Skip to main content

LaRoche is the rock in the Nats lineup

By WTOP Staff

Craig Heist, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche is a very quiet, unassuming man who doesn’t seek out attention or the spotlight.

In fact, just by looking at him or talking to him, you wouldn’t be able to tell if LaRoche is in the middle of a hot streak or in the midst of 1-for-20.

But there is one fact that cannot be denied: he has been the rock in the middle of the Nationals lineup all season and one of the main reasons the club has the best record in baseball to this point.

LaRoche only played in 43 games last season and underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

In the spring, the challenge for LaRoche was not only to bring his shoulder back to 100 percent, but also to deal with a foot injury that wasn’t allowing him to run the bases for an extended period. It really wasn’t until the end of spring training when he finally felt like he was healthy enough to be able to play day-in and day-out.

Heading into Sunday’s game, the 32-year old is hitting .268 with 23 homers and 74 RBI. Going back to July 22, LaRoche is hitting .347 with 2 doubles, 7 homers and 19 RBI in 19 games. LaRoche leads National League first basemen in homers and RBI.

“I am very happy with the way my shoulder has recovered,” LaRoche said. “I was a little worried about the foot in spring training for a while but that has come and gone. But as far as staying healthy, it’s been pretty good. I’ve had to miss a few games here and there, but overall, I can’t complain.”

LaRoche has been amazingly consistent throughout his career. He has hit at least 20 home runs in 7 of his 8 big league seasons. In 2010 with Arizona, he was a 25 homer, 100 RBI guy.

That is why getting back and staying healthy this year was so big for him and the ball club. LaRoche has a track record that says when he is healthy, he is one of the most dependable players in baseball. There was little doubt in his mind that would happen again if he could stay healthy.

“No question,” he said. “I have felt that every year except last year, when I knew something wasn’t right. Even when I have gotten off to bad starts, I’ve been real lucky to not panic about it or stress too much over it because I think that can make it snowball and make it even worse. I have always had the confidence that at the end of the year, the numbers will be there.”

However, LaRoche has been a notoriously slow starter. With the Braves in 2004 he hit .214 in April. In 2005, he hit .206 and .200 in 2006. When he got to the Pirates in 2007, he hit .133 in April and .174 in 08.

LaRoche can’t explain the slow starts, but he does acknowledge that getting advice from a former teammate has allowed him to deal with it much better.

“I remember Chipper Jones telling me years ago when I was scuffling, he said, listen, you just keep it simple,” LaRoche said. “Try to produce one run per game, whether that’s an RBI or scoring a run. He said that should be your goal.

“There are going to be games where that doesn’t happen and there are going to be games when you produce five or six runs. But overall, try to get one run a game, play solid defense, don’t take your at-bats into the field, don’t take defense to the plate and he has obviously perfected that over his career, so I took that to heart.”

There is no doubt pitching has been the backbone of this team throughout the season, but it is hard to imagine where this team would be had it not been for LaRoche being in that lineup on a daily basis this season.

The Nats went three months without Jayson Werth as he was recovering from a broken wrist. They lost Michael Morse for the first 50 games of the season with a lat strain. Ryan Zimmerman was down for a while with a sore shoulder and now the team is missing shortstop Ian Desmond as recovers from a strained oblique.

The one constant has been LaRoche.

“That might be the thing I am most proud of throughout this whole season,” LaRoche said. “Leading up till now, when those guys were out, to be able to step in and help out and be a big part of that lineup, then you look up at the All-Star break and see our record and to know I had something to do with some of those wins and really helping out.

“When you have those two guys out, I think it’s really easy for Zimm or myself or anyone else in this lineup to put more pressure on themselves and feel like they have to come through every time, and that just wasn’t the case this year.”

The depth on this team has been tested all season and the Nationals have always managed to find someone to pick up the slack when someone goes down.

“You can take our best player, whether it be Werth, Zimm or Mikey, whoever it is at any given time and you don’t ever want it to happen, but you can DL those guys and fill their spot with someone who can produce,” he said. “It’s not a devastating thing around here when someone goes down.”

The Nats are being tested again with Desmond being out and yet they are currently riding an eight-game winning streak heading into Sunday.

“You haven’t seen any momentum shift or loss of confidence in this team when Desi got hurt,” he said. “Yeah, it sucks and it’s another speed bump, but let’s deal with it until he gets back. We’ve done it with Werth, we’ve done that with Mikey and we did it with Zimm, so that all goes back to the depth of this team and the guys having some real good ballplayers.”

While LaRoche shows very little emotion, there is one thing that brings a constant smile to his face. His 9-year-old son, Drake, is a mainstay in the Nationals clubhouse with his dad.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said. “I have been very fortunate because a lot of clubs don’t allow this, don’t allow kids in the clubhouse after a certain time or whatever it is. He’s getting to the age now and I have told him, hey, if you are going to be in here, you are going to be helping out, staying out of the way and basically being another bat boy or clubbie. So as long as he does that, I love having him around and I love being able to see him after games and during batting practice.

“I got to do that when I was growing up, when my dad was coaching. I remember going to the park with him and I always said when he gets to the age that I’ll start taking him.”

Drake is quiet like his dad and LaRoche says the privilege of being in the clubhouse is something his son understands, realizing that it can’t be taken for granted.

“He loves it and it’s nice to have this because it’s my wife’s threat at home,” LaRoche said. “If he screws up, she will say,

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote