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I am tired today. Anyone else? That was an exciting game. It was fun to watch too. I would have perfered Storen get the save and go to sleep at a normal hour, but a win is a win, and people are starting to believe in Ian Desmond. --Adam Kilgore from washingtonpost.com
As well as having a game last night the Nationals introduced Bryce Harper. --Dave Nichols from NatsNewsNetwork.com
Harper also put on a show in BP hitting a ball to a place I didn't believe existed until I saw his third deck shot replayed. --Ben Goessling at masnsports.com
A great column from Boswell on focussing on the future and ignoring the present. He obviously knew what news was coming today as Strasburg and the front office did, but didn't want to take away from Harper's day. --Thomas Boswell in The Washington Post
Pujols is an amazing robot from a yet discovered planet sent to Earth to crush the souls of those that stand against him, and he hit is 400th homer last night. --ESPN.com
At 10:30 this morning it was anounnced that Strasburg would indeed need TJS surgery. 2011 will be the longest season in memory. The Nationals are truly a cursed franchise. I bet Ackley hits 50 homers next year. --Mark Zuckerman natsinsider.com
I almost responded to this, but some people's reputations are well deserved. --Keith Law via Twitter
A much happier looking at once posible brightside of this surgery. --Jeff Passan via Twitter
More news on the Nationals and baseball after the jump.
Roger Bernadina and Ian Desmond are showing their stuff, and proving there might be other glimers of hope for the future. --Ben Goessling at masnsports.com
You know the saying that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone. Well it works both ways. Ray Knight's comments on the hitter figuring out what pitch was coming from the number of times the catcher was shaken off, and disecting why three breaking balls in a row are a bad idea was more informative than anything Rob Dibble has ever said. Still some people miss the Nasty Boy. --Jim Williams from washingtonexaminer.com
If Dibs is gone for good who would you like to see replace him. My vote goes to Gary Carter, but he might be managing next year. --Mike Prada at dc.sbnation.com
From my good time in Philly last weekend and now this I think I am starting to soften on these jerkbags. A Phillies fan's defense of Nyjer Morgan. --Dan Steinberg from The DC Sports Bog
An article from a while back from a Mets fan that heckled Nyjer Morgan. --Chris seatgeek.com
September could be a fun time to be a Nats fan. We may not be fighting for a playoff spot or to even be .500, but we could be getting glimpses of the future in guys like Ramos and Espinosa. --Chris Needham at dc.sbnation.com
Wondering how the Nats 2010 draft class is going? Here is an extensive look. I have to say I am pleased with how Hague has been hitting. --PennSkinsFan from dcprospectsreport.com
Ever wondered just how underrated Ryan Zimmerman is. He might be second in baseball in WAR, but he is still so underrated he isn't even considered one of the most underrated players. --foxsports.com
Remember how good Joel Hanrahan looked before he was made the closer. The Pirates think he looks good enough to be the closer and all the wild pitches and hanging sliders won't come back in pressure situations. --Dejan Kovaccevic at post-gazette.com
Around the NL East
At first glance I didn't think this story was that worthy of a clipping, but then thinking about it I realized it is everything baseball is about, fathers and sons. Baseball is a game we learn from a young age playing catch in the front yard with our fathers, it is where they take us when we are young, and it is the metaphor they can use for life. At the end of the day this is why I hate Peter Angelos so much, because he stole a part of my childhood. This story is about Logan Morrison hitting his first career triple with his dying father in the stands. 'Duk at yahoosports.com
General Baseball
Remember that little Twitter argument between Buster Onley and Keith Law. Well, fangraphs decided to put there two cents in and explains why both men might be wrong. --Dave Cameron fangraphs.com
Remember the golden age of shortstops? Tulo is a rare player as the age of the offensive shortstop is at an end. --David Gardner at yahoosports.com
In case you want to listen to something interesting today a link to the BP podcast. --Kevin Goldstein baseballprospectus.com
Imagine being a college recruiter and not knowing if the players you recruit are going to actually ever step foot on your campus. The baseball draft doesn't just need to change for the good of MLB. --Kendall Rogers at yahoosports.com
When something can't be measured can it be defined? I really don't think everything that can't be measured should just be lumped into a giant group we now call luck, but I don't think clutch hitting can be measured in the very best players in the world. These are mostly guys that shouldn't be owned by a pressure situation. In a way all good baseball players are clutch hitters. Logic and reason tell me there have to be guys that might not be among the elite that do better under pressure than under normal circumstances. Just like I have to believe that some in the large pool of average major leaguers wilt in that same situation. This is still an interesting study and it does show that lefties aren't inherently more clutch than righties. --Matt Swartz from baseballprospectus.com
Another of the great debates on things that can't be measured is the impact of a manager. In my opinion in gam management is the least important thing a manager does. I want a manager that can motivate players, get the best out of everyone, and manage personalities. --Cliff Corcoran from si.com
It is time for another weekend. Hopefully it will be better than last weekend. The Nationals do not have easy games tonight against Garcia, or Sunday against Wainwright. Maybe we can squeak one out against Lohse. Either way I just hope to see some good baseball.