'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
This isn't simply an opportunity for general manager Ernie Grunfeld to add to the gifted young core of John Wall and Bradley Beal while solidifying the gap at small forward, much in the same way the Oklahoma City Thunder built a juggernaut through the draft and savvy trades driven by the long view, not instant gratification.
It was a nightmarish 10 day stretch for Harper, starting with the moment he landed on the warning track at Dodger Stadium, writhing in pain. But Wednesday he rose above. Again.
The not-so-subtle implication racing through the Internet of a concussion conspiracy by the Nationals makes as much sense as, well, running into walls. What could they possibly gain by pretending Harper didn't have a concussion or engaging in a game of semantics to avoid using the word?
Harper's second unsuccessful encounter this month with the physics of smacking into an outfield wall led to him doubling down on the hair-on-fire approach. He told reporters "I'm trying to kill myself out there" and, really, that's what the collision looked like.
Bryce Harper arrived at Dodger Stadium a little bit smarter Tuesday.
As blood dripped down his neck and head trainer Lee Kuntz examined him Monday night, Harper tried to convince manager Davey Johnson that he could stay in the game. That wasn't happening.
Bryce Harper has left the game in the fifth inning after the Washington Nationals star ran full-on into the scoreboard in right field at Dodger Stadium on Monday night.
Regardless of how long he plays, or how many ballparks he does it in, Dodger Stadium will always have a special designation for the Nationals outfielder. "Absolutely," he said. "It was my first park."
The Nats have changed their policy to basically say unless your tickets are part of a season-ticket plan, you use them or you lose them. It's a move that pretty much violates every fundamental of Customer Service 101. Take care of those who pay for your services.
With Jayson Werth dealing with right hamstring tightness for the last week, Harper has shifted from left to right field twice, and was in the lineup there on Wednesday night.
The good news for the Washington Nationals as they trickled into the clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon, was that Jayson Werth was able to test his right hamstring on Monday and felt strong.
The Nationals' slow offensive start has been concerning to some, worrisome to others and downright nerve-fraying to certain factions of the fanbase. For plenty, it's been maddening to watch them strike out, swinging or looking, so often. To see them come up small in large situations. To hit the ball on the screws, and right at a waiting fielder.
Tyler Moore hit a three-run homer and Danny Espinosa homered and drove in three runs, leading the Washington Nationals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 Sunday.
X-rays on his side taken late Tuesday night were clean, and the 20-year-old saw no reason why he wouldn't play on Thursday. He took batting practice to be sure, and swinging is the only time he expected it'd bother him.
Washington Nationals superstar Bryce Harper's ribs may be aching a bit, but he's apparently healthy enough for the AFL-CIO to tout a clip of him speaking about his father, a union ironworker — part of an hour-long film, "Being Bryce," that debuted on ESPN earlier this week.
His debut was "awesome," Harper said.
Bryce Harper excited to return to site of major league debut →
