Harper, Moore get extra practice near outfield wall

By Bill Ladson and Tom Schad

May 26, 2013

WASHINGTON -- On Friday afternoon, first-base/outfield coach Tony Tarasco was seen teaching Tyler Moore and Bryce Harper how to play the outfield wall better. The session happened in part because Harper crashed into the right-field wall on May 13 and misplayed a ball in the ninth against the Giants this past Tuesday. The catchable ball went over Harper's head, and he thought he was close to the wall.

"I was giving them a feel for the track, feel for the speed they are running," Tarasco said. "There is only one way do that, and that is repetition. There are no secret tricks to it. … You have accidents sometimes. Sometimes, we fall off the bike, and the most important thing is to get back up and we make adjustments."

Center fielder Denard Span participated in the drill. His job was to tell Harper and Moore how close they were to the wall.

"T-Mo and Bryce haven't been playing the outfield too long," Span said. "I really didn't say much, but I wanted to show them by example. They are going to get more comfortable and realize where they are on the field at all times."

Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the time. He also could be found on Twitter @WashinNats. Tom Schad is an associate reporter for MLB.