Before the season started Washington said they would only allow Stephen Strasburg to pitch around 160 innings this year. At the time it seemed like a good idea. They were a perennial last place team that was being smart and conservative with their former #1 overall draft pick coming off of
Tommy John surgery. He was a guy considered to be the future of the franchise; a superstar in the making with only half a season of big league experience.
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| The Nats may never get another chance like this. |
But, things have changed. Strasburg is one of the best pitchers in the majors
today (15-6, 3.16 ERA, 1.15
WHIP, 197 K). Oh yeah, and the Nationals are in
first place. At 85-53 they have the best record in all of Major League Baseball. This is a franchise that has never won a championship, playing in a city that hasn't even witnessed a postseason game since
1933 (in fact their only playoff appearance was as the Montreal Expos 31 years ago; during a bizarre strike shortened 1981 season in which MLB added an extra round in order to represent the clubs with the best records both before and after the mid season strike).
After yesterday's game Strasburg's innings count stands at 159 and 1/3, and true to their word the Nationals announced today that they are shutting him down for the season. They're the best team in baseball, and they are going to voluntarily stop using their number one starter in order to "save him for the future." Wake up. Take a look around. The future is
right now. What are you saving him for? Your franchise will never get a better chance to win it's first World Series and bring a title to a city starving for one. Nothing should get in the way of that.
I would understand if it was Strasburg himself (or his agent) that felt this was the right move. He has a long career and future contracts to worry about. But for the team, the opportunity of a lifetime is staring them right in the face, and they're choosing to look the other way.
I believe Strasburg's agent (ol' Drew himself) is on board with limiting the kids' innings.
ReplyDeleteIt was a no-lose proposition for a player -- kinda like the pissed-off child on the playground saying, "Don't hold me back!" but knowing darn right well that his buddies aren't going to let go.
That said, his last two starts weren't impressive, so he might have been running out of gas anyway.
Also, the organization has a track record (the Zimmerman kid) with this sort of a rehab.
I wonder what your old pal Presti would do.
Abacus
P.S. Jackie MacMullen on Around the Horn yesterday mentioned having gone to a Geils show -- the point was her being able to find a parking spot on the street in the Fenway vicinity these days. But her reference ("South Side Shuffle") made me think of you.
All good points. But I wonder if his struggles at the end can be attributed to knowing he was about to be shut down. Funny about Jackie Mac!
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