Bryce Harper Looks Ready To Come Back

((HT: MiLB.com))

The HQ thinks Bryce Harper is ready to come back from his rehab assignment...
He did this last night in his at-bats with Harrisburg against Akron


4-for-5, 3 HR's and 5 RBI...

Eh, that's okay...

Bryce Harper Benched For "Lack of Hustle"

((HT: MASN Nationals/MLB))

Matt Williams, when he played in the majors, didn't take any crap from anybody and played all-out all the time.

He expects the same as manager of the Washington Nationals...

Slugger Bryce Harper didn't run out a ground ball in the bottom of the 6th inning in, what would amount to, a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Williams benched him for the dogging out...

Here's Williams discussing it after the game...


And Harper who, publicly, gets what happened...


Apparently, this is a one-and-done with Williams saying that Harper will be back in the line-up tomorrow...

Braves Win on Bloop Single Scoring Runner from 1st

No, this headline won't make any sense until we explain it and you see it.

The Atlanta Braves who seem to have the number of the much-hyped Washington Nationals, won a bizarre, attempted replay and error filled game Friday night on a walk-off bloop single by Justin Upton.

Why is this noteworthy?

Upton's 120 foot pop-fly dropped to the ground in front of National's rightfielder Bryce Harper. Meanwhile, Braves pinch runner Jordan Schaffer was off and running on contact because there were 2 outs, managed to score...all the way from 1st. The Braves win in 10 innings, 7-6.

In the grand scheme of things, the win wasn't that big a deal, but seeing someone score from first on a short hit like that is always impressive.

Your highlights from MLB.com:

Braves And Nats Go To Twitter To Decide Quien Es Mas Macho...

((HT: Broadway Video/MASN/MLB))

The Nationals are in free fall as the pitching and hitting that was around to make the playoffs last year is nowhere to be found this year. The Nats are 14-and-a-half behind the Braves and are staring a sweep right in the face.

So, what happens after Bryce Harper homers off Julio Teheran the second time he comes to the plate...??/

Here's Harper getting hit...


That made zero sense from Teheran. The only solution should have been for the two to go ahead and play "Texas Whip Out," get out the nearest rulers, and settle it that way. But that wouldn't have made good television...

So, they tried to settle it 140 letters at a time, and hilarity ensued...

The Braves Twitter feed, which seems to have a mind of its own, responded in kind to the outburst...

Clown move bro

To which the Nats came back with (before it was deleted):

Which part, giving up the home run, or drilling the 20-year-old on the first pitch his next time up?

Ah, the Twitter Machine...

This Week in Bad TV Graphics: KC Royals Style

((ht: awfulannouncing.com))

This is just painful.

Particularly to those of us who work in the TV business and take pride in making sure anything we put on the air is correct.

For those of you familiar with Sports, take a look at the screen grab on your right.

It's a graphic done for the Fox Sports Kansas City broadcast of Thursday's Royals game.

Look closely.

In no particular order: Bryce Hunter should be Bryce Harper. And notice the Detroit Tigers logo and Nationals cap.

Matt Jones. Nope. Should be Matt Harvey. and notice the Orioles logo. That despite the Mets cap.

Manny Machado. Well, they did get his name right, but check out the White Sox logo.

And then Mike Trout. Again, they did get the name right, but no, despite the Angels hat, they show him as playing for the Yankees.

C'mon guys, this is embarrassing.

Sure, we know that on occasion typos are made, we get that. Happens to everyone. But this is pathetic. Did you not even look at the graphic you were making?

Zimm Gets 7, Harper Gets 11

((HT: MLB.com))

Bryce Harper required 11 stitches on his chin and was also the proud owner of a bruised shoulder and knee as part of the Nationals win over the Dodgers last night. Josh Beckett drops to 0-5 on the year and manager Don Mattingly is on some seriously thin ice these days...

Harper didn't suffer a concussion on the play, manager Davey Johnson and agent Scott Boras each told reporters...

Here's the collision... see for yourself...


See how Harper's chin reacted to the whole fiasco here...

Not a bad catch by Mike Trout (Wow!)

In case any of you baseball fans haven't seen or heard of Mike Trout of the LA Angels, you should get familiar with him.

The other "Young Gun" rookie this year is arguably better than the more hyped Bryce Harper of Washington.

Check out the 20-year old commit what only can be called "Baseball Robbery" against Baltimore's J.J Hardy.

Thanks MLB.com for actually allowing us to embed a clip...

Developing: Cole Hamels to sit for 5 Games

Cole Hamels probably should just have kept his mouth shut.

But since he didn't...and decided to boast of "Welcoming" Washington rookie Bryce Harper to the majors by hitting him with a pitch, Mr. Hamels drew the ire of Major League Baseball.

Hamels will now rest for the next 5-games. Of course if he were to not appeal and start the suspension today...he'd miss 1 start.

Well. Maybe Hamels was trying to create a rivalry with the Nationals, who currently (barely) lead the NL East, a role Philadelphia has had for several years. Or maybe he just had "Brain Fade"...

In case you missed it earlier, your offending video:

Busy Night In DC: Hamels Admits Trying To Hit Harper, Werth Lost To Broken Wrist

((HT: ESPN/youtube/MLB))

Welcome to the majors, kid...

Bryce Harper lasted all of one pitch in his first at-bat with the Phillies Cole Hamels last night...

Here's the plunk...


“I was trying to hit him,” Hamels said post-game. “I’m not going to deny it. That’s just — you know what, it’s something that I grew up watching, that’s what happened, so I’m just trying to continue the old baseball.”

Expect a call, fine, and suspension from the league office...

Nats GM Mike Rizzo wasn't all that happy...
CSNWashington's Chase Hughes relays:

“Players take care of themselves,” Rizzo said. “I’ve never seen a more classless, gutless chicken [bleep] act in my 30 years in baseball.

“Cole Hamels says he’s old school? He’s the polar opposite of old school. He’s fake tough. He thinks he’s going to intimidate us after hitting our 19-year rookie who’s eight games into the big leagues? He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”

The night got even longer after losing Jayson Werth to a pretty bad looking broken wrist...

Kelli Johnson has the post-mortem...
((HT: CSNWashington.com))