The Nationals Stephen Strasburg

[VicVegas 70]

Looks like this might be the "Summer of Strasburg" in major league baseball. The Washington Nationals rookie phenom has struck out 32 in his first 3 major league starts, a MLB record. Yesterday he brought the heat, as usual (topping 100 mph a few times), but he also showed a nasty curve and a subtle change up.

 

There have been lots of young pitchers who have had great success their first time through the league, then gotten pounded in the second half of the season after MLB hitters have had a chance to make adjustments. However, Strasburg looks like the real deal. Should be a fun summer in DC.

 

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Looks like this might be the "Summer of Strasburg" in major league baseball. The Washington Nationals rookie phenom has struck out 32 in his first 3 major league starts, a MLB record. Yesterday he brought the heat, as usual (topping 100 mph a few times), but he also showed a nasty curve and a subtle change up.

 

There have been lots of young pitchers who have had great success their first time through the league, then gotten pounded in the second half of the season after MLB hitters have had a chance to make adjustments. However, Strasburg looks like the real deal. Should be a fun summer in DC.

 

He is off to a great start but it is about years of success, not a few starts and not one or two years. Tim Lincecum - 2 straight Cy Young awards and he had 5 consecutive horrible starts. The league is adjusting. Pablo Sandoval, number two in the league in hitting last year and hitting in the .280s with limited power. Pitchers have found his weaknesses.

 

I do wish the kid success and he is good for baseball and baseball in D.C.! I just don't get too excited by hype. Pitchers especially are prone to arm injuries (Mark Fidrych comes to mind).

 

However, his rookie baseball card might be a good investment.

[joekicker 53]

He is off to a great start but it is about years of success, not a few starts and not one or two years.

 

Yes. Doubled and redoubled.

 

I still recall the thread wondering if Rooney was the greatest football player in history (not Art Rooney, Vic). And then there was Michael Kay and Joba, a love affair I sat through with gritted teeth since only the YES Network is generally available in Thailand.

 

Strasburg is a phenom and he is just so much fun to watch. He's not yet a star.

 

Also, it wasn't a bad week for Daniel Nava, eh? But he's not the best batter in baseball, not yet.

 

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Edited June 19, 2010 by joekicker

[JohnnyK 28]

He's not Bob Feller yet. As Vic V says, second time through the league hitters will have a better handle on what he's got.

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Also, it wasn't a bad week for Daniel Nava, eh? But he's not the best batter in baseball, not yet.

 

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It was the best first at bat in history - a grand slam on the first pitch!

[VicVegas 70]

Strasburg reminds me of Dwight Gooden when he came up with the Mets: same over-powering stuff, three effective pitches, and very poised on the mound for his age.

 

More attention should be going to Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies. He's got 13 wins and leads the majors with a 1.15 ERA. Nice numbers for June 20th.

Edited June 20, 2010 by VicVegas

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

Strasburg reminds me of Dwight Gooden when he came up with the Mets: same over-powering stuff, three effective pitches, and very poised on the mound for his age.

 

More attention should be going to Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies. He's got 13 wins and leads the majors with a 1.15 ERA. Nice numbers for June 20th.

He has had an unbelievable first half. He has an excellent chance of 15 wins before July first, let alone the All Star Game break.

 

But the big news so far is two (almost three) perfect games pitched.

[LBJ 533]

I remember David Clyde.

 

Great hype. Crash and burn.

[joekicker 53]

It was the best first at bat in history - a grand slam on the first pitch!

 

Indeed. But he was on base every day after that this past week.

 

But the big news so far is two (almost three) perfect games pitched.

 

Ubaldo has had a no-hitter. I agree the perfect games are notable and then some.

 

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Edited June 20, 2010 by joekicker

[VicVegas 70]

I remember David Clyde.

 

Great hype. Crash and burn.

 

From my hometown (Kansas City). Came up in the early 70's with the Rangers. Blew his arm out.

 

The Royals had Steve Busby around the same time. He won 22 games one year, threw 2 no-hitters, but eventually blew his arm out as well.

 

You might say Busby and Clyde are the reason we now have "middle-men" and "set-up-men" and "pitch counts".

[joekicker 53]

You might say Busby and Clyde are the reason we now have "middle-men" and "set-up-men" and "pitch counts".

 

AND you might say it is why baseball FANS honour the pitchers who don't need them.

 

Moneyball is good busiiness and provides consistency. It's endless discussion. But individual achievement is what we crave and what we honour. I'll give you 400 set-up men just to watch Nolan Ryan start the game and walk out for the 12th inning of the same game. I've watched hundreds of World Series games but the one I really, really remember with massive clarity -- where I was, who I was with, all of that -- was the one that ended with Yogi Berra running out and leaping on Don Larsen.

 

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[VicVegas 70]

AND you might say it is why baseball FANS honour the pitchers who don't need them.

 

Complete games and shutouts are almost obsolete stats now. Randy Johnson and Curt Shilling were two of the last "war horses": guys who a manager would allow out of the dugout after the 8th inning.

 

This topic reminds me of Ron Guidry's incredible stats in 1978. That was one of the best seasons any pitcher has ever had in the history of the game - 25 wins and only 3 losses, a 1.74 ERA, .893 winning percentage, 9 shutouts, 248 strikeouts, and he held opposing batters to a measley .193 batting average. Like Bill James is always saying, he had great "peak value", though his "career value" (170 wins in 14 years) was pretty average.

Edited June 20, 2010 by VicVegas

[joekicker 53]

Complete games and shutouts are almost obsolete stats now.

 

Well, that's the point. You don't get a no-hitter by working 6 and two thirds.

 

It's not that I disagree in general, it's that I want to emphasise that the honours don't really go to the set-up man or the 120-game catcher. They go to the guy who works nine, they go to the guy with a .625 on-base average and they go to the guy with 45 homers and 120 ribbees. The point is they are ALMOST obsolete, not obsolete. No-hitters happen. 30-game hitting streaks happen. If they happened 265 times a year, then they wouldn't be a big deal.

 

Ubaldo has been out after the eighth inning several times this season, which is why he is Denver's most honoured resident at the mo and Tulo is just another shortstop.

 

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Edited June 20, 2010 by joekicker