Little Fish, Big Shark

The ocean that is the Nationals outfield got a little more crowded this weekend, when big fish Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore hopped out of the little pond that is Syracuse and into the boundless sea that is the Major League.

The Nationals outfield roster is now (in no particular order):
Roger "The Shark" Bernadina
Jayson Werth
Bryce Harper
Tyler Moore
Xavier Nady
ricK anKiel
Mark DeRosa (DL)
Michael Morse (DL)

It looks like this:

When we all know it really should look like this:

The Nationals are coming home from the west coast to try to snap a four game losing streak. Hopefully they find the waters of east coast more friendly. While The Shark hasn't been playing much lately, there was a positively Shark-like play in centerfield this weekend when Bryce Harper swam ran full force into the wall to make the catch:

He Bryce Harpooned that ball! (maybe it will catch on)

I know you want more Shark news, but sadly, there is none to report. You could always listen to our radio interview again. And while you're at it, leave a suggestion for a Craig Stammen nickname in the comments.

See you all at the game on Thursday and at Big Board DC the following Thursday (May 10) for Sharkadina Night!

More to come.

SHARK VS DODGERS

The Nationals are in Los Angeles, and although they lost the first game of the series to the Dodgers, they have a secret weapon that will turn the tide of the series.

No, it's not Bryce Harper.

The image more than speaks for itself.

More to come.

Shark Fan in San Diego

Remember Brandon from the game a couple of weeks ago? The Shark saved his life last spring?  He was integral in getting Shark chants started at a Nats game that Tyler and I couldn't attend (which helped Bill Ladson finally see the light). Well if the above information didn't convince you that this guy is totally jawsome, then this will.

Last night, during the Nationals 2-1 loss to the Padres, Brandon got Shark Chants started....in San Diego!!  The Shark entered the game in the bottom of the 7th inning as part of a double switch and came up to bat in the top of the 8th.

Brandon's Shark Sighting

That's when the chanting began and Nats fans (apparently including Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann) across the country were likely chanting along.  At the very least, they tweeted about it.

Brandon, you truly are one of the greatest Shark fans on earth. Well done.

More to come.

Shark Radio Recap

Hello Loyal Shark Fans! Have you ever been sitting there reading our blog and thought, "Gee, those Sharkadina guys sure write a halfway decent blog, but I just wish I knew what their voices sounded like?"  Probably not. But now you can hear us anyway! Just click on the player below or visit this page to hear Terry and I on the Matt Dahl Radio Show. We aren't on until the second hour, so feel free to fast forward to the 65 minute mark (or listen to the whole broadcast if you want).

Listen to internet radio with Matt Dahl on Blog Talk Radio

Highlights include:

• Stories about us meeting Roger Bernadina
• Thoughts on other Nats "superfans"
• Trying to nickname Craig Stammen ('Stammen't Mixer?)
• Our "expert" analysis on the Washington Nationals so far and for the rest of the season.
• ricK anKiel jabs
• And much more...please listen to our segment!

I have to say, we had a ton of fun being on the show and even though it was a little rocky at the start (get beyond Terry saying, "I have nothing to say"), I think it turned out really well. We also promised the hosts Shark hoods, so we will be making more soon! We may even have some at Sharkadina Night if you're lucky.

While we were on air the Nats were beating the Padres and even though The Shark didn't have the best game (0-4 with a walk), as we said on the radio show, we can always make it sound like he did! So, Bernadina highlights include: being intentionally walked in the 2nd inning (pitcher was mortally terrified of facing of him) and...patrolling left field and hunting down many a fly ball.  Way to go Shark!

The Nats are 14-4 and have the best record in the NL!  Is it all because of the Shark? Yes.

More to come.

Sharkadina on the Radio

Tyler and I will be featured on the Matt Dahl Radio Show tonight at 8:05 PM.  Yes, I am aware that there is a big Caps game, and a Nationals game, and it's laundry night, and you have refused to listen to the radio since FDR was president, BUT if you have a few minutes, listen in.  It will definitely be a good time.

You can listen online by clicking here and pressing the play button.  Trust us, it will be time well spent...probably, maybe.

The Shark attempted to bite the Padres with a stolen base yesterday, when he came in as a pinch runner, but through the use of Black Magic, he was thrown out.  Having not seen the replay yet, or having heard the broadcast, I can accurately tell you it was a bang-bang play with the Shark just beating the throw.  Black Magic is nothing to mess around with and it ended up exploding it the Padres' faces as the Nats won 3-1.

SHARK VS PADRES

The Shark is in San Diego and the only thing he prefers over Truluck's are Padres baseball players.  He has faced the Padres before and left the town decimated, not once, but twice.

Cameron Maybin = tasty

The Shark is hungry, and ready for his third helping...

More to come.

BIG SHARKADINA NEWS

It is a good time to be a Shark fan!  The Nationals are red hot and the Shark is still a part of the team.  Best of all, we have some big news to keep an eye out for in the coming weeks!  We'll start with the soonest, first:

RADIO SHARK

Tyler and I will be featured on the radio this Wednesday, April 25th at 8pm! We are going to be interviewed on the Matt Dahl Radio Show.  The show is broadcast every Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm and simulcasted on TPSRadio.net, Talksuperstation.com, and Sportsrantz.com.   We will post more information so you can be sure to tune in at the right time and listen to our interview.  Perhaps you will learn something new about the creators of Sharkadina... The Nationals (and hopefully the Shark) will be playing in San Diego that night (6:35pm start), but we hope you'll tune in for the spot!

SHARKADINA NIGHT

The Big Board DC, the bar where Tyler, Zac, and I watched Thursday night's Nationals game, will be hosting the first ever Sharkadina Night.  The event is on May 10th at 7pm. It is going to be an event of gargantuan proportions.  The bar is at 421 H Street (Metro accessible from Union Station).  We'll be upstairs for the event, with the Nationals @ Pirates game on all the TVs.  What better opportunity to watch an away game with fellow Shark fans than upstairs at The Big Board.  The burgers are 'fin'tastic and the night's drink specials will include a special "Shark Attack" shot, and $4 Yueunglings (Sharklings?).  More info about the event can be found on Facebook.  Mark your calendars, dry clean your Shark hoods, and join us for Sharkadina Night.  I want to say, "We're gonna need a bigger bar" by the end of the night.

SHARKADINA ON MLB.COM

From right to left: Shark fans Tyler, Zac, Terry, Masha, thumbs up kid

Sharkadina was featured on MLB.com after we had our picture taken at Friday's game.  The best part is the thumbs up kid on the left.  Also notice Tyler's "lucky" shark tooth.  The Nats are 3-0 when he wears it to games (and 4-0 when anyone from Sharkadina shows up).  We are an intimidating crew.

NATS TRIVIA

Clint with Tyler and Zac

Tyler and Zac went head-to-head on Nats Trivia at Friday's game.   Apparently Tyler knows his Nats jersey numbers a bit better than Zac and wound up winning an Opening Day Hat and an Ignite Your Natitude t-shirt.  Well done.

That is all the news for now.  The Nationals game was cancelled today because of rain.  It will give the whole team some bonus rest before they travel to San Diego for a series with the Padres.  If you recall from last season, the Shark loves feasting on Padres.

More to come.

SHARK VS MARLINS

Fresh off a 3-1 series win against the Houston Astros, the Shark and the Nationals battle the Miami Marlins for the first time in 2012.  Bernadina is hot right now, going 3 for 6, with 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB, and 4 BB in his last 4 games.  Those are jaw-dropping numbers.  We expect the Shark to continue this hot spell, as more and more fans learn to love him (including one very new fan).

We did not create this picture (it was made by a Marlins fan who apparently loathes Emilio Bonifacio), but I think it is a pretty good prediction of what to expect tonight. 

THE SHARK WILL DEVOUR THE INFERIOR MARLINS AND SHARKADINA WILL BE THERE TO WATCH IT HAPPEN!

More to come.

Congratulations Shark Fans

Shark reigns supreme!

Congratulations everyone!

YO SHARK, WE DID IT

More to come.

SHARK CHANTS

Did you watch the Nats game tonight? Or maybe listen to it on the radio? Then you maybe you heard the word "Shark" a couple times...or maybe you heard it over and over and over being chanted by the entire stadium after his game tying double! The craziest part about this is...Terry and I weren't even AT THE GAME.

This was a chant completely free of the influence of Sharkadina. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that the instigator was new friend of the blog Brandon and his Shark loving friends. Twitter was blowing up with reports of "SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!" being heard far and wide:

We all knew "The Shark" nickname was pretty popular before, but now it is REALLY taking off. Steve Berthaiume even used it on ESPN's Baseball Tonight (video soon). Although this is not the first time the name has been used on the show.

For those of you new to the Sharkadina sensation, and may be wondering what all the fuss is about or where this whole "Shark" thing came from, I would refer you to the following pages:

About Us (Sharkadina)

The Shark Fans Heard Round The World...or at least D.C. (Nats NQ, Feb. 7, 2011)

How Roger Bernadina Became The Shark (Washington Post, June 30, 2011)

We have some exciting news coming soon about Sharkadina so be sure to keep checking the blog for updates!

More to come.

ASTRO CHOMP

The Shark is batting 8th tonight and starting in left field against the Houston Astros.  You know what that means...

Astro hand sounds tasty

More to come.

Sharkboard Walk and Astros Game Recap

The Nats are hot! And before you ask, yes, I'm talking "wearing a skinned llama while sunbathing in the middle of July" hot.  The full Sharkadina team (including Zac, Tyler, Elizabeth, and myself (Terry)) was at the game last night hoping that the Shark and the Nats would win their 8th game of the young season.   

Stephen Strasburg was pitching for the Nationals, and with a right handed starter on the mound for the Astros, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the Shark to start in left field and feast on the weak Astros team.  As it turned out, the Shark didn't get the start, but still played a big role in the amazing 6-3 Nationals victory.

The game started with a trip the Scoreboard Walk for some less expensive beer and a brief interaction with one of the best Shark fans we've ever met.  Apparently, her brother in law named his car the Shark after Roger Bernadina... Jawsome.  If I had the money to afford a car, I would definitely name it the Shark too (in the meantime, I'll have to seriously rethink the name of my bike, Princess Unicorn Wheels).  Nothing better than hearing about Shark love.

To the Shark.

We got to our seats, refamiliarized ourselves with the surroundings, bonded with some of those sitting around us (while completely infuriating/alienating others), and enjoyed watching Strasburg pitch another dominating game.

After a while, we were joined by new found Sharkadina fan (and longtime Roger Bernadina fan) Brandon Morrison and his friend.  Brandon has a very special bond with the Bernadina, as contrary to ever shark story you ever hear, the Shark saved his life.  You'll have ask Brandon about more details, but I think the gist of the story was that he was tightrope walking over a pit of spikes, slipped on a banana peel, then was caught inches above the poison dipped spires by Bernadina's massive arm.  That, or he fell over a railing onto the field and the Shark kept him from hitting the ground.

Brandon with Shark

The Nats held a 2-run lead until the 6th when the Astros scored two to tie the game.  In the bottom of the sixth, with 1 on and 2 out, Bernadina was called in to pinch hit for Strasburg. At that point, our section blew up.  It seemed that everyone was chanting Shark with us, and pumping Bernadina up for success.  The chants were so loud (especially the "Shark Attack" chants) , you could clearly hear them on the MASN broadcast of the game (video/audio to come).  They were loud enough (and Bernadina himself admitted, "it was great" to hear them during the AB) to aid the Shark/distract the pitcher, because the Shark walked, extending the inning. 3 batters later, 4 runs were in and the Nats were leading 6-2.

Houston outfielders back up in fear as the Shark approaches the plate

It was the Shark's second PH rally-assisting walk in 2 days and this time, it led to the Nats victory.

Other game notes:

• Rick Ankiel showed off his cannon of an arm at the game, throwing a strike to home plate from about 300 feet away.  It saved a run with the bases loaded.
• Rick Ankiel showed off the fact that he's not the Shark by totally BIFFING a ball in CF, allowing a run to score and negating his previous play.
• Steve Lombardozzi went 4 for 5 in the game and ended with several new nicknames including Lombo Field, Livin' la Vida Lombardozzi, Cheaper by the Lombardozen, Lombardoozie, and more.
• Sharkadina will be back in the stadium on Friday.  CHOMP!

More to come.

SHARK VS ASTROS

The Shark and the Nationals kick off a series against the Houston Astros tonight and Sharkadina will be there watching.  We probably all remember what happened to the Astros last time they battled the Shark. This time, I predict the the encounter will be a little less subtle.

In his career, the Shark is batting .250, with 4 runs, 4 RBIs, and 3 stolen bases against the Astros.  With a right handed pitcher starting for Houston, it would be wise of Davey Johnson to use the Shark to devour the Astros.

See you tonight.

More to come.

Friday the Sharkteenth Recap

On Friday, Tyler and I made our first appearance together at Nats park of 2012.  It was a jawsome game.  The Shark started the game against Bronson Arroyo, and played all 13 innings of the dramatic 2-1 Nationals victory.  We stuck through the whole game and were rewarded with a lot of fun, in addition to a whole army of new Shark supporters.

We left Imagination Stage after work at 5pm with our new sign (as promised) and headed to the ballpark.  We sharked up (meaning we put our hoods on) outside the stadium, started our sharkitude propaganda campaign, and went into the stadium. 

Sharkadina 2012

We were there in plenty of time to get the free Ignite Your Natitude t-shirt give away, and even got a somewhat appropriate size (compared to every other useless XL Nats shirt we have).  We grabbed some food and beer, and did our traditional lap around the stadium.  Then as the players were introduced, we went down to our seats.  We were 8 rows from the field in the right field corner, great seats for yelling to the Shark, and great seats for having our sign seen by many behind us.  We were even sitting behind another Bernadina fan (which proves we aren't the only ones).

Before the game, we went down and shook hands with the Shark, which has led to successful games by the Shark in the past.  He said he was doing well and it was clear that he was ready to Ignite his Sharkitude.

The game turned out to be a pitchers duel with Jordan Zimmermann and Bronson Arroyo trading zeros.  The Reds broke through with a sac fly by Arroyo and the Nats answered back a few innings later with a solo shot by Xavier Nady.  The Shark contributed a double in the 5th inning.  Later, in the ninth inning, Sharkadina had a relative breakthrough.  The Shark was batting with two on and two out in a tie game at the bottom of the inning when Tyler and I appeared on MASN.  We were alerted to this by several Twitter followers (thanks @all).  Tyler recorded the game and took this video of our appearance (very famous):

Unfortunately, the pitcher managed to strike the Shark out (by Goblincinerating, no doubt) and the game went into extras.  In the 12th, the Shark came up again, and Sharkadina again appeared on MASN:

You will notice this time that announcer FP Santangelo acknowledged Bernadina as the Shark and talked about our fan following.  It is our biggest breakthrough since the Washington Post article!  During this at bat, the Shark walked, stole a base, but was thrown out at third on a wild play that neither hurt nor benefited the Nats.  The game continued until Jayson Werth finished the game with a walk off single in the 13th (very fitting for Friday the Sharkteenth).

It's hard to find anything to complain about the game.  It was a really good game for Sharkadina and the Shark did have a good final line 1-4, with a SB.  Most importantly, the Nats won the game.

The Nats continued their strong play through Saturday, beating the Reds 4-1 for their fifth straight win. ricK anKiel was called up for Saturday's game, which meant that Brett Carroll (and not the Shark) was designated for assignment.  The Shark got the day off, with AnKiel starting in center and going 0-4).  The Shark didn't start on Sunday, either, but came in as a pinch hitter for Ross Detwiler, walked again, and scored a run.  At the time of this post, the Nationals and the Reds are tied 5-5.

We will be back in the park on Monday and with a right handed pitcher starting for the Houston Astros, it would be jawsome to see the Shark starting in left field, on the same side as our seats.

More to come.

IGNITE YOUR SHARKITUDE

Tyler and I will be at tonight's game as the Shark and the Nats battle Bronson Arroyo and the Reds.

Bring it, Bronson...

More to come.

Home Shark Home

As previously reported, the Nationals kicked off their home opener of 2012 against the Cincinnati Reds.  The sun was shining, the Shark was batting seventh, and the winds of fate were blowing throughout the ballpark.

In some ways, the game was a mess.  Brad Lidge blew a two run lead in the 9th inning to force extra innings.  Ryan Zimmerman arguably made 3 errors in the game (although he was only charged for 1), and news broke that Mako Morse would be out for an additional 6 weeks.

In other, more importants ways, the game was a thing of beauty.  Gio Gonzalez pitched 7 shutout innings, the Shark hit the ball hard 3 times (although he had nothing to show for it...), and the Nationals won the game 3-2.  Bernadina was at the plate in the bottom of the tenth with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, when all of a sudden, Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon threw a wild pitch, allowing Zimmerman to score the winning run from third.

When asked about the wild pitch after the game, Simon responded, "Are you kidding me?  THERE WAS A F***ING SHARK AT HOME PLATE!  I was scared sh**less."  Reds manager Dusty Baker came to the aid of his relief pitcher explaining that the Shark's glare can invoke confusion and often times a very upset stomach.

I think that the end of the game proves one thing, as pointed out by Jumpin' Zac Flash, the Shark is so good that he really doesn't have to do...anything but be there.

It's so true.  But don't forget, always cheer loudly for the Shark.  He always does better with fan support.  I saw some scattered jaw chomping motions in the crowd today (even from Nats guy Terrance) and photographer extraordinaire Cheryl Nichols snapped a pic of a pair of Shark fans:

With a few more fans rooting for the Shark, those hard hit outs will be dropping for doubles.

Tyler and I will be back at Nats Park tomorrow night for the second game in the series.  We will have a brand new sign for the 2012 season (which we will likely make just before the game), and we'll be sitting in the right field corner.  Come say hi!

More to come.

Shark Vs Reds

Hello Shark Fans,

This is Terry, reporting live from Nationals Park. The sun is shining and you couldn't have asked for a better day to have a home opener.

Even more importantly, the Shark is batting seventh in the lineup and patrolling center field in today's game. I'll be previewing the seats where Tyler, Zac, and I will be sitting throughout the season. Additionally, two of my cousins and their friends will be at the game, so here's hoping for a large Shark cheering section.

They kick off the season at home against the Reds, and here is a little prediction of what will happen...

More to come.

Sharkabbath

As the Nats head into the last game of the Mets series tied 1-1, the Shark is given a much needed day off.

While at first sight, one might attribute the off day to:

• The southpaw shark facing a tough left handed pitcher in Johan Santana, or...
• The Shark only having one hit in his last 12 at bats, or...
• The 5 strikeouts the Shark has in the last 3 games...

A real Shark fan knows that none of the above circumstances are the reason.

The reason of course is that today is a shark holy day. Have you ever wondered why there are never any shark attacks on April 11th? Well not you do.

The day is called Sharkabbath and it is a day where sharks all over the world take a day off from being total bad ass creatures to honor their fallen comrades, visit their family, go to their sharkagogue and enjoy their favorite meal with close friends.

As a sign of respect, Davey Johnson gave Bernadina the day off to celebrate Sharkabbath.

Artist rendering of sharks at the Sharkagogue

More to come.

Shark attacks NYC

Fresh off winning 2 of 3 games in Chicago, the Shark is in New York City ready to continue his 2012 feast.  Fortunately for the Nats, I was recently at Citi Field, and although I did not report about it earlier, I did sneak in 6 gallons worth of whale blood into the stadium.  I carefully spread the blood all over the Mets dugout and bullpen.  Amazingly, I was not seen by anyone in the stadium.

The hope is that the Mets would get the blood on their uniforms, leading to this:

I am not sure why his shirt looks koolaid pink.

More to come.

SHARK VS. SHARK

When Terry and I nicknamed Roger Bernadina "The Shark," we thought it was a pretty unique nickname. Well, little did we know that there was another player in the MLB already named Shark: Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

We were first alerted to this "strange but true" fact last July when astute Sharkadina fan, Jennie posted it on our Facebook page.  We followed the link to Jeff's Wikipedia page and our fears were confirmed:

"Several of Samardzija's Notre Dame baseball teammates affectionately nicknamed him "Shark" early during his career at Notre Dame."

Back then, we had never heard of Samardzija and were consoled by the fact that the Our Shark was a better player and more well known. And a lot cooler. And doper. And more jawsome. But now, The Other Shark has made the starting rotation of the Chicago Cubs and we find ourselves in the interesting situation of a direct SHARK VS. SHARK matchup today.

The epic battle is not going unnoticed by the Nats blogosphere, with The View From Southwest writing this:

I do not recall a game when men with virtually the same nickname have faced off on the diamond. Roger Bernadina is, and will always be, The Shark. Just ask my friend @Sharkadina on twitter and you will be properly informed, that it matters not, what a bunch of Fighting Irish baseball players call their former pitcher. Our Shark, and his herd of teammates, rule this ocean.

Today we will discover once and for all who is most deserving of the greatest nickname of all time.

Most likely, however, this will be the outcome:

More to come.

Sharkadina in the Big Apple

What a day for the Nationals! The Nationals are still undefeated to start the 2012 season after beating the Cubs 7-4 today. A lot of the credit for the win goes to the Shark. Or at least that's what appears to be the case. I was getting my highlights from Tyler via text message because I was in The Big Apple (where so many humans have smart phones, you can't check box scores...first world problem)!

The Shark was clutch today, going 2 for 4 with a single and a big RBI double to strengthen the Nats lead (I know Tyler watched the game so maybe I can convince him to add better insight to the game recap).

While I was in NYC, I had the opportunity to take in a New York Mets game. I gotta say, Citi Field is a pretty nice park. Possibly because it is only a couple of years old, and the season is only two games in, but the park was new/clean and very nice. The weather was great and the Mets were playing the Braves so I was able reminisce about Nats games past, when Livan Hernandez took to the mound with his 40 mph heater. The Mets won 4-2 and I would occasionally find myself cheering for the napkins that would find themselves blown onto the field. I tried to spread the Shark nickname, but literally no one seemed to care about the Nationals treasure, and Most Fearsome Outfielder. Sad.

Despite this, I represented the Nats and the Shark (who's name is autographed on the hat I'm wearing)

More to come.

Shark vs Cubs

The Nationals beat the Cubs 2-1 yesterday, meaning that they are currently UNDEFEATED! Pretty much the whole team (including The Shark) was quiet offensively except for Ian "Daddy" Desmond, who had three hits including the go-ahead run in the 9th. With Drew "Tinkerbell" Storen on DL, new Nat Brad "Doesn't have a nickname yet" Lidge came in to get the save.

The Nats play the Cubs two more times this weekend and The Shark and company hope to to beat the baby bears with their bats. Literally.

Why is the bat boy smiling at this?

Everyone knows that on Sharks are higher than bears on the food chain, as illustrated in the picture below:

Fish < Bear < Shark < Flying Squirrel?

More to come.

Opening Shark

The day is finally here!  The Nationals Opening Day is today, in Chicago, against the Cubs.

And guess who is the probable center fielder for the Nats: THE SHARK!

As we kick into gear for the the 2012 season, the Shark will be the predator to watch.  His "human" knee and toe injuries have all but healed and he's got a full head of Shark Steam to power into the season with.

First on the menu: Chicago Cubs.

More to come.

Shark vs. Red Sox

One image taken after the Nationals 8-7 loss to the Red Sox exhibition game....

The Shark was not happy about the loss.

More to come.