Author Topic: Terrible idea to start Strasburg Opening Day (Read 4508 times)

114D · « **Topic Start:** March 21, 2012, 12:52:37 PM »

160 inning limit so I think he should start the season late anyway to be available for a potential playoff game or two (shut him down around 145 IP if looks like Nats are in, if not let him go to 160). But this is the absolute worst idea. Only benefits Cubs fans and WGN. What if the weather sucks? Chicago can be 35 and rainy on Opening Day. Why not save him for Nats Opening Day or even the 2nd home stretch?

Also I guess this means Jordan Zimmermann starts home opener (#3 after Gio), which is fine with me but I'd prefer Strasburg.

Lintyfresh85 · « **Reply #1:** March 21, 2012, 12:53:50 PM »

Quote from: 114D on March 21, 2012, 12:52:37 PM

160 inning limit so I think he should start the season late anyway to be available for a potential playoff game or two (shut him down around 145 IP if looks like Nats are in, if not let him go to 160). But this is the absolute worst idea. Only benefits Cubs fans and WGN. What if the weather sucks? Chicago can be 35 and rainy on Opening Day. Why not save him for Nats Opening Day or even the 2nd home stretch?

Also I guess this means Jordan Zimmermann starts home opener (#3 after Gio), which is fine with me but I'd prefer Strasburg.

Well, the Nats have, what, six (?) road games before they come home to face the Reds... do you think they should hold him from pitching for the first six games of the year?

114D · « **Reply #2:** March 21, 2012, 12:56:37 PM »

Quote from: Lintyfresh85 on March 21, 2012, 12:53:50 PM

Well, the Nats have, what, six (?) road games before they come home to face the Reds... do you think they should hold him from pitching for the first six games of the year?

Why not? They're planning on holding him from pitching the last six games of the year? Why should he pitch more road games and April games (cold) then home games and September games?

Evolution33 · « **Reply #3:** March 21, 2012, 12:58:03 PM »

Should have put him down instead of fixing him.

Mathguy · « **Reply #4:** March 21, 2012, 12:58:14 PM »

Because Strasburg wants to - and he's in great condition

Quote from: 114D on March 21, 2012, 12:56:37 PM

Why not? They're planning on holding him from pitching the last six games of the year? Why should he pitch more road games and April games (cold) then home games and September games?

NatsFanSince2005 · « **Reply #5:** March 21, 2012, 01:01:13 PM »

Starting the first 6 games of the season strong is more important. The final 6 games of the regular season will mean nothing if we're out of it then.

Obed_Marsh · « **Reply #6:** March 21, 2012, 01:02:10 PM »

Oh no, the opening day starter will make or break the season.

PC · « **Reply #7:** March 21, 2012, 01:03:50 PM »

Quote from: Mathguy on March 21, 2012, 12:58:14 PM

Because Strasburg wants to - and he's in great condition

But it's Yu Darvish who posed nude...

...paging zimm_da_kid....

Slateman · « **Reply #8:** March 21, 2012, 01:07:08 PM »

Whatever. Spacing Strasburg out gets us, at most, two more weeks. So basically, two starts in August instead at the beginning of the year.

Just let him pitch. Let him be THE GUY

Kevrock · « **Reply #9:** March 21, 2012, 01:11:19 PM »

Quote from: Slateman on March 21, 2012, 01:07:08 PM

Just let him pitch. Let him be THE GUY

Kevrock · « **Reply #10:** March 21, 2012, 01:12:38 PM »

Quote from: 114D on March 21, 2012, 12:52:37 PM

But this is the absolute worst idea. Only benefits Cubs fans and WGN.

Huh? Son you are Lernerized. It benefits our fans if we win game one.

comish4lif · « **Reply #11:** March 21, 2012, 01:16:10 PM »

Quote from: Slateman on March 21, 2012, 01:07:08 PM

Whatever. Spacing Strasburg out gets us, at most, two more weeks. So basically, two starts in August instead at the beginning of the year.

Just let him pitch. Let him be THE GUY

If you decide that Stras should not start the first week or so (to space him out), he still needs to oitch on the side to keep fresh, and you run the risk of messing things up by taking him off what is becoming his regular schedule.

If the idea was to start him late, the Nats should have told him to report to Spring Training 3-4 weeks late.It would have been crazy, but it would have protected him til the end of the season and put him on a regular program. But that would have been crazy.

imref · « **Reply #12:** March 21, 2012, 01:19:04 PM »

Quote from: 114D on March 21, 2012, 12:52:37 PM

160 inning limit so I think he should start the season late anyway to be available for a potential playoff game or two (shut him down around 145 IP if looks like Nats are in, if not let him go to 160). But this is the absolute worst idea. Only benefits Cubs fans and WGN. What if the weather sucks? Chicago can be 35 and rainy on Opening Day. Why not save him for Nats Opening Day or even the 2nd home stretch?

Also I guess this means Jordan Zimmermann starts home opener (#3 after Gio), which is fine with me but I'd prefer Strasburg.

Davey wants to set the tone right away. He's putting his best pitcher on the mound for the opening game. No complaints, he's still going to pitch the same amount of innings whether he starts game #1 or game #5.

imref · « **Reply #13:** March 21, 2012, 01:19:59 PM »

Quote from: Kevrock on March 21, 2012, 01:12:38 PM

Huh? Son you are Lernerized. It benefits our fans if we win game one.

i expect a few nats fans will be watching the game on MASN.

spidernat · « **Reply #14:** March 21, 2012, 01:50:04 PM »

Quote from: Evolution33 on March 21, 2012, 12:58:03 PM

Should have put him down instead of fixing him.

Galah · « **Reply #15:** March 21, 2012, 02:08:05 PM »

Quote from: comish4lif on March 21, 2012, 01:16:10 PM

If you decide that Stras should not start the first week or so (to space him out), he still needs to oitch on the side to keep fresh, and you run the risk of messing things up by taking him off what is becoming his regular schedule.

If the idea was to start him late, the Nats should have told him to report to Spring Training 3-4 weeks late.It would have been crazy, but it would have protected him til the end of the season and put him on a regular program. But that would have been crazy.

160 innings are not like rounds of ammunition to expend at any pace you wish, he's gotta get into the pattern, that's why they call it a rotation....

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #16:** March 21, 2012, 02:51:12 PM »

Actually, by starting Strasburg OD, he may be the only starter to get an extra day's rest the first 3 times through the rotation. As Loshjott pointed out, they only have 4/6 as a scheduled off day until 4/22. 16 in a row from 4/7 to 4/21. They can go with 5 starters from the get go. Stras will likely go on 4/11 rather than 4/10 to get the extra day. No other starter is lined up for an off day until Gio on 4/22. Gio can go 4/23 and 28, JZ 4/24 and 29, then there is an off day.

What I'd like to see perhaps is a spot start by Detwiler or (Lannan /Wang) on 4/16. This would give the rotation an extra day and push Stras to 4/23. This would mean he goes 4/5, 4/11, 4/17, and 4/23 the first 4 times through the rotation, or effectively treat him like he's in a 6 man rotation while the rest of the staff stays on a normal 5 man rotation.

Knowing Davey, he's figured this out.

nats2playoffs · « **Reply #17:** March 21, 2012, 03:34:54 PM »

Quote from: imref on March 21, 2012, 01:19:04 PM

Davey wants to set the tone right away. He's putting his best pitcher on the mound for the opening game. No complaints, he's still going to pitch the same amount of innings whether he starts game #1 or game #5.

Quote from: Baseball is Life on March 21, 2012, 12:00:05 PM

Adam Kilgore ‏ @AdamKilgoreWP
Stephen Strasburg on opening day assignment: "It's a tremendous honor." He's never been to Chicago, let alone Wrigley.

[by Roarin Storen]
Baseball tradition: you send out your best on Opening Day, and that man knows that's how you see him. You plan to start the season 1-0.

Teams with weak pitching (such as the 100-loss Nationals of prior years), might do better to concede the game and try to get a more winnable game with their weaker #1... but they just don't do that.

DPMOmaha · « **Reply #18:** March 21, 2012, 04:12:48 PM »

Quote from: 114D on March 21, 2012, 12:52:37 PM

160 inning limit so I think he should start the season late anyway to be available for a potential playoff game or two (shut him down around 145 IP if looks like Nats are in, if not let him go to 160). But this is the absolute worst idea. Only benefits Cubs fans and WGN. What if the weather sucks? Chicago can be 35 and rainy on Opening Day. Why not save him for Nats Opening Day or even the 2nd home stretch?

Also I guess this means Jordan Zimmermann starts home opener (#3 after Gio), which is fine with me but I'd prefer Strasburg.

I'm guessing DC can get pretty chilly the first couple of weeks too.

I also think shutting him down at 145 only to bring him back a month later for the playoffs is putting him at much greater risk than any other possible idea short of taking a chain saw to his elbow.

Also, all of baseball will be watching Wrigley on OD to see SS pitch, not just Chicagoans and Nats fans. WGN will probably get a nice ratings boost, but who cares, really?

hammondsnats · « **Reply #19:** March 21, 2012, 04:23:51 PM »

put your best starter out there on Opening Day ... its what the Nats are doing.

epic_phalanx · « **Reply #20:** March 21, 2012, 04:25:02 PM »

Not that I think this entered into Davey Johnson's mind, but it's a psychological thing. Contending baseball teams invariably throw their ace on Opening Day.

hammondsnats · « **Reply #21:** March 21, 2012, 04:27:26 PM »

and again i'm not worried at all about our rotation or bullpen.

it's the offense (and sometimes the defense) that will either kill us or be the x-factor.

Evolution33 · « **Reply #22:** March 21, 2012, 05:21:29 PM »

Quote from: hammondsnats on March 21, 2012, 04:27:26 PM

and again i'm not worried at all about our rotation or bullpen.

it's the offense (and sometimes the defense) that will either kill us or be the x-factor.

What offense?

hammondsnats · « **Reply #23:** March 21, 2012, 05:30:21 PM »

Quote from: Evolution33 on March 21, 2012, 05:21:29 PM

What offense?

my point exactly ... the pitching is going to keep us in games ... can the offense hit enough to win those said games.

Baseball is Life · « **Reply #24:** March 21, 2012, 08:39:11 PM »

He needs to go on Opening Day because I will be there. It's all about me.

Seriously, this team has never come close to contending. It would be a tad presumptous to hold him out for the playoff run.