Byron Kerr

Strasburg lights out against Gwinnett

May 07, 2010, 8:19pm

Syracuse Chiefs starter Stephen Strasburg rolled past the Gwinnett Braves in his Triple-A debut from a sold out Alliance Bank Stadium. Strasburg continued to hit 96-99 miles per hour on his fastball, a drop off the table curve ball and an assortment of off-speed stuff that confused the G-Braves hitters. Strasburg also added 2 RBI as Syracuse led 3-0 when he left the game. He had run scoring single in the 2nd inning and a perfect bunt in the 4th that scored the 3rd Chiefs run. His line was...

Tags:

Strasburg ready for next step in Syracuse

May 07, 2010, 12:09pm

Nationals

Strasburg ready for next step in Syracuse

The next step in Stephen Strasburg's seemingly meteoric rise is Syracuse as he gets a chance to see what he can do at the Triple-A level. Jason Benetti, play-by-play announcer for the Chiefs, sat down with Strasburg as he arrived in Syracuse and asked him how his life has changed since being selected as the #1 overall selection. "Oh, obviously there are a lot more people watching me," Strasburg said. "I never knew this would happen so fast. I am learning along the way." What did Tony...

Tags:

byron kerr jason benetti nationals stephen strasburg

Game 3 preview vs. Braves: Nieves on Olsen's hot start

May 06, 2010, 10:31am

Nationals

Game 3 preview vs. Braves: Nieves on Olsen's hot start

Nats left-hander Scott Olsen gets the start tonight against the Braves' veteran Tim Hudson as the Nats look for their fifth series win of the season. Olsen, coming off a lights out performance in the win over Florida last Friday night, is 7-1. He tossed six innings and allowed five hits and no earned runs, while striking out four and walking three. He has a current 13-inning scorelesss streak. Catcher Wil Nieves likes what he has seen so far from Olsen: "He has been attacking the strike...

Tags:

byron kerr deangelo hall nationals scott olsen tim hudson wil nieves

Going for the win in the 10th

May 05, 2010, 7:39pm

Nationals

Braves closer Billy Wagner, from nearby Crozet, Virginia, came on in the 10th inning with the lead and was able to stop the Nats rally. Wagner allowed a single by Cristian Guzman and it looked like the Nats would have a chance to tie or win the game. But Wagner retired the next three batters to notch only his third save of the season. Ian Desmond was next and was not asked to bunt with a man on first and no outs. Manager Jim Riggleman wanted to go for the win with the bullpen getting heavy...

Tags:

billy wagner byron kerr ian desmond jim riggleman nationals wil nieves frontstory_nationals2

Chambers dispels Nats job rumor

May 05, 2010, 1:07pm

Nationals

College of Southern Nevada baseball coach Tim Chambers told me that he has "absolutely not" been offered a job with the Nats. Tim said he called the Nats Assistant General Manager Roy Clark last night and they joked about how the media frenzy with him and the interest in his player, Bryce Harper, most likely fueled this type of speculation. "I was a 'bird-dog' while Roy was with the Atlanta Braves. As a matter of fact, when Clark left the Braves, the team sent me a letter that I was no...

Tags:

byron kerr nationals tim chambers

Game 2 Braves preview: Atilano riding sinker to Big Leagues

May 05, 2010, 9:23am

Nationals

Game 2 Braves preview: Atilano riding sinker to Big Leagues

Nats starter Luis Atilano learned his best pitch the sinker from the Nats organization. He will prominently display that pitch again tonight as he takes on the Atlanta Braves in his 3rd overall start and 2nd at home. I asked Luis what he felt about his 2-0 start: "I feel happy about it. I am keeping my focus from day to day. I am trying to get quick outs during my starts." "I am working pitch by pitch. I am not trying to do too much. A lot of times I am behind in the count. But that...

Tags:

byron kerr greg booker luis atilano nationals trent jewett

Desmond calls on Double-A coach to refine hitting

May 04, 2010, 6:57pm

Nationals

Desmond calls on Double-A coach to refine hitting

Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond went 2-4 with a home run, a single, 2 RBI and a run scored in the Nats 6-3 win over the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night at Nats Park. Desmond is batting .338 with 2 doubles and 5 RBI in last 6 games. His homer was number two on the season and came off Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami in the fifth inning. "He just threw me a slider. I was able to stay through it and get enough of it to get it out of the park. I was looking for it. He gave it to me. That's...

Tags:

byron kerr ian desmond nationals troy gingrich

Chambers insists Harper "very coachable"

May 04, 2010, 5:03pm

Nationals

Chambers insists Harper "very coachable"

College of Southern Nevada enters the final week of the regular season riding an eight game winning streak and a 42-10 overall record. The Coyotes are 29-7 in conference play, guaranteeing their 6th Scenic West conference regular season championship. They have two games remaining on their schedule at Salt Lake Community College, Friday and Saturday before the post season starts May 12th. Potential #1 overall selection Bryce Harper continues to lead the team with 21 HRs, .417 batting average...

Tags:

bryce harper byron kerr nationals tim chambers

Strasburg versus Reds in June?

May 04, 2010, 10:24am

Nationals

With the team announcement that Nationals number one overall selection Stephen Strasburg is moving on to the Syracuse Chiefs, I project the possible May starts for #37, and if all goes well, his first major league baseball start would be in early June for the home series against the Cincinnati Reds. Jim Callis, Executive Editor of Baseball America told me it makes sense for the Nats to have Strasburg in Harrisburg for a month, Syracuse for a month, then bring him up for 100 innings before...

Tags:

aroldis chapman byron kerr nationals stephen strasburg frontstory_nationals2

New Perspective: Watching Strasburg on the Road

May 03, 2010, 4:25pm

Nationals

New Perspective: Watching Strasburg on the Road

I wanted to relay my experiences from my visit last week to Reading, Pennsylvania to watch Stephen Strasburg's start. Strasburg did very well in that game, going five innings, allowing no hits and retiring the first 13 batters he faced. Unlike Sunday's start in Harrisburg, Strasburg was in control from the start and even contributed the game winning base hit. It is always fun to watch opposing team's reactions to Strasburg, especially the fans, who booed Strasburg as he ran slowly to...

Tags:

byron kerr nationals stephen strasburg

Matt Chico adds new pitch, gets win for Harrisburg

May 01, 2010, 1:01pm

Nationals

Matt Chico adds new pitch, gets win for Harrisburg

Senators pitcher Matt Chico continues to work hard to get back to the Major Leagues and had a very good outing this week for Harrisburg at Reading, his first win of the season. I caught up with Matt this week and he talked about the conditions of his start and his new pitch, the two seam fastball. "I had no problems in the 40 degree weather. It is cold but you are warm. "It wasn't bad. It was one of those games where I like the result but I didn't feel good. One of those nights I had...

Tags:

adam carr byron kerr harrisburg senators matt chico nationals spin williams frontstory_nationals1

Exclusive: One-on-One with Bryce Harper

April 29, 2010, 8:15pm

Nationals

With the June First-Year Player Draft now less than a month and a half away, I got another opportunity to speak with 17-year-old catcher phenom Bryce Harper as his season with the College of Southern Nevada heads toward postseason play. Harper leads the Coyotes in several offensive categories including batting average (.410), hits (64), doubles (14), home runs (21), RBIs (59), total bases (143) and slugging percentage (.917) in 47 games. CSN is 38-10 and 25-7 in conference play. We touched...

Tags:

bryce harper byron kerr nationals frontstory_nationals1

Bryce Harper's Coach: "He is a good all around kid"

April 29, 2010, 10:02am

Nationals

Bryce Harper's Coach: "He is a good all around kid"

A recent Baseball Prospectus article had some disparaging opinions regarding the makeup of 17-year-old phenom Bryce Harper. Kevin Goldstein wrote the article, "Future Shock: Bryce Harper" (April 22, 2010) on Harper as a player: "One scout called him among the worst amateur players he's ever seen from a makeup standpoint, with top-of-the-scale arrogance, a disturbingly large sense of entitlement, and on-field behavior that includes taunting opponents. He's just a bad, bad guy," said one...

Tags:

baseball prospectus bryce harper byron kerr nationals tim chambers

Strasburg: Rewind

April 28, 2010, 6:49pm

Nationals

Fresh off a series victory for the Nats over the Cubs, the Harrisburg Senators completed a three game sweep at Reading 5-2. Matt Chico went five innings and allowed a hit and an unearned run to earn his first victory of the season. The Senators have won five in a row. Tuesday night, Stephen Strasburg no-hit the R-Phillies for five innings with no runs, no walks and striking out six. Thirteen batters in a row were unable to reach base for the Phillies. Afterwards, Strasburg answered...

Tags:

byron kerr matt chico nationals stephen strasburg frontstory_nationals1

Strasburg no hits R-Phillies in chilly Reading

April 27, 2010, 5:31pm

Nationals

Strasburg no hits R-Phillies in chilly Reading

READING, PA ---- Righthander Stephen Strasburg pitched 5 innings of shutout no-hit ball, retiring the first 13 batters he faced, for his 3rd win of the season as Harrisburg defeated Reading 1-0 before an announced 4,156 at chilly FirstEnergy Stadium. Strasburg threw 64 pitches, 42 for strikes, allowing no runs, no hits, no walks and striking out 6 batters. The game time temperature was 53 degrees, but a brisk wind made it feel like it was in the high 40s. Strasburg consistently hit in the...

Tags:

brad lidge byron kerr nationals randy tomlin stephen strasburg frontfeatured_nationals

Strasburg goes 5 strong innings at Reading

April 27, 2010, 3:18pm

Nationals

Strasburg goes 5 strong innings at Reading

HBURG 1 READ 0 END 5TH strasburg rbi single Reading Stavisky F7 deep left field best hit ball so far tonight Spidale K passed ball allows runner to get to 1st U6 at 2nd Pinckney FC OUT 6-4 at 2nd Nelson FC Strasburg 64 pitches / 42 strikes IP 5.0 R 0 ER 0 H0 BB 0 K 6 HARRISBURG 000 01 READING 000 00

Tags:

byron kerr nationals stephen strasburg

HBURG 0 READ 0 Strasburg Bottom 2nd

April 27, 2010, 2:37pm

Nationals

Reading Gillies CF struck out looking but saw 7 pitches Galvis SS 4-3 2 pitches Brown RF 4-3 3 p Stavisky 1B 4-3 Spidale LF 6-3 Pinckney 3B K Nelson C Chavez 2B Cisco P Strasburg IP 2.0 R 0 ER 0 H 0 BB 0 K 2 Harrisburg 00 Reading 00 pitches 12+12=24 END OF 2 0-0

Tags:

byron kerr nationals stephen strasburg

Strasburg at Reading warming up

April 27, 2010, 2:24pm

Nationals

Stephen Strasburg warming up on a ridiculously chilly and windy Tuesday night, wind chill in the 40s here at FirstEnergy Stadium as Harrisburg takes on the Reading Phillies. I will give you quick updates throughout Game 1 as long as my computer and/or fingers dont freeze first.

Tags:

byron kerr nationals stephen strasburg

Cubs writers love Riggleman; Strasburg Update

April 27, 2010, 6:02am

Nationals

Cubs writers love Riggleman; Strasburg Update

As the Nats continue their series in Chicago, I spoke with Carrie Muskat, who covers the Cubs for MLB.com, she had some kind words when I asked her about Jim Riggleman's time at Wrigley Field: "Most of the writers will tell you that Riggs was one of our favorite managers at Wrigley during his time here. Riggleman was a very thoughtful and very smart baseball man. I wish him the best because he handled everything so well. What I saw with what he had to go through in San Diego when they...

Tags:

byron kerr jim riggleman nationals stephen strasburg

Off to see Strasburg in Reading (Take 2!)

April 25, 2010, 5:37am

Nationals

Off to see Strasburg in Reading (Take 2!)

Heading to Reading, Pennsylvania tonight to watch the Harrisburg Senators face off against the Reading Phillies after yesterday's game was rained out (again!). It will be the second road start for Stephen Strasburg and will be interesting to see how he does against a team he just faced in his most recent outing. There has been talk that this week and next might be Strasburg's final few starts in Double-A before a possible transfer to Triple-A and Syracuse, New York. Game time is 6:35pm. ...