The Joe Ross Appreciation Thread

[MarquisDeSade]

It was a great outing but let's all take a step back from going full idiot.

[madj55]

It was a great outing but let's all take a step back from going full idiot.

Joe Ross 2015 Cy Young award winner.

[nats2playoffs]

...But this year Roark will go to the pen and Ross will go to AAA.

Scherzer
Zimmermann
Strasburg
Fister
Gio

Strasburg will not be going to the pen as a 7th or 8th inning guy. It simply won't happen.

San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum lead the National League in strikeouts for three consecutive years in a span from 2008 to 2010. Lincecum won back-to-back Cy Young Award's in 2008 and 2009, and has appeared in four All-Star Games, from 2008 through 2011. He was a member of the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series winning teams. On June 25, 2014 Lincecum pitched his 10th career complete game and second career no-hitter

Lincecum was sent to the Giants' bullpen in August 2014 and remained there through the end of the season. He is a starter again in 2015.

If you want to win a World Series, you put your best players on the field. After three starts, Joe Ross is the second best pitcher on this team, after Scherzer. You keep Ross in the rotation until he shows that someone else is better. That's how new stars emerge in baseball, every year.

[Mathguy]

Ross back to AAA is not going to happen.  There are plenty of other relievers that will go back before him.  Ross will be a reliever or the starting rotation will expand

But this year Roark will go to the pen and Ross will go to AAA.

[Mathguy]

What fun is that ?

It was a great outing but let's all take a step back from going full idiot.

[Mathguy]

MW was just shown saying the starting rotation would not expand

Ross back to AAA is not going to happen.  There are plenty of other relievers that will go back before him.  Ross will be a reliever or the starting rotation will expand

[Smithian]

GMs  have to stop trading with Rizzo. Souza trade is a steal. People miss Clippard, but Nats got an everyday third baseman and #3 hole hitter.

[BeltwayBaseball]

(Image removed from quote.)
San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum

This exactly. If Strasburg is sucking and Ross is killing it, they just have to make the change. Orioles did it last year with Ubaldo Jimenez, now he's their #1 starter. Lincecum relieved during the 2012 playoffs too, didn't he? Very well, if I remember. Now he's back as one of their better starters.

I'm not saying I want Stras to give up starting, just learn to relieve for this year if he can't put it back together. If he can put it back together, then of course you want him in the starting rotation because he probably has the best stuff on the staff. In 2016, he goes back to the rotation no matter what. The bullpen is not a death sentence, it's a tactic to try and win a championship. And I mean, damn, if Stephen could get the mental side of relief pitching down, would he not be one hell of a reliever?

MW was just shown saying the starting rotation would not expand

Those were literally his words? So, no 6-man rotation? Not that I expected any different. As much as I love Rizzo and MW's motivational skills, neither likes to think outside the box, at least from what I've seen.

[Clever]

Six man rotation is absolutely moronic. Why do you think the Mets are doing it?

[DPMOmaha]

Six man rotation is absolutely moronic. Why do you think the Mets are doing it?

The first place Mets?

[Clever]

The first place Mets?

Yes, with their superior aces Jonathan Niese and Bartolo Colon.

[BeltwayBaseball]

Six man rotation is absolutely moronic. Why do you think the Mets are doing it?

They were doing it because they're not for real yet. We're doing it because ostensibly we have 6 excellent pitchers but we want to see which are for real and which are not, and we have a bullpen weakness, and one of the boys on the bubble could theoretically make an excellent reliever. It's digging for information.

[Slateman]

(Image removed from quote.)
San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum lead the National League in strikeouts for three consecutive years in a span from 2008 to 2010. Lincecum won back-to-back Cy Young Award's in 2008 and 2009, and has appeared in four All-Star Games, from 2008 through 2011. He was a member of the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series winning teams. On June 25, 2014 Lincecum pitched his 10th career complete game and second career no-hitter

Lincecum was sent to the Giants' bullpen in August 2014 and remained there through the end of the season. He is a starter again in 2015.

If you want to win a World Series, you put your best players on the field. After three starts, Joe Ross is the second best pitcher on this team, after Scherzer. You keep Ross in the rotation until he shows that someone else is better. That's how new stars emerge in baseball, every year.

Massively different. For one, Lincecum had a huge drop off in velocity.

[BeltwayBaseball]

Massively different. For one, Lincecum had a huge drop off in velocity.

The point is he was supposed to be a starter but sucked so they sent him to the pen. Ubaldo Jiminez didn't lose any velocity, he just sucked and couldn't control his pitches. Buck sends him to the pen, and they win the division by a mile and sweep their way into the LCS.

[Optics]

If anyone were to go to the 'pen, it'd be Ross. But not till September/possibly October. When Stras returns, Ross goes back to the minors. Let him continue his development. I still believe in Stras's talent and he has a track record of success.

[wpa2629]

He ain't no ordinary Joe!

[madj55]

Will be sad to see Joe go once Strasburg returns.

[Slateman]

The point is he was supposed to be a starter but sucked so they sent him to the pen. Ubaldo Jiminez didn't lose any velocity, he just sucked and couldn't control his pitches. Buck sends him to the pen, and they win the division by a mile and sweep their way into the LCS.

That was also out of necessity. The Nats pen will likely steady itself with the addition of Carpenter.

[BrandonK]

Ross back to AAA is not going to happen.  There are plenty of other relievers that will go back before him.  Ross will be a reliever or the starting rotation will expand

You're right, he'll go back to AA. Can't see him going to the pen.

[Expos]

The point is he was supposed to be a starter but sucked so they sent him to the pen. Ubaldo Jiminez didn't lose any velocity, he just sucked and couldn't control his pitches. Buck sends him to the pen, and they win the division by a mile and sweep their way into the LCS.

Strasburg has struggled for 10 starts this year. 10!! And that is mainly because he has been banged up. He will not be moved to the pen.

[GburgNatsFan]

Agreed. Rizzo is conservative at developing players.

You're right, he'll go back to AA. Can't see him going to the pen.

[Mathguy]

Ross has been a momentum changer this year.  I can't see the Nats sending back to the minors

You're right, he'll go back to AA. Can't see him going to the pen.

[BeltwayBaseball]

That was also out of necessity. The Nats pen will likely steady itself with the addition of Carpenter.

No, the only necessity about it was the fact they payed the sumnag $50m and they had to fine a way to make him useful. He stunk it up in the pen, he didn't make a single worthwhile appearance that I remember. The point was just that you send out your best players at any given time.

But like I said, I hope Stras comes back with a vengeance, he should be a much better pitcher than Ross because he's probably got the best stuff in the whole system. ~98 on the fastball, deadly changeup to go with it and a wipeout curveball. I want that going nine innings, not one. But if he doesn't put it together by August 1st, August 15th...do you keep trotting him out there?

[BrandonK]

Agreed. Rizzo is conservative at developing players.

I don't even necessarily think that's conservative -- he doesn't have a spot in the rotation; go down and face quality competition, while getting innings. If there's still a bullpen need in September, he'll can fill in then (along with Cole). No point in stunting a starters development in the bullpen (imo).

[welch]

- Mets tried a 6-man rotation because they want to stretch the season for Matt Harvey, rather than shut him down as the Nats shut Zimmermann and Strasburg. I think it's a mistake. Mets run the risk of hurting Harvey, but Mets are a foolish team and Harvey is stubborn.

- Ross ought to become a relief pitcher for one turn. If Strasburg is still pitching badly, let them switch. None of us really knows the problem. We just know that Strasburg has pitched badly since his playoff start last season. Maybe it's nerves, maybe it's physical. If it's nerves, let him pitch an inning or two almost every day, with no warning. No time to think and brood on his next start. Ross has looked good. He and Roark should both be in the rotation. They both seem tough-minded.