High & Inside: NL Notes

In Stephen Strasburg-related news . . .

We at High&Inside are strongly encouraged to write about Washington Nationals rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg, and sometimes we have to really beat the bushes to dig out the news. We thank journeyman pitcher Miguel Batista for making the following item possible:

If there's a lesson Batista learned this week, it's probably this: Don't mess with Iowa when trying to be self-effacing, and don't mess with Iowa beauty queens in particular.

It all began Tuesday, when the 39-year-old reliever was pressed into starting after Strasburg was scratched because of stiffness in his right shoulder right before the start of a game against the Braves. Naturally, the 40,000 fans who had gone to Nationals Park specifically to see Strasburg booed when the substitution was announced.

"Imagine," Batista said afterward, "if you go there to see Miss Universe and you end up having Miss Iowa - you might get those kind of boos."

That droll observation made him the most disliked man in Iowa and prompted the real Miss Iowa, 20-year-old Katherine Connors, to issue a statement that read: "I know I can throw a pitch or two. The question is, can Miguel Batista walk the runway in a swimsuit?"

And to show that there's no hard feelings, she accepted the Nationals' invitation to throw out the first pitch before Friday's game against the Phillies. Reason enough to catch the game on television.

In other rookie phenom news . . .

Jason Heyward has become the first Atlanta Braves player to steal home in 10 years. It happened in the first inning of Wednesday night's game against the Nationals. Yep, Strasburg's team.

With one out and runners on first and third, Livan Hernandez struck out Eric Hinske. Brian McCann broke for second, and Ivan Rodriguez's throw easily beat him to the bag. So, McCann changed direction and headed back to first, winding up in a rundown. Heyward headed home, drawing a throw to the plate from first baseman Adam Dunn. Heyward was safe, while McCann stole second.

The last Braves player to steal home, by the way, was Rafael Furcal, on April 9, 2000, against San Francisco.

And speaking of San Francisco, the Giants' Buster Posey failed to extend his 21-game hitting streak, going 0 for 3 against the Marlins on Thursday. His mark is one shy of Willie McCovey's Giants rookie hitting record of 22.

But all is not lost: Plenty of games are left and the rookie catcher is batting a gaudy .358.

No crime in death of Rockies' president