The alert came. Beal grabbed the pre-packed bag, put Adams in the backseat of their truck and knew he was just 15 minutes from Inova Fairfax Hospital in Annandale. The list of things he did not know was long: How would he handle viewing the birth? Would he be as nervous and panicked as he assumed? Was he prepared to be part of the delivery, as they planned?

Those questions gave way to another, more pressing one: Is this happening in the car?

鈥淥h, man,鈥� Beal told The Sports Capitol. 鈥淚 almost thought I had to pull over a few times because she was screaming in the back of the car. So, that part made me like, 鈥極h, that鈥檚 really happening.鈥� Once I got to the hospital, we were cool. She was good. Got in the bed and I actually delivered the baby. The doc let me deliver the baby.鈥�

That鈥檚 right. Beal turned out to be calm enough to deliver his son, Bradley Emmanuel Beal, II, after the doctor assured the umbilical cord was not around the baby鈥檚 neck. Beal stepped in, secured the baby鈥檚 head, pulled and rotated him. He placed his son on Adams鈥� chest. Shortly after, he cut the umbilical cord.

鈥淪o the whole process, I was good,鈥� Beal said. 鈥淚 was pre-med in college. Blood and babies and seeing birth doesn鈥檛 bother me.鈥�

Beal is thankful and filled with joy as a new father. Now, he has a situation. The 82-game NBA season awaits. Baby Beal is two months old. He sleeps when he wants, demands what he needs and has his first-time parents scrambling, even out of season.

And, Beal is not alone. Austin Rivers鈥� first son, K.J., arrived in July. They have turned to Markieff Morris, Jason Smith, Ian Mahinmi, and coach Scott Brooks for advice about to handle the season and a newborn.

The in-season plan as it stands for Beal right now: 鈥淚 have no idea,鈥� Beal said. 鈥淣o idea.鈥�

***

Beal, 25, has some routine, at the moment. He arrives at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in southeast around 9:30 a.m. Breakfast, treatment and individual works follows. Practice is next. Beal leaves around 3 or 4 p.m. That means a good hour鈥檚 drive home.

鈥淚 have a true 9-5 it feels like,鈥� Beal said. 鈥淢y girl is like, 鈥楧amn when are you going to be home?鈥欌��

She is tired from handling the baby throughout the day. He鈥檚 tired from work, but knows once he arrives home, he will be tagged in. This is lesson one. It happens in training camp and will happen during the regular season.

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鈥淛ust be prepared,鈥� Smith warns. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like when you get back, 鈥極h, we just got off a four-game road trip and I want to sleep.鈥� Nope. You鈥檙e daddy daycare. It鈥檚 daddy time. Got to get some daddy time with the little ones. It鈥檚 going to be a hard thing to balance.鈥�

The road is a detriment and savior. Smith tries to make sure everyone involved 鈥� he has a four-year-old daughter and one-year-old son now 鈥� is in the best possible place before departing. Once airborne, he relies on FaceTime and any other recording device. He watched his daughter鈥檚 first steps on his phone.

Once gone, the load at home shifts and the chance for sleep skyrockets. Rivers, 26, was bleary-eyed at Wizards Media Day following four hours of sleep the night before. Despite being in a formal press conference, he began to just 鈥渢alk out loud鈥� when asked about how it was going with the newborn.

鈥淚 still am adjusting with the sleep,鈥� Rivers said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to figure that out鈥�.I鈥檓 not doing this four hours of sleep at night. Me speaking out loud right now. I can鈥檛 do this. This s**t is tough. I鈥檓 going to have to ask Brad for some advice because he just went through it. But my timing is bad. Right during training camp. Yup鈥︹��

Enter Morris, who has a one-year-old daughter, and Smith. The key here is road rest, they say. The days of NBA nightlife are over. Even if you want them to continue.

鈥淵ou use the road to sleep,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what you got to do.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the time you can get some good sleep in hotels,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淨uiet hotel room? It鈥檚 magnificent. Something made of magic.鈥�

***

Baby Beal has gained seven pounds in two months.

鈥淜ills 6-7 ounces every time,鈥� Beal said. 鈥淛ust knocking them back. All breast milk. Damn, dude.鈥�

There is another lesson in there: Things move fast and you鈥檙e going to miss some. Cognitive progression, growth rate, mannerisms, habits. All of it will be cranking along while the team charter goes from Denver to Los Angeles to Utah and back. A four-game road trip is a millennium in the house.

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鈥淢y wife would be like, 鈥楾hey鈥檝e been doing that the whole time,鈥欌�� Smith said. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 haven鈥檛 been here for a week. I didn鈥檛 know they could feed themselves or could grab like hold onto stuff pretty strong.鈥� I鈥檓 like, when did they start doing that? Things happen really quickly. When you鈥檙e around them for a week, you don鈥檛 really notice it. But if you鈥檙e gone for a week, then you see them doing something and you come back and they鈥檙e doing something completely different, you鈥檙e like, 鈥榃hoa.鈥欌��

鈥淓very time he leaves to go on a road trip, when he comes back, something鈥檚 going to be different,鈥� Morris said of Beal. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to miss a lot of time. He鈥檚 got to get used to it, not being around as much. And no sleep when you get back home.鈥�

Strangely, Morris smiled after mentioning the lack of sleep again, like someone who tells you to jump into the deep end when knowing it is full of sharks.

Beal is at least beginning to experience the leveling off of paranoia. Last season, Morris mentioned being woken up by every little noise his daughter made. She鈥檇 coo, he would peek into the bassinet. Smith said his daughter was not a quiet sleeper, which, in turn, made him basically a non-sleeper.

鈥淪o any and every sound she made, if it鈥檚 rolling over or whatnot, you might be in the deepest of deep sleeps, your eyes just go, BING,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎nd you鈥檙e ready to rock. What does she need? Does she need her diaper changed? Does she need a bottle? What鈥檚 going on? And they鈥檒l roll over (sighs). And you鈥檙e like, Oh, no. I鈥檓 wide awake. Yup. Wide awake.鈥�

鈥淭he first couple weeks, every time he made a noise, I was up checking on him,鈥� Beal said. 鈥淚s he OK? Trying to make sure there鈥檚 no complications, there鈥檚 nothing wrong with him. Especially as a new parent. You have no idea what you鈥檙e doing. You have no idea what the baby鈥檚 going through. It鈥檚 calmed down a lot more.鈥�

***

The Wizards鈥� season opens Oct. 18. Two home games are followed by a five-game West Coast road trip. They will board the plane Oct. 21 and return around 3 a.m. Oct. 31. This is Beal鈥檚 first in-season test as a new dad. Rivers鈥�, too.

Beal is a planner. That鈥檚 why the bag was ready and car loaded before he needed to drive to the hospital. Among the current priorities is for Baby Beal to be in the bassinet as often as possible. Adams prefers him in the bed, at times. Big news came Wednesday: He napped in his nursery. Beal hopes to build a routine from there.

But his plan and schedule for the regular season is TBD. His gameday routines will not be the same. After shootaround, Beal will be back home with Adams, little Brad and, fortunately for them, a hired hand. Then it鈥檚 back to the arena for a game. Then back home or onto the plane. He has advice on how to handle it. Just not the personal experience.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still trying to figure it out,鈥� Beal said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of messed up because I asked my parents how is it with the first born? It鈥檚 kind of like trial and error. You got to try stuff out and see if it works. If it doesn鈥檛 work, you got to try something else out. You just got to keep moving the needle. For the most part, it鈥檚 an adaptation. It鈥檚 a sacrifice. It opened my eyes in a lot of different ways.

鈥淗e motivates me to come out and do what I do. For the most part, I鈥檓 just going to try to do the best that I can and try not to miss too much.鈥�

聽is the managing editor and co-founder of The Sports Capitol. He has spent 17 years in the sports editorial industry, working as a writer and layout editor, winning multiple awards in both positions. He has been an NFL beat writer, has worked as a member of the Baseball Writers鈥� Association of America for seven years, and is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association.

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WASHINGTON 鈥� Bryce Harper began packing two weeks ago. He placed two large cardboard boxes next to his black-and-red folding chair that faced his locker and held his weight.

He tried to figure out where to start. Harper sorted boxes of shoes, threw trinkets into the box. He appeared partially surprised at just how much had accumulated within his double locker during what could be his final season in this stall, one he鈥檚 occupied since before he could legally drink.

Gone from the top were the meticulously displayed fielding gloves, usually curved into each other like Russian nesting dolls. His Home Run Derby trophy had been removed weeks ago from atop the cooler to his left. Extra shirts, shorts and bobbleheads were boxed. Only the necessities 鈥� shower shoes, uniform, a glove, bats in boxes and his omnipresent black, steel-framed bat case 鈥� remained by Monday afternoon as the most-talked about ending in Washington Nationals history approached.

On Wednesday, in front of a sparse crowd during a bland day game against Miami, Harper is assured of jogging to right field in Nationals Park for the last time. A road trip to Colorado concludes his sixth season in Washington. Winter鈥檚 free agent mayhem begins a month later.

What could be Harper鈥檚 final season in Washington played out in three acts: It began with a spring training threat to walk out of his news conference if asked about free agency before moving into a low-average first half; a reprieve from the intensity came in his home ballpark during the All-Star break; he excelled personally in the second half while his team leaked.

A fight is coming next. Scott Boras, Harper鈥檚 agent, began stumping on behalf of his client midsummer. Team owners are prepared to counter his hyperbolic valuation. Phrases such as, 鈥淥nce in a generation鈥� will be opposed by, 鈥�. 214鈥�, which was Harper鈥檚 astonishingly low average before the All-Star break this season.

Sportsbooks already have odds on Harper鈥檚 future playing home. The Cubs come in as favorites at 3/2. The Nationals are fourth at 7/1. The Dodgers and, of course, the Yankees fill in the middle.

But, the Nationals believe their chances are as good or better than any other team. They have millions coming off their payroll. They will, on paper, again be a threat. They have also brought Harper from professional infancy to a place where he routinely proclaims his affinity for the city.

Since arriving at 19 years old, Harper has gained control. He no longer runs into walls or verbal missteps. Everything outside of balls, strikes and salary operates on his terms. The environment has helped him arrive there.

The Nationals believe they win all the tiebreakers. The question will be cost.

鈥淎 player like Bryce Harper is unique in the sense he makes you money in addition to the service he provides,鈥� Boras said this summer. 鈥淗e鈥檚 iconic.鈥�

***

Harper placed his phone down on the table and began to read. His first news conference of the spring came with an edict: If he was asked about his pending free agency, he would be 鈥渨alking right out that door.鈥�

鈥淭here was just no point in talking about it then,鈥� Harper recently told The Sports Capitol.

The performance kept with a propensity for eye-opening debut performances. The year before, Harper strongly hinted he was injured during his 2016 downturn, something the Nationals vehemently disputed. This season, the threat.

ESPN was at the news conference. Harper鈥檚 stance did not carry the sound bite panache of 鈥淲here鈥檚 my ring?鈥� but it was enough for headlines and ledes. Even when Harper tries to say nothing, a mission he embarked on this season with gusto, it turns into something.

鈥淚鈥檝e been dealing with the media since I was 16,鈥� Harper told The Sports Capitol this season when asked if he is ever surprised by the run on his words.

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Two home runs April 1 sent Harper out of the season-opening series in Cincinnati with four hits and a 1.429 OPS. He walked 37 times that month. At 25, Harper received treatment reserved for Barry Bonds when the slugger moved into his 30s. The patience was admirable. However, the process was beginning to irk Harper. His average fell to .241 by the end of April. Davey Martinez made a desperate attempt to salvage the dropping number by moving Harper to leadoff in May.

鈥淎t 25 years old, you want to hit the baseball,鈥� Harper said then. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just going to make me a better ballplayer every single day going in, having a good mentality about it and just trying to be the best that I can getting on base and having good at-bats. Not really changing. Not thinking I鈥檓 in the one spot.鈥�

The experiment failed. He hit .217 there, his on-base percentage dropping to a paltry .288. Harper struck out twice as much as he walked. Previously being patient bred impatience.

May sheared another 20 points from his average. He struck out almost three times as much as he walked in the month. June was worse 鈥� a harrowing .188. The All-Star break was the only thing to stall the slide. Harper was hitting .214 when Martinez rested him the final Sunday before the schedule paused. Theories to explain the dip ranged from feeling the pressure of a contract season, to Boras鈥� stance the league was unfairly pitching and shifting against Harper, to Harper鈥檚 simplistic notion he was simply missing good pitches to hit.

He contended then he was not frustrated, which is difficult to believe. Harper reiterated the stance in the conversation this week.

鈥淚 think I鈥檓 pretty truthful with you guys,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I say something, I usually mean it. I think for me, it was just enjoying it. Not get too high or too low. Like I said, knowing I have a second half coming, I was more worried about us as a team and trying to win ballgames. I鈥檝e said this a lot, too, there鈥檚 a lot of things in life that are bigger than baseball.

“This game, you鈥檙e going to have your success, but you鈥檙e going to have your failures, as well. That鈥檚 just part of it. I think struggles make you that much better. When you do struggle, that鈥檚 part of it.”

Up next was another years-in-the-making event for Harper. The All-Star Game, Home Run Derby and every ounce of focus was coming to the District. He was easily voted in. He kept his promise to participate in the Derby. Two years after campaigning to make baseball fun again, could Harper take three days and enjoy himself?

***

Media Day, Harper would be stuck. He couldn鈥檛 threaten to walk out if he didn鈥檛 like a question. A Nationals media relations representative escorted him to his table. Cameras began to set up before he arrived. No National League player received more attention. Delicately, the possibility of his departure was asked about following a long answer about his connection to the city.

鈥淭hat’s always a possibility,鈥� Harper said. 鈥淚 think that everybody knew that at the beginning of the year, this could be possibly my last year in D.C. Everybody knows that. There’s no elephant in the room. Everybody knows that that’s a possibility. But, I’m not really focused on that. I’m focused on what I can do to help the team win on a daily basis. I look forward to doing that.鈥�

The three days seemed to reboot Harper. He developed a friendship with Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman that could work as a screenplay for a buddy cop movie. They joked in news conferences. Harper requested Freeman be stationed next to his locker in the home clubhouse. He had been so intense for so long it was easy to forget the unabashed approach he previously took, that there was joy in there somewhere, not just someone who appeared to lock things away from public consumption after living so ravenously in plain view.

Harper鈥檚 derby apparel delivered an ode to the District. He was a walking dose of Americana coming to the plate to hit homers off his father, Ron, bald with a bushy beard and the clear supplier of Harper鈥檚 stocky physique. The Capitol building climbed up Harper鈥檚 socks; his right arm and bat head were encompassed by variations of the U.S. flag. A headband held his long talked about and luxuriously pampered hair. Down 18-4 with 2:38 to go in the final round, Harper called timeout, then shook his head. 鈥淔**k!鈥� he yelled. Max Scherzer told him he was all right. A bit of a run, then another timeout with 1:20 to go.

He roared, victorious, 10 minutes later. Harper shared the winning trophy with his dad and a singular moment with the fans. After offering only stern-faced answers all season, enjoyment of the night caught up to him in the news conference.

鈥淚’m very serious on the field, I am,鈥� Harper said in a quiet, emotional voice. 鈥淚’m a very serious player. I enjoy the game, and I want to win every single game I play, and I want to do everything I can to help this team win on a daily basis and you guys see that.”

鈥淏ut off the field, that’s the kid you see out there tonight and I was fortunate to share that with you guys and show that to the fans. This wasn’t only for me and my family and everybody like that but this is for, you know, the cook, the guy that works the front, and the people that work upstairs. I mean, this is the whole city of D.C. I was very fortunate to be able to bring this back to them and do it here.鈥�

The Home Run Derby trophy sat atop a mini-fridge when the second half opened. Harper went聽1-for-4 in the opener, then 2-for-4 in his second game. He pulled his average to .223 by the end of July. Adjustments were benefiting him. He moved his hands away from his face (an adjustment he declined to talk about for fear it would make him start thinking about it) when he came set in the box. The change reduced the amount of time his hands needed to load for a swing and straightened what was a small loop.

More hits came through August. His average for the month landed at .324, his OPS .959. This was the player Harper expected himself to be. A .976 OPS since the All-Star Game stopped Boras鈥� proselytizing about shifts. Harper gave a little into the disappointment his average brought. He also turned to big-picture philosophy when discussing it.

鈥淚 think if I was hitting .250 in the first half, which I wish I was because I鈥檇 probably be hitting .290 right now, but, you know, it鈥檚 just how it goes,鈥� Harper told me. 鈥淚 finished the first half hitting about .210 or something like that. Never would have guessed that I was going to do that. Like I said, it鈥檚 part of the game. It鈥檚 part of going through the dips and the valleys and the lulls of the season. Never done that before in my life. Just another thing [to go] through. Going to play this game for hopefully a long period of time. Got hopefully 15 years left in my career. Hopefully that doesn鈥檛 happen again. But, I鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l struggle again in my career. Just part of it.鈥�

***

Max Scherzer enjoyed four years of watching Harper. He admires the patience Harper developed. Scherzer, 34, also laughs at the 25-year-old version of himself. His significant growth since then causes his amusement when reminiscing.

Now serious, Scherzer has a warning for Harper: They鈥檙e coming for you. Not in a good way. Entering free agency is similar to the discovery process in a trial. Your life is opened from all sides.

鈥淎ll your friends, your family, just exposes every single circle that you have,鈥� Scherzer told The Sports Capitol. 鈥淵ou find out more about yourself going through that process, about the people around you, about how stable your life is, so that when you actually do sign a contract that sets you up for life, you know you鈥檝e been down a road you鈥檝e had to fight for and that you can compartmentalize what鈥檚 going on, that you now have money for the rest of your life, that at the end of the day, it鈥檚 not why you play the game of baseball.”

鈥淭he reason why you play the game of baseball is because you want to win. For me, that was something I was able to grasp onto, because, look, just because you have money, doesn鈥檛 change anything that goes on out in the middle of the field. And Bryce will have that day as well.鈥�

Scherzer signed a $210 million contract. The number is inconceivable to any normal person.

鈥淚t鈥檚 inconceivable to me, too,鈥� he said with a laugh.

The projections for Harper are extreme and should easily surpass that mark. They also cut his options. Only a handful of teams have the money and positional need for his services. Half of those teams could well choose similar production from an infield spot, subsequently pushing their cash toward Manny Machado. Each club is going to try to drive down cost, the Nationals included.

鈥淪tay patient,鈥� Scherzer said he would advise Harper. 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be, if I had to guess, there鈥檚 going to be a lot, a lot of hoopla and a lot of negative press trying to tear you down. There will probably be a lot more teams saying ‘no,’ they don鈥檛 want to sign you, more than you could ever possibly believe. They will find every little thing to critique you over and you can鈥檛 let that affect you. You have to have a business mind. You have to stay patient. You have to know the value you create. And basically stick to your guns. Just know it鈥檚 going to be a fight.鈥�

The Nationals were eliminated from postseason contention Saturday. They鈥檙e left to hunt for motivators the final week of the season.

Harper is creeping toward a .250 average, a .400 on-base percentage and just reached 100 RBI. He鈥檚 already set a career-high in walks (and strikeouts). By OPS, this will be his third-best season. By WAR, only one season, 2014, when he played just 100 games, will be worse. Bet that will come up.

For all the caveats about youth, Harper鈥檚 performance has fluctuated. His 2015 MVP season was followed by a massive downturn in 2016 before he rose again in 2017, then lurched backward in 2018. It鈥檚 easy to hear the head of a front office 鈥� or even an owner 鈥� across from Boras stamping a finger onto a meeting table while pointing out such volatility.

Harper鈥檚 early locker packing indicated he understood the state of the season. It was more housekeeping than capitulation 鈥� and his recent performance showed no waning. This year wasn鈥檛 going to turn, at least not team-wide, and the time to start thinking about what鈥檚 next had arrived, finally. Questions about it are now authentic, not posturing.

The MLB Winter Meetings are in his hometown of Las Vegas, of all places, this year. Harper has wrested control of everything in his life other than his salary. He finally has that chance, and all of baseball will watch for his decision.

鈥淓xcited about the future,鈥� Harper said of what鈥檚 ahead for the Nationals. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 going to be part of that future, and hopefully I am, and if I鈥檓 in those plans for the Nationals organization and the Lerners, then we鈥檒l see what happens.鈥�

聽is the managing editor and co-founder of The Sports Capitol. He has spent 17 years in the sports editorial industry, working as a writer and layout editor, winning multiple awards in both positions. He has been an NFL beat writer, has worked as a member of the Baseball Writers鈥� Association of America for seven years, and is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association.

Source

NATIONALS PARK 鈥� The race is not going to happen. There鈥檚 too much pride, danger and pesky contractual issues. Trea Turner and Michael A. Taylor will not be digging in down in West Palm Beach, Florida at Spring Training. They will not line up down the right field line with a couple racing presidents holding tape in center field for the winner to break. So, all that remains is theory.

鈥淚 have a better shot the longer the race is,鈥� Taylor told The Sports Capitol. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 quicker off the line and I think stride length and things like that might help me out as we start to stride.鈥�

鈥淚 would argue opposite,鈥� Turner told The Sports Capitol. 鈥淚 would think he would have me at the beginning, at the end I might be able to catch back up. I do agree he has that stride length. Let鈥檚 say you are running a 60-yard race. I feel like I鈥檓 better the last 30 yards than the first 30 yards. I don鈥檛 know. It probably would be pretty close.鈥�

Why won鈥檛 a determining race happen?

鈥淚n my mind, it doesn鈥檛 need to happen,鈥� Taylor said with a smirk. 鈥淗e鈥檚 faster than me, and I鈥檓 OK with that.鈥�

鈥淚 would never bank on anything [happening],鈥� Turner said. 鈥淏ecause if we raced and he beat me, I would look like an idiot. And vice-versa. I鈥檓 sure he would say the same.鈥�

There鈥檚 that. Threat of idiocy. A universal prevention issue in daily life.

Where the pair has been able to run free is on the bases this season. They are 1-2 in the National League in stolen bases. Taylor leads with 23. Turner is tied for second at 21 following Ender Inciarte stealing a base Wednesday afternoon when the Nationals were off.

The Nationals have a distant connection to the last pair of National League teammates to finish 1-2 in stolen bases. Marquis Grissom and Delino DeShields did it in 1992 for the Montreal Expos. It鈥檚 happened in the NL just four times since 1959. Taylor and Turner are on the path to do it for the first time in 26 years because each has become more adept at it, new manager Davey Martinez has provided them a green light and the Nationals鈥� offense needs every 90 feet it can muster.

Pitchers are fighting the pair in standard ways. Right-handers hold the ball a long time or vary their tempo. Left-handers push the limits of a supposed 45-degree angle from the edge of the rubber. That鈥檚 the line their kick leg is supposed to follow; 45 degrees or fewer back toward the body and a throw to first is not a balk. Open further, anything not to home is. It鈥檚 subjective math, if there is such a thing, and pitchers want to warp it while runners want to read it.

Taylor has always had top-end speed. Statcast had him at almost 20 mph when tracking down a fly ball last season. His athleticism is not in doubt. Same with Turner, who some argue is the fastest in the league.

However, Taylor鈥檚 23-for-27 success rate this season, and Turner鈥檚 21-for-23, suggest something more is going on. Let鈥檚 break it down with them.

Why they are running more, according to participants in recent (separate) conversations:

鈥淚 think we鈥檝e been more aggressive as a team,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淗ad the green light pretty much all season. Recently been getting on base a little bit more. So, it鈥檚 easier. I guess a combination of a lot things.鈥�

鈥淒usty would put on the red light sometimes, but (first base coach) Davey Lopes would kind of override it,鈥� Turner said. 鈥淲e probably got the red light a little bit more often in years past, but at the same time, I think we had all the opportunities to run that we do now. I would say it鈥檚 pretty even.鈥�

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How to fight pitchers holding the ball:

鈥淚 think over the years, I鈥檝e become better at kind of waiting,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淣ot getting too anxious or jumpy when the pitcher holds the ball. A lot of times, that鈥檚 their No. 1 defense. Just being in a position where you鈥檙e relaxed and you can kind of just wait while they hold, then you鈥檙e ready to go whenever they go.鈥�

鈥淚 think at some points, you鈥檒l rely on the hitter to call time, get you out of there, kind of do you a favor a little bit,鈥� Turner said. 鈥淏ut, also, for me and Mikey as well, if we鈥檙e on first base and they鈥檙e putting that much effort into us, there鈥檚 a good chance they鈥檙e going to make a mistake to whoever鈥檚 up at the plate. Sometimes I tell myself it鈥檚 OK not to steal because they鈥檙e so worried about me being here, that if I got to the next base, they don鈥檛 have to worry about me here. It鈥檚 a different situation. Yes, I鈥檓 in scoring position, but that kind of anxiety of 鈥業s he going to steal?鈥� isn鈥檛 there anymore. I think there鈥檚 advantages to just be on base in general and be a threat. If they鈥檙e paying that much attention, holding the ball that much, I think that helps your teammates.鈥�

Any tension while taking a lead can slow Taylor by putting him out of position or just simply causing an abandonment of running.

鈥淵ou can start leaning, get too much weight on your front foot because you鈥檙e ready to go, you鈥檙e ready to go, but he鈥檚 holding the ball, all of a sudden he comes over, you get picked,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淥r, you feel like you鈥檙e sitting there for so long, that eventually you just shut it down are some things that happened to me in the past when guys hold the ball for an extended period of time.鈥�

The pair spent two years with Lopes, considered a guru of base stealing, as the first base coach. That time put more options in Taylor鈥檚 pocket, ones he wants to keep there.

鈥淭here are a lot of things,鈥� Taylor said he learned from Lopes. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 really touch on too many of them because I think he taught me some things that give me an edge. I think the biggest thing is the mentality. He was very aggressive. If a guy was giving us an opportunity to give us a bag, he didn鈥檛 let it pass by. That鈥檚 how I try to go about it this year. If he鈥檚 slow enough to the plate and it鈥檚 a good situation to run, I鈥檓 not going to overthink it.鈥�

That brings us to the left-handers. Commonly, they are taught a 鈥渘ickel, dime, quarter鈥� approach to throwing to first. The nickel is a straight step toward the bag followed by a modest toss. The dime is a straight step and hard throw. The quarter is the full move: leg kick, angle toward home (while looking to the plate) followed by a hard throw to first.

鈥淚t changes from guy to guy,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淪ome guys will have certain tells and things you can get a jump off of. Some guys are readers and they鈥檙e kind of hanging in the air a little bit to see what you鈥檙e going to do. The 45-degree balk rule is kind of a blurred line I think. Some guys get away with maybe a little bit of a balk. There鈥檚 not much you can do about it in that situation, They鈥檙e trying to deceive the runner and make it look it look like they are going to the plate, and they get away with it sometimes.鈥�

鈥淟efties are different,鈥� Turner said. 鈥淪ome people are really good at making it look the same. Some people are really obvious it鈥檚 coming over. I think it鈥檚 kind of a feel thing with me. I can generally see when he made a move to home plate. He鈥檚 loaded his weight or moved his weight down the mound, then at some point I need to turn my eyes to home plate to watch the ball cross home plate. It鈥檚 funny because [on a recent] pick off, I didn鈥檛 see him throw the ball over. I looked at home plate waiting for the ball, then I was like, 鈥楾he ball鈥檚 not at home plate.鈥� That鈥檚 what happened there. I thought I had saw him make his move to the plate, so I moved my eyes and ended up getting picked off.

鈥淔or me, I just think one, it鈥檚 either a balk, or if not, it鈥檚 a really, really good move. I think you kind of got to tip your hat to those guys. It doesn鈥檛 happen too often, thankfully. Once, twice, three times a year. If you鈥檙e going to be an aggressive base runner, that鈥檚 OK with me. Obviously, you want to limit those as much as possible. But, there鈥檚 going to be a guy every now and then that has a really good move. You have to be prepared and battle over there. It鈥檚 like battling with two strikes at the plate. You鈥檝e got to battle over there at first base and make sure you鈥檙e not too far one way or the other. You want to make sure you鈥檙e ready to advance, but you don鈥檛 want to get picked off. It鈥檚 kind of like an ebb and flow.鈥�

The Nationals鈥� outfield overload will challenge their chances to finish 1-2. Taylor鈥檚 playing time has devolved into more of a platoon despite his recent leap at the plate. Turner will continue to play as the everyday shortstop. Inciarte is also a wrinkle. He and the Nationals鈥� pair are already creating a gap between themselves and the field.

However, if they stay healthy, and running, Taylor and Turner could grab a slice of history this season.

is the managing editor and co-founder of The Sports Capitol. He has spent 17 years in the sports editorial industry, working as a writer and layout editor, winning multiple awards in both positions. He has been an NFL beat writer, has worked as a member of the Baseball Writers鈥� Association of America for seven years, and is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association.

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