Nearly five hours before Monday night’s game was scheduled to begin, Casey Janssen stood in the grass behind home plate, surrounded by familiar faces.
Nationals Park is home for Janssen now after he signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Washington Nationals this winter, but some of his closest friends remain in Toronto. It’s where he spent the first eight seasons of his major-league career, moving from the starting rotation to the bullpen and, eventually, to the closer’s role. And it’s where he grew up as a person, walking into the clubhouse as a 24-year-old rookie and leaving it for the last time as a well-respected veteran and leader.