Even before Max Scherzer, Bryce Harper and the rest of the ramped-up Washington Nationals hit the field for their first full-squad workout at spring training, they got the message.
There it was, printed across the top of a practice schedule posted in the clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium. Simple and direct, from manager Matt Williams.
“The road to the World Series begins today.”
A challenge? A prediction? A statement?
Or, perhaps, a rally cry from Wrigley Field to Fenway Park. Because as Major League Baseball launches speed-up rules this year to cut the length of games, a lot of teams are on the clock.
