Bryce Harper Last In Video Game Voting For MLB The Show Cover, Asks Matt Kemp For Help

Sony is about to release their latest baseball video game, MLB The Show 13 due out in March for the PS3, and they are looking for a cover athlete.  Right now on MLB.com you can vote for the player you want to see on the cover, and Bryce Harper is one of the 7 choices.  Here they are in order of voting (as of this article):

1. Andrew McCutchen
2. Miguel Cabrera
3. Matt Kemp
4. CC Sabathia
5. Buster Posey
6. Ryan Braun
7. Bryce Harper

No Phillies, Mets, Braves or Marlins.  Woo-hoo!  [Update: Harper has moved up to 5th place as of Midnight on Monday]

But Bryce Harper is in 7th place out of the 7 finalists.  Is Bryce that unpopular among non-DC sports fans?  Are the other players that much more popular? Are millions of people in Asia voting for Andrew McCutchen?

But Finally, Bryce Harper has stepped up and started championing his own cause.  Besides asking opponent Matt Kemp to vote for him, he also is offering up a prize to fans.

Hey @therealmattkemp vote for me! #MLB13HARPER
— Bryce Harper (@Bharper3407) January 7, 2013

One of my lucky fans voting #MLB13HARPER will receive 2 tickets and BP passes a meet and greet! #VOTEON
— Bryce Harper (@Bharper3407) January 7, 2013

From what I understand, there is a Madden Curse but there is no MLB The Show Curse.  So what are Nationals fans waiting for!?

I'm sort of joking.  I think video game cover voting is stupid, and internet voting in general is the devil, and four times a year it drives me out of my mind.

And what does Bryce's popularity or appearance on a video game have to do with bringing home a World Series to DC?  About as much as Bryce's winning Rookie Of The Year gave the city a championship trophy.

Although, watching Bryce in the trailer makes me wish baseball was starting tomorrow...

So go over to MLB and vote for Bryce!  Or don't, who really cares..

Rats Beat Nats, Win Season Series

Pirates 5, Nationals 3

Many people never heard the name James McDonald before Thursday night, but after the Nationals 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, it is a name they won't forget (for at least 2 days).  McDonald dominated the Nats through half of the game, and after 5 innings pitched he had thrown 10 strikeouts and had given up 0 hits.

But just when the no-hitter talk started, McDonald fell apart in the 6th inning giving up 4 hits and 3 runs 2/3 of the frame.  The best offensive run for the Nats when Ryan Zimmerman had a 2 RBI double and then scored on an Adam LaRoche triple (not a typo).

The Nats left 7 runners on base and were 3-10 with runners in scoring position.  Gotta get those guys home.

Jordan Zimmermann had an off game, giving up 7 hits.  Three of those were homeruns (2 by McCutchen) which were good for a total of 4 runs.  At some point in a series where a guy is killing, you have to pitch around him a bit.  Votto and McCutchen are Nats killers.

The Nationals & Pirates won't meet again; the Rats won the season series 3-2.  Atlanta now leads the division by half a game.  It doesn't get any easier with the Orioles, at the top of the Majors with 25 wins...