Nats Enquirer

Here's Jayson Werth (a.k.a. The Bull Moose) winning the Presidents Race in slow motion

The video above (via @ItsLuisF) might be the most compelling footage yet of Jayson Werth's victory run in the Presidents Race on Saturday. Be sure to turn the sound up...

From here on out, for better or for worse, let Jayson Werth be known around town as The Bull Moose:

"Well, if Teddy can't win, then no one wins in my book...I'm the last remaining member of the Bull Moose Party, I guess. I don't really know what else to say."
(via Washington Times, 9/24/2011)

See also: Jayson Werth's first attempt at forcing a win by Teddy Friday night. Werth's second attempt at forcing a win by Teddy on Saturday afternoon.

Wonder what Werth and the Nats bullpen have in store for Sunday?

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

 

Jayson Werth wins the Presidents Race

On Saturday, for the second game in a row, Jayson Werth and pals from the Nats bullpen attempted to Make Teddy Win, obstructing Tom, Abe, and George from making their way to the finish line. But for the second game in a row, it didn't work: Teddy still lost. However, as seen in the video above (via LetTeddyWin), Jayson Werth won.

Apparently Werth is demanding a win by Teddy on Sunday. Dear Nationals: please don't let this happen...

Here's more from Werth on Teddy, after the game (via Amanda Comak/Washington Times):

"I can't really comment," he said. "When you stage a coup, it's better to keep it quiet.

"Let's just say it's Teddy Roosevelt's last stand of the Rough Riders."

Asked if he knew that he was actually the winner, Werth smiled.

"Well, if Teddy can't win, then no one wins in my book," he said. "I'm the last remaining member of the Bull Moose Party, I guess. I don't really know what else to say."
(via Washington Times, 9/24/2011)

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

Jayson Werth tries to Make Teddy Win

(Jayson Werth really wants Teddy to win. He tried to force the issue Friday night. Screen caps via MASN/TV.)

[Update: Werth tried (and failed) again on Saturday. Instead, Werth won the race.]

Remember back in May, when Jayson Werth made some cryptic comments about things needing to change with the Nationals, essentially joining the Let Teddy Win movement and stoking speculation that a Presidents Race win by Teddy was imminent?

“There’s more to it than [just needing to win games]. If you want to start talking about it, we can talk about it. I mean, why doesn’t Teddy get to win?”
(Jayson Werth, via NatsInsider, 5/2011)

Well, give Werth credit: he tried to force the issue Friday night, hanging around on the warning track between innings and attempting to block George, Tom, and Abe on the track in right field (with a little help from members of the Nats bullpen).

Alas, Teddy still did not win. The good news is, Werth has approximately 488 home games left over the next 6 years to see it happen.

Here's video of Werth's attempt to Make Teddy Win, via @JWerthsBeard:

 

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

Michael Morse hits 28th HR; Ryan Zimmerman drops flying elbow on Morse's head.

(Zimmerman lands a flying elbow on Morse. Screen caps via MASN/TV.)

Michael Morse has made a name for himself in 2011 in small part by meting out celebratory punishment to teammates in the form of flying elbows and rosin bag spikes. On Thursday night in Philly, Morse found himself on the receiving end. Ryan Zimmerman delivered a perfectly executed flying elbow to Morse's head when Morse returned to the dugout after his 3-run home run off Roy Oswal in the 8th inning.

Nationals 6, Phillies 1: Nats sweep series, take season series from Phillies 10-8. See you in 2012, Philly - hope you choke in the postseason!

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

Was that really Brad Peacock's Mom wearing a Phillies shirt?

(What the!? Et tu, Peacock? Screen cap via MASN/TV.)

[Update: It isn't. See comments below. Definitely *not* Peacock's Mom. Just a cousin.]

Jayson Werth sat out Thursday night's Nats-Phillies game, still feeling the effects of getting drilled in the elbow on a throw by Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz on Wednesday. But Jayson Werth's Beard was still hard at work on Twitter: Werth's beard Tweeted a question about the woman sitting to the right of Brad Peacock's Dad at Citizens Bank Park Thursday night (apparently identified by Philly TV broadcasters as Brad Peacock's Mom), seen in a Phillies shirt. But the mystery woman was also seen on TV wearing a Nats jersey earlier in the game. Here's Werth's Beard, asking the question:

why is Peacock's mom wearing a Phillies shirt under her Nats jersey? (via @JWerthsBeard)

But are we sure that's really Brad Peacock's mom? And if that really is Brad Peacock's mom...why would she do such a thing to her kid? But even if it is Peacock's mom, it doesn't change what her son did to the Phillies on Thursday night: 5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K. Nor does it change what the Nats did to the Phillies in 2011: 10 wins, 8 losses, 5 wins in a row. Pwned.

Can we just hit the fast forward button to 2012 now?

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

Danny Espinosa hits 21st HR, receives elbow smash to the head from Michael Morse

(Danny Espinosa took ex-Long Beach State teammate Vance Worley deep in the sixth for the lead, then received an elbow smash to the helmt from Michael Morse.Screen cap via MASN/TV.)

Danny Owns Philly

Nationals 7, Phillies 5: Nats continue to give Phillies trouble, Danny Espinosa continues to pound Phillies pitching. Just 20 hits, 7 HR, 15 RBI for the season; no big deal. Video of Espi's HR here, and below.

Meanwhile: Pigs fly, snowball fights in hell, dogs and cats living in peace, and John Lannan wins a game in Philadelphia.

Espi's mile-high HR:

 

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

Sadly, the lottery signs are back to normal in the visitors bullpen at Citizens Bank Park

(Lotto signs back to normal at CBP. Screen cap via MASN/TV.)

Alas, the $521 million and $705 million jackpots are gone from the lotto signs in the visitors bullpen at Citizen's Bank Park. Amanda Comak of the Washington Times checked in with lotto officials, and it turns out there was no resulting spike in ticket sales:

While the Pennsylvania Lottery was made aware of the "situation," there was no noticeable spike in the sales of Powerball or Mega Millions tickets during the Nationals' 3-0 loss to the Phillies last night.
(via Amanda Comak, Washington Times, 9/21/2011)

According to the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, Tyler Clippard pulled off yesterday's prank:

It was Clippard who changed the lotto prizes in the CBP bullpen. One reliever: "Bet they don't leave any extra numbers lying around today." (via @AdamKilgoreWP)

No matter what happens to Clippard from here on out, he deserves a special place in the Ring of Honor at Nationals Park for the effort, don't you think?

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

Nats bullpen messes with the lottery numbers at Citizens Bank Park

(Nats bullpen hits the jackpot in Philly! Screen cap via MASN/TV.)

[UPDATE: Alas, lotto jackpots back to normal at CBP Wednesday night.]

MASN's F.P. Santangelo pointed out during Tuesday night's Nats-Phillies broadcast on MASN that members of the Nationals bullpen had messed with the jackpot numbers on the PowerBall and MegaMillions boards out in the visitors bullpen at Citizens Bank Park. And suddenly, a couple of paltry $25 million and $75 million payouts become $521 M and $705 M, respectively. Betcha lottery tickets are selling like hotcakes in Philly...

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

Jayson Werth explains why he sucked in 2011

Washington Nationals' outfielder Jayson Werth is seen during batting before the Nationals opening day game against the Atlanta Braves in Washington, March 31, 2011. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

 

Perhaps when you sign a 7 year, $126 million deal, then suck for an entire season, you've earned the right to tell reporters that there's a silver lining to not making the playoffs:

"I'm actually looking forward to this winter. When you play in the postseason every year, not only do you miss a month of the offseason, you are playing another month. I will have so much time to prepare and get ready for next season."
(Jayson Werth, via Nationals.com, 9/19/2011)

Thankfully, the Nats have never even sniffed the postseason since arriving in Washington in 2005. That means lots of extra time to prepare, you know?

In a Nationals.com story by MLB.com's Bill Ladson, Werth wishes his ex-mates in Philly well, and has plenty of excuses at the ready to explain his 2011 dud. Did you hear? His videos arrived late to Spring Training:

...he didn't have anybody on the team that knew when he was at his best in the batter's box. As a member of the Phillies, Werth always had at least two teammates who could help pinpoint problems with his swing.

"If you look at my season, I had three or four different stances because I wasn't comfortable," Werth said. "Comfort in the box was the biggest issue. I couldn't get comfortable. My swing wasn't good. I didn't have my videos from last year until almost April -- until the end of Spring Training. Spring Training wasn't sound. Things were a little off. I just kind of marked that up to the situation. I was trying to figure out how to deal with it.

"Since then, I have regained my composure, my style of play and my level of comfort, and played like the player I can be. I have a very unique swing, a very unique swing path. It's my own. There are not too many guys that swing like that."
(via Nationals.com, 9/19/2011)

He forgot to mention his dog ate it

(On an unrelated note: ticketliquidator.com!)

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

 

Video of that 99 MPH fastball Stephen Strasburg blew by Mike Stanton Saturday night

So Stephen Strasburg blew a 99 MPH fastball by Mike Stanton Saturday night; a strikeout to end the first inning. There's the video above.

(video via AllStarsPlus)

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