Mike Harris

HARRIS: Break but don’t bend? Bryce Harper quandary rears its head again for Nats

The linebacker mentality is what makes Harper what he is and it is also what makes Harper what it looks like he is going to become: a guy who will have a hard time going a full season without a visit or two the disabled list.

April 29, 2014

HARRIS: Offseason nothing to look forward to for Caps or Wizards

The Wizards are on the rise, the Capitals are going the other way. Yet for both, the offseason won't be very easy and may not be much fun. Whether you're high or low these days, offseasons have become a pain in the backside.

April 28, 2014

HARRIS: D.C. not yet spellbound by Wizards, but they’re no illusion

Wizards Fever. Catch it?The Wizards went to Chicago for their first playoff series in six years and came home with a 2-0 lead over the Bulls. Game 3 is Friday night at Verizon Center and it will be curious to see how the area reacts to a team that is starting to garner some attention in a lot of places around the NBA.

April 23, 2014

HARRIS: Echoes of 1978 NBA champs in these Wizards

Those of a certain age remember the last time the team won an NBA title, back when it was called the Bullets. But as good as they looked in their first playoff game in six years, let's not go sizing the Wizards up for a crown just yet — unless you are a believer in history repeating itself.

April 21, 2014

HARRIS: Wizards have moved to head of D.C.’s class

Let's say a year or so ago, if someone had written the Wizards would be at the top of the heap among the four major D.C. sports teams, it would have triggered a good chuckle. The woeful Wizards, now looking down with grins at the Nationals, Capitals and Redskins.

April 16, 2014

HARRIS: Bad luck or bigger omen, early returns for Nationals are troubling

Sure, 12 games into a season is way, way, way too early to make any kind of judgments on the Nationals. Assuming positive rehabilitations, all of the injured players will be back and able to play a major chunk of the season. By October, maybe none of this will matter.

April 14, 2014

HARRIS: Masters has plenty of appeal in Tiger’s absence

While the presence of Woods, especially when he's playing well, adds something to any event, the idea that the tournament is somehow lessened this year because he isn't playing is worthy of a simple, one-word response: Oy.

April 9, 2014

HARRIS: Throwing it all away: What to do with Ryan Zimmerman?

OK, time for another show of hands, this one for Nationals fans or anyone else who regularly watches the team play: How many of you cringe, cower, duck, close your eyes, turn away or otherwise not watch whenever a groundball is hit to third baseman Ryan Zimmerman?

April 7, 2014

HARRIS: Fans get an early taste of replay’s impact on baseball

The overturned home run call was an interesting subplot in the game anyway if for no other reason than it showed the sellout crowd of 42,834 that baseball has joined some of its other major-sport brethren in using available technology to make sure as often as possible the proper call is made.

April 4, 2014

HARRIS: As Caps’ playoff push disintegrates, what’s next?

I didn't get to see the Capitals play live on Tuesday and "play" may be a poor choice of words since they didn't do much of that in a 5-0 loss at home to the Dallas Stars. Not the kind of performance a playoff push requires.

April 2, 2014

HARRIS: On Opening Day full of storylines, Danny Espinosa makes quiet impact

The Nationals stayed alive in their season opener against the Mets and went on to win in extra innings, thanks in no small part to one very impressive, very patient trip to the plate.

March 31, 2014

Stephen Strasburg has new perspective on what it takes to succeed

For all his skills that have been evident from the start, Strasburg continues to develop as a pitcher even if he did start with a pretty high bar.

March 30, 2014

Poor start dooms Capitals in ill-timed loss to Bruins

A 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon took an eraser, at least temporarily, to all the good feeling the Caps had built up in their recent games. They don't need reminders that they can't afford even one bad game as they try to extend their streak of playoff appearances to seven.

March 29, 2014

BASEBALL 2014: Wilson Ramos’ durability key for Nats

When the Nationals acquired then-minor-leaguer Ramos from the Twins in 2010 for relief pitcher Matt Capps, they envisioned him one day becoming a crucial part of their lineup. Now 26, Ramos goes into the 2014 season ready to be exactly that.

March 27, 2014

BASEBALL 2014: HARRIS: Nats fans will have reason to celebrate

This is a playoff team, just as it was last year, but this year the Nats won't miss.

March 27, 2014

HARRIS: Expect madness to moderate in NCAA tourney’s second weekend

The first weekend is like a carnival, full of fun with surprises seemingly lurking around every corner. The final weekend is much more serious, with four teams gathered and a championship so very close they can all taste it. The middle weekend? That's the one that defies an easy definition.

March 26, 2014

HARRIS: As Evgeny Kuznetsov settles in, Caps’ playoff chances improve

Though it remains way too early to anoint him as a special player, 21-year-old Evgeny Kuznetsov is showing signs he may have to join the Nationals' Bryce Harper, the Wizards' John Wall and the Redskins' Robert Griffin III on a list of the area's most exciting young talents.

March 24, 2014