The Stephen Strasburg Appreciation Thread

[Jeff in Gaithersburg]

Funny thing is I remember the comparisons several years back to Kershaw and how Kershaw was a much better pitcher who had had a much better career than Stras.

Well, not in months named October.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Give Stras credit for shutting the Dodgers down for essentially 5 innings after being down 3-0 with 0 outs in the 2nd.  He held them within reach. 

[nfotiu]

Both he and Sherzer deserve a tonne of credit for taking their lumps early, and sticking to their game plan and going relatively deep into their games.   The Braves game sure showed that not everyone can do that.

[vicki4471]

Last nights game showed just how much Stras has matured as a player. In the wilting flower days, he would give up a bomb or someone would make an error and the wheels would totally come off. He was poised and kept it going. I apologize to Corbin too for doubting him. He got it done. He scared the crap out of me but a 0 is a 0.

[imref]

Stephen Strasburg is in the best shape of his life.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Also props to Rainey for getting 2 big outs and for Corbin redeeming himself out of the bullpen.

[vicki4471]

Is it just me or does this team play better when they are backed against a wall? The Cardiac Nats

[Smithian]

Is it just me or does this team play better when they are backed against a wall? The Cardiac Nats

This year, yes.

The last 14 years? No, they always fold like cheap suits.

[Slateman]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/playoffs/2019/10/10/stephen-strasburg-ryan-zimmerman-washington-nationals/3934598002/

That team imploded in the ninth inning and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the the National League Division Series and now, ready to face the Cardinals in the NLCS starting Friday, the topic has come back up for Washington.

“What we did in 2012 is why he is the type of pitcher he is now," Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said Thursday on a conference call with reporters.

....
“Obviously I don’t make those decisions and in 2012 it was a highly-debated issue, but  at that point, as tough a decision as it was to not pitch him, I think they obviously were looking out for the best interest of the player," Zimmerman said.

"You’ve seen some guys that have tried to push that limit coming back from (Tommy John) surgery and things haven’t turned out too well.

I swear to god, he reads these boards

[spidernat]

I can't access the article, what does it say?

[Slateman]

Fixed

[GburgNatsFan]

I can't access the article, what does it say?

Just that he's the pitcher he is because he was shut down in 2012, and look at other pitchers who weren't treated so carefully. (Seems like the consensus opinion to me.)

[spidernat]

Just that he's the pitcher he is because he was shut down in 2012, and look at other pitchers who weren't treated so carefully. (Seems like the consensus opinion to me.)

actually there are still some morons here who think it was a bad idea and that the Nationals would've won the world series if he had not been shutdown

[Smithian]

actually there are still some morons here who think it was a bad idea and that the Nationals would've won the world series if he had not been shutdown

I still don't know why people think he would have saved the Nationals. His velocity was dropping and two of his last three starts were duds. The Nationals made an extremely mature decision.

People conveniently forget Ross Detwiler in Game 4 threw a six inning, one unearned run gem in Game 4. Gio Gonzalez was the ace and was going to get the two starts, so even a gem by Strasburg in Game 3 or 4 wouldn't have changed the series.

[spidernat]

I still don't know why people think he would have saved the Nationals.

because they're dumbasses

[UMDNats]

John Feinstein is frantically typing up a new column where he says the Nats breaking through is great but they'll never be as cool and good as Army or Navy.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I still don't know why people think he would have saved the Nationals. His velocity was dropping and two of his last three starts were duds. The Nationals made an extremely mature decision.

People conveniently forget Ross Detwiler in Game 4 threw a six inning, one unearned run gem in Game 4. Gio Gonzalez was the ace and was going to get the two starts, so even a gem by Strasburg in Game 3 or 4 wouldn't have changed the series.

because they're dumbasses

Sadly, there are some people here who seem to believe that nonsense.

[The Chief]

I swear to god, he reads these boards

We've been here for 14+ years, it'd be surprising if a player or two didn't stumble by from time to time.  The contents should be good for a laugh if nothing else 

[Smithian]

We've been here for 14+ years, it'd be surprising if a player or two didn't stumble by from time to time.  The contents should be good for a laugh if nothing else 

I'm almost certain earlier this decade we had times where we were convinced journalists were cribbing from WNFF or that FP was calling out certain WNFF posts or threads without out and out saying it.

[aspenbubba]

We've been here for 14+ years, it'd be surprising if a player or two didn't stumble by from time to time.  The contents should be good for a laugh if nothing else 

Years ago I posted that I was in PT with some Nats players. I chatted up Codero and at one point asked him if he and others ever read the fan forums. He said yes.

[imref]

it has been a while, but we used to do player chats.  I think Colin Balester was the last. 

Which brings up the question, where's Spinman these days?

[GburgNatsFan]

freaking Navy.

(Just dropping in the reference to why he doesn't do Navy games anymore - play by play f bomb.)

John Feinstein is frantically typing up a new column where he says the Nats breaking through is great but they'll never be as cool and good as Army or Navy.

[Baseball is Life]

Legendary outing.

[imref]

Legendary outing.

definitely an ace

[Smithian]

Don't even know what to say.