Nats Enquirer

Video of that guy in a wedding dress at Nats-Braves game

Video of that guy running on the field in a wedding dress and getting tackled by Turner Field security during Saturday night's Nats-Braves game seems a fitting way to wrap up a bad Nats weekend and start a new week around here.

Braves 9, Nationals 8 (Sunday): Danny tried to put 'em on his back, but 'pen can't hold lead.

Nationals 5, Braves 2 (Saturday): John Lannan is a one man gang.

Braves 11, Nationals 1 (Friday): A game the 2008 Washington Nationals would have been proud of.

 

Here's yet another angle of the wedding dress festivities:

Nats agree to terms with four more guys not named Anthony Rendon

(The photo above does not show Taylor Hill, Greg Holt, Dixon Anderson, or Nicholas Lee. Photo by Gallery 2 Images via Flikr.)

And so, the Nationals agreed to terms with four more picks from the 2011 Draft class, That makes 22 draftees signed so far. That's good.

But with a month to go before the August 15 midnight deadline to sign 2011 draft picks, is there any reason to believe the Nationals won't be able to agree to terms with top pick Anthony Rendon? Baseball America's Jim Callis was asked the same question in an online chat a few days ago:

Steve (Seattle): Am I crazy to think that Anthony Rendon might not sign with Washington? Seems like his stocked dropped a lot and he could be a potential #1 pick next year with improved power and health.

Jim Callis: I'd be shocked if Rendon doesn't sign. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo and Scott Boras cut big draft deals all the time, and Rendon will be paid handsomely. I still would take him over anyone in the 2011 draft. (via Baseball America.com, 7/6./2011)

So, no worries. Mike Rizzo has Scott Boras on his side. Everyone is familiar with the routine by now. Mr. Lerner, you might want to break out your check book a few minutes before midnight on August 15.

After the jump, the official release from the Nationals announcing the latest signings:

Here's what the new Harpersburg t-shirts look like?

 

(The new Harpersburg t-shirt? Image via @jwilhidejr)

Shortly after news broke on July 4th that Bryce Harper had been promoted to Harrisburg, an image of the prototype for the "Harpersburg" t-shirt made the rounds on the internet. Now, it appears that the final version could be in circulation as soon as Thursday (pending approval from MiLB). That's more like it.

So, while we're on the topic of monetizing Bryce Harper's ascent through the minors: the Hagerstown Suns sold temporary Bryce Harper eyeblack patches at games. Is it too late to corner the market on Bryce Harper "Pops and Mom" temporary wrist tattoos?

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The Washington Nationals will have home field advantage in the 2011 World Series.

(Tyler Clippard delivers his 3rd and final pitch of the 2011 All Star Game. Screen grab via MLB.com)

"What a way to do it. That is probably the definition of a vulture win."
(Tyler Clippard, via Nationals.com, 7/13/2011)

NL 5, AL 1: To the Vulture goes the spoils. 3 pitches, 1 hit, 0 outs, and a Curly W for Tyler Clippard, with an assist from Hunter Pence's arm.

Like Matt Capps before him, Tyler Clippard picks up the Win for the NL. So will Rizzo deal Clippard before the trade deadline, just like Capps?

 

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Bryce Harper taking BP before Futures Game

Here's video of Bryce Harper taking BP before the Futures Game on Sunday.

(video bycnatiTV.)

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Bryce Harper talks about showing off his arm in the Futures Game

In the video clip above (by cnatiTV), Bryce Harper talks to the media after the Futures Game Sunday night. Of particular interest, around the 25 second mark, Harper explains his impressive yet ill-advised display of arm strength on a 325ish ft. throw from the left field corner to home plate which not only failed to prevent a run from scoring, but allowed a runner to advance a base.

Here's Harper on that:

"Was trying to show my arm off. That's pretty much it. Was trying to show it off. Trying to throw him out. In a real game you try to hit the cut...try to work the cut off man...this kind of game just trying to show it off a little bit, see what happens."
(Bryce Harper, via cnatiTV/YouTube, 7/10/2011)

Here's Mark Zuckerman's description of the play, via CSNWashington.com:

When Sebastian Valle laced a double down the left-field line in the top of the sixth, Harper pursued the ball, picked it up in the corner and cut loose with a 325-foot missile to the plate that nearly reached catcher Austin Romine on the fly.

Harper's throw was late and slightly off-target, but the crowd at Chase Field still oohed in awe of the effort. (via CSNWashington.com, 7/10/2011)

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The last time you'll ever see Bryce Harper in a Curly W cap in 2011?

(There's Bryce Harper talking to ESPN's Pedro Gomez during the Futures Game. Screengrab via TV/ESPN.)

And so Bryce Harper let down ESPN with his Futures Game performance: 0-4, 2 K, 2 ground outs, possibly due to Harper's decision to play without eyeblack. Harper also showed off his arm with a rather pointless yet impressive 300+ foot offline throw from the LF corner to home plate which not only failed to prevent a run from scoring, it allowed a man to advance to second. Details, details. Meanwhile,  ESPN didn't seem to care too much that Brad Peacock pitched a perfect inning of relief (9 pitches, 7 strikes?).

Here's ESPN's Pedro Gomez asking Harper to comment on his 0-4 day:

Gomez: "What do you think of your day so far today here?"

Harper: "I'm facing some guys that are, you know, pretty good...put the barrel on the ball twice, K'd twice. But I'm just having some fun out here and I'm really excited."

Not bored, but excited. Sadly, Sunday night might've been the last chance for Nats fans to see Bryce Harper wearing a Curly W cap on the field in 2011. FOXSports.com's Jon Morosi threw a big bucket of cold water on the remote possibility of a September callup for Harper with a Tweet:

#Nats GM Mike Rizzo reiterated to me today that he's ruled out a call-up for Bryce Harper this year.
(via @jonmorosi, 7/10/2011)

Oh well...obviously Rizzo wouldn't say the same thing about a September call-up for Brad Peacock...

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Crazy: Nats win by 2.

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(Jordan Zimmermann met Davey Johnson's quick hook at the first sign of trouble in the top of the 7th with one out. Screengrab via TV/MASN.)

"I'm sure everybody in the stands thought I gave him a quick hook. And it probably was."
(Davey Johnson, via Nationals.com, 7/10/2011)

.500 going into the All-Star break? DIDN'T Expect it.

Nationals 2, Rockies 0: Cats and dogs living in peace, snowball fights breaking out all over hell, and the Nats winning a game by more than one run.

Ho hum, just another sparkling performance by Jordan Zimmermann (6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 88 pitches-64 strikes), capped off by a bunt in the sixth to set up the winning run. Davey's hook was quick but correct: ZNN's W held by Mattheus, Clippard, saved by Storen.

Just another 0-3 day for Jayson Werth, but it's not as glaring when you can put one in the win column. All-Star break probably couldn't have come soon enough for the $126M Man.

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On Pups in the Park Night, of all nights...

(Dog days, nights: Jayson Werth ended Saturday night's game by grounding into a double play. Screen grab of TV/MASN.)

Rockies 2, Nationals 1: No match for Ubaldo, and yes, another one-run loss.  On Pups in the Park Night at Nationals Park, Jayson Werth sends 29,441 fans and 500 dogs home howling with game ending double play.

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A "Jayson Werthless" chant on MASN Nats postgame show

And there's the video, above, of fan(s) chanting "Jayson Werthless" over Johnny Holliday and Ray Knight on MASN's Nats postgame show Saturday night. (Video clip via quakerwildcat)

Editor's Note: Apologies if we misled or offended anyone's sensibilities with our Tweet, in response to watching the proceedings on TV in real time, a Tweet which read as follows: "Fans chanting "JAYSON WERTHLESS" drowining out Johnny and Ray on MASN postgame show."

We did not intend to suggest that all 29,000+ fans in attendance Saturday night at Nationals Park chanted this over Johnny and Ray, and we apologize if our use of the terms "drowining out" confused or blurred the reality of what happened during the broadcast. Watching at home, it sounded like fans chanting "JAYSON WERTHLESS", and it sounded pretty damn loud. Also, we misspelled "drowning". Next time, we will be more specific ("1 or 2 drunk guys chanting" instead of "fans") and choose our other descriptive terms more carefully; also we will use spell check. Ray still seemed a bit rattled by the chanting, you know?

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