• 2010 Draft Update:
College of Southern Nevada catcher Bryce Harper had a pinch runner taking over on the basepaths for him whenever he was able to reach base in Thursday night's 6-4 Coyotes' win over Florida-based Chipola College, and I'm sure if it's an injury-related accommodation there will be a hundred articles tomorrow morning explaining the situation, but as of right now (2:23 am Friday) all I know is that Harper was 1 for 3 with 1 RBI in the CSN Coyotes' 11th win in 13 games this season in which Harper is now hitting .360 (18 for 50) with a .431 OBP, a .700 SLG, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR's and 16 RBI's. Note: Whatever the reason for Harper's pinch runner, it didn't necessarily work to the Coyotes' advantage. Matt Medina, who did the 17-year-old potential-future National's running for him, was caught stealing the two times Harper reached base, once following Harper's two-out RBI single in the first, and again in the fifth, after the presumptive no.1 overall prospect in the country was issued a two-out walk.
• Deck McGuire, the 2009 ACC Pitcher of the Year, mentioned by former DC GM JIm Bowden as one of three players (along with Bryce Harper and LSU right-hander Anthony Ranaudo) under consideration for the Washington Nationals' second-straight no.1 overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, starts his Junior year as a Yellow Jacket at home in Russ Chandler Stadium in the first game of the 2010 season Friday night against Missouri State...Anthony Ranaudo's LSU Tigers begin 2010 as the no.2-ranked team in the country and according to an article by LSUSportsnet's Bill Franques entitled, "No.2 Baseball Opens Title Defense At Alex Box", Ranaudo is the Preseason National Player of the Year. The Tigers start their twenty-ten campaign Friday night as well with Centenary visiting Alex Box Stadium. Live video of Ranaudo's start Friday night is available through LSUSportsNet.
BACKPAGE:
• Arbitration Battles: Round Two...
• Wang Formally Introduced
BACKPAGE:
• Arbitration Battles: Round Two...
After the way Brian Bruney reactied to the arbitration process, it will be interesting to see what Sean Burnett has to say after his own case is ruled on Friday following hearings held yesterday in front of arbitrators who'll decide between the 27-year-old left-handed reliever's request for a raise from last year's one-year/$408,500 dollar deal to a one-year/$925,000 dollar contract and the Nationals' 1-year/ $775K offer...
Burnett was acquired along with DC CF Nyjer Morgan from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a June 2010 trade with the Pirates which sent right-handed reliever Joel Hanrahan and outfielder Lastings Milledge to PNC. In 33 games and 25.1 IP for Washington, Burnett was (1-1) with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Burnett, who walked 28 (4.4 BB/9) and struck out 43 (6.7 K/9) with a 1.11 WHIP in 71 games and 57.2 IP total in 2009, figures to be an important part of the twenty-ten Nationals' bullpen.
• Wang Formally Introduced:
The Washington Nationals will hold a press conference live from Space Coast Stadium's field at some point today in order to introduce right-hander Chien-Ming Wang who signed a 1-year/$2 million dollar deal earlier this week which includes incentives that could earn the 29-year-old former Yankees' starter another million dollars this year.
More on Wang and Burnett's arbitration ruling later today...