When Bryce Harper spiked his helmet onto the ground after grounding into a double play in the ninth inning of last week’s 8-4 win over the Miami Marlins, first base umpire C.B. Bucknor tossed him. It was not only a first for the rookie in the major leagues but for the Nationals as well this season.
Before that game, the Nationals were the only team in baseball to have no ejections so far this season, according to local baseball historian David Vincent, who keeps tabs on things such as home runs and ejections. And even with Harper’s tossing, the Nationals still have the fewest ejections in the majors. The Seattle Mariners also have one ejection this year: Manager Eric Wedge was tossed on Aug. 7.
Last year, the Nationals had 10 ejections, including four by then-Manager Jim Riggleman was tossed four times. In 2010, the Nationals were tossed 18 times — a rare year in which even cool-headed players such as Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman were ejected. The year before that, the Nationals had only four ejections.
It seems that with winning, Nationals players have had little reason to get upset. And, according to Adam LaRoche, the team is made up of generally calm people.
“I don’t think we’ve had that long stretch of really frustrating losing, nothing is going right and getting [upset],” said LaRoche, who has been ejected only twice in his nine-year career; last in 2008. “I think that’s part of it. I guess we’ve got calm tempers.
Repoz
Posted: September 04, 2012 at 07:11 AM |
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1. jingoist Posted: September 04, 2012 at 08:52 AM (#4226012)Need more info to be impressed. How fat are you? What floor do you live on? Is your wife real or are you telling stories again?
We should be so lucky!
Watched it all on TV. A little tough to get to the ballpark in Anaheim living in the East. I didn't have too much money back then. Closest I've come is when the Phillies were in the series. I made a few bids, wasn't too enthusiastic about paying $500 for upper deck tickets, decided to watch on TV. I don't regret that one bit, considering the weather the year they played the Rays.
This one shows a solid command of English as well:
That's his full Native American name.
Nice.
Thanks for the update, McCoy. ****. I wish I was employed (so I could go buy some tickets). I pull for the Mets as my childhood favorite, but the Nats and the O's have my allegiance now that the Mets have faded. I bet a lot of DC area transplants feel similarly.
E-mail from a married friend of mine last night: "Ray, I am writing to you from an air mattress in my basement..."
The next line, unfortunately- "What are you wearing?"
Huh, do you plan on moving to the Bay area when SF and the A's reprise their 1989 meeting?
Regards,
Tim
Are you counting Expos? If not, it would be pretty hard for a team that started in 2005 to have one, as it would have to be a guy who just came to Washington in 2005 or 2006 to finish their careers. Neither Larkin nor Alomar did so.
Close, Squash. I happened to be watching this game. Harper gidp and he hustled (as always) down the line to try and beat the back end of a close play at first. As he crossed the bag, he slammed his helmet down in disgust and yelled, probably an expletive. He didn't look at the umpire or throw the helmet at Buckners feet, and it seemed pretty obvious that his anger was directed at himself and not the ump. But Buckner gave him the hook immediately. No reflection at all. It was a bad call and looked for all the world that Buckner wanted his pound of flesh from the most hyped prospect in the history of MLB. To his credit, Harper left the field as soon as his manager got to first, which was immediately. But the kid was angry and incredulous and I don't blame him. He got screwed.
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