Thread: Strasburg

This has the potential to be one giant disaster for the Nats.

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

I understand and respect the innings limit. I think it's smart. However, they've been saying they would do it all season. I don't understand why they didn't give him a 15 day DL stint in mid-May and another one in early July or something. He's a difference maker. He's very good, dominant. The kind of guy that you'd really want in the playoffs! I'd be upset if I was on that team.

Agreed 100%. If they were planning to cap his innings, they should have had the foresight to shut him down throughout the season instead of at the end so he misses the playoffs.

But I don't blame them for capping his innings. 160 is a lot for a guy his age returning from TJS.

I hope they lose the 1st round of the playoffs and never get there again. Stupid is what stupid does.

Originally Posted by Brock Beauchamp

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

I understand and respect the innings limit. I think it's smart. However, they've been saying they would do it all season. I don't understand why they didn't give him a 15 day DL stint in mid-May and another one in early July or something. He's a difference maker. He's very good, dominant. The kind of guy that you'd really want in the playoffs! I'd be upset if I was on that team.

Agreed 100%. If they were planning to cap his innings, they should have had the foresight to shut him down throughout the season instead of at the end so he misses the playoffs.

But I don't blame them for capping his innings. 160 is a lot for a guy his age returning from TJS.

People act like starting and stopping or shifting him to the bullpen is the same capping his innings. it's not and it probably more dangerous than having him simply pitch for the whole season.

Originally Posted by kab21

People act like starting and stopping or shifting him to the bullpen is the same capping his innings. it's not and it probably more dangerous than having him simply pitch for the whole season.

It would have been tricky to figure out but it's not as if the Nationals are in the middle of a pennant race. They have a comfy lead on the Braves and could have sat Strasburg through the entirety of July and some of June if they wanted to do it.

Originally Posted by Top Gun

I hope they lose the 1st round of the playoffs and never get there again. Stupid is what stupid does.

That wont be the case.

I get the innings cap, it makes sense for a guy coming back from TJ. But the Nationals should also think that more then likly Strasburg isn't gonna be around for the next decade plus in Washington. He's got Boras as an agent and you know damn well Boras already has a 200 page binder ready to pass out to teams at the winter meetings in 2017 when Strasburg is a free agent. If anything I say run that arm into the ground and get as many bullets as you can before the chamber is empty.

Originally Posted by Brock Beauchamp

It would have been tricky to figure out but it's not as if the Nationals are in the middle of a pennant race. They have a comfy lead on the Braves and could have sat Strasburg through the entirety of July and some of June if they wanted to do it.

Did they have a comfy lead in June and July? I thought things were a little tighter then. I don't really remember, though.

I understand why they would want to limit his innings and it makes sense, but I think they could have executed it better. They are much better than they thought they would be and now they find themselves in this situation. The Nats have been pretty healthy and things have gone well for them, so I think they should go for it. That doesn't mean they should pull a Dusty Baker and run Strasburg into the ground, but if they have a shot at winning the World Series and they shut down their best pitcher, then that's stupid. You never know what's going to happen in the future. Players could get injured or have bad seasons, and then you look back at 2012 and wonder what could have been if Strasburg had pitched in a few more games. You have to go for it if you have a chance.

Originally Posted by mbents

Originally Posted by Brock Beauchamp

It would have been tricky to figure out but it's not as if the Nationals are in the middle of a pennant race. They have a comfy lead on the Braves and could have sat Strasburg through the entirety of July and some of June if they wanted to do it.

Did they have a comfy lead in June and July? I thought things were a little tighter then. I don't really remember, though.

I don't think anyone has pressured them in quite some time but admittedly, I don't follow the NL East on a daily basis. I'm sure Ben knows. He's a Braves fan.

The Nats are good without him, better with him. But I guess in the race for a playoff spot you burn up your best guys first like in a game sitaution. I can see both arguments.

Originally Posted by Brock Beauchamp

Originally Posted by mbents

Originally Posted by Brock Beauchamp

It would have been tricky to figure out but it's not as if the Nationals are in the middle of a pennant race. They have a comfy lead on the Braves and could have sat Strasburg through the entirety of July and some of June if they wanted to do it.

Did they have a comfy lead in June and July? I thought things were a little tighter then. I don't really remember, though.

I don't think anyone has pressured them in quite some time but admittedly, I don't follow the NL East on a daily basis. I'm sure Ben knows. He's a Braves fan.

It was fairly tight into the All-Star break, with 3 teams within 5 games of each other, but no one has been within 2 games of the team (the Braves have been 2 games behind as recent as 8/4). Most of August was played with a 3-4 game distance with the Nats and Braves, but their recent series put the Nats up 6.5 coming into today.

One would think that an easy solution might just be to skip one or two of his starts. With a 6.5 game lead, they have room to do it.

Originally Posted by diehardtwinsfan

One would think that an easy solution might just be to skip one or two of his starts. With a 6.5 game lead, they have room to do it.

Rizzo said the doctors advised him to lets Strasburg's arm rest for a certain amount of time. That's why they're not skipping his starts.

Originally Posted by DPJ

Originally Posted by diehardtwinsfan

One would think that an easy solution might just be to skip one or two of his starts. With a 6.5 game lead, they have room to do it.

Rizzo said the doctors advised him to lets Strasburg's arm rest for a certain amount of time. That's why they're not skipping his starts.

Because of the action of his arm and the veracity that he exudes when throwing, starting and stopping could be more dangerous to his arm than just shutting down. I've always thought moving him to a David Price-esque role down the stretch could be best for him without losing him for all of the playoffs.

Originally Posted by DPJ

I get the innings cap, it makes sense for a guy coming back from TJ. But the Nationals should also think that more then likly Strasburg isn't gonna be around for the next decade plus in Washington. He's got Boras as an agent and you know damn well Boras already has a 200 page binder ready to pass out to teams at the winter meetings in 2017 when Strasburg is a free agent. If anything I say run that arm into the ground and get as many bullets as you can before the chamber is empty.

I have to say I agree with this. Not that I wish reduced health on anyone, but opportunities to compete are generally pretty limited, with no guarantee of future success (see Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox now after fairly recent success). Stuff happens. Somebody gets hurt, somebody suddenly forgets how to hit a curveball, beer & fried chicken become the norm for the pitching staff during games, and suddenly you're not playing in October any more.

I would love to be able to read the minds of the other players on that team to see what they really think of this whole idea.

That Nationals are "protecting" Strasburg for a period where he probably won't even be on the team anymore.

There are no guarantees in sports. You have to take your chance when you get it.