Washington Nationals News: Bryce Harper may skip Home Run Derby
By Pablo Roa
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! Get caught up on all the latest Nats news with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, C. Trent Rosecrans of Cincinnati.com discusses how Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper might miss the Home Run Derby at Great American Ball Park this summer. As Rosecrans notes, Harper’s father, who pitched to him at the 2013 Derby, recently had rotator cuff surgery after a snowboarding accident. With the elder Harper not being able to pitch at the Derby, Harper is unsure if he’ll participate himself.
Of course, it would be great to see Harper at the Home Run Derby. He was the runner-up in 2013 and is tied for the Major League lead in homers with 18. Harper’s been killing the ball all season long, and it’d be fun to see him take batting practice on national television at one of the most hitter-friendly stadiums in baseball this summer.
But at the end of the day, assuming he gets invited to participate in the Derby, it’s his decision whether or not he’ll participate. It’s also not all that important, and the National League will be better served by Harper in the All-Star Game than in the Derby.
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Also in today’s Daily, isportsweb’s Jack Estrin discusses the Nationals’ offseason moves and how they have paid off so far in the 2015 season.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Bryce Harper may skip Home Run Derby at All-Star Game
(C. Trent Rosecrans, Cincinnati.com)
With his father – and pitcher – on the disabled list, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper said he may not participate in this year’s Home Run Derby at Great American Ball Park, but he hasn’t made a final decision yet.
First Harper would have to be asked, but the 22-year-old is tied for the major-league lead with 18 home runs this season and finished runner-up in the 2013 derby, so it would be safe to assume he would be a natural choice.
But in 2013, Harper’s father, Ron, was his pitcher, and he doesn’t know if he would want to participate with another pitcher. Ron Harper recently had rotator cuff surgery after a snowboarding accident, his son said. Read full article here.
50 games into the season, Nationals offseason moves shine bright
Looking to build off of last season’s 96 win team, the Nationals were extremely active in the offseason. Washington prioritized solidifying their bench, adding to their starting pitching and bringing in middle infield help during the winter offseason. Now, 50 games into the 2015 regular season, here is a look at how some of Washington’s key offseason decisions have played out thus far.
1. The Max Scherzer acquisition
By far, the biggest move of the Nationals’ offseason was signing Max Scherzer via free agency. The Nationals signed him to one of the most lucrative contracts for a pitcher in MLB history, in fact Scherzer is guaranteed the most amount of money for a right hander ever. So far, Scherzer has been worth every bit of his 7 year, $210 million contract, and the $17.14 million he will make this season alone. Read full article here.