Washington Post Sports Columnist <strong>Tom Boswell</strong> answered your questions about the Redskins, the Capitals, the Nationals, the rest of D.C. sports and more. <br><br> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/linksets/2010/07/06/AByEJ1D_linkset.html">Past Ask Boswell chats</a>

Wow. That's a beautiful hypothetical question. I don't have a hypothetical answer. Both sides want to establish a baseline of what Harper's real performance level will be. You'd think they'd want to see what he did at 19-20-21 before evaluating. I mena both sides. 

It's enough for now, I think, that Harper is so enthusiastic about playing in Washington. If you haven'ty, don't miss Adam Kilgore's wonderful piece on Harper. Some athletes just can't open up, or can't do it in a way that does them justice. Harper already can. 

BTW, Harper's comment on the possibility of being voted into the All-Star game is remarkably mature: "It's an accomplishment, I  guess but you got Chipper (Jones) up there (on the five-man fan ballot). So, I think a Hall of Famer should be able to go to an All-Star game his last year. If I was going to vote, I'd go vote for Chip."

(I'm still thinking. But I'd say I'd vote for Harper and figure that Chipper will end up on the team, one way or the other, probably is somebody gets injured in the next week.)

Harper's really excellent at scoring runs because he's fast and aggressive. But you also want to give him RBI chances. So, No. 2 is a compromise. It's still a high runs scored spot, but also doesn't hold down RBI too much. Some year you assume he's probably a No. 3 hitter with Z'man at No. 4.

Goodwin started the year injured. The Nats, like most teams, like to get top prospects established with a good base of games/ABS before they move them up. The adjustment is not just to the level of the league but to the whole pro game. So the first step is usually somewhat deliberate, especially compared to hot-start stats like Goodwin's. They have no plans to slow this guy's development down.

No chance, for now, on 50-50. The best would be a faster move toward the Nats getting 33%, per the original agreement.

Long-term I wish a way coul;d be found to open up the process so Comcast could get into the picture and a better idea of true market value could be established. But nobody sees that as a near-term possibility. The Nats WILL get a much higher deal for '13. MASN will fight it every dollar of the way, even though the O's will get the same rate. And I suspect that, at some point, an annoyed Selig may have to step in and use some of his "mighty powers" to get some justice done.  But this will probably drag out like a toothache.

I was really glad to see that Earl was still so sharp. He underlined in his talk that he'd spent 20 years in the minors, 10 as a player. That was one reason he retired so young the first time __at age 52! He had enough money and heaven knows he'd worked hard enough for 34 years.

All great managers are hyper-c0mpetitive. But Earl did it without any (or few) negative ramifications. He trasmitted competitive electricity that energized but also scared/motivated his teams a bit.

I may post some thought later on similarities and differences between Earl and Davey Johnson who played for him. I try never to mention Earl without saying, "Thanks" for 9 years of breaking me in on the Orioles beat, giving me a hard time (as he did everybody) but always working so hard __really thinking__  to answer a young reporter's questions. Earl was further "ahead of his time" than any manager I ever covered. There have been some real high IQs, like Whitey Herzog and Davey Johnson. And they were original thinkers. But Earl blended that baseball IQ and originality with personality and a fabulous (often profane) way with words.

You could not wait to get to the park to see what Earl would say or do. Davey has mellowed somewhat, but that same "what will he say" quality is still there. But with Earl the range of possibilities was almost endless because he didn't mind feuds and would speak his mind on anything and anybody.

Espinosa has been doing fine for his last 52 games. Not wonderful, but hitting ~.250 with a .725 OPS.

Mark my wortds (as they say), in '13 or '14 everybody will be looking back and saying that "Espinosa is just like Desmond, an All-Star talent that just needed some time to grow, mature, iron out a few problems in his game."

In '10 and '11 lots pof people weanted to bury Desmond, move Espinosa to SS. The Nats never doubted Desmond's talent or temperament. Right now, they feel pretty much the same way about Espinosa. Davey can't image him not developing into an excellent hitter. He's already an outstanding 2nd baseman, although the Nats DOP totals, as well as your eye, tells you that Espinosa hasn't completely made the transition to 2nd on turning the DP. He's good enough, but he could/should/will be excellent.

You don't give up AT ALL on talents this big with competitive personalities. He tries too hard and especially presses LHed. But what will he be when he hits as well LH as RH? And why WOULDN'T he? If he has the coordination, eyesight, power, timing to hit RHed, then why wouldn't he be able to do it LHed __especially since LH has been his better side since he was a little kid?

He fits at leadoff RHed now. And hitting 7th, he's just fine hitting LHed. And there's no problem with giving him a few days off __like Sunday__ during the hot weather to keep him fresh. Then Lombardozzi gets some ABs.

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Lannan has pitched well enough his last half-dozen starts (though he lost yesterday) to make himself somewhat tradeable. I still think he has greater value to the Nats as the arm you bring up when Strasburg gets shut down or if any of the current rotation get hurt. He's a highest-level insurance policy you couldn't duplicate without giving up too much in trade price. It's tough on Lannan who, I've said many times, is an average MLB starting pitcher (that's praise, since few teams ever have 5 MLB-average starting pitchers). Doubt he'll be traded. Assume he'll be needed at some point.

Thanks. Great way to frame the discussion.

Nobody "handles" Tiger. IMO, he probably could have handled his post-game media remarks better yesterday. Some others thought the same. But that's him __he's defiant right now, driven, wants to get back to No. 1 so back he almost seems to radiate the desire.

I wish he could turn questions into an excuse to tell stories the way Nicklaus, by 36, could do it. He's a 17-year veteran! His left foot knows more about golf than the rest of us will ever know. He's always been ALLOWED to be more private than any other U.S. athlete in any sport. And he's been hated on so much in recent years that you can't blame him. Though I'd say that he's actually more open __ok, less closed__ than he was 5 years ago.

He's going to keep winning and he's going to win more majors. I hope, once he gets past, "I told you so" (he's entitled to that, certainly), maybe he can relax, to a degree. He's kind of a nerdy golf fanatic who loves all sports and just has this amazing athletic ability which he's dedicated himself to fulfilling since he was a child. The fact that he looks like a movie star __and uses it to his advanatge vs opponents__ actually hides other parts of him. He's a totally different, set-apart person because of his talent and child-celebrity life. But he's also, at times, like the guy next to you in the bar who just can't get enough of sports __especially golf. Bernard Darwin was a fine golfer and great golf writer. I wonder if, 30 years from now, Tiger will do some wonderful golf writing __or recollecting. Now THOSE are (golf) memoirs I'd read.

I've written 2 or 3 piecesalways

First, this is a fabulous series. The Nats and Giants have the two best records in the N.L. And they are similar __great pitching, good-enough hitting. (Nats are up to 20th in runs-per-game in MLB __n ot good, but far from awful and improving).

Also, the Nats could use some Crazy Fans help. They have tough matchups __no Strasburg or Gio while Giants go with Tim Lincecum (having a bad season but coming off a strong start), then the tough Bumgarner and Cain. Then it flips and the Nats send Stras, Gio and JZ'man against the lowly Rox on the weekend with a chance to show 'em what's what at sea level. Rockies are a mediocre (at best) hitting team away from Coors. I smell a little revenge for that 2-2 split.

On attendance, I think Nats Park will be rocking. In their lasty 21 home games, the Nats have averaged 33,175. The O's are doing much better, too, averaging 30,046 in their last 21 home games. This is the summer, maybe, when we see what DC and B'more can do to prove that this is a GOOD 2-team market. Of course, the O's have to stop collapsing. Maybe Tillman or Britton can stabalize the rotation now that Matusz has been sent down. 

Put me down for >105,000 for the 3 games. Blind guess. Sometimes 4th of July helps, sometimes it competes against attendance. I'm looking forward to the 11 a.m. game on the 4th __home for fireworks! And I plan to love the throwback uniforms on Thursday.

Agree with you. Clippard has certainly pitched well enough to be on the team. If Harper DOESN'T get voted on, then a Nats reliever absolutely should get any last-minute spot that pops up __and there usually are one or two.

The Giants and Cards each have 4 All-Stars __they won recent world titles. If Harper is voted on, then Nats have 4, too. So you can't cry foul on that.

A couple of points. No, Craig Stammen shouldn't be on the AS team, but he has had a remarkable season and has pitched the most innings in the whole bullpen with a 1.41 ERA in 44 1/3 innings __the lowest Nat ERA. And it's not a fluke. If he can maintain this level of command __and it's exceptional with everything at the knees, all his pitches coming out of the same slot and looking identical until they break late__ he can keep being excellent. (No, not 1.41 ERA excellent.) Really good guy who worked hard to get to this level. Just thinks he finally matured on the mound__a classic case of "it clicked" and he knows how to USE his stuff to expand the plate, make hitters work against themselves and for him.

I'll be interested to see all the questions here on Harper. I liked his modesty regarding Chipper and thinks both genuine and typical of him. He's a true baseball nut __rare among players. Who wins a sentiment vote between the aging HOFer and the 19-yr-old whose numbers don't quite add up to AS, but who has unquestionably ignited his 1st-place team? I'm assuming Harper wins. It's sort fo win-win. If he goes, it'll be exciting for fans (and him). If he doesn't, it's not an injustice and Harper knows it, so he won't be dampened.

I tend to be a little (too) protective and would just as soon Harper doesn't get exposed to the Media Day attempts to "draw him out." But he's been getting this since he was 15 and can probably handle it fine. Once you've been exposed to watching him play (and talk) on a daily basis, he's just so easy to like that you don't want him to fall down an open manhole cover in an AS interview. But I think he's ready for it.

BTW, every pitch he's been swinging at, and missing, since he met Andy Pettitte __especially hard sliders low or low and away__ are exactly the pitches he FINALLY took on Sunday in the 9th inning to help build a rally against (LH) Venters. A good sign? Or does he just pick up the ball well vs Venters? I think it's a good sign that he'll use this last week before the break to get better command of the K-zone again. He better or Timmy L and the rest of the SF staff will have him chasing pitches in the on-deck circle. He gets all this stuff. Should be good battles.   

Come on, under awful circumstances __speaking as one of those without power and sleeping in a ~90-degree bedroom on Friday and Saturday nights__ I think they handled it as well as you possibly could.

You want to get in 72 holes. You don't want to play on Monday when very few people get to see the final round. You absolutely cannot stand the risk of lawsuits from falling teres on Saturday. And the temperatures were killing, too. A member of the Congressional greens keeping crew, 59, was found dead in his car at 4 p.m. on Friday. Heart attack. Sorry I don't have his full name. But the balance was well struck, imo. And the Sunday crowds were excellent. Not merely excellent "given" the heat and power outages, etc. But just flat excellent.

Tiger has great local pull. And it's interesting that golf crowds seem to have gotten their minds around the drama of his attempted return to No. 1 __more than the general sports media or general-interest fans.

An event that could have been remembered as another bad-weather-in-D.C.-in-high-summer disaster ended up have a competitive final round and a memorable winner taking another step on his quest.  

The Nats shpould focus on winning the N.L. East, which I think is within their talent and power, though difficult.

Then, in a division series, with extra off days, would be Gio Gonzalez, J Z'man, Jax, Detwiler/Lannan and Gio again. No 5th starter needed. Seriously, that rotation is plenty good enough to win a division series.

That's as far as I'd think. I don't believe you should use recources or make bold deals when you'd so well set up anyway. Come on, you people don't really want to go to the Series this year, do you? Just joking.

This team is thinking long term. But in post-season you never know what can happen. In the last dozen years, there have been teams than were not as good on paper as the Nats __the Nats MINUS Strasburg__ that went to the Series.  It's an emotional momnetum ride driven by hot stars, roaring crowds and some good breaks.

The idea that the Nats minus Strasburg are somehow not a factor in post-season __if they get there__ is just not correct. IF they are playing well, IF they are healthy, they could go a long way. No, I don't think any N.L. team right now matches up well with the likely winner from the A.L. But that's why they play the games.

FIRST, focus on the N.L. East. And that is a long, long march __and would be a huge accomplishment in itself.

No

I hear you.

But here are the Nats leading OFFENSIVE players by WAR (wins above replacement) according to baseball-reference and then their WAR (including defense) by FanGraphs.

Baseball-referenceoffensive WAR: Desmond (1.7), LaRoche (1.7), Harper (1.4), Strasburg (0.7) __others of note__ Jordan Zimmermann (0.5), Ryan Ziummerman (0.4).

FanGraphs WAR (including defense): Desmond (2.7), Harper (1.4), LaRoche (1.3), Espinosa (0.8), Strasburg (0.7), Moore (0.7). Others of note: both Z'man and Z'ann at 0.5!

Feel free to mock the stats. But a 1.090 OPS, even for 24 plate appearances, like Strasburg, has value above a replaceemnt player.

Besides, who's going to tell him "go make an out" when he's already hit four doubles OFF the WALL and HR so far this year. He isn't just getting hits. He's knocking it off the CF wall __400 feet away in Colorado. And getting 2-out RBI hits (Sat in Atl).

OK, any game with a temp above 102 degrees, don't let him swing. But that happens once a year. Maybe.

Pardon me while I break my arm patting myself on the back. I told you from spring training the Marlins were a fraud team (for '12). Terrible team chemistry. Sulkers and  fair-weather players. This is the team Ozzie Guillen deserves.

Never thought they'd be sellers. But I never thought they'd be 11 games (ELEVEN GAMES) behind the Nats heading into July 4th. And the Nats have had __roughly__ as many injuries.

The Phils have the best read on the true health and return dates of  Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay. That, and the results of games in the next 3 weeks, could actually make them sellers.   

I think it's time to cut bait. When Storen comes back after the AS break, they'll need a spot in the pen. Until then, maybe he gets in a game to mop up and has a mircale I-found-my-mechanic breakthrough. But, outside of that, I don't think the noble experiment is going to work __here. I think CMW will get another chance somewhere else. They just hate to give up on him because he solves so many Strasburg-shutdown issues this year if he's 80-90% of the old CMW. But he was only that guy for ONE DAY for 2 2/3 innings in spring training. That's an awful thin thread to hold onto a dream. 

As noted earlier, I think you're on the right track. (IOW, yeah, you agree w me. Often a dangerous place to be.)

You get away with what you can. There are FOUR of 'em out there to keep and eye on you. And 25 players on the other team can pipe up, too.

The umps are having an awful year.

Some times soon I'll do a column on more instant replay. I'm not against. Just want to think about it a little more. But there are levels of ridiculous that shouldn't be tolerated. Not when you can solve it in 1-or-2 minutes.

100%

He assumes this won't be his last needle this year. But you really have to limit it to prevent long-term issues. Beyond that, consult somebody with a "Dr." in front of their name.

He's probably somewhat mad at both.

I always thought he was a great guy but a long shot as a pitcher. Everybody hates the end of the road.

I'd vote for Chipper because Harper did such a great job of framing the question. I'd probably actually do it out of deference to Harper's good judgment!

BUT if you want to vote for Harper (25 times), I get it and say, "Go for it." 

I''d say  that previous Washington PGA tour stops have had 6-to-10 weaker fields. (We've had some stinkers.) It was a representative event and a legit win. But the field was in the weak __but far from weakest__ part of the Tour spectrum.

Every day of it.

That's what's best about it by far __it's EVERY DAY.

Too soon to know. Strasburg may be 90% of his mature self. But what percentage is Harper? Unknowable.

But a good column some day! Thanks.

Good/great crowds. Great day. (Hot as hell, but great.) No complaints that I heard. Seemed pretty smooth __all things considered. Wish you were there.

You make good points.

But I think Tiger puts absolutely enormous pressure on himself to get "back," much as Tom Watson once did when he was already a great player but not a major champion. Two smart Stanford guys. Watson got through it. But it was tough. He said afterwards, "We all choke. It's just who chokes the least or last." Tiger never choked in his 20's. Now he's (somewhat) similar to normal players in terms of feeling pressure __as we saw at Olympics.

Once he gets through that wall __now that ought to be interesting.

Time to go. Too many good angles today.  Lets chat next week from the All-Star game in K.C. See you then. Check the time. Gotta figure out if 11 a.m. works. We'll let you know. 

He's in great shape. Does he need to take IVs the day before? (Hudson did in Atlanta.) Does he need to throw less warming up? I mean, he's pretty "warm" already. Does he need to throw less warmup pitches between innings? Does he need to talk to doctors about ways to hydrate better? Or...or...or...

He's in shape. That's not the problem. But he sweats a ton. (So do others). There's a pattern here and, like many adjustments, he'll have to adapt to a tendency to melt. Pitchers have been figuring out their own ways to do it for 140 years.  Strasburg can/will, too. But he hasn't yet.

All good points. Glad I saw this one. Thanks.