Today’s District Daily features some interesting comments made by Bryce Harper about Dee Gordon‘s PED suspension and the Washington Nationals’ offensive struggles.
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s James Wagner discusses Bryce Harper’s comments on Marlins’ second baseman Dee Gordon, who received an 80-game suspension last night after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Harper, who lost out to Gordon in the race for the NL batting title on the last day of the 2015 season, said that the news is “not good for the sport, not good for baseball.”
Here’s what Harper had to say about Gordon’s suspension, via Wagner’s article:
"“It’s definitely a disappointment,” Harper said. “He’s one of the best second basemen in the game, a big talent, a lot of fun to watch. It’s just disappointment, something you don’t want to see. Not good for the sport, not good for baseball. But he’s still one of the best players in the game and I’ve still got a lot of respect for him. But it’s definitely something that’s just tough.”"
Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Neil Greenberg discusses the root of the Nationals’ ongoing struggles this season. As Greenberg notes, the Nationals as a team have been lagging behind most of the league in several offensive categories, and their struggles might not be easy to solve.
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 says Dee Gordon’s PED suspension is ‘not good for baseball’
(James Wagner, Washington Post)
ST. LOUIS — The announcement of Dee Gordon’s 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing substances came at 1:18 a.m. Eastern time Friday. So it wasn’t until later that morning that much of the baseball world, including the Nationals, saw the news about the Marlins’ speedy second baseman. The Nationals are in the same division as the Marlins, face the two-time all-star Gordon often and are very familiar with him.
“I knew his dad quite well and he’s one of my son’s heroes; he’s built like my son,” Nationals Manager Dusty Baker said before Friday’s game in St. Louis against the Cardinals. “And my son really likes his game because he’s a speed guy like that. So I just heard it this afternoon. It’s surprising and I’m sad for him because he’s a heck of a young man. Whatever’s happened — and I’m sure he’s learned his lesson — I’m sure he’s very remorseful for everything that happened. But I don’t know; nothing really surprises me too much anymore.” Read full article here.
Here’s why the Nats can’t score any runs
(Neil Greenberg, Washington Post)
The Washington Nationals were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night after their offense produced just three runs in the three-game series, all coming during the first matchup on Tuesday. It’s far from time to panic, the Nats have a 14-7 record and a half-game lead on the New York Mets, but their three runs in three games highlight a bigger problem: this isn’t a team that hits well.
Next: Washington Nationals At St. Louis Cardinals Series Preview (4/29-5/1)
Let’s start with the basics. The Nationals are batting .232 with a .695 OPS, which ranks 12th and ninth in the National league, respectively. This is with having Bryce Harper, who is batting .314 with nine home runs and a 1.211 OPS, and Daniel Murphy (.370 with a 1.042 OPS) on the roster. Put another way, Harper and Murphy are each creating runs at a rate at least 73 percent higher than the league average (198 wRC+ for Harper, 173 wRC+ for Murphy) after adjusting for park and league effects. Read full article here.