We have to give out a couple of different credits for this story. Nats Enquirer was the first to blog about it, but Dan Steinberg came through with the charming backstory.
See, Monday night, there was a pretty killer softball game raging in front of the Washington Monument, involving the World Wildlife Fund Fighting Pandas and the Alliance to Save Energy Killer Watts. This is the sort of non-profit softball engagement on the Mall that involves no umpires and no balls and strikes. Every one is allowed to bat, and the beverages are often a bit more potent than Gatorade.
Having once played in a similar non-profit circuit in D.C., I can assure you that most of the games don't involve Major League ballplayers. Like, not even reserves.
So, here came Nationals super-prospect Bryce Harper, on his day off after the Nationals returned from the West Coast. After watching the beer-beer leaguers take their licks for a while, he just couldn't help himself.
"You guys want a pinch hitter?" he asked. He was promptly invited to the plate to take a couple cuts.
The result is the fantastic video below. By the way, Bryce Harper makes his Washington debut tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Good seats are still available.
