself first. Just do what you can do and then realize what you can and can't do, and then maybe they're like "maybe we were wrong about that guy. I know there's been a lot of people in my situation before, some guys who took their opportunity and ran with it. I want to be one of those guys.

Q: What did you do in the offseason?

A: Working out. Working on my swing a little bit. I was in Arizona working out with Carl Crawford and guys like that. I had a guy in Houston that I was hitting with. I've been doing a lot of stuff, talking to Mitchell on the phone, watched some video me and him made before I left. I've been doing a lot. I just wanted to get down a couple days early and just see where I am and just go from there.

Q: Where do you think you are?

A: Getting there.

Q: Obviously your defense is a big part of your game. Do you feel that you are one of the top defensive outfielders at that position in baseball?

A: I hear from guys who aren't bad like Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones. You watch those guys day in and day out and go out there and just try to do what they do and talk with them as much as possible and take in as much as you can, incorporate that into your game, and hopefully it pans out.

Q: As a center fielder, what were your thoughts when Gary Matthews, Jr. made that sensational leaping catch on the center-field last year with the Texas Rangers?

A: That was crazy. Actually, somebody recorded it back home and I've probably seen that catch 25 times this offseason. They were showing it as a highlight for play of the year and all that. I'm like, "G. Matthews I don't see how you made that play."

Q: Do you think you could pull something off like that? He cashed in partly because of that catch.

A: I would love to. If the opportunity presented itself, I would make a play. I'll enjoy it for the moment, but then you've still got to win the game. He [Matthews] had a great season, my hat goes off to him and congratulations goes out to him for everything that he got.

Q: Did you grow up as an LSU fan in Mississippi?

A: I'm a Florida Gator, LSU, all of that. I'm an SEC fan. Florida has been my team, but LSU is the closest team that I grew up watching. When they play each other and whoever has got the best record, that's who I hope wins.

Q: Were you surprised that LSU bludgeoned Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl?

A: I wasn't surprised, they played Notre Dame. Notre Dame plays all the military academies.

Q: Then what did you think of Florida doing that to Ohio State in the national championship game?

A: I didn't think it would be like that, but I thought their [Florida's] speed would be the difference in the game I didn't think it would be that much of a difference, though, a four-touchdown game. I thought they [Florida] had a chance to win it and pull it out by a score or two, but four touchdowns? I would never have bet that.

Q: If you weren't a baseball player, what would you be doing?

A: I don't know. Hopefully playing football or basketball or something.

Q: Did you play all those sports while growing up?

A: I really just played football in high school, but every day I will go by and watch my little brother [Ja-Mes] play and I'm like, "Man, I should have kept playing football. He's pretty good. He's good at all three sports. He's one of the first players at his high school to start varsity in all three sports as a sophomore.

Q: What high school is this?

A: Westfield High School in Houston, Texas.

Q: Is he getting any scholarship offers? Is anybody looking at him?

A: He's in 10th grade right now. Actually, he got a letter yesterday from the Miami Hurricanes basketball team. It's just a letter, but it's a start.

Q: How tall is he?

A: Six-foot-3 point guard.

Q: So, you must be proud of him?

A: I am. I told him, "sports is good, but you've got to get those grades first."

Q: Does he look up to you because you play professional baseball?

A: He does, but he doesn't let me know that.

Q: Is that because he thinks he's going to be there one day too?

A: We had a bet a couple years ago that he was going to win something like rookie of the year before I did. So, I'm like "when they gave out the organization's awards I was the Tigers rookie of the year in 2004, and told him I won the bet. He doesn't understand that right now. That's just a team award. He'll figure that out later on.

Lookout for Logan

2007-02-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

BY JIM CAWLEY
FLORIDA TODAY

Nook Logan arrived early for spring training on Friday, ready to get started on what he and the team hope is a breakout season.

"We've got a lot of new faces; a lot of new guys I've never met," Logan said. "I wanted to come down a little early and just be in the mix."

Logan was traded to the Nationals on Sept. 1 and made an immediate impact in center field. Known mainly for his glove, the 27-year-old former Detroit Tiger also batted .300 in 27 games for Washington last season.

During a press conference at Space Coast Stadium on Wednesday, Nationals GM Jim Bowden and Acta stressed Logan's importance to the team.

"I don't think there's any question he's a very special defensive center fielder," Bowden said.
Said Acta: "We have a legit centerfielder now in Nook Logan."

Logan, who has spent most of his professional career in the Tigers' minor-league system, is ready for the increased role.

"I'm just gonna come out, have fun, go hard every day and just play every game like it might be your last," Logan said. "That's the approach I'm gonna have this year."

Nationals Ink Nook

2007-02-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with outfielder Nook Logan on a one-year contract, the team announced on Monday. Per club policy, no further terms of the deal were disclosed.

Logan, 27, was acquired from Detroit on September 1, 2006. He started 25 of Washington's 29 remaining games in centerfield. The switch-hitter batted .300 with 13 runs scored.

In three seasons in the majors, the first two in Detroit, Logan has appeared in 203 games and has a .270 batting average with two home runs and 35 RBI.

Logan finds nook in Washington's outfield

2007-02-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

By Bob Parasiliti
Herald-Mail Online

Nook Logan will be in control of some prime Washington real estate this year.

But he's starting to wonder if he should develop it or field it.

Logan is scheduled to be the starting center fielder for the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium this season.

"RFK outfield ... it's huge," Logan said recently during the Nationals' preseason caravan stop at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center in Hagerstown. "I came from Detroit where the outfield is big, but here ... the gaps are like 410 feet and the center-field fence is 425 feet. The dimensions of the ballpark aren't right."

The expansive area almost makes the George Washington Parkway look like a picnic grounds.

But that's why Logan will be an important part of any successes the Nationals have while rebuilding in the 2007 season.

Logan is in the center of the field, along with shortstop Cristian Guzman and second baseman Felipe Lopez. That will make the middle trio the center of attention because defense will be a central plot for the Nationals.

And that means Logan will be forced to cover a lot of ground, but he's doing it for a good cause.

"It's a great opportunity to get out there and do what I do well," Logan said. "I want to go out there to make a pitcher feel comfortable to throw any pitch he wants to out there."

The Nationals acquired Logan from the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 1, 2005 for a player to be named. After playing a portion of the 2004 season and most of the '05 season for the Tigers, he was relegated to the minors last season until coming to Washington.

He ended up playing 27 games for the Nationals, hitting .300 with one home run and eight RBI. He exhibited speed and a style of play the Nationals liked.

"I want to be known as a guy who can go all out all the time," Logan said. "I want to play aggressively on defense. I'm not afraid to run and I'm not afraid to hit the wall. ... That's why they are padded. I'm not worried about making any mistakes."

Logan said he knows he will get some help in the field because Guzman and Lopez both have good defensive range, giving them the ability to make plays in the short outfield. He will be flanked in the outfield by a healthy Austin Kearns along with Ryan Church and Alex Escobar.

"It's all going to come down to execution and not making mistakes," Logan said. "We are not a team that is going to go out and outslug you. But we will benefit from the pitching if they keep the ball on the ground because we have a great corps of infielders who have a lot of range.

"We just want people to know that when we show up at your park, you aren't going to walk over us for three games. We are going to hold our own and win games."

So maybe an extra-large outfield will actually be what Logan really wants. It will definitely give him room to roam.

"It will give me an opportunity to show what I can do," he said. "I have been and can be a good player in the majors if I'm given the chance. I'll be out there running. ... There are going to be a lot of 400-foot outs."

Nook over at the new ballpark

2007-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

By Tim Lemke

The Washington Times

Outfielder Nook Logan can't quite picture himself roaming the grass of the Washington Nationals' new Southeast ballpark just yet. But he knows it won't be long before he can.

"I was here in October and I just saw cranes," Logan said as he toured the ballpark construction site with teammates and reporters yesterday. "Now you see all this. It's a lot.

"What Logan sees is the steel framework of the stadium, erected just over the last two months above a vacant dirt plot along South Capitol Street near the Anacostia River. Favorable weather has helped the between 360 and 375 daily workers stay on schedule in their efforts to complete the ballpark by Opening Day 2008, construction officials said.

Logan and teammates Ryan Zimmerman and Mike O'Connor fought off sub-freezing temperatures to meet with construction workers yesterday during a stop on the Nationals Winter Caravan.

"It's come along a lot faster than I thought it would," said O'Connor, a District resident and Ellicott City native who grew up attending games at Baltimore's Camden Yards. "It's starting to look like a real stadium.

"Third baseman Zimmerman checked off a list of his favorite ballparks in the major leagues and said he expects the Nationals' stadium to be unique.

"It's going to be a bit more open and has some things that no other place has," he added.

A lack of snow and relatively warm weather through most of the winter has helped construction, though recent rains have been a nuisance and workers were forced to take yesterday morning off because of high winds.

"The weather's been good ... the temperatures have been very favorable," said Ronnie Strompf, a senior superintendent of the project. "We've been very lucky. Normally our winters last about six to eight weeks, and I think we'll be pretty much out of winter four weeks from now.

"As soon as next week, the construction team will assemble the light towers for the ballpark. Most heavy construction should be finished by July, when workmen will begin laying the playing field.

That's when Logan may start to imagine some things.

"I hope to have stories, if I get to play in it," Logan said. "I hope I can tell my kids, 'I played in the first game at that ballpark.' "

Logan promises improvements: Center fielder working on hitting during offseason

2007-01-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

By Bill Ladson
MLB.com

Earlier this month, manager Manny Acta announced that switch-hitter Nook Logan would be the everyday center fielder entering Spring Training because of his defense.

But there are still questions about Logan's hitting. Most scouts consider him a Major League hitter from the right side but feel that he has limitations from the left. Logan is a good bunter from the left side, but has problems hitting offspeed pitches.

Logan insists there will be improvements from the left side. This offseason, he often talks with hitting coach Mitchell Page, and works with Sid Hollins, a hitting coach in Houston area. It was Devil Rays outfielder Carl Crawford who recommended Hollins to Logan.

"I feel better at this stage than I've been all of my career," Logan said. "There are minor adjustments. It's about staying back and let the ball travel to me. I've been switch-hitting since I was 21. I've been hitting right-handed all my life. Naturally, I'm going to be better right-handed. I'm a work in progress from the left side."

For Nats Outfielder Logan, a Familiar Position

2007-01-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

By Barry Svrluga

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Here is Manny Acta, manager of the Washington Nationals, on how much competition Nook Logan, who has 545 major league at-bats, will face for the starting center field job when spring training opens next month: "He's going to spring training as our center fielder. He's going to be his own competition there, and that's it."

And here is Logan, in so many words, on that prospect: I've heard it before.

"I think I know what I can do, and I think the front office here knows what I can do," he said yesterday. "But I know from experience that you can lose jobs in this game. I don't think that'll happen here, though. I'm not saying I'll be more relaxed, but . . ."

The indication, though, is that he will, and that he believes it will pay dividends. Logan is a 27-year-old who was told, he said, that he was the Detroit Tigers' starting center fielder not once, but twice, only to lose the job anyway. He is a speedy switch hitter who fell so far off the radar screen in Detroit as the Tigers were en route to the American League pennant last year that he was moved off the 40-man roster and became available to the Nationals in a trade.

He is also a guy who, it appears, was hardened by the whole experience. He vows this time he'll handle it with a combination of maturity and confidence that will allow him to excel, something the Nationals -- who have lacked a true center fielder since they arrived in Washington in 2005 -- desperately need.

"We need to play better defense, and we will play better defense," Acta said. "Nook is a big part of that. That's a premium position. You have to cover a lot of ground in center, especially when you play at RFK. That sets the tone up the middle. I think he'll be a tremendous boost to our defense."

Acta is basing his opinion not only on the few times he saw Logan last season, when Acta coached third base for the New York Mets, but on some raw statistics the Nationals are using. Fans will remember the diving grabs Logan made, highlight-reel stuff that put him on "Baseball Tonight." But baseball men think there is more to it than the spectacular. Before Logan was acquired, Nationals pitchers allowed an average of 9.6 hits per nine innings. After the trade they gave up 8.96 per outing.

"It's something that if you added up," Acta said, "it's a huge contribution."

Logan believes he has been ready to make huge contributions before. In Detroit, he began the 2005 season sharing center with Craig Monroe, and when right fielder Magglio Ordoñez went down with an injury, he ended up as the starter. Through July, he was hitting .281, stealing 19 bases while being caught four times.

"I made the most of that opportunity," he said. "I just went out there and just played every day and didn't think about it, and put up good numbers. I felt good about what I was doing."

The Tigers, though, had other plans. Curtis Granderson was called up from the minors midway through August of that season, and Logan's playing time dwindled. Over the final two months, he hit .135. Admittedly, his attitude suffered.

"Before, I was coming to the ballpark, and I had a routine," Logan said. "I was doing everything when I was playing, working before games and after games, even when I was only playing three or four days a week. Then it went down to where I wasn't playing at all, and things changed. I hate to say 'they,' but word got around that I wasn't working anymore. I was going to the ballpark like, 'Why do the same thing I was doing when I was playing when I'm not going to play at all?' "

Still, new Tigers manager Jim Leyland told Logan before 2006 that he was the leading contender to play center. The problem: Logan struggled in spring training, and Granderson soared. The solution: Logan went to the minors. Granderson was a starter in the World Series.

"I was pressing, worrying about getting hits," Logan said.

Those experiences, he said, will color the way he approaches this spring training. "I needed a new start, and now I have one," he said. Though shortstop Cristian Guzman -- he of the .298 career on-base percentage -- will be given the first shot to hit second behind leadoff man Felipe Lopez, Acta said he will keep his eye on Logan, who struggles hitting left-handed but has shown the ability to bunt for a hit, and who hit .300 in his 27 games with Washington last season.

"I think he can develop into a top-of-the-order guy," Acta said.

Logan believes it, too.

"I know I can do the job," he said. "Now, I just have to show everybody here I can do it every single day."

Nook Logan named starting Center Fielder for 2007

2007-01-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta has named Nook Logan the starting centerfielder entering spring training for 2007. We are sure Nook will do a fantastic job and continue to prove that the Detroit Tigers made a huge mistake in letting this electrifying talent go.