350-acre farm keeping Nats' Martinez busy

May 1st, 2020

Putting in long hours of work with the backdrop of sprawling green grass is nothing new for Dave Martinez. That’s just another day at the office for him during the season as manager of the Nationals. Only this year, Martinez has tools in his hand instead of lineup cards, and that expansive stretch of land isn’t a baseball field -- it’s his 350-acre farm.

“I’ve had this farm, but I never thought I’d spend this much time out here,” Martinez said Friday on a conference call. “It was always supposed to be a winter thing.”

Martinez is self-isolating at his Tennessee home during the coronavirus pandemic. Each morning, he wakes up to a 40-minute Peloton ride. There are daily baseball responsibilities to be handled, and after that, plenty of outdoor activities to keep him occupied.

“Repairing fences, a whole lot of tree cutting,” Martinez said. “I’ve got about 110 acres of grass I’ve got to mow. You name it.”

This change in scenery has provided Martinez with a new strength and conditioning program. Between his farm tasks and morning stationary bike rides, he estimates he burns 2,000 calories a day.

“There’s a lot of work to be done out here,” Martinez said. “For me, it’s kind of a good way to isolate myself because I’m not stuck in a condo or an apartment like I would be in D.C. But yet, with that being said, I love my backyard [being] Nats ballpark. I enjoy it. I miss it a lot and I can’t wait to get back.”

Martinez is staying prepared for the baseball season by communicating regularly with players, his staff and the front office. He checks in to ask how the players and their families are doing, as well as how they’re keeping up with the training routines mapped out for them at the conclusion of Spring Training.

Many of the Nationals, like Martinez, have been conditioning with a Peloton bike. Some pitchers bought a mound to use in their backyard, and other players have their own outdoor batting cage. For those who were dealing with minor injuries during Spring Training, they’re maximizing this time off to rehab and get healthy.

“Every day I wake up, I try to focus on where the guys are at right now and what we need to do to prepare for our season,” Martinez said.

Martinez said he doesn’t get caught up in the speculation of when, where and how baseball will be played again. What he does know is that the Nationals have the 2019 World Series championship to celebrate, and Martinez has a clear vision of who he wants to be a part of it.

“We want to hang the banner with fans,” he said. “We want to get our rings with the fans. When, we don’t know. How, we don’t know. But we want them to be involved. For me, this is a big deal -- a big deal for everybody. So we want to include everybody.”

While Martinez can’t be around the fans or the team yet, he is spending lots of time with two new additions to his family -- Champ and Mya.

“I got two little puppies now,” he said. “[I’m] running around, chasing those guys around. Actually, they keep me busy.”

This spring has looked different for Martinez. Birds could be heard chirping in the background as he answered questions on the video conference call. A bright blue sky and trees were visible, too. And as he spends his time in 350 acres of his farmland, he thinks of Nationals Park.

“I can’t wait to get back to my personal backyard,” he said.