Bryce Harper Debut

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/tom_verducci/05/01/bryce.harper.nationals/index.html
As most people know the prodigy himself, Bryce Harper, has arrived. In his first game Harper had a double and sac fly. Harper did not look out of place despite being only 19 years old. In my preview of the Nationals I predicted that Harper would eventually move to the big leagues and have an impact. The graduation of Harper from triple-a to the big leagues at such a young age does not come as a surprise to most people as Harper is the top prospect in baseball and the Nationals slugging leftfielder
Michael Morse is injured. Although Harper may struggle early, it is hard to imagine that he will not turn into one of the best outfielders in the league. The legend of Bryce Harper has just been added to as
he has been called up before the age of 20 and had immediate success. There is no doubt in my mind that at Harper's career will be fun to follow.

Nationals Preview

Washington Nationals

Pictured: Washington Nationals top prospect outfielder Bryce Harper.

The 2012 Washington Nationals start the season with pressure and expectations that have never been a part of the National’s franchise. After finishing the 2011 season one game under, 80-82, the Nationals are expecting to battle for the division crown in arguably the toughest division in the Major League, the NL East. Despite playing in the same division has powerhouses like the, Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, and Atlanta Braves, the Nationals should be able to at least compete in division while developing the future of their organization.

Key Arrivals (according to BaseballProspectus.com): RHP Ryan Perry (from Detroit), RHP Jeff Fulchino (FA), 2B Andres Blanco (FA), OF Xavier Paul (FA), 3B Chad Tracy (FA), 3B Jarrett Hoffpauir (FA), RHP Waldis Joaquin (FA), SS Carlos Rivero (waivers), LHP Gio Gonzalez (from Oakland), RHP Robert Gilliam (from Oakland), OF/INF Mark DeRosa (FA), C James Skelton (FA), C Devan Ivany (FA), RHP Jimmy Barthmaier (FA), RHP Brad Lidge (FA), RHP Edwin Jackson (FA), 3B Mark Teahen (FA), OF Rick Ankiel (FA).
The Nationals added several key pieces in the offseason via trade and free agency. The Nationals especially bolstered their starting rotation with the trade for Gio Gonzalez and signing of Edwin Jackson. Gonzalez should slide immediately into the rotation as the number two starter after posting an impressive 3.12 era with nearly a strikeout per inning on the lowly Oakland Athletics. Jackson will most likely become either the third or fourth starter after starting multiple games for the Cardinals in their run to the World Series Championship. Although the Nationals concentrated on strengthening their starting rotation they did add other pieces that will have an impact. Ryan Perry and Brad Lidge should help the bullpen while Mark DeRosa provides depth on the bench.
Key Departures: RHP Collin Balester (to Detroit), LHP Tom Milone (to Oakland), C Derek Norris (to Oakland), RHP A.J. Cole (to Oakland), RHP Brad Peacock (to Oakland), RHP Todd Coffey (FA), RHP Livan Hernandez (FA). 
The Nationals should not be impacted by any of the departures. The trade for Gio Gonzalez did force the Nationals to part ways with some promising prospects: Tom Milone, Derek Norris, A.J. Cole, and Brad Peacock, but Gonzalez will surely help the team more than any of the prospects would this year.

Projected Rotation (per Nationals official site)

1. Stephen Strasburg (1-1, 1.50 ERA, 0.71 WHIP)
2. Gio Gonzalez (16-12, 3.12, 1.32)
3. Jordan Zimmerman (8-11, 3.18, 1.15)
4. Edwin Jackson (12-9, 3.79, 1.44)
5. Chien-Ming Wang (4-3, 4.04, 1.28)
6. John Lannan (10-13, 3.70, 1.46)
7. Ross Detwiler (4-5, 3.00, 1.26)

Projected Starters

C: Wilson Ramos (.267/.334/.445)

1B: Adam LaRoche (.172/.288/.258)

2B: Danny Espinosa (.236/.323/.414)

3B: Ryan Zimmerman (.289/.355/.443)

SS: Ian Desmond (.253/.298/.358)

LF: Michael Morse (.303/.360/.550)

CF: Roger Bernadina (.243/.301/.362)

RF: Jayson Werth (.232/.330/.389)

Bullpen

Closer: Drew Storen (R) (6-3, 43 SV, 3 HLD, 5 BLSV, 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP)

Relief Pitcher: Tyler Clippard

Tyler Clippard (R) (3-0, 38 HLD, 7 BLSV, 1.83, 0.84)

Brad Lidge (R) (0-2, 1 SV, 8 HLD, 1.40, 1.50)

Sean Burnett (L) (5-5, 4 SV, 15 HLD, 6 BLSV, 3.81, 1.32)

Henry Rodriguez (R) (3-3, 2 SV, 10 HLD, 3 BLSV, 3.56, 1.51)

Tom Gorzelanny (L) (4-6, 4 HLD, 1 BLSV, 4.03, 1.29)

Ryan Perry (R) (2-0, 4 HLD, 1 BLSV, 5.35, 1.62)

Ryan Mattheus (R) (2-2, 8 HLD, 2.81, 1.28)

Craig Stammen (R) (1-1, 1 HLD, 0.87, 0.68)

Atahualpa Severino (L) (1-0, 1 HLD, 3.86, 1.29)

Team Strengths:

The Starting rotation should be one of the strengths of the 2012 Washington Nationals. They get back their ace Stephen Strasburg who only started five games in the 2011 season after having Tommy John surgery in the 2010 season. Strasburg seems to be on the right track, “I felt good. My arm felt strong ... I think the big thing was going out and trying to pound the zone. Obviously, it has been a while throwing off-speed [pitches] to hitters and stuff. The biggest thing that I noticed was that it was very easy for me to go out there. Even in the third inning, I felt I could have gone a few more innings” after pitching in Spring Training (MLB.com). After Strasburg the team has tremendous depth. The aforementioned Gio Gonzalez should be the second starter giving the Nationals an impressive top of the rotation. Following Gonzalez will be either young, hard throwing Jordan Zimmerman or Edwin Jackson. The fifth and final spot in the rotation is still undecided. To show the depth of the rotation the fifth starter will either be John Lannan, last year’s number two, or Chien-Ming Wang, who is a former 19 game winner. Although the starting rotation should be the Nationals biggest asset, they do posses other strengths. The Nationals have plenty of power in the middle of their lineup with Sluggers like: Ryan Zimmermann, Danny Espinosa, Michael Morse, and Jayson Werth. The Nationals also have a young but reliable closer, Drew Storen, who had an impressive 43 saves last year.

Team Weaknesses:

Although the Nationals have depth throughout their team they do have some weaknesses. Probably the most glaring weakness is not directly associated with a player or position but instead with the whole team. The Nationals are young and to some extent an inexperienced team. With the risen expectations this year, it is difficult to know how the young players will react to the now apparent pressure. Besides being a young team, there is only one other weakness. The Nationals sluggers may find it hard knocking runs in when there are no runners on base. Last year only Michael Morse had a batting average above 300 and no player had an on base percentage of over 400. They must find a way to get runners on base for Zimmerman, Werth, and Morse.

Predictions:

Although the Nationals play in an extremely difficult division, it is hard to dismiss them as being a contender. The Nationals will overcome their inexperience and finish this year with a record of 97-65 winning the NL East. The Nationals will enter the postseason but will quickly be ousted from the playoffs in the first round. Also Bryce Harper, the National’s prized prospect, will have an impact on the team this year.

Chase Utley Injury

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1111357-philadelphia-phillies-chase-utleys-knee-injury-forces-him-to-leave-camp
Guess what Phillie's fans. I have surprising news for you. Your beloved second baseman is once again hurt. After looking to be on track with his rehab, it now seems Chase Utley will miss the beginning of the 2012 Season because of the chronic tendinitis in his knees. Phillies fans have to be concerned about this news. The Phillies were banking on Utley as a run producer in the middle of what now looks to be a soft hitting lineup. This news has to be devastating to Ruben Amaro as now he has lost two of his sluggers for the a portion of the season, Utley and first baseman Ryan Howard. This injury continues the trend of Utley missing time during the baseball season. Last year he missed 59 games. In 2010 he missed 48 games. Utley because of his injuries has fallen off the pace of other elite second baseman like Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia. At oen time Utley was considered by many as the best second baseman in the Major Leagues and on his way to becoming an elite player. Now their are many people who question whether Utley ever come close to his once obvious potential. Only time will tell.

Babe Ruth Jersey

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Al8rcDrUyki3LSwmbFCh_PMRvLYF?slug=sh-henson_babe_ruth_1920_jersey_auction_022612
I found this article while searching on yahoo.com. The article reveals the finding of a Bath Ruth number 3 game worn jersey that was determined to be made circa 1920. According to the article experts were able to determnie that the jersey was made circa 1920 because the Y in "New York" on the jersey was embroidered on the double-thick button placket. The article, which was written by Steve Henson, goes on to discuss other vauable sports memorabilia and the career and curse of the "Great Bambino". According to Steve Henson the Babe Ruth circa 1920 jersey should go for over 1.3 million dollars. Although I understand that selling of sports memorabilia is a popular pratice and that there are fans willing to spend exorbinant amounts of money to buy there idols apparel, in my opinion there is no way a jersey is worth over 1.3 million dollars. Do not get me wrong, I am a big Yankees fan and understand the passion fans have for their favortie teams, but I think the buying of sports memorabilia is becoming a little ridiculous.

Pure Heart by William Nack: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1005832/index.htm

I decided to write about William Nack's article on Secretariat titled, Pure Heart. Nack's article highlights the quest to win the Triple Crown of horse racing and the impressive resume of the great horse, Secretariat. Through his personal examples and stories, Nack beautifully portrays the life and greatness of arguably the best race horse ever. Throughout the article Nack seems to put his heart into depicting the story of Secretariat truly proving Nack’s pure love for the horse.

Pure Heart was a special piece because of Nack's obsession with and devotion to the career of Secretariat. Nack says in the article that he always had a love for horse racing. Nack's love for horse racing was shown throughout the article with his commitment to following what he thought; he turned out to be right, record breaking career of his favorite horse. Secretariat was a little known two year old colt that had unimaginable potential when Nack first saw him. After Nack saw him run for the first time he became instantly fascinated with the impressive animal. From that point on Nack would follow Secretariat around and record what he observed and found interesting.  Nack would wake up early and immediately go to Secretariats stall to observe the multiple aspects of the horse. Every move Secretariat made seemingly interested Nack. Nack's love of the horse led him to have a special connection with the horse. Aside from a man named Sweat, who spent nearly the whole day taking care of the horse, no one knew the horse better than Nack. Nack truly treasured every characteristic of Secretariat.

One of Nack's stories particularly interested me. Nack, one certain day, was in Secretariats stall and was writing on his notebook. Secretariat proceeded to grab the notebook from Nack's hand. Secretariat kept the notebook in his mouth and then dropped in on a bed of straw only after Sweat urged him to drop the book. I found it amazing that a horse could have the mental capability to realize that Nack, who he saw almost every day, was using that notebook to write notes down about him. Secretariat purposely took the book from Nack’s grasps and playfully kept it away from him. Secretariat's actions sparked laughter and intrigue throughout the stall and further added to his legend. Nack's story proves that Secretariat was a special horse not only because he won the Triple Crown and set multiple records but also because he had a personality and mind of his own.

I gathered many things from Nack's article. Before I even read the article I already knew about the legend of Secretariat and his remarkable resume: the Triple Crown and numerous records. Reading the first page, I thought to myself that the article would be a nice tribute to the greatness of the horse. I was completely mistaken. Yes, Nack highlighted the success Secretariat had but he also gave the back stories such as the training and personality of the horse. Nack made his story special because he gave credibility to himself by discussing true stories he came upon through his dedication of studying the horse. I truly admire the passion Nack had for following what he loved. In reading Pure Heart it is obvious that Nack wanted to convey his love for Secretariat and I believe he successfully did that. The way Nack described the unfortunate death of the horse was masterful and made it apparent Secretariat would always have a special place in Nack’s heart.  I believe William Nack's article Pure Heart was a genuine and heartfelt interpretation of the great horse Secretariat.

The long and exhilarating NFL season has finally come to an end. The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl 46. Eli Manning won the MVP with clutch plays like the pass on the game winning drive to Mario Manningham and setting a new Super Bowl record for consecutive completed passes to start the Super Bowl, 9. The Giants won their 4th Super Bowl by keeping the game close and handing the ball to the confident, cluth Eli Manning. Eli once again led the Giants on a Super Bowl winning drive in the final minute. The drive was highlighted by a 38 yard catch, Manning to Manningham. Ahmad Bradshaw finished the drive with a rushing touchdown. The drive left the Patriots with just 57 seconds. Brady heaved a desperation pass in the final seconds but it was knocked down in the end zone. I believe there are two intriguing questions that come from Super Bowl 46. Is Eli Manning now a hall of famer and has Tom Brady's leagacy diminshed? Let me answer both questions first, YES! Eli has put together an impressive resume with two Super Bowl wins, two Super Bowl MVPs, a NFL record 5 playoff road wins, a near 5,000 yard season, and many others. With Manning's truimph, Brady's legacy has taken a hit. Brady is now 2-4 in his last 6 playoffs games and now has lost 2 straight Super Bowls to the Giants. Overall, the NFL season was a success considering no one was sure we were even going to see games this year.

The day has finally come. The super bowl, arguably the most popular sporting event, will happen in about 30 minutes. After two weeks of preparation and seemingly never ending analysis, the players are ready to take the field in what should be a fascinating super bowl. Super Bowl 46 is a rematch of the Super Bowl 42 where the Giants defeated the Patriots 17-14. The Giants, through a final second drive by Eli Manning and the helmet of David Tyree, were able to conquer the impressive and intimidating 18-0 New England Patriots. If the upcoming game is anything like the previous Super Bowl fans should and will be happy. I believe the most important aspect of the game is the Giants pass rush vs the Patriots offensive line. If the Giants are able to get pressure on Tom Brady then they will most likely win the game. If the Patriots offensive line can protect Brady then the Patriots will most likely win. In the end, I believe the Giants will prevail and defeat the Patriots 31-17. The MVP will be Victor Cruz.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4716487/obrien-keeps-focus-on-super-bowl
This story, from todays as expected abnormal media day, is not about the game or a specific player. No this article is about the Patriots offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien. O’Brien, who has led the Patriots offense to another elite season, recently took over the heading coaching position at Penn State University. As almost every sports fan knows, Penn State is still recovering from the child abuse scandal involving the late, great Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky. O'Brien received many questions about his new job and whether it would distract him in his preparation for the Super Bowl. O'Brien vehemently denied that he would be distracted by any aspect of his new coaching position. Although I believe O’Brien will put together a solid game plan for Sunday’s showdown, it is tough to think that he will be completely focused on the Patriots business. Many people from Penn State have argued about the hiring of Bill O’Brien because he is not one of “them”. That has to be in the back of his mind as he prepares for the aggressive Giants defense. Not only could O’Brien be diverted by the controversy over his hiring but also by national signing day on Wednesday. National signing day is a vital day for a football program. I think it will be difficult for O’Brien to be completely focused on his game plan while top athletes may or may not be signing to play for him. The Patriots better home that O’Brien can put all of the disruptions aside and focus on the game, otherwise it could be a long day in Patriot land.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/giants/post/_/id/10901/video-jpps-biggest-fan. http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/7518232/2012-nfl-playoffs-victor-cruz-mother-never-gave-now-heading-super-bowl.
I came across two interesting pieces on two of the most important players for the Giants, Jason Pierre-Paul and Victor Cruz. Both of these players were surprises throughtout the year as their high level of play was not expected before the year. Jason Pierre Paul, better known as JPP, led the Giant's ferocious pass rush with 16 1/2 sacks along with making countless big plays. Victor Cruz has had fans chanting Cruzzz all year with his spectacular plays. Cruz finished 3rd in the league in reception yards with a season changing 99 yard touchdown reception against the Jets. The video on JPP is about his relationship with his father. Jason's dad became completely blind when Jason was only 8 monthes old. JPP's dad has never seen him play but always listens to his son's games. The upcoming Super Bowl will the first time Jason's father will attend a football game. Look for JPP to have a huge game for his dad. The article on Cruz discusses how he transformed from a immature college kid to an NFL superstar. Throughout Victor's life there had been one consistent force, his mother. Victor's mother refused to give up on her son even though he had many problems in college. Cruz became so enamored with the "college life" he forgot about his priorities. With help from college advisors and his mom, Cruz was able to get back on track and persevere to become one of the brightest young wide receivers in the NFL. Both JPP and Cruzzz will play a crucial role in Super Bowl XLVI.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/lists/Super-Bowl-best-games-New-York-Giants-New-England-Patriots-012212#photo-title=Ranking%20all%2045%20Super%20Bowls&photo=30593358
I found this article on foxsports.com and it immediately interested me. The article ranks the top Super Bowls, 45 to 1. I supported the criteria fox used to pick the Super Bowls and the way they ranked the Super Bowls. Fox based their ranking on three different categories: competiveness of the game, overall quality of the game, and historical signficance. Those three categories were the correct way to determine the best Super Bowls. I am proud to say that the top Super Bowl, not surprisingly, was Super Bowl XLII where the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots, 17-14. The game scored the highest in each category, 5 in each. This article appealed to me because as a Giants fan the article gave the Giants plenty of credit and accolades. The three Super Bowls the Giants won were ranked 1, 3, and 18.The article allows fans to reminisce about the greatness of previous Super Bowls and gets them excitied for the Super Bowls to come. I suggest this article to any person that is a football fan as it is from a credible source and gets you ready for the upcoming Super Bowl which should be an exciting rematch.

About Me:

I am Charlie Battis. I am currently a Freshman at Monmouth University. I play baseball at Monmouth University and in the summer for the Trenton Generals. Playing and watching sports have always been part of my life. Recently I have become interested in not only watching sports but also writing about my beliefs on certain sports topics. I have created this blog because I want to reveal to others my thoughts on what I think are valid points on various sports topics.