Nats Enquirer

They haven't started printing the Harperstown t-shirts in Hagerstown yet

 

(Can we expect to see t-shirts like this for sale in Hagerstown? Image via @BHarp34.)

Welcome to Harperstown. Where Bryce Harper's at bats will be sponsored by Miss Utility. *ahem*:

“Now batting Bryce Harper, brought to you by Miss Utility, reminding you to call 811 before you dig.”

Not surprisingly, the Hagerstown Suns are excited about the imminent arrival of Bryce Harper to town, but proceeding with caution, according to the Hagerstown Herald-Mail. The Harper Effect (much like the Strasburg Effect last summer) is already being felt since the Nats officially assigned Harper to Hagerstown on Saturday:

"Today has been very busy. We are getting a lot of response. Our ticketing has been really busy. Usually the early season is hard for attendance. We have a ton of games in May and with (Harper) here, it will help push us over the top."
(Suns GM Bill Farley, via Hagerstown Herald-Mail.com, 3/15/2011)

But the Suns haven't started popping the champagne corks -- or printing t-shirts for that matter -- yet:

"We want to make sure he is coming for sure. The merchandising will be huge. Everything has been ordered. We are just waiting to see before putting it in motion."
(Suns GM Bill Farley, via Herald-Mail.com, 3/15/2011)

"It’s all tricky. We are holding back on all of our printing on everything. When he gets on the field here, we will start printing everything to have it ready for the home opener."
(Suns owner Bruce Quinn,, via Herald-Mail.com, 3/15/2011)

The Suns home opener is April 15, but there's a Suns-Senators exhibition game scheduled for April 4th.  Will we be able to purchase one of those Harperstown t-shirts on the 4th?

This much we know: they might be holding off on ordering Bryce Harper t-shirts, but there's no time like the present to sell the naming rights to his ABs. Bryce Harper's at bats in Hagerstown will be sponsored by Miss Utility of Maryland and Washington D.C. Here's text of the official press release from Miss Utility, after the jump:

Homesick (?) Werth says BBTN Bus smells like cheesesteaks

(Jayson Werth chats with Baseball Tonight's Tim Kurkjian and John Kruk. via @nationalsfeedr)

Cheesesteaks? Jayson Werth really can't let that Philly thing go, huh? Or maybe it's just Kruk.

*sigh* Oh well, at least he says he's in Washington to win.

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. 

Bryce Harper Goes Oppo Boppo

In lieu of footage of the real live human version Bryce Harper going oppo boppo with the Nationals this spring, here's a clip showing the digital version of Bryce Harper going oppo boppo at Petco Park in MLB 11: The Show. Riveting stuff. And since the 2011 Nationals visit Petco Park June 9-12, and there's no chance of Bryce Harper being around for the trip, guess we'll just have to wait until 2012 to see actual footage of the real live human version of Bryce Harper going oppo boppo at Petco Park.

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. 

Stephen Strasburg dreams of becoming a horse

 

(This time last year, it was a Strasburg Spring for Nationals fans. There's Stephen Strasburg on TV, making his spring debut in 2010. Picture of TV/MASN by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

Move over Secretariat: Stephen Strasburg gave an update on his progress to reporters today and revealed that he wants to be a horse. The Horse, that is. Of the Nationals rotation:

"My goal is to be the horse in this rotation. I want to go 200-plus innings every year, so it's something I'm working hard for. Physically, I feel I'm on the right track to get back."
(Stephen Strasburg, via Nationals.com, 3/14/2011)

Woah there, horsie. Slow and steady wins the race.

In another sign of progress, Strasburg is now throwing from a distance of 90 feet. And 90 feet looked really, really, far at first:

"At first, when we stretched it out a little bit, it looked far away. Now, it looks pretty normal. It looks 90 feet, like it used to. My arm strength is starting to slowly come back. Your muscles sort of shut down when you’re taking five months, not really anything."
(Stephen Strasburg, via Nationals Journal, 3/14/2011)

Godspeed, Stras. See you in Washington in September, just in time for Bryce Harper's Major League debut.

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. 

Nyjer Morgan forgoes his mean mug, but thinks Marlins still hate him

 

(Nyjer Morgan and Gaby Sanchez - he of clothesline fame - get reacquainted on Sunday. Screen grab of MLB.TV)

So Ricky Nolasco hit Nyjer Morgan with the third pitch (a fastball) of Sunday's Nats-Marlins game. Any chance Nolasco threw at Morgan on purpose, carryover from last year's brawl? Nyjer Morgan says no question:

"No question, without a doubt. It's obvious because of what happened last year. Obviously, they haven't turned the page. But I'm going to be a stronger player, better person. I'm not going to react to it. I felt better by going out there and being able to steal that bag, getting myself over to third and generating a run. ...I felt more satisfied after that than staring at him and putting on my mean mug."
(Nyjer Morgan, via Nationals.com, 3/13/2011)

So, Ricky Nolasco, did you throw at Njyer Morgan on purpose?

"Obviously, no matter who is up there, I'm not trying to do that. It's my first outing coming off an injury." (Ricky Nolasco, via MLB.com, 3/13/2011)

...and let the record show that Nolasco struggled to find the plate -- just ask Danny Espinosa, who took a pitch to the head:

“I was just kind of all over the place,” said Nolasco, whose spring debut was delayed until Sunday because he sustained a sprained right thumb while participating in offseason conditioning drills in Miami in early February."
(Ricky Nolasco, via Miami Herald, 3/13/2011)

Sorry Nyjer, but we believe Ricky. Good for you for not putting on your mean mug, though.

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Harpbreak: "I've never not made a team."

 

(Ouch! Bryce Harper examines the bruise on his arm after getting drilled in the 9th on Saturday. And then he got cut. Screen grab of TV/MASN)

Nats option Bryce Harper to low-A Hagerstown

"Hopefully I'll see you guys in July."
(Bryce Harper, via Nationals Journal, 3/12/2011)

"It's the game. That's what I have to do. I've got to go down there and get a couple more at-bats a day. That will be good for me, getting four or five at-bats a day, that'll be great. It was a great, great experience up here and I couldn't ask for nothing better. I loved every minute of it and hopefully I'll be back soon."
(Bryce Harper, via the Goessling Game, 3/12/2011)

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Harper more than held his own in 18 ABs: 389/.450/.556 3 2B, 5 RBI. But for all the flashes of brilliance in his 13 games, there were plenty of little reminders of his inexperience.

But it won't be long now. See you this summer in Washington for good, kid?

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Michael Morse's sh*t-eating grin

 

(Michael Morse looks quite pleased with himself in his profile vid on MASN. Screen grab of TV/MASN.)

All together now: "Spring Training stats are meaningless!" But in 25 ABs this spring, Michael Morse has only put up a .480/.500/1.040 slash line with 4 HRs and 7 RBI.

Hey, you'd be grinning like a crazy person, too, if you were hitting your way to a starting job in left field this spring.

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

 

On Bryce Harper being Bryce Harper

(Bryce Harper's aggressiveness got the best of him Friday night. Screen grab of TV/MASN.)

Another gentle reminder that Bryce Harper is both human, and 18: Harper entered Friday night's game as a pinch-runner for Jayson Werth (who walked) with two outs in the sixth -- Nats trailing the Astros 5-1. Moments later, Harper's aggressiveness on the basepaths got the best of him. Harper got gunned down at third attempting to go first-to-third on Ryan Zimmerman's infield hit to short. A bad decision by the kid.

Chalk it up to rinky dinks, huh? Or just inexperience:

"There are always things I can get better at -- hitting, catching, throwing and baserunning. There are a lot of things I could get better at, and that's how I feel. I want to be perfect in every aspect of the game. That's how I've always been. I've been blessed. I've had the good success. I'm excited to be up here. As long as I can stay up here as long as I can and be around the big league guys, that would be great."
(Bryce Harper, via Bill Ladson/MLB.com, 3/11/2011)

*Harper grounded out to first in the 8th inning, hustling down the line and nearly beating Roger Clemens' kid Koby to the bag.

*Facing the immortal Cesar Carrillo, Harper singled up the middle in the 9th (feeling hitterish!) to drive in a run with two outs, making it 7-5. Game ends 7-6 with Harper stranded on third.

Required reading: Dave Sheinin's fantastic story on Harper in this week's Washington Post Sunday Magazine.

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Bryce Harper's long, hitterish, rinky dink, day

(Above: Bryce Harper Tweeted after his long day.)

Long day for Bryce Harper, who played in both games of a home-away doubleheader on Thursday. Thursday night, Harper apparently had an adventurous three innings: feeling hitterish and stretching a single into a double, making a great catch in the seventh, and then encountering a bout of the rinky dinks with a wild throw to allow the winning run to score in the 9th.

"I threw right a little bit and lost the game. Get the next one."
(Bryce Harper, via Nationals Journal, 3/11/2011)

Based on the smiley face emoticon :) in his late night Tweet (above), seems like the kid is unfazed.

And the kid will also reportedly stick around big league camp for a little while longer. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports that the Nationals will make more cuts on Friday, but that Harper will survive:

The Nationals will make their next round of cuts official later today, and when they do Bryce Harper will remain in major-league camp, according to a team source.
(via Adam Kilgore/Nationals Journal, 3/11/2011)

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Hitterish Harper

 

(Bryce Harper, feeling hitterish. Screengrab via here.)

From Oppo boppo to rinky dinks to Hitterish.

Hitterish? Yes, hitterish:

"You wake up in the morning, and you're feeling hitterish, you're going to get a hit that day. That's what it is. If you get a hit every day, you're feeling hitterish, for sure. Wake and rake."
(Bryce Harper, via Adam Kilgore/Nationals Journal, 3/9/2011)

Sounds good. And ho hum, another hit & RBI for Bryce Harper on Wednesday. Is it too soon to start trying to predict the exact date of his September (2011) call-up to Washington?

And just when do the Nats intend to banish the hitterish kid from Big League camp, anyway?

"Mike [Rizzo] mentioned the other day that we would probably make some cuts this weekend. Whether or not he'd be in that first one or not, no names have been mentioned. He just said we'd cut the club down this weekend. I don't know if that's Friday or Saturday."
(Jim Riggleman, via Nationals.com, 3/9/2011)

 Meanwhile...Danny Espinosa also appears to be quite hitterish this spring. Wake and rake, Danny...wake and rake.

Befriend the Nationals Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.