Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Nats!
It's pretty hard to believe but the Nats are the best team in baseball (based on record). I know training camp has started and the Caps have been making a couple of moves but it's surprising how quiet the town has been on the Nats given their play.
I admit that I loosely watch these guys and I couldn't even tell you their starting lineup. I am not a huge fan of baseball and the last month or two has been the dry season of sports for me. Hopefully the Nats will make the playoffs and then I will certainly start paying attention. The thing is should they make the playoffs, they have a great chance of making some noise as they have one of the best rotations in baseball and the playoffs are all about pitching.
GO NATS!!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
The main thing to watch is the dominating Strasburg and how management handles his pitching load and when they will shut him down for the season to avoid risking a potentially career ending injury( a second Tommy john is apparently impossible to come back from). The debate is whether to shut him down and preserve him for future seasons and probably not win anything this year despite an exceptional season or let him play and probably make a run at the world series this season at the risk of a huge catastrophe.
Forgot... go Nats!
Just because you pitch does not guarantee an arm injury. Greg Maddux came out recently and said that pitchers want to pitch to keep their arms loose.
I recognize that this is more work than Strasburg is used to but if they are in the post season hunt, I say you have to keep him going. Championships are not easy to come by and you have to take advantage when those opportunities arise.
I am not saying to work this guy into the ground but if the need arises, you have to use him. He is the best pitcher on the staff and the kind of year they are having thus far, they need to get to the post season.
They are currently in first but the Braves are hot and nipping at their heels.
The Nats are a good team and they don't rely solely on Strasburg so I would say rest him when he reaches his predetermined innings limit. However, if they start faltering and jeopardizing a post season berth, I would put him back in to give the team a jolt and an opportunity for a title. I would only do so if the doctors felt he was capable. I wouldn't make this call selfishly and if Strasburg had a sore arm I certainly wouldn't force the issue. As long as he was healthy though, I wouldn't hesitate to re insert him back in the rotation in hopes of getting to the playoffs.
People forget that back in the 60s and 70s pitchers would pitch a ton more than guys do today. Denny McLain was a 31 game winner. We will not see that because guys don't pitch enough games anymore.
Tom Seaver would regularly throw between 250 and 300 innings per season. Strasburg is at 120 innings currently.
What I am saying is that I don't mind shutting him down and I wouldn't risk Strasburg's/the Nats future on one game or one season. However, if a post season berth was in jeopardy and if he was healthy and the doctors cleared him and he felt good, I would put him back into the rotation.
Post a Comment