The Worst of the All Stars

Photo: billsoPHOTO via Flickr 

What is the point of the Pro Bowl? It is nowhere near as cool as the NBA All Star Game, the MLB All-Star Game, or the NHL All-Star Game. In fact, all three of those All-Star events last an entire weekend and are fun to watch. The NFL All-Star weekend...is just plain boring.

Players show up a week before the game, learn a few plays, and then get one to three series in the game, and go home. No fun skills tests, no interesting plot twists, nothing. How is that different from any other NFL game week?

Simply put, it in Hawaii. That is the only thing that separates the Pro Bowl week from any other average NFL work week; it's location.

The best NFL players don't even participate. Why? Because they are playing in the league championship game the very next weekend. Think about it. We're missing Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco, Colin Kaepernick, and Frank Gore...just to name a few. What's an All-Star event without the All-Stars?

What's at stake? In the MLB, the winning league gets home field advantage for the World Series. For the NBA and NHL, it's bragging rights. In the NFL..."we're all winners". Again, whats the point?

In the NBA, there's the Slam Dunk Contest. In the NHL, there's the Best Trick Contest. In the MLB, there's the Home Run Derby. What marquee skills test makes the NFL All-Star festivities awesome? Nothing.

It's time to do away with the NFL Pro Bowl. It is simply another chance for players to get hurt and all they get is some cash and sweet new jersey to hang in their house. Possibly a trophy if they play well enough.

There is one simple way to keep the NFL All-Star weekend. Add to it! Make it cool! Add a skills competition. A punt, pass, and kick type thing. Play some flag football with some retired players like Prime Time and Montana. Don't just have all these fans go to Hawaii for one week of practice and a meaningless football game.

Each year, the Pro Bowl becomes less popular and the laughing stock of the major American-sport All-Star events.

Nats Have Their Fix At Closer

Tyler Clippard, above, has recorded 8 saves for the Nationals. (Photo: yimg.com) 

The days of Henry Rodriguez blowing a save in the ninth inning are long gone thanks to Tyler Clippard.

Ever since the all-star reliever turned closer he has been lights out for the Nationals. Clippard has recorded eight saves this season with just one blown save. His lone blown save came back in April in a 2-1 loss against the San Diego Padres.

Since May 22nd, the day Clippard recorded his first save of the season, he has been absolutely deadly for the Nationals. Clippard, himself, saved all three games of the Nationals series against the Red Sox. A series in which they swept the AL East giant.

In nine appearances since May 22nd, Clippard has recorded eight saves and has given up just one hit and has walked just three of the 21 batters that he has faced. His ERA has steadily decreased from 3.15 to just 2.30. He has a WHIP (walks/hits per innings pitched) average of .99 and has struck out nine batters.

Does this come as a surprise to anybody? Even with Drew Storen in the mix, Clippard is by far the best pitcher that the Nationals have in their bullpen. After all, he was an All-Star.

What's not to love about the long-haired, glasses wearing, 27 year old from Lexington, Kentucky? He's got great stuff that is virtually unhittable. He can come in in any situation and get the job done.

June 8th against the Red Sox the Nationals decided to go with Brad Lidge instead of Clippard in the ninth inning. Following a walk and one-out RBI double off the Green Monster, Clippard came in and got the remaining two batters to fly out to end the game and pick up his sixth save.

Tyler Clippard is the guy that the Nationals should have had in the ninth from the beginning of the season. The best part is, as the season goes on, Clippard's numbers just get better and better. Let's break this down by the month...shall we?

In the month of April, Clippard pitched a total of ten innings. He gave up 11 hits, six runs, and had a monthly pitch count of 216. He had 1-2 record with a blown save and five holds. He had an ERA of 5.40 when the month ended.

He improved dramatically in the month of May. He pitched 11.2 innings and gave up just three hits and two runs (only one run was earned). He struck out 15 batters and had a pitch count of just 167. He recorded five holds and three saves and finished with a monthly ERA of just .77.

He has gotten off to a hot start in the month of June. In 5.2 innings pitched, he has given up one hit and no runs. He has struck out three batters and has a pitch count of 88 (in his save against the Red Sox on June 10th, it took him 25 pitches to record the save). He has five saves so far this month and an ERA of 0.00.

The Nationals have finally found the closer they have been looking for since Chad Cordero left. Little did they know they already had him in the form of Tyler Clippard. Clippard has been getting stronger and stronger as the season progresses. If he keeps up his current performances, his name might be thrown around for the all-star game, as well.

The Nationals have a completed pitching staff. They can get 6-7 innings out of each of their starters on a daily basis. They have quality relievers that can come in during the 7th and 8th innings to hold the lead and then have sensational closers that can finish the deal in the 9th.

While a number of their pitchers are young, they certainly don't show their youthfulness on the mound. The Nationals pitching staff is fast becoming the best in the MLB. If they can keep this up, there will be a lot to celebrate come October.

For Harper, Only One Thing Left

Michael Morse, 38, gives Bryce Harper a Gatorade bath following his walk-off single. (Photo: cbsimg.net)

First career major league at bat: check. First career major league hit: check. First career major league RBI: check. First career major league home run: check. First career major league walk-off: check. First career All-Star game:.....

Ever since Bryce Harper entered the major leagues back in April, he has been one of the Nationals most electric players. His love for the game has been apparent since he first hit the on-deck circle in L.A.

His constant effort has been contagious throughout the Nationals clubhouse. For him, a should be ground-out turns into an infield single. A bloop single into left can easily become a bloop double.

When Harper leaves the batters box after making contact, he's already thinking about rounding first and heading for second. He's running so fast that usually his helmet is long behind him by the time he gets to first base. He plays with the kind of enthusiasm that has been long forgotten in professional sports.

His play in the outfield has been outstanding. Just because a batter hit a flyout to the warning track with a man on third does not mean that he hit an RBI sac fly. Harper's got an absolute cannon and when he throws, he uses his whole body to put maximum velocity on the ball.

The bloop single is never a sure thing when hit into right field. Harper has flown in seemingly out of nowhere a number of times this season to catch a ball that would normally drop in front of any other outfielder.

Simply put, he makes the team better on the field.

How about off the field?

Long forgotten of the days of Harper's immature tweets. He no longer blows a kiss at the pitcher while rounding third base after hitting a home run. Quite the opposite, really. Harper doesn't take his time after hitting a home run. He hustles around the bases, scores the home run, and heads back to the dugout.

He doesn't make snide remarks to the media about a stupid question or brag after a game in which he made an incredible play. He acknowledges his performance, commends his team on the teams win, and continues on his merry way. Never will you catch him pointing the finger at another teammate following a loss. He's grown up off the field.

On the field, he's that kid you see playing little league ball that is having a great time simply because he's getting the chance to play baseball. He's the professional athlete role model that parents dream about (with the exception of not going to college).

Bryce Harper has pretty much done it all. First major league hit, RBI, home run, and now walk-off. He hustles through every play and is a stand-up guy off the field. He's got the make of a superstar role model for this league. He doesn't take steroids. He is a legitimate superstar in the world of professional sports.

Up to this point in his rookie year, he has done just about everything and he has proven that his attitude has improved dramatically.

For Bryce Harper, there's only one thing left on his rookie year check list. Come on Major League Baseball fans and voters, send the kid to the All-Star game.

Nationals Have All-Stars

Via the teams Twitter page yesterday morning, the Hagerstown Suns, the Nationals Class A affiliate, announced that four of their players are heading to the Minor League All-Star game.

Third baseman Matt Skole, outfielder Caleb Ramsey, catcher Adrian Nieto, and right hander Aaron Barrett were all selected. Suns Manager Brian Daubach was selected as a coach for the Northern Division, as well.

Skole, a 2011 fifth round draft pick, is batting .294 this season with 12 home runs and 53 RBI. He has also stolen four bases. He has hit 11 doubles and has been walked 51 times this season. He has a slugging percentage of .545.

Ramsey, a 2011 eleventh round draft pick, is batting .299 with five home runs and 32 RBI. He has successfully stolen a base 7 times. He has hit four doubles, four triples, and has reached base on balls 20 times in 184 at bats.

Nieto, a 2008 fifth round draft pick, is batting .261 with four home runs and 25 RBI. He has eight doubles with an on base percentage of .333. He also has a slugging percentage of .406.

Barrett, a 2010 ninth round draft pick, has been an exceptional closer for the Suns this season. He has a 3-1 record to go along with six saves. His era is at 3.05 and he has given up just 15 hits over 20.2 innings. He has walked just eight batters and has struckout 33. Teams are batting just .203 against him.

The Suns sit in second place of the South Atlantic League Northern division. They are 6.5 games back of the Greensboro Grasshoppers who are an affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

This is just another testament to the quality of the Nationals farm system. This is just another season in which they have sent minor leaguers to their respective all-star games. Another notable minor leaguer that went the minor league all-star game was Bryce Harper.

Harper, Gonzalez Earn MLB Honors

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez and outfielder Bryce Harper earned All-MLB honors due to their performance last month.

Throughout the month of May, Gonzalez was dominant. He went 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA with an NL best 45 strikeouts. Gonzalez is the second Nationals pitcher to win the award after Strasburg won for the month of April.

Bryce Harper was named NL Rookie of the Month for the month of May. In 107 at-bats, Harper batted .271 with four home runs and ten RBI.

Both players can this to their already impressive All-Star resumes. Following May, Gonzalez and Harper should both be seriously considered for the All-Star game.