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Washington Nationals
Bryce Harper is already thrilling fans with his outfield play -- he should have had two asissts at home already, if it weren't for a dropped ball and a missed call. Is his arm already among baseball's best?
- mrdonscott: "I saw that throw in person. It was so sick."
- Rep the 315: "There might be 5 left fielders in MLB who can make that throw. Very impressive. Sure, Rick Ankiel has a better arm, but he was also a pitcher. Kinda comes with the territory."
- tylerkerwinhull: "He doesn't even have the best arm on his team. If that's Rich Ankiel in left he is out by 10 feet."
- Tiggeroo13: "Dude was OUT at home, 'DOA' all the way the ump blew the call, PERIOD end of discussion, dude was out!"
- dtigersfan21: "The crowd definitely did buzz before and even louder after the throw many giving him a standing ovation. It was a great throw by a young kid, one that the average left fielder is NOT making."
- shadowofomoic: "The sad thing is, the only highlight even a little worth showing was him throwing to home plate and the dude being safe. WOW THATS AMAZING!"
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Opening Day -- well, Opening Night, really, and we technically already had one of those in Japan, but who's counting? -- is finally here, as the Cardinals will take on the Marlins tonight in the first stateside regular-season MLB game. It's bound to be an exciting season with so many players having changed teams, but has the power structure been altered significantly?
Vote: Pick each division and pennant, and the winner of the World Series
Rank: Baseball's best teams? | Top players in the game?
World Series repeat?
The Cardinals prevailed over the Rangers in the 2011 World Series, but St. Louis lost its biggest gun this past offseason ...
Best player?
... which is a pretty big loss, considering he might be one of the best players of all time.
Odd one out?
The Red Sox missed the playoffs last season after an epic September collapse. Will they be on the outside looking in once again?
AL's best?
Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols were probably the two biggest additions to teams in the American League, meaning the balance of power could shift.
NL's best?
Likewise, the addition of Jose Reyes to the Marlins could give the team a huge upgrade -- offensively with new third baseman Hanley Ramirez, and defensively at shortstop.
Bryce Harper has been optioned to Triple-A for seasoning, but it seems inevitable that he'll come up and contribute in the majors soon.
- Carlos 04566: "He's a hot dog, he did nothing at A and AA. Why he deserve to be regular at ML? . How many players have better stats and are at the minors?"
- IdeaToEmpire: "Let's just say he has some growing up and attitude adjusting to do."
- debakes10: "Let's keep in perspective he is 19. His attitude and his game are no where near being polished nor will be when he is called up. At 19 everyone has a lot of growing up to do so it is ridiculous to judge him at this point. Obviously he will need to prove himself."
- ONats395: "It is what I had hoped and expected. It won't hurt for him to get more seasoning in AAA. So they think he can play CF. That is a change, no, the rumor at the beginning of Spring Training is that If Harper were to make it, Werth would move to CF and Harper would be in RF."
- jfrog5982: "Good move. Send him down to "learn center," but really he does need more time to develop as a hitter."
- Houjazi: "Honestly, a little humble pie won't hurt the kid. Some time in AAA will do him some good. "
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A change of scenery?
The latest rumors seem to indicate the Washington Nationals are the leaders in the clubhouse for Prince Fielder's services. Will playing in the nation's capital outweigh whatever the Chicago Cubs possibly offer?
Movin' on up?
The rise of the Tampa Bay Rays has made an already talented AL East even more impressive. But would Prince Fielder's arrival in Washington, coupled with Jose Reyes in Miami, make for an equally dangerous division?
Bigger potential?
The Marlins have been active signing Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano and Mark Buehrle, creating a buzz in Miami, but would the Nationals with Prince Fielder be a bigger postseason threat?
Diminishing returns?
Prince Fielder's 275 pound frame may have some potential buyers worried about how he will hold up over the course of his contract, but the 27-year-old has only missed 13 games in his six full seasons in MLB and just one over the past three seasons.
Where will Fielder sign?
Prince Fielder's reign in Milwaukee will likely come to an end soon, as the free agent has been rumored to be meeting with the Nationals. Will 2012 find him hitting home runs in Washington?
Fielder's rank?
Fielder's hitting prowess is beyond question, but it's a pretty good era for first basemen. Is he really one of the best in baseball?
Fielder or Votto?
Teams looking for a first baseman of the future have two attractive options: sign Prince Fielder now, or wait two years and go after the Reds' Joey Votto. Who would you go for?
We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.
Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)
Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)
Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)
Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)
- Rank 'Em: Where do Gonzalez and Werth rank among MLB's best players?
- Vote: Is Gonzalez the best 1B in the AL East? | Was Werth's contract reasonable?
Baseball's hot stove always seems to flare up in spurts. Weeks of inactivity go by with rumors flying but few trades surfacing. Then, in the course of a weekend, everything can change.
The Red Sox's long pursuit of Adrian Gonzalez finally came to an end, as Boston will trade several young prospects for the chance to add a hugely important left-handed bat to its lineup. Gonzalez seems tailor-made for Fenway Park and instantly changes the balance of power in the AL East. Meanwhile, the Nationals made their biggest free-agent signing ever, inking Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract. Werth is a big-time talent, but the Nationals may have overpaid in their pursuit of true relevance. Would you rather have the slugging excellence of Gonzalez or the five-tool consistency of Werth?
- "I'm not sure there's another hitter in the league better-suited to absolutely RAKE at Fenway park than Gonzalez. A left-handed slugger with power to all fields, especially left? Thank you very much Santa, your early Christmas present is appreciated." -- skidemon166
- "Too many years. Werth is a great player though. It will be worth it early in the contract. But I don't see good productivity coming from him when he's 37/38. I hope he doesn't take replacing Dunn into mind and try to put a lot of shot out of the park." -- GoMets210
- Vote: Do you have a problem with Nyjer Morgan's collisions at home plate?
- Chat: MLB Insider Keith Law takes your questions, 1 p.m. ET.
Baseball loves its statistics, and what the Marlins and Nationals lack in VORP, WAR, OPS and other measures of actual success, they more than make up for in entertainment-per-customer (EPC). That the Marlins won Wednesday's game 16-10 is, frankly, irrelevant, even if it does leave them 7.5 back of the wild card. The story is Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan and whether the Marlins overreacted or did the rest of the league a favor.
Let's set the scene with some of Morgan's highlights since throwing a ball at a fan in Philadelphia on Aug. 22 (he's appealing a seven-game suspension).
Aug. 28: Morgan goes out of his way to run into Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson, despite there being no play at the plate. In the process, he missed home plate, is called out for contact and separates Anderson's shoulder. See the video from MLB.com.
Aug. 31: Morgan tries to score from second on a grounder to second base and collides with Marlins catcher Brett Hayes when the ball easily beats him home. Like Anderson, Hayes ends up with a separated shoulder. See the video from MLB.com.
Wednesday: The Marlins hit Morgan in the fourth inning, presumably as retaliation for running into Hayes the night before. With his team trailing 14-3, Morgan stole second and third and eventually scored. When he came up again in the sixth, pitcher Chris Volstad threw behind his back, setting off the fracas in the video at the top of this post.
So was Morgan in the wrong on all occasions? Did the Marlins overreact? And does Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez have a future in wrestling? Vote on Nyjer Morgan vs. Marlins!
“Morgan is just a bonehead who never thinks before he acts, i dont care about "unwritten" rules... play smart, make good decisions and be a classy player, he is none of those and he needs to be released
” -- pvjv725
“He's done a complete 180 from last season and deserves a non-tender IMO...the stupid mental errors and all of a sudden the choice to hit catchers whenever given the chance makes me wish he wasn't in a Nationals uni
” -- LUWahooNatFan
- Rank 'Em: Which year produced the best class of No. 1 overall picks?
- Vote: How soon will we see Bryce Harper hitting in a Nationals uniform?
- Chat: Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, 11 ET | SweetSpot blogger Rob Neyer, 12 ET
During the same stretch of days in which Sam Bradford took his first snaps in an NFL preseason game and the Nationals signed Bryce Harper, Royals pitcher Bryan Bullington picked up his first major league win. We like our sports irony like we like our coffee, thick and served up by someone from Kansas City.
Eight years ago, Bullington was in Harper's shoes after the Pirates made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft. After all those years, he's progressed from complete bust to nice story ... but he's still a bust, at least until he repeats Sunday's feat about 50 times. And when you think about names like Courtney Brown, David Carr, Matt Bush, Kwame Brown, and Alex Smith, he's hardly alone in that category as a former No. 1 pick.
So as Bradford, Harper, John Wall and NHL No. 1 pick Taylor Hall get set to begin their pro careers, who are you most confident won't be the next Bryan Bullington?
Harry (NY)
Is the hype and media attention surrounding this year's draft a bit much - what happens next year when there isn't a Harper or Strasburg to generate excitement?
Keith Law
I think part of my job and BA's and Jonathan Mayo's and KG's is to generate it. Next year's draft class is epic. It doesn't have the single star prospect, but it is freaking stacked with talent. Full transcript
- Rank 'Em: Is Stephen Strasburg the biggest draw in baseball?
- Vote: Is Strasburg having the best season of any NL rookie?
Newly-crowned Miss Iowa Katherine Connors lists the following nugget of inspirational goodness from Eleanor Roosevelt as her favorite quote: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." (Connors also enjoys shopping, watching movies and spending time with family.) Ironic, then, that Nationals emergency starter Miguel Batista called on Connors in searching for a comparison point when disgruntled Nationals fans did their best to make him feel inferior in the town in which Roosevelt spent many years.
Batista got the call to start just minutes before Tuesday's game after scheduled starter (and the reason more than 40,000 people showed up) Stephen Strasburg was scratched with inflammation in pitching shoulder. Talking about the smattering of boos in the park, Batista, a published poet and author, offered up this pearl of wisdom. From the recap:
"Imagine if you go there to see Miss Universe, and you end up having Miss Iowa."
Of course, as Batista proved with five shutout innings in an eventual win for the home team, Miss Iowa isn't always just a consolation prize. And considering Connors wants to be a registered nurse, perhaps the Nationals could have used her Tuesday.
“wow, jason heyward vs the struas man is gonna have to wait AGAIN!!
” -- rfly12321
“How do they get shut out by a 39 year journeyman who hasn't starter a game in two years??!!??!!
” -- IndyDolfan11
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