Even casual baseball fans know names like Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Anthony Rendon.
And while those superstars are the catalysts behind the Washington Nationals’ first trip to the World Series, there are other names — Troy Gingrich, Mark Grater, Randy Knorr and Bob Henley and others — who’ve toiled behind the scenes in service of the same goal.
“The foot soldiers,” Nationals assistant general manager Doug Harris called the four coaches who have worked for the franchise for years.
Gingrich is the minor league hitting coordinator, Grater is the pitching rehab coordinator, Knorr is the Triple-A Fresno manager and Henley is the Nationals’ third base coach who thrives on taking risks.