Bryce Harper...

[pellegrino]

Just watched the replay of the throw at Harper last night. It was interesting to switch back and forth between the Cubs announcers and the Nats announcers (I love MLBtv). I can understand UD's reaction to the pitch, the Nats announcers were more animated over both this and the earlier incident in the game.

At any rate, After watching it once, it looked like it could have possibly been just a wild pitch, but then the Cubs announcers pointed out that a few other times throughout the season when Clevenger was catching there had been fishy things like this and they played the pitch in slo mo and pointed out that Clevenger set up over the middle of the plate and didn't even react to the pitch when it passed. He knew what was coming. So whatever Sveum said in the paper today about Lendy Castillo being wild (he is) is obvious bull. There's no doubt that he was throwing at Harper and Clevenger was in on it. I hope they let him go

[pellegrino]

Easy as pie for you.

how would you get there? Is 95 to 495 to 295 that bad that time of day?

[UtahDan]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-bi...1299--mlb.html

Love the way Harper runs the bases. His triple too was some nice, aggressive base running.

I liked Davey Johnson's comment afterwards about Harper scoring from third in the first inning, basically that there are only a couple guys in the league that have the instincts to do that. There was another good comment by one of the local guys that Harper is so damn aggressive on the bases that he is in guys heads a little. They know that Harper will try things other guys won't try and force you to make a play or a second throw. When people are thinking about that, it creates errors because guys are distracted and drop fly balls, mishandle grounders because they are trying to get up and throwing so fast. I thought that as a great point.

The Cubs manager said Harper has the best bat speed in the majors. Compared him to A-Rod in terms of being a once in a generation type player.

HAVE I MENTIONED THAT I LOVE BEING A FREAKING NATS FAN?

[Surfah]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-bi...1299--mlb.html

Love the way Harper runs the bases. His triple too was some nice, aggressive base running.

[Surfah]

295 to south capitol street park under the freeway at the hh lot, easy as pie.

Easy as pie for you.

[pellegrino]

Yeah it could easily have been a wild pitch. Who knows. But under the circumstances the reaction was not surprising. I really love Nats Park. It is very "modern," no question. But we have enjoyed every experience there so far. It is also nice the way it has revitalized that area. I remember what the Navy Yard area was like 20 years ago. Liquor Stores on every corner, lots of adult men just hanging around in the middle of the day, full urban decay...but the Anacostia really is a beautiful setting for a ball park. The one other thing I have learned, however, is that you just have to accept that it will be hot and humid. That is what those giant snow cone things are for.

mrs. pellegrino heard the tv announcers say that he admitted that he was throwing at him and he was ejected because of it. they did replace the pitcher after that, but I can't find that anywhere in the news. I wasn't that close, along the first base line.

I like nationals park, it's beautiful. I just don't like the way they choose to put on a show there. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that my team usually loses.

The stadium though is a PITA to get to. I wish they had put in NoVA somewhere. There's been an ongoing debate about what happens when the games go late and the Metro has stopped. The city wants the Nats to pay for it and the Nats want the city to pay for it. This is going to be an issue when the playoffs start.

295 to south capitol street park under the freeway at the hh lot, easy as pie.

[Surfah]

Yeah it could easily have been a wild pitch. Who knows. But under the circumstances the reaction was not surprising. I really love Nats Park. It is very "modern," no question. But we have enjoyed every experience there so far. It is also nice the way it has revitalized that area. I remember what the Navy Yard area was like 20 years ago. Liquor Stores on every corner, lots of adult men just hanging around in the middle of the day, full urban decay...but the Anacostia really is a beautiful setting for a ball park. The one other thing I have learned, however, is that you just have to accept that it will be hot and humid. That is what those giant snow cone things are for.

The stadium though is a PITA to get to. I wish they had put in NoVA somewhere. There's been an ongoing debate about what happens when the games go late and the Metro has stopped. The city wants the Nats to pay for it and the Nats want the city to pay for it. This is going to be an issue when the playoffs start.

[UtahDan]

saw the whole thing live, it was embarrassing. after a good start by Samardzija on Monday where they had a chance up til the end the series went downhill fast. The cubs are just looking bad, before the bench cleared the first time they already had three errors and a passed ball, looked like a bunch a ragamuffin bush leaguers tonight.

When Castillo threw at Harper from where I was sitting it looked like he was just trying to brush him off the plate. Pitchers know he has been having trouble hitting the outside of the zone so I honestly thought he was just trying to back him off the plate. He hadn't been very accurate (I think he had already walked one or two and had a wild pitch the inning before) so it seemed plausible that he was just trying for the inside and just missed. Turns out Castillo was just being an ass. You want to think the best of your players but that wasn't a situation where you could.

That said, Nationals park is a beautiful stadium and it's always a good place to play. Even so, I've learned to dislike the Nationals. Too much speaker noise and it's never clear. Their big screen is beautiful, but it gets old hearing each player's song announcing their arrival at the plate. Sometimes it interferes with play too.

Yeah it could easily have been a wild pitch. Who knows. But under the circumstances the reaction was not surprising. I really love Nats Park. It is very "modern," no question. But we have enjoyed every experience there so far. It is also nice the way it has revitalized that area. I remember what the Navy Yard area was like 20 years ago. Liquor Stores on every corner, lots of adult men just hanging around in the middle of the day, full urban decay...but the Anacostia really is a beautiful setting for a ball park. The one other thing I have learned, however, is that you just have to accept that it will be hot and humid. That is what those giant snow cone things are for.

[pellegrino]

Nats up 7-2 in the top of the 5th and Jason Werth swings at a 3-0 pitch with the bases loaded. The Cubs then proceed to lose all composure. One of their coaches starts jawing at the Nats 3rd base coach and the benches clear. Next inning, Harper comes to the plate and first pitch they throw right at him. Harper was ready to go, took a couple steps toward the mound, fortunately Werth ran out and stopped him. Benches cleared again, a little bit of a brawl ensued.

Cubs are obviously frustrated getting destroyed over three days, but come on. Up five runs in the fifth inning is not an insurmountable lead. Get over it.

saw the whole thing live, it was embarrassing. after a good start by Samardzija on Monday where they had a chance up til the end the series went downhill fast. The cubs are just looking bad, before the bench cleared the first time they already had three errors and a passed ball, looked like a bunch a ragamuffin bush leaguers tonight.

When Castillo threw at Harper from where I was sitting it looked like he was just trying to brush him off the plate. Pitchers know he has been having trouble hitting the outside of the zone so I honestly thought he was just trying to back him off the plate. He hadn't been very accurate (I think he had already walked one or two and had a wild pitch the inning before) so it seemed plausible that he was just trying for the inside and just missed. Turns out Castillo was just being an ass. You want to think the best of your players but that wasn't a situation where you could.

That said, Nationals park is a beautiful stadium and it's always a good place to play. Even so, I've learned to dislike the Nationals. Too much speaker noise and it's never clear. Their big screen is beautiful, but it gets old hearing each player's song announcing their arrival at the plate. Sometimes it interferes with play too.

[DU Ute]

Nats up 7-2 in the top of the 5th and Jason Werth swings at a 3-0 pitch with the bases loaded. The Cubs then proceed to lose all composure. One of their coaches starts jawing at the Nats 3rd base coach and the benches clear. Next inning, Harper comes to the plate and first pitch they throw right at him. Harper was ready to go, took a couple steps toward the mound, fortunately Werth ran out and stopped him. Benches cleared again, a little bit of a brawl ensued.

Cubs are obviously frustrated getting destroyed over three days, but come on. Up five runs in the fifth inning is not an insurmountable lead. Get over it.

It's insurmountable if you are the Cubs.

[UtahDan]

Nats up 7-2 in the top of the 5th and Jason Werth swings at a 3-0 pitch with the bases loaded. The Cubs then proceed to lose all composure. One of their coaches starts jawing at the Nats 3rd base coach and the benches clear. Next inning, Harper comes to the plate and first pitch they throw right at him. Harper was ready to go, took a couple steps toward the mound, fortunately Werth ran out and stopped him. Benches cleared again, a little bit of a brawl ensued.

Cubs are obviously frustrated getting destroyed over three days, but come on. Up five runs in the fifth inning is not an insurmountable lead. Get over it.

[Surfah]

Beastin' again.

He's starting to get into that groove again.

[MarkGrace]

Beastin' again.

[il Padrino Ute]

We went to the game today. I hope I can link a video at some point, because Harper had a play where he caught the second out of the inning on a fly ball and threw an absolute rocket perfectly to home plate which allowed Suzuki to tag out the runner who had tagged and was pretty surprised I think. Bryce has had some trouble knowing when to do that and has sailed that throw over the catcher's head a few times. But what he did today was a thing of beauty.

Here it is.

Like the last link I posted, you'll have to click on the video button, then scroll down to "Harper turns two" on the right where the video selections are.

That was an impressive play. The 3rd base coach seemed to want to challenge the rookie and was made to look silly for sending the runner. He won't be doing that again next time Harper fields a fly ball.

[pellegrino]

We went to the game today. I hope I can link a video at some point, because Harper had a play where he caught the second out of the inning on a fly ball and threw an absolute rocket perfectly to home plate which allowed Suzuki to tag out the runner who had tagged and was pretty surprised I think. Bryce has had some trouble knowing when to do that and has sailed that throw over the catcher's head a few times. But what he did today was a thing of beauty.

I'll be seeing him live on thursday. of course I'll be rooting against him, but it will still be fun. I'm kind of bummed that Strasburg will likely pitch his last game of the season on Friday, the day after we'll be there.