Asked about managing a Grapefruit League game for the first time on Friday afternoon, new Nationals’ skipper Dave Martinez told reporters that after an emotional anthem, it really was just another game.
“It’s funny, once I got to the dugout after the anthem, it was just another spring training game,” Martinez explained, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman after the 3-2 loss in a quick, clean opener. “Making moves. Trying to get guys in and out. But it was fun.”
The good thing for the first-year skipper and fans in the nation’s capital: We get to do it all over again today, and tomorrow, and pretty much every day from here to October, and for the 2018 Nats, hopefully beyond.