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Nationals have busy first day of spring training

Dave Martinez is used to spending the offseason in regular contact with his players — texting or chatting with each of them at least once a month.

Not being allowed to do that this offseason is what made Major League Baseball’s 99-day lockout especially difficult.

“This day couldn’t come fast enough for me,” the Nationals manager said about Sunday, the delayed and much-anticipated first day of spring training. “The hardest thing was not being able to communicate with the guys all winter. That was tough.”

The first day of spring training was a busy one for the Washington Nationals.