WASHINGTON - Forgive Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner if he got swept up in the scene.Speaking after a news conference Wednesday to announce the addition — via a $210 million, seven-year contract — of 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, Lerner was thinking big thoughts. After all, the clubs starting rotation, at least for the moment, also includes Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez.If they all stay healthy, began Lerner, whose father, Ted, is the teams principal owner, I guess its a possibility we may give up the fewest runs in National League history during a 162-game schedule, which is amazing.Let the speculation begin, then.Who will start on opening day, an honour thats gone to Strasburg the past three years? How good could this staff be?As it is, in 2014, Washingtons starters led the majors with a 3.04 ERA.How far can those pitchers take the Nationals, who won the NL East in 2012 and again last season before bowing out in Washingtons opening playoff series each time?And, perhaps most intriguingly, will general manager Mike Rizzo keep that group intact? Or will he wind up trading someone, perhaps Zimmermann or Fister, who can both become free agents after next season?Until those last two questions are answered, Rizzo certainly shares Lerners enthusiasm for the current collection of arms.Well stack our rotation up with anybodys in our division, our league and maybe in baseball, Rizzo said, and compete against them.Of course, things dont always shape up on the field the way they do during the off-season.The terrific Atlanta Braves group that included three Hall of Famers in Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz wound up with only one World Series championship. Thats one more than the Philadelphia Phillies won after assembling Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.Still, if thats the discussion connected to the Nationals now, it represents a sea change from where this franchise stood a half-dozen years ago.It was noteworthy to hear the word winning over and over Wednesday at Nationals Park, where the scoreboard displayed a Welcome to D.C. greeting for Scherzer and his wife, and the diamond was covered by the afternoons dusting of snow.This is a club that lost 100 games in both 2008 and 2009 and found it difficult to attract top talent in free agency, but the perception has changed.Theres no doubt about it, Rizzo said. Weve got a lot of good baseball people around here. Weve got a lot of good professionals. The selling portion of it from five years ago to today is night and day. We certainly have no problem with players wanting to be Washington Nationals.Asked what reasons led him to sign with Washington, Scherzer replied, One: winning. I think this team is capable of winning and winning a lot. When you look at the near term and long term, this is an organization you want to be a part of.The size of the contract probably didnt hurt, either.The 30-year-old Scherzer, who became a free agent after spending the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers, received the most guaranteed dollars for a right-handed pitcher in big league history.I dont play this game for money, said Scherzer, who was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA, but yet at the same time, when you have an offer like that, it just makes you go, Wow.The deal includes a record $50 million signing bonus, of which $5 million is due this year and $15 million each in 2019, 2020 and 2021.The total payments of the contract are spread over 14 years, reducing the present-day value and making it palatable for the Nationals.If that didnt happen, there wouldnt have been a deal, Mark Lerner said. We had to make it work for us financially. It was really my father and Mike coming up with a creative deal.Because of the deferred money, the deal had a present-day value of $191.4 million, by Major League Baseballs calculation. It counts as $28.69 million annually for purposes of the luxury tax, which uses a different methodology.Lerner joked about Scherzer: I want to ask him for a loan. Bulls Jerseys 2019 . Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier League champion. Wholesale Bulls Jerseys . One out away from finishing off an impressive shutout, they let a must-win game slip away. https://www.cheapbulls.com/.C. - Nick Merkley and Damon Severson each had a goal and two assists as the Kelowna Rockets downed the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 on Saturday in Western Hockey League playoff action. Fake Bulls Jerseys . So heres what I do when I want to get into the baseball mood—I delve into "The Baseball Project". Chicago Bulls Store . He still wanted out. "It just seemed like the direction they were going didnt fit what I thought my career was going to be," Kesler said. "At the end of the day I want to win a championship and I want to win it now, and four years is a little too long for me.LAGRANGE, Ga. -- Former Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, a fan favourite who played on the 2010 national championship team, has died in a one-car crash in Georgia, state police said. Authorities said Lutzenkirchen, 23, was ejected from a 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe when it overturned several times near LaGrange early Sunday morning. He was a passenger in the vehicle. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn called Lutzenkirchen "a great player and competitor" and "a great teammate and friend off the field." "This is a sad day for the entire Auburn family," Malzahn said Sunday in a statement. "I find peace knowing that even though Philip was taken from us too soon, that he lived his life to the fullest, leaving a lifetime of great memories for his family and friends to cherish forever." Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said Lutzenkirchens death was "a devastating tragedy for his family, the Auburn family and his countless friends." "He had a strong faith, a big heart and a burning desire to help others," Jacobs said. "Philip was a bright light this world desperately needed, and his death leaves a void that cant possibly be filled." Driver Joseph Ian Davis, 22, was partially ejected from the vehicle and was also killed, investigators said. Authorities said blood was drawn from Davis to determine whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. Troopers said 22-year-old Elizabeth Craig of Eatonton, Georgia and 20-year-old Christian Case of Dadeville, Alabama were injured. Lutzenkirchen set school records for a tight end with 14 ccareer touchdown catches and seven during the 2011 season.dddddddddddd He scored the winning touchdown against Alabama to preserve the national title run in 2010, performing an end zone dance later nicknamed "The Lutzie." His Auburn career ended early when he opted to undergo hip surgery late in his senior season in 2012. Lutzenkirchen signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams but was waived in August 2013. He was a volunteer assistant coach at Saint James School in Montgomery, Alabama and worked at a wealth management company. "Philip Lutzenkirchen was what every parent aspires their son to be," former Auburn coach Gene Chizik said in a statement released through the school. "He was compassionate, determined, honourable and full of love, integrity and respect. In 27 years of coaching, I have come across what I would consider to be a few rare young men. Phillip was certainly one of those rare ones. He truly lived his life for other people and always found time to give to others." Other Auburn players and coaches posted tributes to Lutzenkirchen on Twitter. "The Auburn Family is broken today with the loss of a great Auburn man and friend (Philip) Lutzenkirchen," offensive co-ordinator Rhett Lashlee wrote. "Crushed and without words." Lutzenkirchens Auburn teammate Kodi Burns posted: "Lutz was a brother to me and my other brothers. I loved him. And I will miss him. One of the greatest men I will ever know. RIP love you man." Lutzenkirchen was a graduate of Lassiter High School in Marietta, Georgia. ' ' '