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Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose" - UPDATED, NEEDS TJ

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by hondo, Jul 27, 2010.

  1. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/gametracker/recap/MLB_20100727_ATL@WAS

    Come on ... Rizzo (not Riggleman, by the way) "pulls the plug" on Strasburg pitching because "he couldn't get loose" while warming up.

    Quit babying this kid. Let him pitch, for crissakes. An arm is muscle, just like most other body parts, and you have to use it to get it strong and keep it strong.
     
  2. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    Well, I agree in general. But suppose it's something structural? Do you take a chance with no playoffs on the line? When he IS pitching, I think they're way too cautious. When he pulls up 15 minutes before the start and says, "I can't get loose," you pull the plug. Kid hasn't shown any signs of being soft or struggling to get loose. So maybe something is wrong? Don't risk it.

    Besides, who needs his ass when Miguel Batista is ready.

    My Son The Braves Fan was there while I was at the Rangers-As game. I enjoyed his text updates beyond the initial "What happened to your boy?"
     
  3. Stoney

    Stoney Well-Known Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    Man, they are REALLY being cautious with this kid. Not gonna allow any chance of a Mark Prior arm meltdown with this one.

    But, really, he'll be signing with the Yankees in a few years anyways, might as well use him up while you got him.
     
  4. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    Outing alert: Hondo is Dusty Baker
     
  5. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    It's been 7 years and I still hate that guy so fucking much. Even if you *had* to pitch the kid 130 pitches in the important, close games, couldn't you have at least let him take a seat at 100 in the blowouts? You've got a 10-1 lead in Game 2 and Prior throws two innings too many. If he's still got two innings left in his arm in Game 6, the world could have seen what fascinating way the Cubs could blow a World Series.
     
  6. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    I was born and raised a Washington Senators fan and I have become a Nats fan since my hometown got a team again. I'm used to last-place teams. I don't give a rat's ass how far behind they are in a pennant race: play your best players. How many complete games did Nolan Ryan pitch when he was on horseshit teams? Steve Carlton? Seaver? If Strasburg has the great mechanics he supposedly has, there shouldn't be any long-term problems. And if all a team is doing is preparing its young starts to get snapped up by the Yankees, Red Sox or Angels one day, why bother playing?
     
  7. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    Agree. Although, as one of the 40K in attendance last night, I was definitely bitter when Batista's ugly mug showed up on the jumbotron during the starting lineups. I now know what it sounds like to hear 40,000 people boo and check their twitter feeds at the same time.

    Interested to see if he's able to go Sunday against the Phillies or if they'll let him skip a start just to be safe.

    At this point, I mean....whatever.

    Zuckerman -- The Man for Nats coverage -- has a good take on the situation. It really shouldn't surprise anyone if Rizzo shuts him down the rest of the season. Even a DL stint means a month or so before he's back in the rotation.

    http://natsinsider.blogspot.com/2010/07/let-him-pitch-or-shut-him-down.html#more
     
  8. Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    While I have no idea what would have happened in a game 6, I agree that Dusty Baker if not completely ruined, certainly contributed greatly to the demise of Prior and Wood. And for the life of me, I don't know how he didn't ruin Zambrano either, but Big Z did a pretty good job of that himself. He just didn't know when to take those guys out of ballgames.
     
  9. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    Isn't Strasburg on an inning limit that will end his season in early September anyway? Under that circumstance, skipping a start in July, and maybe pitching into mid-September, doesn't seem like that big a deal.

    With this, though, and with Jason Heyward having missed all that time and now showing nothing in the power department, maybe Buster Posey really can take over the ROY race.
     
  10. crusoes

    crusoes Active Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    Sure. Pitch him til his arm falls off. Not your arm. Not your money.
     
  11. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    There's a medium to be struck between a 100 pitch count and five or six innings and "pitch him until his arm falls off." He's being paid to pitch. He's a starter, so he's being paid to pitch the majority of a nine-inning game. For $15 mill, I hope the Nats and fans get to see him in a season where he throws 250 innings and completes a game or two.
     
  12. crusoes

    crusoes Active Member

    Re: Strasburg scratched because he couldn't "get loose"

    I understand all that. He's also paid to be ready to pitch. If he's not ready, why take an unnecessary chance?
     
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