Some of the Nationals’ best defense and big hits in 2012 came from one man: Steve Lombardozzi, Junior. Lombo was born in Fulton, MD and still lives in Maryland, making him one of the few players to play for their hometown team.

My Steve Lombardozzi baseball card.

Baseball runs in the Lombardozzi family.  His father, Steve Lombardozzi, Senior, was a second baseman for the Twins in the 1980s. I have his baseball card from 1988!

He says that since his father was a second baseman, he learned how to be an infielder from him. It paid off, because  Lombardozzi got drafted by the Nationals in 2008. He was called up to the big league team in at the end of 2011 and played a few games late in the season.  He made the 25 man roster in 2012 and the rookie proved himself.  When SS Ian Desmond got hurt in the middle of the season, Lombo stepped up to the challenge.  He did amazing as a utility player, playing both shortstop and second base.

The Lombardozzi’s with @MattsBats follower @spoomookie

In the offseason, Lombo also stepped up to the plate again by organizing a collection of food and supplies for people who lost everything in Hurricane Sandy.  This shows that he is a very generous person, in addition to being a star athlete.

People who follow Ross Detwiler on Twitter learned that Lombo and Tyler Moore are like best friends in the clubhouse.  This makes sense because they were both rookies who had big years coming off the bench.  They are both great hitters and I hope that they have another good year in 2013.

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