It has been a whirlwind couple of days for 2009 Nat Pack team member Caressa Cameron. The 22-year-old senior at Virginia Commonwealth was crowned Miss America on Saturday in Las Vegas and has since had countless interviews from sun-up to sun-down each day. She wouldn't want it any other way either--even if all the questions are the same and the answers are mostly memorized.

"I have been up since 4:30 this morning," she said. "I think I have done more before 11 a.m. today than I usually do in a week."

She has already appeared on Regis and Kelly, Fox and Friends and The Wendy Williams Show this week. It took her four tries to be crowned Miss Virginia but just once to be Miss America.

She is an accomplished vocalist (see here) and, yes, she tried out for American Idol in the spring. She slept on the ever-so-comfortable concrete in South Carolina just to get an audition. Somehow she just made it to the first tent. (I know, it is beyond me.) "I wasn't what they were looking for," she said. "But that's okay because all things worked out for the best." She is pursuing a degree in broadcast communications (she probably will complete her degree next spring) and with the $50,000 scholarship for Miss America she plans to get her Masters degree in mass communications.

The Fredericksburg, Va., native is committed to volunteer work in the community and is focused on fighting AIDS. It is a disease that hits close to home for her. She lost her uncle to AIDS when she was eight years old and her parents cared for a foster child living with juvenile AIDS. She is the Coordinator of Youth Services for the Fighting the AIDS Crisis with Education and Support (FACES) Project and she served on the steering team which brought the Ora-Sure HIV (Oral) Antibody Test to the State of Virginia.

Her first pageant was at the age of seven and it was titled, "Someday a Miss America." It couldn't have foreshadowed the future better. She is getting ready for the Super Bowl, Disney World and meeting President Obama and that's just the beginning of the Miss America journey. She found some time in her day to talk to Notes from NatsTown.

What was your initial reaction when you heard your name called?

"I could not believe it. I could not believe it. Every year 14,000 women enter this program on the local level and then they go on to their state pageants and then there are 53 (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) of us when it gets to Miss America. To think, after all those filters I was the last one left is unbelievable. I couldn't believe it."

What interested you in Miss America?

"I became interested in the program because I found out it was for women who were community oriented. I really wanted to be part of an organization that would catapult my level on influence. I knew that the Miss America organization could do that... so to be able to serve on a larger scale is what this organization is all about. That is what I want to do, so it was a perfect fit for me."

You are 22. You have spoken to over 10,000 students in more than 40 middle schools and high schools across Virginia. You have volunteered countess hours for AIDS awareness.  You were on the Nat Pack, named Miss Virginia this summer and now you are Miss America. What haven't you done?

"I can say I have been truly blessed to have some amazing opportunities. This year I know I am going to have so many more opportunities too. It will be one of the best years of my life. I am really excited to see what doors this opens for me."

   Would you rather be a broadcast journalist or singer?

"Wow. I think a journalist because I studied it. Singing is something I like to do for fun. If it ever came about that would be cool but broadcasting is something I have been pursuing for a long time so I would love to be able to accomplish that. And then maybe one day, if the door opens, I would love to sing."

How would you describe yourself?

"I am so normal. I am still the same weird, corky girl that everybody knew. I just now have a shiny hat."

What were your three brothers' reaction to you being crowned Miss America?

"They were so excited. The first thing my younger brother Nathan said to me was 'Can you sign something for me so I can sell it.'"

How much could he get for your autograph?

"Nothing, nothing at all.  Not when people can see me and I would be more then welcome to sign an autograph for them."

With all these interviews you have had... what is the most asked question?

"How did it feel as soon as they called your name?"

(That was my second question.)

How would it feel to sing the National Anthem or God Bless America at Nationals Park on Opening Day?

"It would be absolutely amazing and now that you have the contact information, I expect you to contact the necessary people to make that happen."

You have to tell us how instrumental it was being in the Nat Pack to winning Miss America?

"It was very impactful because of the confidence it gave me. I mean, I couldn't throw so being that I had to throw all those T-shirts really helped my arm muscles for the physical fitness part of the pageant."

The Nat Pack--building arm strength and helping people win Miss America one T-shirt toss at a time.

There are nine weeks (10 Mondays) until Opening Day on April 5 at Nationals Park. We are counting down the final few weeks of the offseason highlighting 10 memorable moments, jaw-dropping catches and walk-off wins. You have seen them before but you'll want to see them again.

Click HERE to view it on NatsHD or here... Zimmerman's 30 Game Hit-Streak.mpg ... to watch highlights from Ryan Zimmerman's 30 game hit-streak. He hit safely in 30 straight games from April 8 to May 12, batting .382 (50-for-131) with 11 doubles, eight home runs, 26 RBI, 11 walks and 26 runs. Even on May 13 when the streak came to a halt, he still had a productive day at the plate: 0-for-3, one-run and two walks. Zimmerman's 30-game hit-streak was the longest posted by a third baseman since former Royal and Hall-of-Famer George Brett posted a 30-game hit streak from July 18 to August 18, 1980.

Keep in mind Spring Training is just around the corner. The Nats report/workout dates are as follows: pitchers/catchers report on Feb. 19, position players report on Feb. 24 and the first full-squad workout is on Feb. 26.

Notes from NatsTown is blogging from the bus throughout the Nationals' 2010 Winter Caravan.

Today is the fourth and final day of the 2010 Winter Caravan.

10:16 a.m.--As we were walking to the elevator, Adam Dunn appeared out of nowhere and jumped like Michael Jordan onto Josh Willingham's back. Needless to say, they both fell to the ground like a bag of bricks.

"That definitely felt like 260 pounds," Willingham said. It might have been the first time Dunn has sneaked up on anyone.

10:29 a.m.--Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow. We just left Nats Park. It is only fitting that the Caravan experiences some weather related problems after the Nats had a billion (22) rain delays during the season. This Caravan operates on the same motto as the United States Postal Service. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow will stop this Nats Caravan.

Our first stop is the Children's Hospital and then we are heading to the PG Sports Complex to sign a few autographs. We are concluding the 2010 Caravan at White Flint Mall.

11:11 a.m.--As Brian Bruney colored, "You would be the best kindergarten teacher if you didn't play baseball," Dibble said. That is tough to debate.

11:32 a.m.--"I can't lose weight," Dunn said. Piece of advice: "If you lose weight, you lose bombs."

11:33 a.m.--"Dunn can you smile for me so I can take a picture of you," a lady asked. "I can smile with best of them," he said. "That is a beautiful smile Mr. Dunn," she replied.

11:39 a.m.--Tuneesha Watson has a granddaughter in the ICU that wasn't able to attend. She filled in perfectly. She collected an autograph from each player for her granddaughter. "It is so cool to have the players here today," she said. "The kids will remember this forever."

12:01--We have left the Children's Hospital.

1:13--The snow continues to fall but the wheels keep on turning.  It definitely made the trip longer... we are right by Fed Ex Field and the traffic is as congested as if it there is a Redskins game today.

1:36--Dunn threw his phone to Zimmerman as if it was a football.  It landed well short and hit the ground. "My phone is unbreakable," Dunn said. Zimmerman threw it back. It hit the wall...a chair... and finally stopped moving when it hit the ground. It was safe... and it's definitely unbreakable.

2:17--The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation granted the Forestville Boys & Girls Club with $5,000 to assist with programming and equipment needs. The Forestville Boys & Girls Club is an organization with a 49-year history of teaching boys and girls the fundamentals of baseball.  Their work has enabled thousands of children and teens to engage in tournament competition and to learn the values of teamwork and embrace the game of baseball.

  "We are honored to partner with the Nationals organization on this extremely important project, and extend our heartfelt appreciation for their support of our County's youth," said Samuel J. Parker Jr., Chairman of the Prince George's County Planning Board.  "We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship as we work together to teach our young people the fundamentals of leadership and responsibility through the fundamentals of the game of baseball."

3:02--Our boy Robert Probst from Dover, Del., wasn't deterred by the snow and made the trip to the autograph session. If you remember from Day Two, he drove to Woodbridge on Thursday night. "I told you I would be here today," he said. "There is nothing that could have stopped me." He is also like the USPS. He left his house at 11 a.m. and it took him three and half hours to drive the 80 miles. See ya at NatsFest Robert.

3:34--We are now departing the PG County Sports Complex... and it continues to snow.

3:46--The electronic sign on 495 reads: "EXPECT MAJOR DELAYS... CHOOSE ALTERNATE ROUTE."  Right at this moment the traffic is flowing freely (sounds more like a description of a river)... if only we knew what was ahead of us.

4:08--The Beltway just became a parking lot. We are seven miles away from our destination.

4:40--We have gone two miles in 32 minutes... one of the few crashes.

4:49--This picture doesn't do justice but there were at least 20 deer prancing and dancing in the snow as if Santa was coming.

4:58--Riggleman made a trip to the front of the bus to talk to Harold the bus driver and possibly call in a reliever to speed things up. He returned to reveal the problem. "I think I found out what the problem is," Riggleman said. "Traffic jam."

5:03--Yeah, that car is stuck. It might have been the highlight on the journey. To its credit the car was more determined than The Little Engine that Could. There was just one problem--this car couldn't. The Mustang tried to get out about every 30 seconds. We kept cheering for it... it didn't exactly help.

5:25--3.6 miles away. I would be surprised if we arrive by 6 p.m.

5:45--"We are still 2.2 miles away," Willingham said. "Does anyone have a DVD we can watch."

6:04--We are sooooo close yet so far away. We just drove in a circle around the mall.

6:13--We made it. It only took 2 hours and 39 minutes to travel 22.2 miles.

7:17--The Caravan is over. It was a fantastic four days. Be sure to make it to NatsFest tomorrow.

Notes from NatsTown is blogging from the bus throughout the Nationals' 2010 Winter Caravan.

It is already the third day of the Caravan. You can see day one here and day two here... or you can just scroll down to see the previous posts.

The Second Annual Hot Stove Luncheon started at 1:15 p.m.

NBC's "Meet the Press" Moderator and Nationals Season Ticket Holder David Gregory returned as moderator for the second straight year. There was a question-and-answer session after lunch and then the Nationals players signed autographs for those in attendance. Here is the list of players and front office staff that were in attendance: pitcher Jason Marquis, Nyjer Morgan, Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman, Josh Willingham, John Lannan, reliever Ryan Speier, Craig Stammen, reliever Matt Capps, Tyler Clippard, reliever Brian Bruney, shortstop prospect Danny Espinosa, 2009 first round pick Drew Storen, Manager Jim Riggleman, GM Mike Rizzo, Team President Stan Kasten and broadcaster Rob Dibble.

The Tony Plush No. 1 Regina Pats jersey was priceless. Morgan played for the Pats of the WHL for a brief stint during the 1999-2000 season. He played in seven games, scored two goals and sat in the penalty box for 20 minutes. Don't mess with T. Plush when he is on the ice. On the other side of the scale... his teammate that same season Brett Lysak played 70 games and had only 24 penalty minutes.

The caravan will head to the Verizon Center to watch the Caps play the Panthers at 7 p.m. Nationals players will meet with fans and sign autographs in multiple locations at the venue, from 6 to 7 p.m.

"Rocking the Red" at the Caps game with the Nats.

  9:02--The Nats just won the air hockey shuffle. The announcer just said, "They won because they didn't bring Teddy with them."

Notes from NatsTown is blogging from the bus throughout the Nationals' 2010 Winter Caravan.

It is day two of the Nats Caravan and for a complete rundown of day one you can scroll down or click here.

Day two will be just as busy as yesterday. We will begin with a lunchtime appearance at the famous Ben's Chili Bowl. The bus will then travel to Fort Belvoir, Va., site of the USO of Metropolitan Washington. The group will spend two hours assembling care packages for troops overseas, and meeting with wounded warriors and those stationed at the base. The final stop of the day will be an autograph and photograph session at Pfitzner Stadium, home of the Potomac Nationals--the Nat's Single-A affiliate.

11:24 a.m.--We have officially got the wheels turning on the bus.

We have the same crew on the bus today: Manager Jim Riggleman, reliever Ryan Speier, 2009 first round draft pick Drew Storen, shortstop Danny Espinosa and broadcaster Rob Dibble. 

Nationals President Stan Kasten and GM Mike Rizzo aren't on the bus but they will be a Ben's.

Notes from NatsTown is blogging from the bus throughout the Nationals' 2010 Winter Caravan. Be sure to follow us.

10:20 a.m.--The Caravan is off. We just left Nationals Park.

On the bus today: Manager Jim Riggleman, reliever Ryan Speier, 2009 first round draft pick Drew Storen, shortstop Danny Espinosa and Rob Dibble. 

10:30 a.m.--We just picked up Storen, Espinosa and Dibble at the Hyatt Hotel and we are off to our first stop...

Our first stop is at Unity Health Care's Southwest Health Center, a health clinic that serves all District residents regardless of ability to pay. In December, Nationals front office employees helped refurbish and repaint the center in late December. The players will greet staff and patients at the clinic and deliver new books for the waiting room.

11:01 a.m.--Marla just mentioned how when the Nationals refurbished the Health Center in December, they were divided into two groups: a group that knew what they were doing (The Ballpark Ops) and a group that didn't know what they were doing (Other Front Office staff... the painters).

For not knowing what they were doing, they did a great job painting.

11:15 a.m.--The players delivered books and helped stack them on the shelves.

11:20 a.m.--They handed out some Nats gear, signed some autographs and Screech made an appearance.

"It was a great first stop for the Caravan," Storen said. "It is always good to help people out and hopefully make their day."

11:45 a.m.--We just departed the Health Center and we are heading to Hard Times Café.

12:03--The bus just arrived at Hard Times. The Fab-Five will start signing at 1. That's 57 minutes from now if you are counting... so they are now going to enjoy a scrumptious Hard Times meal.

12:51--The food at Hard Times was delicious. The plate of nachos could have fed a city. A few tidbits from lunch...

                        *Speier's favorite player growing up was Rob Dibble.

                        *Storen thinks the Colts will win the Super Bowl.

*Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart and Storen were teammates on the Stanford baseball team last season. Gerhart might have a few pounds on Storen but they do look alike.... a little bit.

12:54--Players start signing in six minutes and there is already a nice size crowd waiting to get autographs.

1:04--State of the Nats-Jim Riggleman and Rob Dibble thanked the crowd for coming and talked about the upcoming 2010 season.

1:25--The Donkey made an appearance and got a few autographs. You maybe have seen him before... he went to over half the games dressed as a donkey last season. "We went to one of the first games last year and my friend and I noticed they needed some crazy fans," he said. "So my friend and I sewed together the donkey costume." They sat in Section 236 so they could take advantage of the student discount. He spent the whole season trying to get Adam Dunn to acknowledge him. As you can imagine, he was unsuccessful... maybe in 2010 Dunn-key.

2:23--We were talking about nicknames and how Adam Dunn doesn't like being called "Big Donkey"... Danny Espinosa said he doesn't really have a nickname. Storen interrupted and said everyone calls him Espy. Storen said he has never had a nickname but if he opened up a storage company he would call it Storen Stuff. "Or you could call it Storen Space," Dibble added.

Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

  The Nationals continued their philanthropic efforts around the DC area and participated in a volunteer effort on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service at a local D.C. Public School. In support of the President's "United We Serve" initiative and Serve DC's Seasons of Service Days, Washington Nationals Front Office Employees volunteered at Ballou Senior High School's School Beautification Project.

Education is one of the cornerstones of the Nationals' community relations programming, so it was only fitting that staff spent their "day off" helping to beautify the local school and make it a more inviting place for students.

  At the school, Nationals staff banded together with several other local volunteers - including Ballou students - to remove graffiti from the hallways, clean lockers, repaint the bathrooms and interior doors, design bulletin boards, and paint murals in the school library. Within four hours, the school had already transformed into a nurturing environment where the students can learn and grow.

Community Relations is one of the pillars of the Nationals organization, and the Nationals are happy to have had the opportunity to make the school a positive place for the students to thrive during their high school years and beyond.  

--The Nationals had six players that filed for salary arbitration and today was the day when eligible players exchanged figures or agreed to a contract with the club: Jason Bergmann, Brian Bruney, Sean Burnett, Jesus Flores (Super Two), Wil Nieves and Josh Willingham. The Nationals agreed to 2010 contracts with Bergmann, Flores, Nieves and Willingham, thus avoiding salary arbitration. That leaves Bruney and Burnett left for salary arbitration and the hearings begin February 1 and end the on 21. There is a good chance the two will never reach the arbitrators. Last year 111 players filed for salary arbitration, of those, 46 exchanged figures with their respective club and only three had their case heard by arbitrators: Dan Uggla (Marlins), Shawn Hill (Nationals) and Dioner Navarro (Rays). Uggla and Hill both won.

Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum who qualified for arbitration as a super two will likely walk away the biggest winner much like in 2008 when Ryan Howard qualified as a Super Two and won his arbitration hearing... his salary jumped from $900,000 to $10,000,000... just a 1,011 percent raise. (To qualify as a Super Two a player must have at least two years of service, but less than three, have accumulated at least 86 days of service in the previous year, and rank in the top 17% of all 2-year players in service time. The cutoff point generally falls between 2 years, 128 days of service and 2 years, 140 days.)

--The Caravan will get the wheels turning next Wednesday, Jan. 27th with the first stop at the Unity Health Care's Southwest Health Center in Washington, DC. Notes from NatsTown will be on board providing you with behind the scene shots, player comments and fan reactions. Be sure to follow us.

--If you are a Nationals Insider you can purchase Nationals 2010 Spring Training single game tickets before they go on sale to the general public with a special online presale Wednesday, January 20, at 10:00 a.m.

--In the News:

Bill Ladson reports that the Nats may have some interest in former Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets.

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer breaks down the 2009 Nats and looks ahead to 2010 with the projected starters and rotation.

MASN's Ben Goessling talked with Manager Jim Riggleman.

Matt Capps received the best Christmas present he possibly could have got in the baseball world. It wasn't from the North Pole but coming from the Nationals made it just as special. A day before Christmas, Capps agreed to a one-year deal with the Nationals. He officially unwrapped it today when he signed the contract.

With the Redskins naming Mike Shanahan their coach at 2 p.m., the Nationals kept the Capps signing low key and hosted an informal press conference in the cozy confines of the Nats clubhouse.

"This is a major, major announcement for the Washington Nationals, as important as Jason and Pudge in my opinion," said GM Mike Rizzo, wanting to make it clear that even though it was an informal press conference, Capps is an impactful player. "He is a 26-year-old closer that we control and [can] grow with the franchise for a long time to come."

The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Capps is a man of faith and is everything the Nationals embody. He brings a winning attitude on and off the field and has a strong commitment to the community. He is built more like a linebacker than a closer, has a neck like a wrestler and has the hard-nosed, fearless and unflappable mindset of all three.

The 26-year-old Capps didn't need much convincing on coming to Washington either. He has been impressed with the moves they have made this offseason and will have the chance to compete for the closer role--maybe the most important part. The Nats started pursuing him the minute after the Pirates non-tendered him but Capps was on Rizzo's radar going back to last season's trade deadline.

"It's nothing [Rizzo had to say]," Capps said. "He already [had] done it with the moves that he has made."

The Nationals have made it their priority this offseason to bolster a bullpen that ranked last in the Majors with a 5.04 ERA. He is the latest addition during a busy offseason for the Nats and they aren't done. They acquired reliever Brian Bruney on the first day of the Winter Meetings, signed future Hall of Fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez to a two-year deal a few days later and signed starter and 2009 All-Star Jason Marquis right before Christmas.

Capps signed with Washington after spending his entire career in Pittsburgh going 19-19 with 29 holds, 67 saves and a 3.61 ERA in 271 appearances spanning five seasons (2005-09).

Capps is a control specialist that consistently pounds the strike zone with a 92-96 mph fastball. His career strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.2/1 (208 strikeouts, 50 walks) ranks second among active closers with 50 or more saves. Only Boston's Jonathan Papelbon (4.5/1) has posted a superior SO/BB ratio using those guidelines.

In 2009, Capps struggled locating his fastball and his numbers ballooned: a 5.80 ERA, 73 hits and 10 home runs in 54.1 innings.

"As a competitor I don't think you ever have the season you want to have unless you throw a 0.00 ERA," Capps said. "My numbers don't look good from last year. It's hard to pinpoint one thing or another that went wrong. My fastball went flat and I got away from it."

The Nats aren't worried and Rizzo knows that if he didn't struggle in 2009 he wouldn't be a Nationals player today.

"When the bullpen gate swings open, I am happy that 55 (Capps) is coming out of the bullpen," Rizzo said. "If he didn't post a 5-plus ERA, he wouldn't be sitting with us right now."

He only signed a one-year deal but the Nats will be able to offer him arbitration after the season. Rizzo doesn't see it as a one-year deal. Nor does Capps.

"I don't want to come to Washington and play for one year," Capps said. "I want to be an impact player, have an impact on the team going forward and be a part of it for the next...until Mr. Rizzo gets tired of me."

It is safe to say, Mr. Rizzo won't get tired as long Capps continues to retire batters.

It is never too early to daydream about the baseball season especially when the Nats Caravan barnstorms around DC, Maryland and Virginia. The 2010 Nationals Caravan gets the wheels turning on Jan. 26 and it paves the path for NatsFest on Jan. 31. It may only be December and the temperature may be hovering near freezing but the start of Spring Training is just around the corner.

So if you are in need of some warm, fuzzy thoughts to sooth the soul on these blustery winter nights, just keep in mind that the Nationals pitchers and catchers report at the end of February.

The Nationals officially open Nationals Park on April 5 against the Phillies but the unofficial start to the season is the last week in January with NatsFest--baseball's version of a grass roots convention. NatsFest gives each fan the opportunity to get autographs, photos and meet with the players and coaching staff.

Last year was the first annual NatsFest and fans came out in droves to greet players with a warm Washington welcome. The excitement for the Nationals and the beginning of the baseball season was evident with each smile.

The Nationals have an even bigger, better NatsFest planned for 2010:

·         The 2010 Winter Caravan will take place Wednesday, Jan. 27 through Saturday, Jan. 30, concluding with the 2nd Annual NatsFest on Sunday, Jan. 31 at Nationals Park

·         The Caravan will consist of Meet-and-Greets, Autograph Signings and Community Appearances throughout the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area along with a Hot Stove Luncheon at the ballpark on Friday, Jan. 29

·         Season Ticket Holders will receive information on claiming their complimentary NatsFest tickets after the New Year (four per account)

·         A limited amount of tickets may be made available to the general public, based on availability

·         The team will officially release complete information the first week in January, including Nationals players attending (those confirmed by this date), caravan stops, and NatsFest details