Bryce Harper

There's probably no position player in major league baseball - maybe ever - who can truly understand the hype that Washington Nationals 19-year-old outfielder Bryce Harper has encountered on a daily basis. But Orioles catcher Matt Wieters might come the closest - or at least be the best-equipped big league hitter to offer a little wisdom in dealing with unreal anticipation. “My advice would be just to be himself. I think the hardest thing is trying to worry about living up to expectations of other people,” said Wieters, the fifth pick overall in the 2007 draft and a first-time All-Star last year at age 25. “[Harper]

Don't penalize honesty Bill Shaikin Los Angeles Times Intent can be notoriously difficult to determine — unless, that is, a pitcher admits his intent, as Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels did. "Come see our headhunting pitchers" is not the best advertisement for baseball, so Hamels, like any other pitcher admitting intent, should have been suspended. The league already suspends pitchers deemed to throw at batters with intent, no matter what the pitcher says.

The future has arrived for the Nationals. In the midst of its best start since moving to Washington from Montreal, 19-year-old phenom Bryce Harper will make his much-anticipated MLB debut for the Nationals on Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Washington will place third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list to make room for him on the roster. "We thought that we needed to bring in an impactful left-handed bat," said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo of Harper.

Ask again next year Dave van Dyck Chicago Tribune History suggests Stephen Strasburg should be just fine — maybe. Most pitchers who return from elbow ligament surgery are as good — in some cases better — than before the operation. And then there are the exceptions. Kerry Wood was never quite the same, although his physical problems moved up his arm to the shoulder. And Chad Fox is not the only pitcher who has had Tommy John surgery performed more than once and never completely recovered.

Cal Ripken World Series D.R. pitcher throws no-no; Md. team out In one of the all-time best pitching performances seen at the Cal Ripken World Series, the Dominican Republic's Leudy Santana struck out 14 batters en route to a no-hitter in his team's 1-0 victory over Mexico in Friday's International semifinal matchup at Cal Sr.'s Yard. The performance was validation for Santana, who struck out 16 hitters in the Dominican team's earlier pool play contest with Mexico on Monday but lost when the reigning champs scored four runs on three hits in a 4-0 victory.

Swimming NDP's Meyers earns 4th gold at world meet Notre Dame Prep junior Becca Meyers finished off a stellar week at the World Deaf Swimming Championships in Coimbra, Portugal, on Saturday by winning her fourth gold medal and setting another meet record. Meyers, who was born deaf, swept all three individual events she entered in the third annual championships - the 200-meter, 400 and 800 freestyle races - and she twice lowered world championship records in both the 400 and the 800. In addition, she was part of the United States 800 freestyle team that set an overall deaf world record.

Hagerstown Suns 3,000 tickets sold for start by Strasburg; 7,000 expected As Stephen Strasburg prepares to throw his first competitive pitch since last year, perhaps no one has felt the effect of the buzz created by Strasburg's return more than Ben Scheffel . "Ever since it's been confirmed," Scheffel said, "the phone hasn't stopped ringing. " Scheffel is Single-A Hagerstown's sales executive for ticketing. He oversaw Bryce Harper 's sold-out first home game, "but it's never been this big," Scheffel said.

TORONTO - Vladimir Guerrero 's career low in home runs in a season in which he has played 90 games or more is 11, and that came all the way back in 1997, his rookie year with the Montreal Expos. That same season, he drove in 40 runs, which also stands as a career low. Guerrero, who was activated from the disabled list today, has a little more than two months to eclipse those marks in what has been arguably been the most worst season of his likely Hall of Fame career. "I feel good and my hand is much better," said Guerrero, who missed 10 games with a cracked bone in his right hand suffered when he was hit by a pitch from Boston Red Sox rookie Kyle Weiland on July 10. "We still have two months left, and I feel good.

Whispers It's no coincidence the two managers to resign in midseason, Jim Riggleman and Edwin Rodriguez, were the two lowest-paid in the majors. Riggleman, in his third season with the Nationals and 12th as a manager, was earning $600,000, according to sources. That's more than $200,000 less than Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Riggleman may wish he had handled his situation differently, but you can see why he said he never felt "respected. " … The group of pre-1980 players who were awarded pensions in a deal MLB and the players union announced April 21 still hasn't received any money.

News item: Kentucky Derby winnerAnimal Kingdom and Preakness winnerShackleford will try to break their Triple Crown tie on Saturday in the Belmont Stakes. My take: If it were a match race, I'd go with Kingdom based on the way the first two races played out, but I'm guessing somebody will come out of nowhere to steal the 1 ½-mile Belmont. And since it doesn't cost me a dime to make a wild prediction, I'll go with our old friend Edgar Prado on 15-1 shot Prime Cut. Thank me later.