1602 replies to this topic

[JeremyStrain]

Trouble brewing for the Nats...

Strasburg nearing his limits. Edwin Jackson getting more hittable as the season goes on, and now Jordan Z. has shoulder soreness.

[Oriole85]

Trouble brewing for the Nats...

Strasburg nearing his limits. Edwin Jackson getting more hittable as the season goes on, and now Jordan Z. has shoulder soreness.

The starting pitching was bound to have some regression, but just as they are release the post-season ticket plans, wow. If they miss the playoffs (and I still think they make it), it will be pretty ironic given the timing.

[JeremyStrain]

The starting pitching was bound to have some regression, but just as they are release the post-season ticket plans, wow. If they miss the playoffs (and I still think they make it), it will be pretty ironic given the timing.

Yeah I knew they were bound for a bit of a bumpy road, but that's more of a speed bump than any team should have to deal with this time of year. I really like them, so I hope Lannan is ready and they pull through this.

[LanceRinker]

Yeah I knew they were bound for a bit of a bumpy road, but that's more of a speed bump than any team should have to deal with this time of year. I really like them, so I hope Lannan is ready and they pull through this.

They are also fortunate to have Ryan Zimmerman still in the lineup. It looked like he might need extensive rehab or surgery on his shoulder for a while. He chose to get a cortisone shot and has been playing pretty lights out for the past month.

IMO, the only reason the Nats are still going as well as they are is the fact that RZim is still in the lineup and hitting well.

[Oriole85]

They are also fortunate to have Ryan Zimmerman still in the lineup. It looked like he might need extensive rehab or surgery on his shoulder for a while. He chose to get a cortisone shot and has been playing pretty lights out for the past month.

IMO, the only reason the Nats are still going as well as they are is the fact that RZim is still in the lineup and hitting well.

I think it's pitching, pitching, pitching. And to this point, they had been incredibly fortunate that they've have effective, solid starting pitching with no injuries to their core four. Offense is a different story, has any team been so unlucky at the catcher's position before not to mention injuries to Zimm/Morse/Werth(am I forgetting anyone?).

[NewMarketSean]

I was at the game on Tuesday, which sucked because they got killed and the Orioles mounted that great comeback against the Yankees.

I think they could very well lose the division, but I'd be shocked if they miss out on the WC.

[Oriole85]

Davey Johnson gets more specific on Stras' innings limits http://espn.go.com/m...ephen-strasburg

This debate is really going to take off more if the Nats suffer (big-time) when he gets shutdown. I'm not a doctor but I think they should do whatever is in his best long-term interest even if that means missing the playoffs

[You Play to Win the Game]

Very interesting to see the remarks from Jake Peavy and Jeff Francoeur on Stras getting shut down - http://www.usatoday.... ... 56863674/1

I hadn't thought of the impact that it could have on the clubhouse, as well as the perception of the Nats around the league. I have been for limiting his innings, I think it's the smart thing to do, but this provides a different perspective.

What do you guys think? Do you think the Nationals are doing the right thing? Furthermore, do you think they handled it the right way?

I would have tried to either have him start the season later (like Mid-May) or given him 4-6 weeks off in the summer once you realized they were going to contend. Maybe starting, stopping, then starting again isn't a smart thing to do, but it'd he no different than a DL trip, no? I think the Nats could have come up with a plan to help Stras be available in the playoffs. Would skipping a start every 3 or 4 starts (or as off days provided) messed with the continuity too much? Just thinking out loud. I'm interested in everyone's take on this.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Very interesting to see the remarks from Jake Peavy and Jeff Francoeur on Stras getting shut down - http://www.usatoday.... ... 56863674/1

I hadn't thought of the impact that it could have on the clubhouse, as well as the perception of the Nats around the league. I have been for limiting his innings, I think it's the smart thing to do, but this provides a different perspective.

What do you guys think? Do you think the Nationals are doing the right thing? Furthermore, do you think they handled it the right way?

I would have tried to either have him start the season later (like Mid-May) or given him 4-6 weeks off in the summer once you realized they were going to contend. Maybe starting, stopping, then starting again isn't a smart thing to do, but it'd he no different than a DL trip, no? I think the Nats could have come up with a plan to help Stras be available in the playoffs. Would skipping a start every 3 or 4 starts (or as off days provided) messed with the continuity too much? Just thinking out loud. I'm interested in everyone's take on this.

I'm a big Davey Johnson fan, but I think his comments in the Washington Post story I linked on the 26th were poor. There were multiple ways to handle this, and Johnson should not have been so dismissive.

It was clear early in the year that Washington was a contender, and not devising a plan to have your healthy ACE available to you down the stretch is ridiculous. With him, they have a chance in a short-series vs. anyone.

[You Play to Win the Game]

I'm a big Davey Johnson fan, but I think his comments in the Washington Post story I linked on the 26th were poor. There were multiple ways to handle this, and Johnson should not have been so dismissive.

It was clear early in the year that Washington was a contender, and not devising a plan to have your healthy ACE available to you down the stretch is ridiculous. With him, they have a chance in a short-series vs. anyone.

I had missed that, thanks. Kind of makes my remarks redundant then. I think the Nats will have opened themselves up to a ton of criticism. It also puts more pressure on the remaining players to win it all, IMO.

Pretty poor form by Davey to respond that way, even if it has gotten old talking about this all season (and I'm sure it has). But that's the job.

[JeremyStrain]

I'm a big Davey Johnson fan, but I think his comments in the Washington Post story I linked on the 26th were poor. There were multiple ways to handle this, and Johnson should not have been so dismissive.

It was clear early in the year that Washington was a contender, and not devising a plan to have your healthy ACE available to you down the stretch is ridiculous. With him, they have a chance in a short-series vs. anyone.

That's probably because I hear they are thinking about not shutting him down and rolling the dice. Personally I'd probably shut him down now and pitch him in the playoffs...but I think they are worried they wont get there without him. Worst case going to a 6 man rotation with lannan in the past couple weeks might have gotten them there.

[Oriole85]

What do you guys think? Do you think the Nationals are doing the right thing? Furthermore, do you think they handled it the right way?

I would have tried to either have him start the season later (like Mid-May) or given him 4-6 weeks off in the summer once you realized they were going to contend. Maybe starting, stopping, then starting again isn't a smart thing to do, but it'd he no different than a DL trip, no? I think the Nats could have come up with a plan to help Stras be available in the playoffs. Would skipping a start every 3 or 4 starts (or as off days provided) messed with the continuity too much? Just thinking out loud. I'm interested in everyone's take on this.

Probably the smart thing to do for the long-term. Although I'm not so in favor of pitch counts/innings limits to begin with and would go more with an "eye test" approach in when to shut him down.

I think it's easy to say now, should've held him back more so he could pitch in the playoffs. The Nats are doing much better than people expected. If let's say, they had held him back and they were out of it in mid-September, you would've been hearing "if Stras had pitched earlier, they'd be in the playoffs." Really not going to 2nd guess the organization for this one, sorry.

It's one of those scenarios you need to get point B (playoffs), you need to get passed point A (regular season). Sort of like saving your best pitcher to win tiebreaker game instead of using him to get to a tiebreaker game.

[Oriole85]

It was clear early in the year that Washington was a contender, and not devising a plan to have your healthy ACE available to you down the stretch is ridiculous. With him, they have a chance in a short-series vs. anyone.

Again that's easy to say now because not many people thought they were capable of being this good. They were expected to be more in the wild-card race than division winner. They are still only 5 games(I think) above the Braves, if Stras isn't pitching many of those games, that lead isn't as great. I'd much rather be in a good position on Labor Day than be behind and have to catch up.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Again that's easy to say now because not many people thought they were capable of being this good. They were expected to be more in the wild-card race than division winner. They are still only 5 games(I think) above the Braves, if Stras isn't pitching many of those games, that lead isn't as great. I'd much rather be in a good position on Labor Day than be behind and have to catch up.

Right, they were expected to be in the Wild Card race (I predicted as such). That is the playoffs. If you have a team that is a potential playoff team (and it was certainly clear by May that they were), you could certainly have made adjustments.

That Washington Post piece mentioned numerous logical things that Nationals could have done (or doing from that point - the end of July), and I don't see how there is justification for them not doing so.

[Oriole85]

Right, they were expected to be in the Wild Card race (I predicted as such). That is the playoffs. If you have a team that is a potential playoff team (and it was certainly clear by May that they were), you could certainly have made adjustments.

That Washington Post piece mentioned numerous logical things that Nationals could have done (or doing from that point - the end of July), and I don't see how there is justification for them not doing so.

I still think they shouldn't change the course and give into pressure. As Bob Knight once said (paraphrasing), "When you start listening to fans, soon you'll be sitting with them."

At what point should they have deviated to one of these suggestions? When they knew in May as you claim they were a playoff team, at the All-Star break, on July 26th when this article was written, today? If the Nats had struggled, when they did it, you wouldn't have heard the end of it. Give him a two week rest and they lose ground(and not recover), that wouldn't have ended well. Not to mention, I think it might mess up his routine. As it is, they are limiting his starts, I'm not sure how effective it be if he were only going 4-5, especially on the 'pen (you solve one problem, you create another). I really hate the idea of using him as a reliever the most of those.

Simply put, I think this is no-win situation since if he's not playing, it doesn't give them the best chance to win. If they do play him, they don't save him for when it (potentially) matters most. I think keeping Stras is the most important thing for long-term success for both him and the Nats. I really like what Rizzo has done there, so no reason for me not to trust him on this.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Baseball Nation: The Bryce Harper we should have expected
http://mlb.sbnation....slump-struggles

[SportsGuy]

Why don't the nats just shut down Strasburg for the next 3-4 weeks?

[JeremyStrain]

Why don't the nats just shut down Strasburg for the next 3-4 weeks?

Cause they are being stubborn and don't want anyone to tell them what to do.

Sidenote, there is a possibility they aren't going to shut him down at all...but they are keeping that quiet.

[SBTarheel]

Why don't the nats just shut down Strasburg for the next 3-4 weeks?

Oh, because that would make too much sense.

[Adam Wolff]

If the Nats do indeed shut Strasburg down, I hope it utterly and completely blows up in their face.