Comprehensive coverage of Washington, D.C. sports by local writers
The Miami Marlins put on a derby against Dan Haren and the Washington Nationals Tuesday afternoon at Roger Dean Stadium – not in the least, Giancarlo Stanton, whose first inning shot landed well beyond the right field wall.
While the Nats’ bats – namely, Bryce Harper – helped Haren walk away with a no-decision, Ryan Mattheus did not step in for the loss until the seventh inning, with the game tied 5-5. [Read more...]
This week, District Sports Page will take a look at the players that should comprise the 2013 roster of the Washington Nationals. Following a record-setting season last year that saw the Nats finish first in the N.L. East and advance to the playoffs for the first time since the relocation, GM Mike Rizzo has tweaked the roster a bit and expectations have never been higher for the organization, which is expected to be a legitimate World Series contender this season.
On Monday we broke down Nationals’ starters and Tuesday we evaluated the bullpen. Today, we provide a glimpse at Davey Johnson’s outfield.
PROJECTED OPENING DAY OUTFIELD: LF – Bryce Harper, CF – Denard Span, RF – Jayson Werth; Bench: Roger Bernadina, Tyler Moore. First callups: Corey Brown, Eury Perez [Read more...]
Eight Washington Nationals were named to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) roster today, however, only two are on the 40-man roster. Danny Espinosa will represent Team Mexico and Roger Bernadina will represent Team Netherlands in March. Good luck Espi and Shark!
Roger Bernadina hustles to first and beats the throw from Chase Utley – Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals, July 31, 2012. (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Baltimore Orioles Adam Jones GIDP: Zim to Espi to LaRoche. Nick Markakis out at 2nd, May 20, 2012. (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Press Release:
Eight Nationals were named today to participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), which will be played in March 2013. Leading the way are second baseman Danny Espinosa and outfielder Roger Bernadina. Espinosa will play for Mexico while Bernadina will represent the Netherlands.
The WBC is the premier international baseball tournament, and features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories. More than 1.5 million fans from all over the world have attended the tournament games, held in March 2006 and 2009.
Complete list of Nationals participants:
• Roger Bernadina – Netherlands
• Robbie Cordemans* – Netherlands
• Danny Espinosa – Mexico
• Spencer Kieboom* – Netherlands
• Adrián Nieto* – Spain
• Randolph Oduber* – Netherlands
• Matthew Torra* – Italy
• James Van Ostrand* – Canada
Updated: Bernadina tweeted that his new number will be 33.
Shark new number for coming season it’s on 33!!Just alore to dance…
— roger bernadina (@RBtheshark) January 21, 2013
Washington Nationals newest outfielder Denard Span will wear number two on his new Nats jersey thanks to Roger Bernadina per Span’s Twitter account. Span has worn #2 for his entire career. No word as to Shark’s new number.
Roger aka the shark was very gracious in allowing me to wear it!
— Denard Span (@thisisdspan) January 8, 2013
Nationals traded pitching prospect Alex Meyer to the Minnesota Twins for Span in November.
Roger Bernadina will wear a new number in 2013 (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Updated 8/14/12: Roger Bernadina’s single in the 9th inning on Monday night in San Francisco, was the Nationals’ 21st hit of the game and established a new single-game mark for most hits in AT&T’s Park 1032 game history!
It may be “Shark Week” this week, however, Washington Nationals fans believe it is SHARK SEASON at Nationals Park in Washington, DC because of Outfielder Roger Bernadina!
Roger Bernadina (aka “Shark”) (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
If you’ve been to a Nats game and saw fans wearing shark fins on their heads or making a shark chomp motion with their arms when Bernadina steps up the plate and wondered what in the world was going on, now is the time to get up to speed.
Roger Bernadina’s (aka “Shark”) fans (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Roger Bernadina was nicknamed “The Shark” by Nationals fans Terry and Tyler almost two years ago because of the, “way he hunts down fly balls in the outfield like a Shark hunts his prey.” Roger loved it. It took a while, but even beat reporters started to call him The Shark. Terry and Tyler provide fun photos and lots of additional information on their Sharkadina blog. Check it out and get your shark hat before the playoffs!
The Shark chatting with his friends from Sharkadina.com at Nats Park (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
The Shark’s teammates have even gotten onboard with his nickname.
Ian Desmond making chomp motions for The Shark (Roger Bernadina) – Miami Marlins v. Washington Nationals, August 5, 2012 (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
After Bernadina recently made his amazing game ending catch in Houston, Michael Morse was caught on camera making the shark chomp motion with his arms and Ian Desmond tweeted.
Michael Morse making shark chomp motion (Screen capture cited in Washington Post)
In case you missed the catch, check out the video.
Enjoy Shark Week on Discovery Channel, but enjoy “The Shark” all season long at Nationals Park!
Nats “Rubber Chicken Man” is also a Shark Fan! (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Cheryl Nichols is a Columnist and Photographer for District Sports Page. She is credentialed to cover the Washington Capitals and has reported on the community service and fan events for Nats News Network and Caps News Network since 2006. Cheryl is an accomplished action photographer and has been published in The Washington Post and many other local media. She was a credentialed photographer for the 2010 season covering the Washington Nationals. You can follow her on Twitter @cnichols14.
Roger Bernadina has made some fantastic catches in his career with the Washington Nationals. This one might have topped them all.
With two out and two on in the bottom of the 12th inning, Brett Wallace drove a Tyler Clippard fastball to the deepest part of left center, toward the screen wall in front of the Nats bullpen, some 400 feet from home plate. Bernadina leaped at the last moment and, disappearing behind a column, snared the blast before crashing into the padded fence, securing the Nats 3-2 win over the Houston Astros in the process. [Read more...]
HAPPY 28th BIRTHDAY ROGER BERNADINA!
Washington Nationals OF Roger Bernadina was born on 06/12/1984 in Willemstad, Curacao.
Hope the injury from Monday night in Toronto doesn’t keep The Shark down for long. Happy Birthday #2!
Roger Bernadina (aka "The Shark") (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
The Shark chatting with his friends from Sharkadina.com (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Roger Bernadina's (aka "Shark") fans at spring training 2012 (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
The Washington Nationals on Sunday swept the Boston Red Sox with a 4-3 win, thanks to some late heroics by Roger Bernadina, who had a game-winning RBI double.
With the game tied at three at the start of the ninth inning, Bryce Harper – who was not in the starting lineup due to tightness in his back – was inserted as a pinch hitter in the frame and then made the most of his opportunity, drawing a walk to set up Bernadina’s big hit. [Read more...]
The Washington Nationals ended a three-game losing streak, avoiding a sweep by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the process, as Stephen Strasburg struck out 13 and the Nats pounded three home runs en route to a 4-2 victory before 15,381 at PNC Park.
Roger Bernadina and Adam LaRoche both homered in the sixth inning to give the Nats the lead, and Rick Ankiel added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. [Read more...]
Wins and losses in Spring Training don’t mean a whole lot. Some managers wish they didn’t keep track at all. But they do, and for baseball obsessed fans waiting for the real thing next month, glimmers of the game they’ve missed over the winter have to suffice.
Saturday afternoon, under beautiful Florida skies, the Washington Nationals got their Grapefruit League schedule underway, dropping a 3-1 game to the Houston Astros at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.
Edwin Jackson drew the first assignment for the Nats, and he pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks without a strikeout. Jackson was opposed by long-time Nats hurler Livan Hernandez, making his Astros debut. Livo allowed three hits, walking none, and struck out two in his two innings.
Jackson was followed by lefty Ross Detwiler, competing for the fifth spot in the Nats rotation. Detwiler struck out three in his two innings, but allowed two runs, both earned, on two hits and a walk. He gave up a two-run homer to Houston third baseman Chris Johnson that barely cleared the wall.
Non-roster invitee Chad Durbin pitched two scoreless, with a hit allowed and two Ks. Atahualpa Severino’s defense let him down in the seventh, with third baseman Carlos Rivero misplaying a ground ball that scored a runner from third, and Sean Burnett cleaned up in the eighth, striking out two and walking one, getting help from first baseman Tyler Moore on a nice play on a ground ball down the line for an out at first.
The Nationals got their run in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Roger Bernadina and Jesus Flores. Both players had two hits in the game, pacing the Nats offense.
Bryce Harper started in right field and went 1-for-3 with a single.
The Nats face the Astros again Sunday at 1:05 at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, FL. Stephen Strasburg takes the hill in his 2012 debut.
