Yeah Baby. The New Nats Pitching Mantra Growing

I'm not sure where the whole "Yeah Baby!" thing started, but after a very interesting Matt Williams trip to the mound with Doug Fister earlier this week, Nats fans have taken and ran with the old 1997 Austin Powers made-famous phrase.  During that mound pow-pow, Williams said he asked Fister if he wanted to face the next batter, to which Fister replied with the new catch phrase. And every game it grows.

Nats Dugout Exhibits Teamwork On Alley-Oop Homerun Celebration

It seems like every single night during this crazy homerun barrage the Nationals are putting on there is a variation of their 2014 homerun basketball helmet shot celebration.  At one point Jayson Werth was shooting 3 pointers, Gio Gonzalez was almost decapitated, and on Monday night half the dugout got involved with a 5 man alley-oop helmet dunk after a Jayson Werth homerun. Check out the GIF of this somewhat excessively complicated but hella-fun routine.

Gio Gonzalez Gets Hit In Head During Celebration, Suits Up In Body Armor

The picture above may look a little strange to Nats fans. It is Gio Gonzalez wearing a catcher's mask and a batting helmet (on forwards). So why is the Nationals starting pitcher suited up? To protect himself from flying helmets during homerun celebrations of course...seriously.  Watch the hit Gio took that caused him to take drastic defensive matters.

Top 5 Nats Vines Of The Weekend

It has been one heck of a ride at Nats park with the boys pulling off 9 wins of a 10 game homestand. The weekend series alone was packed with so much entertainment that we had to come up with a list of the top Nats vines from the weekend. Well now the fun part. You get to watch all the Nats magic happen, over and over and over and over and over again! And lucky for you, it is very Jayson Werth heavy:

The Jayson Werth 3 Point Basketball Helmet Shot, Latest Nationals Celebration

The Nats are having some serious fun right now. And with that fun comes new ways to celebrate homeruns.  The classic Gum Showers and Hugs & Low Tens that made 2012 such a fun year have moved on, but leave it to the Nats to think up some fresh celebrations as they push towards the playoffs in 2014.  Their latest celebration?  The Jayson Werth 3 Point Helmet shot. Check out these GIFs:

2012 Memories: The Dubble Bubble Gum Shower

Nats Celebrations: Gum Showers

Danny Espinosa hit a go-ahead 3 run homer during the Washington Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on August 5th.  As he walked into the dugout, tiny yellow pellets rained down on the Nats second baseman.  No, FP Santangelo, that ain't popcorn.  The Nationals bubblegum Dubble Bubble shower was born. (First noticed by Nats Enquirer)

Gum celebrations weren't new to 2012.  Back during the 2011 season after a Matt Stairs walk-off homer he had a bucket of gum dumped on his head during the post game interview.  But Morse took it up a notch for 2012 adding an airborn 3-D gum explosion.

The Nats showered players with gum at various parts of the 2012 season, typically being led by the gum ringleader Michael Morse who was responsible for chucking 2 full buckets of gum at Danny Espionsa on that first night.

A High Flying Drew Storen Closes The Gatorade On Gio Gonzalez After His 20th Win

On Saturday afternoon, Gio Gonzalez became the Major League's first 20 game winner.  Gio picked up the win in front of the home crowd and in front of his mom & dad who he gave game balls after the game.


"As a team feeling right now we feel amazing, i think that this definitely couldn't have been accomplished without this team. These guys have been unbelievable.  It doesn't feel like 20 wins for myself it feels like 20 wins for the team.  One of those things where you can just smile about it, this is a childhood dream, but at the same time to do it with a team that's in first place, makes it that much better" -GIO GONZALEZ

After the game during the post game interview with Kristina Akra, Drew Storen and Ryan Mattheus ran out with the Gatorade jug to dump orange Gatorade all over Gio.  Storen was really into it and did a flying ninja move.  It was awesome.  GIF after the jump:

Another Homer For LaRoche, Another Hug For Drake

On Tuesday night against the Cubs, Adam LaRoche jacked a line drive homer over the wall of the away bullpen, his 26th of the year.  Afterwards he did what he does after all his homeruns.  He gave a hug to his son Drake.  (See other hugs and read about Drake here)

Gio Gonzalez Gets The Gatorade Bath Smiley Face Pie In The Face GIF

After pitching a complete game shutout on Friday night in DC, Gio Gonzalez was attacked by teammates during his post-game interview with Kristina Akra.  Akra knew something was up as she made sure to angle her interview to where she could see the dugout out of the corner of her eye.  Sadly she avoided it.

"It's an honor to get Gatorade dumped on your head, but not the Gatorade bucket" -GIO

However, Gio did not avoid it.  First Michael Morse came and dumped the gatorade over Gio, placing the entire orange cooler over Gio's head and then drawing a shaving cream smiley face on the front.  Once Gio got that off and thought it was all over, Edwin Jackson ran out of the dugout with a shaving cream towel pie, and got Gio right in the face.

After he cleaned up he sarcastically thanked Akra for moving out of the way and not warning him.  The GIF after the jump!

Gio Gonzalez Gets A Shaving Cream Pie To The Face, Davey Wants To Hug More

After Gio Gonzalez's great complete game victory that included a homerun, the Nats pitcher talked with Kristina Akra after the game.  Edwin Jackson snuck up behind him and gave Gio the old shaving cream pie to the face.

This is just another great Nats celebration, this one more classic than the new Bubblegum shower or Soaking Kristina Akra with Icewater in Slow Motion, or hugging.

"We hugged a lot and I want to hug him more"

-Davy Johnson on Gio Gonzalez"-

Akra was scared to death.  She thought she was going to get water dumped on her again.  She said something like "oh my God!" scared.  Great expression:

Check out the Gif after the jump.

Gio Gonzalez Homers, Nats Latest Celebration: Double Bubble Gum Showers - Not Popcorn

On Wednesday night at Minute-Maid Park, the Nationals Gio Gonzalez hit his first career homerun off of the Astros Armando Galarraga.  The previous batter, Kurt Suzuki, was hit by a pitch which resulted in a staredown and some comments on the way to first base.

The announcers didn't know the history between the two players, but it looked like Galarraga hit Suzuki on purpose instead of walking him in order to get to the Nationals pitcher.  Well Gio came to the plate next and backed up his former teammate by jacking a no-doubter to left field.

After the homerun Gio entered the dugout and was mobbed by his teammates.  The celebration also included one of the Nationals newest forms of celebration.  First there were hugs & low tens, and now, the bubblegum shower!

This was not the first time that Gum rained down from the sky in the dugout.  A week ago Nats Enquirer posted some screen grabs of Danny Espinosa getting showered with gum after a big homerun.

This looks to be a new thing!  But who picks up all that gum?

FP Santangelo mistakenly called it popcorn, but it was clearly buckets of gum being dumped out.

I think Michael Morse is behind this, but I'm not 100% sure.  Also is it Double Bubble? Or is It a Bucket of Big League Chew?

Adam LaRoche's Son Drake Gets A Hug

After Adam LaRoche's 2nd homerun of the game on Saturday night against the Marlins, the firstbaseman came into the dugout (or hugout as the Nats might call it) to partake in one of the Nationals classic hug celebrations.  The receiver of the hug this time was his 9 year old son Draake.  Awwwwww:

This is from an article by Amanda Comak about LaRoche & His son:

After Adam LaRoche left Wrigley Field Thursday night and met up with his family following an 0-for-3 performance with three strikeouts (and a pivotal walk), he had to face his toughest critic.  His nine-year-old son Drake walked right up to him and said "Dad, what were you doing?" "I said, 'Drake, you're exactly right.'"

I think Drake knows exactly what his dad has been doing lately with 4 homers in 3 days.  Go Dad!