National League Shuts Out American League

National League 8, American League 0

If the Washington Nationals can somehow manage to make it into the World Series, they will have homefield advantage.  That is something most Nats fans would never have even contemplated in seasons prior.  An All-Star game that could potentially help the Nationals win the World Series.

The National League shut down the American League and their offense lit up Verlander for a 5 run first to help bring home an 8-0 win and a huge advantage for one team in the NL.  That makes 3 wins in a row for the NL, a league who has taken advantage of their All-Star wins with 2 W.S. Championships in a row.  Can the NL make it a 3rd?



The Nationals failed to yield the winning pitcher for the first time in 3 All-Star games (Capps, Clippard), but Gio Gonzalez pitched a 1-2-3 3rd inning and Strasburg didn't allow a run to score in the 4th, giving Kansas City a good look at 2 of the best pitchers on an elite pitching staff.

Bryce Harper had an interesting night.  Sporting Gold Under Armour cleats, Harper worked a walk in his first at bat.  Harper made a good base-running decision by tagging up on a deep fly ball by the next batter (instead of going halfway) to get to 2nd base.  However, Harper found himself caught in a rundown after a base-running error on a grounder to short.

Later in the game, Harper lost a fly-ball in the lights/sky and it fell behind him as he made a puzzled expression. (See It Here in Animated Gif Form)

Harper got a 2nd at-bat and he struck out.  It was an interesting and not very special first All-Star Game for the Chosen One, but it appears at age 19 he will have several chances in the future to create some exciting All-Star moments.


Overall it was a refreshing change or pace to witness some Washington baseball players being featured in an All-Star Game and hopefully it is a sign of things to come for this young franchise.

Bryce Harper Misjudges Fly-Ball In All-Star Game

Right after being caught due to a baserunning error, Bryce Harper went out in the field and lost a fly ball in the sky.  The Animated Gif:

Nationals All Star Preview

American League vs National League

8:15 PM

FOX

Okay so it's not really a series preview, but here's a breakdown of what to expect from our all stars tonight:

Stephen Strasburg:
As we've all heard by now Matt Cain, and not R.A. Dickey will be the National League starter.  Cain will probably be allowed to go 2 or maybe even 3 innings before being replaced by Dickey.  R.A. should be allowed to throw 1 or 2 innings as well since most people expected him to get the start.

What that means for Strasburg is a relief appearance in the 4th, 5th, or 6th inning.  With all the pitchers on the roster, he won't get more than 1 inning of work.  However, as one of the bigger names on the roster its pretty much a lock we will be seeing him before the game is over.

Gio Gonzalez:
Gio Gonzalez's position is a bit more precarious.  Assuming Cain, Dickey, and Strasburg are all locks to get into the game, there goes at least 3 to 4 innings minimum.  That leaves guys like Kershaw, Hamels, and Gio all vying for those coveted innings, in addition to all the relievers at the game. 

IF LaRussa is really committed to trying to get all his guys in we might see Gio make a late inning appearance, but it is likely he might end up being one of those pitchers who is held out in case of extra innings.  As crazy as it sounds with the year he is having, Gio might not get into the game.  Lets hope not.

Bryce Harper:
MLB would be crazy not to get Harper into this game some way some how.  Carlos Gonzalez, Melky Cabrera, Ryan Braun, and Carlos Beltran are all in the starting lineup.  That leaves Andrew McCutchen as the most likely first outfielder to be subbed in.  You also have to figure LaRussa will make sure Matt Holiday gets a chance to play some innings.

Harpers All-Star Shoes (Via @DarrenRovell)

After those guys, you got a handful of players left who will need playing time.  Look for Harper to get into the game around the 6th or 7th inning.

Sound of the Game:  There couldn't be any other song for this occasion.  Enjoy the All Star Game everybody.






Prediction Time:

• National League WINS by the score of 7-5.

We Are Young: Bryce Harper & Ian Desmond

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Baseball analysis from a 16 year old girl ranging from actual statistical analysis to opinions on topics concerning the Nationals to how dreamy certain players may or may not be.  You never know what you are going to get.  Written by Sandra (@NatsGirl19)

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So we all know by now that Bryce Harper is in the All Star Game. As a Bryce Lover you can imagine I was extremely excited about this the news that Desmond had to be pulled out of the game on account of his oblique strain was a mini-dagger. I suppose good news must always be laced with bad news.

Since the beginning of the All Star voting began shortly after Bryce's call up, I voted for him nonstop (until I reached the limit, that is). I even created a few extra email addresses just to help give that extra push. When I watched the All Star Selection show, I was somewhat dissapointed to see that Espinosa and Zimmerman didn't make it, but that was probably because I have really high expectations, but especially Bryce who I had voted for so many times.

Anyway, Bryce Harper ended up making it in, which is one of the most exciting things ever (apparently) because everyone is freaking out about it.  ESPN/SportsCenter are constantly talking about it, and it's all over the Internet.

But what I have a problem with is the fact that EVERYONE makes such a huge deal about him being nineteen years old. I mean, seriously, I get it, he's a nineteen and he's a great player and he's in the All Star Game.  I'm 16 and I counsel young people on physical fitness.  NBD!

Now back to Ian Desmond.  Last month Davey said Desi was in some discomfort. They said he might take a few days off. Nope...he played and didn't even get looked at by doctors!

That made his decision to skip the All-Star game that much less of a surprise, but it made the decision to not rest him sooner loom larger.  If he needed some time to heal, why didn't Davy give him that time.  It could come back to bite the Nats on the butt.  Hopefully, the All-Star break will provide that healing-time.

Bryce Harper: All Star

I know I'm not breaking any news here, but Bryce Harper is going to be at the All Star game as an injury replacement for Giancarlo Stanton.  DC fans are loving the announcement, coming shortly on the heals that Ian Desmond would not be going to the game because of a strained oblique.  National media has been less kind, with many claiming Harper does not deserve to go to Kansas City.

Well, lets take a look at the young Mr. Harper.

• .282, 43 R, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 10 SB, 27 BB.

Keeping in mind these numbers were put up during 63 games they are pretty respectable, especially when you consider they are coming from a 19 year old kid.

Mike Trout, age 20, is the main counter point people like to use when pointing to a deserving young All Star:

• .341, 57 R, 12 HR, 40 RBI, 26 SB, 25 BB. (Trout has played 64 games this season)

There is no arguing that Trout's numbers are better.  You'd be crazy to try and argue otherwise.  So now I'm going to tell you why Bryce Harper deserves to be in Kansas City...

Idiot Files: Not Voting For Bryce Harper

The other day I wrote about fans in DC not taking the time to vote for their player in the same fanatical way that St. Louis Cardinals fans do.  In that post I claimed to have voted for Bryce Harper myself a few times.  Well, that was not true.  I've never voted for Bryce Harper.  So why did I tell everyone that I did?  


Well that answer is simple.  I'm a compulsive liar.  Actually, that's not true.  Or is it.  It isn't.  I didn't vote for Bryce Harper because of the following user-error:


1.  Go to the All-Star voting site (CHECK)

2.  Click on Bryce Harper (CHECK)

Yay!  Bryce Harper is going to the All-Star game because I'm a great fan and I voted!!!

Uh...not so fast...i may have missed a crucial step the 7 times that I thought I voted.

3.  Scroll Down Idiot (No-Check)

Haha.  Whoops.  I have to enter all this info and then click Submit...I can't be the only one who didn't realize this.  Once you click on a player it shows that icon, makes the other players disappear, and it really really really looks like the process is complete.  Oh well, maybe I'm an idiot and not MLB...

And I have no time to fill that junk out, I'm too busy writing about a boring ride on the metro...

The voting closes tonight (Thursday, July 5th) at 4pm eastern time.  So do your duty as a Nats fan and take 30 minutes to fill out all this info, enter your social security number, and vote away!

Update:  Luckily it looks like I can vote on Twitter now by tweeting #BryceIn12 between noon & 4pm eastern...well I actually didn't read the whole thing, so you may want to doublecheck or you will end up not voting like me...

Confession Of A Cleat-Chaser Weekly Topics

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Baseball analysis from a self-proclaimed "cleat-chaser" ranging from actual statistical analysis to opinions on topics concerning the Nationals to how hot certain players may or may not be.  You never know what you are going to get.  Written by Sandra (@NatsGirl19)

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Hello and welcome to what appears to be a new weekly segment, written completely from a cleat-chaser's vantage point. You may or may not remember me from last week's fan post. I'm Sandra, the self-proclaimed 'ultimate cleat chaser'. Well, I'm back, and the head honchos want me writing a post every week. I'm not even getting paid! (cough, cough) Kidding, kidding...

Today I decided to write about a few of the headlines I've seen from the past week or so...

First headline - Matt Kemp deciding not to choose Bryce Harper for the Home Run Derby. 

According to the MLB website, Kemp said, "It's not because he's a rookie. It's just that there are other guys out there that are capable." Bull s***. I think Kemp might be somewhat intimidated by Bryce because Harper is, first of all, the youngest player in the MLB's history (as far as I know, I haven't heard of any 18 year olds yet). Secondly, Bryce has been a home run machine this year and one of the best at the plate that I've seen. Also, isn't Matt Kemp injured? If this is so, why is he captaining the National League side of the HR Derby anyway? Shouldn't he be in rehab?

Second headline - Rick Eckstein

I know that it's subsided now, mainly because Davey Johnson stuck up for his hitting coach, but my question is WHY would you place the blame on him? It definitely isn't the coach's fault if someone doesn't do a good job in a particular area. Ultimately, the player is the only one who can make it happen at the plate, not the hitting coach. You could have the #1 hitting coach in the entire league and still have a player batting at .200. To quote Ray Knight, "As soon as you step in the box, you forget pretty much everything your hitting coach told you that day."

Third headline - The All Star Game

The All Star game and the Home Run Derby are both two of my favorite things about the baseball season. Even if we didn't have any Nationals in the All Star Game, it would still be a lot of fun to watch other players showcase their talents.

The same goes for the Home Run Derby. Even though Harper isn't in there, I'll still watch (I'll just have to do without eye candy, I guess...), because I'm a fan of the game, not just a fan of the Nationals.

A baseball-loving friend of mine asked me a few days ago who I'd have as my starting nine for the All Star Game. Rather unfairly, she tacked on the rule that I could only have three Nationals. So, I don't care what MLB, the coaches, and the fans say.  Here is MY All Star starting nine:

• Pitching - R.A. Dickey (Mets) 
• Catching - Jesus Flores (Nationals) 
• First Base - Gaby Sanchez (Marlins) 
• Second Base - Dan Uggla (Braves) 
• Shortstop - Ian Desmond (Nationals) (Duh.) 
• Third Base - Chipper Jones (Braves) 
• Outfield - Bryce Harper (Nationals) (Naturally!) 
• Outfield - Logan Morrison (Marlins) 
• Outfield - Jay Bruce (Reds)

Now that is how a cleat-chaser puts together a lineup!  Thanks for reading, and see you next week!

If you have any comments or questions for Sandra, send her a tweet at @NatsGirl19.  She even will entertain topics that you would like her to cover...

Don't Underestimate St. Louis

There has been a lot of talk about Chipper Jones vs Bryce Harper for winning the MLB Final Vote spot on the All-Star team.  In all that commotion one thing has been forgotten; that St. Louis fans are obsessed with baseball, and will actually vote for their player, David Freese.  And I am the main culprit of forgetting this.

Halfway into the voting and Chipper Jones leads with David Freese right behind him and Bryce Harper looking in from 3rd place for the NL team.

DC fans are talking about voting for Bryce Harper.  It is all over the radio and TV in the area.  But are people actually voting.  And I don't mean voting 1 time...I mean voting the maximum amount of times.  I mean ballot-stuffing Yao Ming style.  I don't think so.

I know a lot of you are out there button mashing.  You are erasing history deleting your hard drive, or whatever crazy computer stuff you need to do to throw in some illegal votes.  However, notice I said a lot of you, not ALL of you.  In St. Louis, EVERYONE is doing this and EVERYONE in the whole city is voting.

St. Louis as a baseball town makes DC look like a women's soccer town.  That city is one of the craziest baseball cities out there, where people in the neighborhood go out in the cul-de-sac, pop open a few Busch Lights, and listen to the Cards on the radio EVERY NIGHT.

I'm not calling on you to 'waste your time' voting for a "meaningless" game.  St. Louis has a longer baseball tradition that starts way before 2005.  I just want Nationals fans to be prepared in the case that a St. Louis Cardinal wins the Final Vote.  Its going to be almost impossible for DC to top St. Louis...but Harper will get some National help.


Note:  Matt Kemp is already out and Joey Votto may also miss the game, which could open up 2 slots...

Vote For Orioles? No Chance. Vote For Nats? No Chance.

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) (Owned by both teams) has an interesting idea for getting local players voted into the All-Star game.  They want Washington Nationals fans to team up with Baltimore Orioles fans in order to help the other team's cause.  They are dubbing it "The Beltway Ballot" as in if you vote for President Harper, you also vote for Vice-President Hammel.


Two Opposite Parties?

Well Earth to MASN, I don't think you are thinking straight.  I don't think that the 'beltway teams' are one big happy family.  This isn't one ballot.  This is an American and a National.  A Democrat and a Republican.  A Washingtonian and a Baltimorian.  The two do not belong on the same ballot.

One Sided?

First of all, this is not a 2 sided idea.  The Nationals don't need help from Orioles fans to get Bryce Harper voted into the game.  Harper is one of the biggest names in baseball, and the All-Star vote is a popularity contest.  Bryce Harper is a national story, a national player.  Q-Rating = Votes.  Having a few people that are fans from a team an hour away N.E. Votes.  Throw performance out the window.

The NL vote is going to come down to Chipper Jones and Bryce Harper, and with Matt Kemp out of action with an injury, both players can conceivably end up on the roster.

The Orioles are the ones who are going to need the help from the Nats fans.  People outside of Baltimore or Colorado are unlikely to have ever heard of Jason Hammel.  Maybe if dyslexic Phillies fans think they are voting for Cole Hamels he will get some votes.  But other than that, Nats-only fans aren't going to vote for an Oriole because they are a "family".  They will do it for other reasons maybe.


The AL vote is going to come down to Yu Darvish vs Jake Peavy.  It isn't necessarily fair, but it is a popularity contest.  Jason Hammel will be left out.


Why Would Either Fanbase?

I'm wondering why Orioles fans would want to help out the Nationals.  I don't see what is in it for them.  Do they want to help out a team that came into town and stole many of their fans away.  Maybe to stick it to Peter Angelos.

And why would Nats fans vote for the O's.  If they were true Orioles fans they wouldn't have jumped ship as soon as a team came to DC.  If they weren't Orioles fans then they probably could care less what happens to a random organization that happens to be nearby.

Do Dual Fans Exist?

Yes.  There are plenty of people who like both of the teams.  These people are the ones who would vote for Jason Hammel and Bryce Harper...without MASN needing to prompt them to.  That is why this idea is so stupid.  MASN is asking the NON dual fans to vote.  You may as well ask Mets fans to vote for Yankee players.  It will never happen.

So?

So get the Orioles announcers out of the booth during interleague play.  Get the Nationals announcers out of the booth during interleague play.  Fans from DC will drive up to B-More to watch games anyway.  Fans from Baltimore will drive down to DC to watch games anyway.  Stop trying to make 2 opposites attract.  Stop trying to create a "family".

Nats fans vote for Nats.  Orioles fans vote for Orioles.  We'll come to your city, you come to our city, we will all have fun.  But will will all root for our respective teams.   MASN should know better...

Fan Poll: Harper vs Chipper

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Last week's question:  Should Ryan Zimmerman go to the DL?


Majority Answer:  Split:  The results to this topic changed quickly after Zimmerman took a cortisone shot and started killing the ball and driving guys in.  People seemed to be open to Zimmerman hitting the DL if it meant he would come back strong, but the shot changed everything.

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The main topic of this week will be the All-Star game.  People are talking, and specifically are interested in the "Final Vote" thing that MLB is doing.  On the National League side, Bryce Harper looked like he would be a lock to be the fan vote.  However, MLB threw a curveball and put Chipper Jones on the ballot.

While lots of people love Bryce Harper, a lot of people hate him as well.  Plus this is Chipper Jones' final season in the Majors and a lot of people want him on the roster as a "farewell" to baseball.

I think that both guys will end up on the roster, if not voted, then as an injury-replacement.  But who do you think will win the fan vote.  A new "chosen one" with a lot of fans and enemies, or a multiple time all-star in Chipper?

Remember the question is WILL Harper win, not SHOULD he...

Will Bryce Harper Beat Chipper?

Battle of the Beltways: All Star Selection

In this addition of our review of local baseball we are talking allstars.  Without doing any actual research it is safe to say this all star game will have the highest concentration of Orioles and Nationals players ever.  So lets take a look at who made the cut and who got snubbed.

Baltimore:

• Jim Johnson: Closer, 23 saves, 1.30 ERA.
• Adam Jones: Centerfield, .300, 19 HR, 41 RBIs.
• Matt Wieters: Catcher, .249, 11 HR, 38 RBIs, 36% throwing out baserunners.

Washington:

• Gio Gonzalez:  10-3, 2.78 ERA, 108 Ks, 3 HR surrendered.
• Stephen Strasburg: 9-3, 2.81 ERA, 122 Ks.
• Ian Desmond:  .276, 13 HR, 43 RBIs.

No surprisingly there were no Orioles or Nationals voted into the starting lineup in the fan vote.

However, fear not!  There is still a chance to vote in a player from each team in the final fan vote!  Take a look at how they stack up against their biggest competition...

Calling All Beliebers!

Dear Justin Bieber fans,

I'm sure you have heard of baseball before.  It's the one where they throw a white ball and a guy tries to hit it with a baseball bat.  Pretty simple stuff.

Well we think, to keep the legend of Bieber strong, that all you Beliebers out there can help out the legacy of Justin by helping us vote for a baseball player who loves Bieber!  Bryce Harper!  We continue:

There is a professional league in the United States called Major League Baseball.  Each year the league selects the best players on each team to be All-Stars.  If hot singers had an all-star team then Bieber would clearly be the captain and maybe One-Direction would be the "infield" and Selena Gomez would be the manager.  Hopefully that gives you an idea of how it works.

Major League Baseball has already chosen all of the players for the team, but they are letting the fans vote for one more player to make the team.  This is where we call on all Beliebers...and here is why:

One choice is a guy named Chipper Jones who is 40 years old (ew, grody, what is he my grandfather).  The other choice is 19 year old (1 year older than the Biebs) Bryce Harper, a dreamy young superstar who writes in a journal and has a puppy dog named Swag (awwwwwwwww).

One of the fun things about baseball is that each player picks a song that will play on the loudspeaker as they walk up to the plate to try to get a hit.  Chipper Jones' song is 'Crazy Train' which came out a million years before you were born in 1980 and is sung by a guy who bites the head off of bats (ewwwwwwww).

Well guess what Bryce Harper's walk-up song is?  Boyfriend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  A Bieber Classic!!!!!!!!!!!!!






So CALLING ALL BELIEBERS!  Baseball fans need your help.  We need to get this young heartthrob to be an All-Star.  He deserves it!  He is soooooo sexxxxyyyy!!!!  A guy who loves the Biebs and has his song as his personal theme song.  Help puppy Swag out!  And keep out the old man who probably thinks Bieber is "lame" or whatever other dumb language old people use.

All you have to do is go to the Voting Site and click on Bryce Harper to send the right person to the All-Star game!  We thank you, and Bieber probably thanks you!

Ian Desmond Makes All Star Team

A while back Tony LaRussa said that he loved the way that Ian Desmond played.  That was a heck of a compliment coming from a multi-World Series winning manager.  Well LaRussa gave Desmond a little more of a compliment by adding him to the National League roster of the All-Star Team.

Desmond's power stats as a shortstop, leading the NL in RBI's (43) and Doubles (23) and 2nd in homers (13) looked like All-Star numbers.  But he struggled last year and his number kind of quietly added up this season, puting him right on the edge of being selected or not selected.  But with the Nationals in first place, it helps.

Desmond has come into his own this season.  The manager started him off in the wrong position in the batting order, but now in the 5th slot Desmond is making a huge contribution for the first place Washington Nationals.  Not only does he have a lot of RBI's but many of them are in key situations (8 GW RBIs) that turn games around for the Nats.

Desmond's career homerun season was back in 2010 when he hit 10.  Ian is already at 13 long balls  and the season isn't even halfway over.  I had a favorite player who's homerun numbers jumped alot too.  His name was Mark McGwire.  I'm not saying that Dezzy is "enhancing" but in this baseball culture I hope they have tested him already because I don't want to be disappointed.

The starting shortstop selected by fans, aka the Cardinals fans stuffing the ballot box, was Rafael Furcal.  Starlin Castro was the other shortstop selected by LaRussa as a reserve.  Guys like Jose Reyes & Jimmy Rollins were left out.  Desmond was deserving, and I think LaRussa was the only manager that would have selected him.

It's ashame that the fans vote (All-Star voting is so stupid) and a non-nationally known player like Ian Desmond often would get overlooked.  Thank you Tony LaRussa for looking at the baseball player instead of the name.  See you in Kansas City Dezzy....

All-Star Selection Show

Coming up on Sunday afternoon, about a half an hour before the Nationals take on the Atlanta Braves, TBS will be broadcasting a special All-Star Selection Show to reveal the players who have been chosen to be on the All-Star team.

The show is a 1 hour special and at the end they will announce the "Final Vote" thing where fans will vote in one player for each roster.

From TBS:  Host Matt Winer will be joined in the TBS studio during the Selection Show by analysts Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken Jr. and David Wells to introduce the teams and provide analysis on the selections.

So let's take a final look at the Nationals and their All-Star chances:

The Pitchers:

Strasburg:  Right now there is only one player on the Nationals who appears to be a lock selection to the team. That player is Stephen Strasburg, and while he most likely won't be the starter, he will probably be the #2 pitcher on the National League roster.  Prediction:  IN

Gio:  Gio Gonzalez is the next National who will probably get a consideration to make the team, but his ERA has dropped all the way down to 13th in the NL.  A few weeks ago he was looking like a lock, but now things are a bit different.  Gio is still #5 in strikeouts and is tied with 3 other guys for 2nd with 10 wins.  Prediction:  IN

Clip:  Alot of fans and the local media have brought up Tyler Clippard as a possibility to represent the NL citing that he has been there before, but not being a closer for the entire season really hurts his case.  Clip is 13/13 on saves in the closer role, he blew one save as a setup man, and he also has 10 holds on the season.  He is in the top 10 in saves but the other guys have more, on more attempts.  Prediction:  OUT


The Postition Players:


Desmond:  Ian Desmond is the only player on the team that has any chance at being chosen based on his current production.  Among NL shortstops he is #4 in average, #2 in homers, and leading in both doubles and RBIs.  LaRussa has said in the past that he likes the way Desmond plays, but with the Nats already having 1-2 pitchers on the roster, Dezzy may get left out.  Especially considering the #3 shortstop (avg) is Raphael Furcal, who played for LaRussa last year.  Prediction:  OUT


Bryce Harper:  Tony LaRussa has mentioned that the All-Star game is not a "real" game.  It is more of a sideshow for entertainment purposes.  That is why he said he might consider throwing Chipper Jones on the roster despite his lack of production.  While this would work in favor of Tony selecting Harper, I don't really think that will happen.  Instead Harper will end up being added as a guy on the final fan vote ballot, most likely making the team that way.  Prediction:  OUT but added later.

So tune in at 1pm and find out who is in and who is out before watching the Nats try to win the series against the Braves.

Matt Kemp Ruins The Homerun Derby, MLB's Move

Apparently there is such a thing as a "captain" of the home run derby, and the National League captain Matt Kemp has said that he will NOT be selecting Bryce Harper as a participant in the MLB Home Run Derby during All-Star Weekend in Kansas City. (According to USA Today)

You may remember Matt Kemp from earlier this season when he started the year off with triple crown numbers.  Well Kemp got hurt and he hasn't played in a game since the end of May.  That didn't stop the MLB from naming Kemp the captain of the National League Home-Run Derby "team?" a few weeks ago.  (Robinson Cano is the AL captain).

Kemp did an amazing job in last year's derby, hitting 2 homers in the first round and finishing in dead last in an embarrassing display of non-power.  But even after that performance, Major League baseball has decided that despite being injured, he should captain the squad.

Clearly Major League Baseball chose Kemp because of his star power.  He plays on the team in Los Angeles, he PWNs Rhianna (along with 20 other dudes), and he goes on talk shows like Conan to claim he can beat Magic Johnson one on one.

But that is the exact reason the MLB should have a word with Kemp, and make him reconsider.

Having an intriguing rookie, who is right now MORE popular in the baseball world than Matt Kemp, would bring in viewers.  All the hype behind Harper, and some of his performance this season will get even non-baseball fans interested in watching the kid try to compete with the big boys.   Chris Berman would have a field day...

Kemp says that Harper will have his day in the future, but A 23 year old Harper in a homerun derby will NOT have the same feel and excitement as a 19 year old rookie Harper.  Could Matt Kemp be jealous...


This event has no rich tradition.  It is not about who has better stats.  It is a SIDESHOW and sideshows need ATTRACTIONS to attract onlookers.  Bryce Harper is that attraction.

So I have a message for Major League Baseball.  Get up, go to the phone, and call Matt Kemp.  Tell him that making him a captain was just a publicity stunt, and that Bryce Harper will be participating in the Home Run Derby.   If you don't you are missing out on a boatload of viewers and making a joke of something that already is one.

Fan Poll: Ryan Zimmerman, His Shoulder, & the DL

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Last week's question:  Do you want the Nats to waste a Strasburg inning for the All-Star game?  


Majority Answer:  Yes - The results for this were as you would expect from Nationals fans.  88% want to see Stephen pitch even though it could knock an inning off his limit.  The All-Star game is one of the great parts of baseball, and Strasburg is one of the great pitchers in baseball.  This should be a no-brainer for the team.

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This week we take a look at the struggling Ryan Zimmerman.  Zimmerman's average has toppled all the way down to .223, even after a 2 hit performance on Sunday afternoon.  Zimmerman has admitted that he was hurting and he could possibly be hitting the DL again if things don't get better in this upcoming week.

Davey Johnson continues to hit Zimmerman in the 3 spot, and Ryan finally picked up an RBI, his first in 12 games.  Not exactly the kind of numbers you want in your #3 slot.  But since the shoulder is the problem, then instead of asking if you want to see the Z-man moved out of the top of the order, we will ask another question:

Should Ryan Zimmerman Go On The DL

Fan Poll: Strasburg At The All-Star Game

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Last week: we asked you which Nationals player you would like to have hitting in the clutch.  Bryce Harper was the overwhelming choice getting over 50% of the vote.  Ian Desmond picked up another almost 25%.  However we say Bryce with several chances in the 14 inning game against the Yanks to be clutch and he didn't come through.  Would you still go with Harper?

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The All-Star game is coming up in less than a month and with the Stras-Tracker on full blast towards 160 innings, a very important decision may have to be made by the organization.  This decision has been discussed all year long but as the Mid-Summer Classic nears, will the Washington Nationals tell Strasburg that he is prohibited from pitching in this great baseball tradition?

If things go smoothly for the next month, the final game before the All-Star game will be pitched by the third slot in the rotation, Jordan Zimmermann.  Strasburg is currently set for the Friday before the game, giving him just 3 days of rest.  The All-Star game is just 1 inning of work, but what will the rest factor have on the team's decision?

Also, if the rotation were to somehow change with a rainout or by sitting out someone an extra start, then Strasburg could end up pitching the Sunday before the Mid-Summer Classic and would most likely not be able to pitch.

The Nationals have Strassy on an innings limit and the way the Nats season is going, every inning may be extremely important.  Should they let him pitch in a "meaningless" game and knock off an essential inning from the pennant chase?  Should they make him sit out to save the inning?  Will they have a discussion with Stephen or will they just flat out tell him he can't?  Will there be a controversy?

The Nationals may be doing some dances to get a few rainouts that will cause Strasburg to be on the mound on the Sunday before the game, eliminating the controversy.  A bit of a stretch would be skipping a Strasburg start to ensure he pitched that day, but I wouldn't put it past the Nats.

Do You Want To See Strasburg Pitch In The All-Star Game

National League All-Stars: Are Gio & Stras Locks?

Last night Matt Cain threw a perfect game for the San Francisco Giants.  It was his 8th win of the season (4th NL), struck out 14 batters (2nd NL w/ 96), and lowered his ERA to 2.18 (3rd NL).  Being on the west coast keeps Cain a little bit off of the radar but obviously he is an All-Star.

Most people in DC believe that Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez are also locks for the team.  However, there are a few other good NL pitchers that are also looking to get an all expenses paid trip to ... Kansas City.  So who are these other pitchers?

Keep in mind, the players/managers/coaches vote just 5 starters to the team and 3 relievers.  Tony LaRussa picks the other 7 or so pitchers from the starter or reliever pool.  It is early but these are my 7 locks right now, but Tony will probably pick 3-4 more starters.

Possible Starters:

1.  R.A. Dickey:  Nats fans know this knuckleballer because he dominated the Natty's last week, shutting out the Nats through 7 1/3, allowing only 4 hits and striking out 8.  Dickey currently has 10 wins (1st NL) and a 2.20 ERA (2nd NL).  LOCK

2.  Matt Cain:  See Above.  The Perfect Game may help his chances at being considered as a starter.  LOCK


3.  Stephen Strasburg:  First to 100 K's (1st NL).  2.45 ERA (9th NL).  8 wins.  Nats fans watch him dominate almost every game.  Gio's stats may be better, but Strasburg is the bigger name.  LOCK


The Rest:


4.  Gio Gonzalez:  With Strasburg on the Nats, Gio is somewhat underrated.  Keeping in mind he has pitched one less start than most of these other guys...He has 89 strikeouts (5th NL), he has only given up 1 homerun all year, and batters are batting only .168 (1st NL) against him.  Throw in a .235 ERA (6th NL).  LOCK

5.  Lance Lynn:  This Cardinals pitcher has 10 wins (1st NL) and an ERA of 2.42 (9th NL).  Those 10 wins will look good to the other players voting and Tony LaRussa seals the deal.  LOCK


Debatable:


6.  Brandon Beachy:  Beachy's 5-4 record doesn't look that great but the Braves pitcher has the lowest ERA in all of baseball, a 1.98.  He isn't a strikeout king, but batters are only hitting .176 against him (2nd NL).

7.  Cole Hamels:  Hamels has 9 wins and while his ERA is 3.34 (not top 10) he has 92 strikeouts (3rd NL)

Other Guys:

Unmentioned Guys in top 10 in ERA:  Ryan Vogelsong (Giants), Ryan Dempster (Cubs), James McDonald (Pirates-struck out 11 Nats in a Pirates win), Wade Miley (Diamondbacks)

Unmentioned Guys in top 10 in Wins:  Madison Bumgarner (Giants), Chris Capuano (Dodgers), Johnny Cueto (Reds), Zach Greinke (Brewers)

Unmentioned Guys in top 10 in K's:  Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), Bud Norris (Astros), Tim Lincecum (Giants)

I personally like James McDonald and Wade Miley to be manager choices, maybe Dempster, but knowing LaRussa it could be every player on the Cardinals.  It will be interesting to see if anything changes in the next month.

Junkees Talk Nats

This morning the Junkees from 106.7 The Fan had 2 good Nats segments.  During the first they talked Nationals and the All-Star Game.  You can listen to the first segment below:

Agree:

• Gio & Strasburg are LOCKS for the All-Star game
• Clippard should have been closing weeks before he did
• Clip won't be an all star because of the above
• Bryce Harper will make the all-star team as a fan final vote

Disagree:

• Edwin Jackson an all-star
• Bryce Harper will make the all-star team outright

The Junkees are the ones selling the Cised 4 Bryce shirts that you have seen at the ballpark.  $15 bucks, not terrible.  Too white for me, I'd spill nachos on that within 1 inning.

Buy the Shirt Here If You So Desire...

Note to ESPN 980:  We'll start linking stuff for your station when you stop talking Orioles and start letting me listen to podcasts.  I can't even listen to my favorite, the Tony Kornheiser Show, because I don't like listening to news 1 day late.  If you don't think its good for the station to let people listen to the podcasts like above, embedded, you are nuts.

Nationals Fans I'm Proud Of You

This post is a response to this article (the post makes more sense if you read it).  The author talks about being disappointed that Nats fans aren't stuffing ballot-boxes with undeserving players.  It is meant to be in good fun.

I'm proud, Nationals fans.

Proud of you.

Here we sit, only a month away from this year's All-Star game and when I look at the current votes, no Nationals players are above fifth at their respective position.

I'd nod my head in approval if it didn't make me favorite random tweets.


Unfortunately, there is still time to send your favorite (notice I said favorite and not deserving) Nationals players to the National League starting roster for this year's festivities in KC.


Results are here, and it is completely indicative of the individual performances of these specific players on a first place team.


Adam LaRoche is the closest to "earning" a starting spot.  His .258 batting average makes him the 8th best hitting first baseman in the National League.  He does lead 1B with RBI's though.  Deservingly so, Joey Votto is running away with the selection, batting 100 points higher than LaRoche.  But hey, you should vote for LaRoche, despite the stats...Not.


After LaRoche, no Nats player cracks the top 5 at his position.  Once again, makes perfect sense.  None of the players individual performances have really been worthy of a starting position in the All-Star game.  I am proud of Nats fans for being baseball fans, and not stuffing the ballot with votes for Michael Morse who has played in like 8 games.

Remember, you're not limited to just one vote.  Go vote up to 25 times...For players that deserve to be All-Star starters.  So get clicking and help flood KC with some great individual baseball players next month!

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The Nationals are a very good team.  On any given night one particular player can step up and help lead the team to victory.  What I just stated is the reason the Nats are in first.  They are a team.  They are a combination of players who work together well and who step up when they are needed.

However, when looking at individual performances, and considering the voting is for the STARTING positions in the All-Star game, the Nats are lucky to have guys in the top 10.  I hate it when guys like Yao Ming make starting rosters after playing 0 games.  Don't be a homer and stuff the ballot.  Be a baseball fan and send the right guys to the All-Star game.

If you want to read more of my ranting against all-star voting, the dumbest thing in pro sports, you can read here.

All that being said, I just voted in Bryce Harper 25 times...