Willie Harris News

The Colorado Rockies have been on a tear since firing former manager Clint Hurdle.

"Which one?" - Manny Acta, in response to the question "How bad did Guzman's error hurt?" in the post-game conference, July 7, 2009... Good, Bad & Ugly: Errors Doom Nationals in Loss to Rockies, 5-4 by Dave Nichols 24 reads "Which one?" - Manny Acta, in response to the question "How bad did Guzman's error hurt?" in the post-game conference, July 7, ...

This is another devastating reminder that no groundball is routine.A They should never be taken for granted.A Each and every one carries a degree of danger with it, and you should always make sure you've taken every precaution to protect your future.

A three-error night cost the Nationals as they lost their second straight, 5-4, on Tuesday at Coors Field in front of 25,314. Surprisingly, manager Manny Acta didn't blame the defense.

Just because you've slipped behind in the Stolen Base category doesn't mean you can't catch up.

John Lannan took a four-hitter into the eighth inning, Adam Dunn hit a colossal home run, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

After the Nationals acquired center fielder Nyjer Morgan from the Pirates on Tuesday, Willie Harris knew he would no longer be the everyday center fielder.

He sped through his warmup faster than planned. His phone was overflowing with 71 text messages.

Willie Harris takes pride in being something of a baseball pest. "I'm the type of guy who likes to create havoc -- to be in the middle of the mess, if I can say that," the Nationals center fielder said Monday.

Scott Olsen gave the Nationals what they wanted to see in his first outing back from the disabled list.

BALTIMORE, June 28 -- With his first at-bat still 2 1/2 hours away, Willie Harris sat down in front of a laptop Sunday morning and searched for a way -- even a fractional one -- to boost his odds. For 10 minutes in the visitors' clubhouse, he watched video footage of Baltimore's rookie starter, David Hernandez.

Maybe the visual study would help, Harris said. Maybe not. Oftentimes, preparation yields no immediate payoff. Baseball has too many coin-flip variables to obey any grand design.

Still, every so often, the odds tilt just right -- as they did Sunday afternoon in the Washington Nationals' 5-3 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards. A new lineup begat a new leadoff hitter in Harris, whose patient hitting approach begat a 3-for-4 day that included a walk, a stolen base and a homer.

John Lannan took a four-hitter into the eighth inning, Adam Dunn hit a colossal home run, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

The Nationals continue to have problems with runners in scoring position, and it proved costly in a 6-3 loss to the Orioles in front of 39,633 at Camden Yards on Saturday night.

Baltimore's Brad Bergesen didn't have his best stuff the first time he played the Washington Nationals.

Farrah Fawcett had the poster that was on walls everywhere. Michael Jackson was fronting "The Jacksons" -- as the band started off on its own a year after leaving Motown.

John Smoltz #29 of the Boston Red Sox poses during photo day at the Red Sox spring training complex on February 22, 2009 in Fort Myers, Florida.

Willie Harris of the Washington Nationals is safe after diving back for first base against David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox during the third inning at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, June 24, 2009.

Posted by Christine E. at 6:15 pm in Baseball , Random Thoughts , Red Sox Holy Buckets! Good thing I have TiVo, because Nick Green's stunning defensive play in the 3rd inning deserved a 2nd look.

If the sold-out crowd stuck around to the very end in last night's series opener, they saw the same-old Nationals by game's end.

Willie Harris didn't become a regular in the Washington Nationals' lineup last season until June 23, when his batting average stood at .161. From that point on, he hit .279, belted 10 homers and became the Nationals' most consistent offensive performer.