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...you never know what you'll miss. In this case, only the most striking Nats-related photos since 2008 when Jim Bowden paraded around Spring Training on a Segway.
By mid-afternoon Monday, every man, woman and child with a blog has posted the same photos of the Nats rookies dressed as smurfs. Now, you can count us in, too.
We're going to play out the string here and try our best to keep the lights on for a few more weeks.
(Image via @JesusFloresN26, as seen everywhere.)
(Nyjer Morgan in a cowboy hat. Photo via TheRealTPlush.)
Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, huh Brewers fans?
Nats fans have lived this nightmare before: swooning for a few months over the cartoon character antics of Nyjer Morgan and Tony Plush before his aggressive tendencies turn reckless and it all spirals out of control in a late August-early September shit storm. It was only a matter of time before the real Nyjer Morgan stood up in Milwaukee after a summer of T-Plush love: and he did last night against the Cardinals, starting a benches-clearing "incident" and throwing his chew at Chris Carpenter, and later going on Twitter and referring to Albert Pujols as "Alberta" and "she".
This is only the beginning, Brewers fans. It's all fun and games until the real Nyjer Morgan shows up.
(Stephen Strasburg made his triumphant return to the majors Tuesday night. Screen cap via MASN/TV.)
Strasmas II: Baseball Jesus stops the rain, pours strikes.
Strasurrection? Strasburg's line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. 56 pitches, 40 strikes, 4-5 groundouts-flyouts.
Strasmas is ruined? Nah. Strasburg departs after five with a 3-0 lead, bullpen blows it an inning later.
Michael Morse and Jayson Werth went back-to-back in the first inning on Labor Day (Here's video of Morse's shot. Here's video of Werth's bomb.) And then Morse greeted Werth with a flying elbow to the helmet when Werth returned to the dugout.
Nationals 7, Dodgers 2: And then the Nats delivered the equivalent of a flying elbow to the head of the Dodgers. Four home runs (Desmond, Morse 2x, Werth), a win for Lannan, and a near triple-play.
(Livan Hernandez tips his cap to the crowd after departing with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth in what could be his final game for the Nationals. Screen cap via MASN/TV.)
"If it’s the last. it’s the last."
(Livan Hernandez, via Washington Post, 9/5/2011)
Thanks for the memories, Livo.
A fitting end for Livan Hernandez: some good, some bad, mostly just good enough, often not good enough. And he still leaves to a standing ovation.
Mets 6, Nats 3: Done in by Livo, Todd Coffey, and Willie Harris.
And so Livo is still holding out hope for one more go round in Washington, has reportedly named his price for next year:
But he would return to Washington for a modest salary. "It's not too much," Hernandez said. "It's not something where I'll go to the bank. It's because I love this city, and I love to play here."
(via The Goessling Game/MASNSports.com, 9/4/2011)
But there's no chance he returns in 2012, right? Oh, Mike Rizzo is at least saying there's a chance (via Amanda Comak/Washington Times)
"I'm not going to say that it's his last start as a National. Livan and I are going to talk in the offseason. He wants to be here. We love Livo and I think there's a fit for him here -- during his playing career and beyond. We've discussed that with him, too."
(Mike Rizzo, via Washington Times, 9/4/2011)
(Tom Milone looking as shocked as everyone over what he did in the second inning. Screen cap via MASN/TV.)
Welcome to the Major Leagues, Tom Milone. 3-run HR on the first pitch he sees in his first AB as a big leaguer? You can't make this stuff up. Video here.
And here are screen caps of the bullpen going nuts:
And here's Milone's curtain call. That didn't take long:
