Strasburg Brings Back The Heat

I may have gotten a bit swept up in Strasburg-Mania last season. Can you really blame me though? The top prospect in baseball didn't disappoint after debuting with the Nationals at just 21-years-old. Stephen Strasburg threw 68 innings and registered a 2.91/2.08/2.04 (ERA/FIP/xFIP) pitching line. He routinely hit 100 mph and had a 12.18 K/9. So you shouldn't be too surprised that I tagged him in 29 posts. What can I say? I have a tendency to both buy and propagate prospect hype.

Strasburg's promising rookie season came to an abrupt and painful end though, like most of my relationships. On August 27, I had to write the post about Strasburg needing Tommy John surgery. I wrote that I thought Strasburg, like most Tommy John-ers, would return close to his pre-injury self but I worried about the velocity on his fastball a little.

Those worries were quashed after Strasburg made his first minor-league rehab start on Sunday. He hit 98 mph on his third pitch and threw 15 of his 31 pitches at least 97 mph. Strasburg said that he worked hard on his conditioning and is in a lot better shape...

“I think I’m definitely on the right path to throw 200-plus innings every year.”

Strasburg still has a ways to go, likely four more minor-league appearances before he reaches Washington. Part of his long road back is pitch selection, as Strasburg said he focused mainly on working his fastball in this game.

“I knew I wasn’t going to go out there and necessarily throw 100 every time, and I wasn’t going to go out and snap off breaking ball after breaking ball,” he said.

Strasburg won't turn 22-years-old until late this month so there's still hope he can break every pitching record imaginable. I may have made some hasty futures bets last year.

Nationals Take 2nd Mortgage On White House To Sign Jayson Werth

On the eve of the Winter Meetings, the Washington Nationals rocked the baseball world with one of the more surprising free agent signings in the past decade or so. Super-Evil-Genius-Agent Scott Boras worked his voodoo magic on the Nats once again. Washington came out of nowhere to sign former Phillie outfielder Jayson Werth. That was surprise number one. The second surprise was they signed the soon to be 32-year-old to a SEVEN year deal. Then every other GM's jaw hit the floor when they found out the deal was worth $126 million. I believe rival execs exact words were "Whaaaaa?" followed by profanity.

In Werth's last three full seasons with the Phillies, he hit 87 home runs and averaged a .279/.376/.513 line while playing anywhere from excellent to very poor defense according to UZR. That makes him a good, not great, player on the wrong side of his career peak. Werth has been about a five win player over those three seasons which, dollar wise, would be worth between $21-23 million per year. But in giving him $18 million a year, the Nats are paying him for past performance and not what he'll do going forward. It's hard to imagine that Werth will be performing at an $18 million level when he's 37 and 38 years-old. Unless, of course, he finds some kind of magic cream that's the equivalent of the Fountain of Youth and Power. But that can't exist, right?

The Nationals aren't a great fit for the soon to be 32-year-old outfielder either. Boras sold Washington two once-in-a-lifetime prospects in back-to-back years in Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. Strasburg got off to a hot start in 2010 before his elbow had to be reattached with Tommy John surgery. I have a pair of pants older than Harper. I don't fit in them anymore and it's curious why I still own them but still... Strasburg and Harper won't join Werth until 2012 and there is no telling how effective they'll be once they do so. And Ryan Zimmerman is going to want to get paid after his contract is up in 2013. It just seems like the wrong time to make such a bold and expensive move with what the Nats are trying to build.

Nats' GM Mike Rizzo lip-synced the explanation of the signing while Boras moved him around like the good puppet he is...

“For elite players like this to come to Washington, D.C., obviously we have to extend the contract,” Rizzo said. “We understand where we’re at in our process. Someday in the very near future, we hope that we will not have to give extra money, extra years to acquire a player.”

Rizzo praised Werth’s athleticism, his base-running acumen, his ability to play center field as well as right. He raved about Werth’s offensive improvement, his increased patience at the plate. He described Werth as a late bloomer whose best days are still ahead.

Some extra money is one thing, your soul is another. The obvious fallout from this is that Carl Crawford's price tag now starts at eight years and $140 million. And Cliff Lee won't even talk to you for less than six years and $150 million. And the upper torso of Vlad Guerrero now wants two years and $20 million.

But hey, there is good news Nats fans! The always excellent Joe Sheehan reminded us on Twitter that the last time Boras got seven-years and $126 million for a good player, that team won the World Series just four years later. That player was, drumroll please....

Barry Zito

The Sky Fell: Stephen Strasburg Edition

It was fun while it lasted. The Washington Nationals ruined my morning by announcing The Phenom Stephen Strasburg has a "significant tear" in his ulnar collateral ligament which will likely send him to Doc Andrews for Tommy John surgery. This is easily the most disappointing news to come out of Washington D.C. since some political reference. I'm too distraught to even come up with a decent joke. Strasburg-Mania is likely to be shelved for 12-18 months after surgery and rehab. The good news is that he's still just 22-years-old and most pitchers come back almost as strong post TJ.

The bad news is the time that it takes to recover and return to effectiveness. Jordan Zimmermann made his first start last night for the Nats after a 399 day layoff from his Tommy John surgery. It wasn't pretty. He lasted 4 innings and surrendered 5 earned runs on 7 hits. Francisco Liriano had the surgery after the 2006 season and is just now returning to a resemblance of his former effectiveness. Josh Johnson might be the best case scenario for bandwagon jumping Nationals fans such as myself. Johnson went under the knife in August 2007 and returned to the mound in a speedy 11 months. In 47 starts between 2008-2009, he posted a 3.34 ERA and a 3.15 strikeout to walk ratio. This year, Johnson is having his best season with a 2.36 ERA which is right inline with his 2.53 FIP and he should contend for the NL Cy Young.

So is it reasonable to think Strasburg could be contending for the NL Cy Young by 2013 as a 25-year-old? I'd probably take that bet. His pure stuff is so devastating that if he only returns to live at 97 mph instead of 99, he will still make hitters looks foolish with his change up. But 2013 ain't next year and this is severely going to hurt his chase for Cy Young's win record and Nolan Ryan's strikeout record. I normally wouldn't care about such unlikely things except I'm such an impetuous gambler. My grandpa isn't going to be happy to learn I bet his house on Strasburg striking out 400 next season. Sure, I might have been caught up in the hype but I hedged my bet by taking the over 80 on Bryce Harper home runs next season. I'm not a fool.

The Sky Is Falling: Stephen Strasburg

It looks like freshman phenom/future Hall of Famer, Stephen Strasburg, will be headed to the disabled list for the second time this season. Yet, that collective exhale of breath you felt earlier did come from Washington D.C. Strasburg left Saturday's game in the 5th inning after grimacing from an apparent arm injury. Early half-glass-emptiers suspected Strasburg may have torn a tendon which would result in surgery and a year layoff. From my quick math, that would be the equivalent to the strike-shortened 1994 season for the Montreal Expos. Almost certain financial doom, years in last place and eventual relocation to some crime laden southern city, let's say Virginia Beach.

But fortunately for the "fans" who sell out Nationals Park only when Strasburg pitches, the kid's tendon didn't fall out of his arm...

Strasburg strained a tendon in his right forearm over the weekend, and Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said Monday the team would "proceed with caution" with the prized pitcher.

If by "proceed with caution" you mean shut him down for the year, I completely agree with this decision. Sure the Expos Nats will lose some pretty good revenue from the one or two more home starts he could make this season but Strasburg has already thrown more innings than he did last year. Unless Dusty Baker is consulting on pitcher usage, it's time to shut the kid down and build toward next season.

The Sky is Falling
A second DL stint for the 22-year-old can't be exciting news. I'm no scout but I haven't heard or seen anything about a hitch in his mechanics that suggests a proneness to injuries. Hopefully it's just some randomness even though he said he pitched through a similar injury in college. As a hopeful new Nationals fan, I'm hoping he shrugs this off and cruises past Cy Young's win record and Nolan Ryan's strikeout record in the next, um, 30 or so years of world dominance. As a glass-half-empty guy (what?, I'm thirsty), I'm afraid of a Ben McDonald/Mark Prior fall from relevance.

Let's all hope for the best because he's good for baseball. 92 strikeouts in 68 innings as a rookie is exciting stuff. I should know, I struck out 68 hitters over 3 months in the summer of 1991. I threw a devastating Wiffle Ball slurve.

[awesome drawing from Francis Hogan via Fedral Baseball]

Shot Of The Night: Adam Dunn Edition

Shot Of The Night is Off Base Percentage's toast to a player who had an exceptionally good or bad night. There's always a reason to drink.

Look at me writing shot of the night on the actual night it was due. It's almost like I'm a responsible blogger. The shot of the night is Get 'er Done: 1 oz Grey Goose® vodka, 6 drops grenadine syrup, 1 can Squirt® citrus soda and it's in honor of Adam Dunn. Normally, I'd avoid any Larry the Cable Guy references because he's a hack and doesn't deserve the obscene amount of money he makes. But it fits my shot criteria. I beg you America to improve your taste in comedy. Please watch Louie on FX. Louie CK and Patton Oswalt are the best in the comedy game right now but I digress.

Adam Dunn hit another pair of home runs for the second time in three games. The two blasts give Dunn at least 30 homers for the 7th straight season and improved him to a .280/.369/.590 slash line. I'm starting to think the Nats were the team that had placed the proper value on Dunn when the trade deadline rolled around. Although, they did place him on waivers and he was claimed by an unknown, and most likely, National League club. I can't see him getting dealt with the current insane hot streak and I'm hoping the Nats can extend him. Because of course, I've jumped on the Nationals' bandwagon and would like to see him continue to mash while playing sub par defense at first base.

Honorable Mention: Adam Wainwright and Albert Pujols
The Cardinals duo put the hurt on the Marlins. Wainwright pitched a 2-hit shutout while striking out 7 and Pujols went 3-5 with a home run driving in 4 of the Cardinals 7 runs. Pujols is now 1st in RBI (82), and yes I know that's a worthless stat, and 2nd in homers (28) after the aforementioned Dunn. Wainwright is 2nd in wins (16), and yes I know that's a worthless stat, and 2nd in ERA (2.07). If you let my "mainstream stats" go for this post, I promise I'll get back to xFIP and wOBA tomorrow. Thanks, gotta go watch some recorded Shark Week.

Justin Maxwell's Golden Sombrero

A golden sombrero is awarded to a player who manages to strike out four times in a single game (real golden sombrero not included). It's quite the feat unless you're Ryan Howard or Mark Reynolds. Unfortunately, cycles and no-hitters are all the rage nowadays. Not for me, though. I will pour over the box scores to bring you the finest at swinging and missing.

So what's it been? A day since the last Sombrero? I have had an endless supply of strikeouts this summer. It's borderline ridiculous. I think I mentioned in my last Sombrero that I have completely run out of material for these posts. And it's true. But I'll continue to push through for you guys. Tonight's victim is some kid I've never heard of. I was going through the scores and came down to the last game of the night just in time to see Justin Maxwell strikeout for the 4th time. I went to BR to see how the 26-year-old was doing this year. Coming into tonight in 54 PA's, Maxwell is hitting .105/.352/.211 but still gets to lead off for some reason. Let's go to the at bats...

Top 1st: Maxwell struck out swinging against Clayton Kershaw. Because, why not?

Top 2nd: Maxwell struck out swinging against Kershaw again. He actually held off from swinging for 2 balls before swinging at the next 3.

Top 4th: Maxwell struck out swinging against Kershaw for the MTD Hat Trick. He struck out against Kershaw 3 times, the same way. This is starting to happen so often, I'm not sure it's special anymore.

Top 9th: Maxwell struck out swinging against Ramon Troncoso to complete the Sombrero in his last at bat. Nice.

The Sky Is Falling: Strasburg Edition

There is panic in the streets of Washington tonight. Mass hysteria of epic proportions. I'm actually writing this from under my school desk after I duct taped sheets of plastic to all of my windows. Stephen Strasburg was scratched from his start tonight against the Braves. Prior to the game, Strasburg had trouble getting loose. He didn't feel any pain but that was enough for GM Mike Rizzo to pull the plug on Strasburg's 10th start...

"I pulled the plug on it," Rizzo said. "Precautionary move. Erring on the side of caution, I just didn't want him to go out there when he was struggling to get loose in the bullpen pregame."

snip

"He did understand," Rizzo said. "Those are the decisions I get paid to make. We're going to err on the side of caution. I'll make the decisions and take the heat for it. He's a very competitive person. The decision was made by me, and he's fine."

Strasburg will have X-Rays and MRIs and possibly the scientists who invented him take a look at the pitching phenom.

Adam Dunn's Golden Sombrero

A golden sombrero is awarded to a player who manages to strike out four times in a single game (real golden sombrero not included). It's quite the feat unless you're Ryan Howard or Mark Reynolds. Unfortunately, cycles and no-hitters are all the rage nowadays. Not for me, though. I will pour over the box scores to bring you the finest at swinging and missing.

I'm a pretty big Adam Dunn fan. I was hoping the Angels would make a run for him but after that Callaspo trade, I can't see they could manage to add anymore power. Dunn doesn't really fit the Scioscia player profile. Dunn is your 3 True Outcome player. He's pretty much either going to hit a home run, walk or strikeout. Last night was no different as Dunn went 1-5 with a home run and 4 strikeouts. I can't put how that makes me feel into words so here...



Delightful. Now let's check out Dunn's strikeouts so I can move on to the next guy. The Summer of Strikeouts is relentless this week.

Top 1st: Dunn struck out swinging against Edinson Volquez. But the Nats did score 1 one in the 1st, 2 in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd.

Top 5th: Dunn struck out swinging against Carlos Fisher.

Top 7th: Dunn struck out swinging against Bill Bray. Anytime I hear Bill Bray I think of this...



Top 9th: Dunn struck out swinging against Nick Masset.

Well played, Dunn. Four strikeouts against four different pitcher, all swinging, and a home run for good measure.

Shot Of The Night

Shot Of The Night is Off Base Percentage's toast to a player who had an exceptionally good or bad night. There's always a reason to drink.

Tonight's shot of the night is a National Cocktail: 2 oz rum, 3 dashes apricot brandy, 1/2 oz pineapple juice, 3 dashes lime juice. Sure it's a drink instead of a shot but I'm working of a theme here. Just drink it fast. It's in honor of Adam Dunn who has been getting plenty of love from this segment recently.

Dunn went 3-4 with 2 more home runs and 3 RBI raising his slash line to .285/.370/.593. The 30-year-old could be quite the trade bait this season if the Nats don't decide to lock him up long term. Which probably isn't a bad idea. More importantly, he provided some much needed offense for Sir Stephen Strasburg. In fact, in the last shot of the night when Dunn hit 3 home runs, I joked...

When reached for comment, Stephen Strasburg said, "Couldn't you save like one of those home runs for my start?"

Turns out Dunn wasn't all out of power yet, which leads me to...

Honorable Mention: Stephen Strasburg
I've been Internet free (which makes me surprisingly shaky) so not only did I not preview the Strasburg start but I missed the entire thing. Miss me on Twitter? Anyway, Strasburg rebounded from a couple of less than Hall of Fame starts to get his 3rd career win. Only 509 to go! Strasburg went 6 strong giving up 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 earned. He also struck out another 8. But I'm sure Evan Meek will be every bit as exciting in the ASG.

I'll catch up on some posts for you guys tomorrow, including any missed Sombreros.

Shot Of The Night

Shot Of The Night is Off Base Percentage's toast to a player who had an exceptionally good or bad night. There's always a reason to drink.

Tonight's shot of the night is a Home Run: 1 part(s) Vodka, 1 part(s) Triple Sec, 1 part(s) Lime Juice, 1 shot(s) Jagermeister, 1 shot(s) Goldschlager, 1 shot(s) Whiskey. Mix the first 3 to make a Kamikaze. Then set the 4 shots up as they were bases in baseball. First base is the Kamikaze, second is Jagermeister, third is the Goldschlager and the Home Run is the House Whiskey. Welcome to the club! Vomit. Yeah, that's a rough 4 shots but I had to break out the big guns tonight. The shots of the night are in honor of Adam Dunn and Buster Posey.

I'll give Dunn the top billing tonight but you couldn't go wrong either way. Dunn went 3-4 with 3 home runs and 5 RBI. It's a good thing he's not in the Home Run Derby. Instead of Dunn for the competition, I say we plug in Omar Infante and see how many infield singles he can hit in the Home Run Derby. Everybody loves a scrappy utility player, right Bud? When reached for comment, Stephen Strasburg said, "Couldn't you save like one of those home runs for my start?"

Buster Posey shares top honors tonight going 4-4 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI. Posey's 2 homers gives him (5) more than Mauer (4) in about 150 less at bats. Which begs the age old question, Bengie Molina?

Update: This post was severely delayed by the spotty Internet service I get in Baton Rouge. Come on neighbors' unprotected Wi-Fi, get your act together.

Strasburg Returns To No Walk Zone Washington

After getting roughed up on the road in Atlanta, Hall of Fame rookie phenom, Stephen Strasburg, takes the mania back to home sweet Washington to face the Mets. Strasburg gave up 3 runs against the Braves and continued his road walking woes by giving 2 hitters a free pass. That raises Strasburg's walk total to 7, all on the road. I really hope Washington finds a way to only pitch him at home from now on because I put a lot of money on under 10 career walks for Strasburg. Don't worry, I hedged my bet by taking over of 8,000 career strikeouts. Vegas is such a sucker.

The Mets are right in the middle of the league in strikeouts which is surprising for a lineup that includes Jeff Francoeur. Also, who is Josh Thole and why is Alex Cora still in the majors? The Mets are in the bottom third of the league in walks which makes sense for a lineup that includes Jeff Francoeur.

The Mets will start R.A. Dickey against Strasburg. This should be fun. Strasburg might actually throw twice as hard as the knuckleballer. Strasburg has big strikeout numbers but has yet to hang a Golden Sombrero on anyone. I think that changes today. Francoeur seems almost too obvious so I'm putting Ruben Tejada on watch. As always, you can join me on Twitter for the event and you can watch it live on Fox. See, Fox isn't that stupid. They made Strasburg the Saturday game. They gave Gordon Ramsey like 9 shows but at least they got this game right.

Beavis' Adventures At Turner Field: Strasburg Edition

Being a season ticket holder to the Atlanta Braves is paying straight dividends for the 2010 season. I watched Jason Heyward pummel a home run for his first major league hit on opening day, the amazing come from behind victory over Cincinnati, compliments of Brooks Conrad's walk-off grand slam and as the Braves took first place, we celebrated just as drunken baseball fans should. Last night was one of those nights! With Stephen Strasburg making his fifth major league start, second road start, I wanted a front row seat. I think everyone in Atlanta was thinking the same thing. The place was packed.

Everywhere I went at the stadium I kept hearing the same thing, Strasburg! In line for beer: Strasburg. Smoking a cigarette: Strasburg. It was a complete Strasburg hard-on fest! The feeling was mixed. People wanted to see him succeed and the rest wanted to see him fail. That's what makes a player like Strasburg so great for baseball. Everyone was there to see him!

I witnessed something last night at Turner Field that I've never witnessed before. The fans in Atlanta are far from your battery throwing, first base coach ass whipping fans that other parks are blessed with. It seems to take a little more to get the stands fired up with excitement. Every time Strasburg prepared to throw the place got loud. It's like they were testing him. The longer he pitched the louder they got. Its like everyone in the stadium wanted to see what he could do when the pressure was on.

He pitched a great game but, unfortunately it takes more then a great outing to win a ballgame. I go to Turner Field enough to know how to get away with seat jumping. For the entire 5th, 6th and 7th innings, I managed to get about 10 rows behind home plate for the only offensive gain of the game. This kid is impressive. I can't help to wonder though, if the fans in Atlanta can get that loud for 1-1, 1 out pitch, then he's gonna have some tough road trips pitching in places with rabid fans like New York, Chicago and Philly.

The guy is Strasburg! No nickname needed. He needs to come out to the mound with Goldbergs entrance music and let the crowd chant his name the same way. STRAAAASBURG, STRAAAASBURG, STRAAAASBURG!

If Strasburg is coming to your town, buy a ticket!

Strasburg Takes The Show To Atlanta

Strasburg-Mania goes on the road for just the second time this season when it whips through Atlanta like tornado through your mom's trailer park. Strasburg will make his fifth start and try to rebound after suffering his first loss while pitching 6 innings, striking out 9, walking zero and giving up 1 earned against the Royals. Nice work on the run support, Nats. Now he can only go 400-1. Pfft. I like how his first two road start came against the Indians and now the Braves. Coincidence or is Riggleman racist against Native American?

Strikeouts and Walks
The Bravos are actually right in the middle of the pack when it comes to striking out. The surprising, to me, fact is the Braves lead the league in walks by over 20. That will be something to watch for tonight. Strasburg has walked 5 batters in his 4 starts and they all came on the road against Cleveland.

Phenom vs. Phenom
Unfortunately, the Phenom versus Phenom match up will have to wait. Coming into this season, Strasburg and Jason Heyward were the top two prospects in baseball according to Baseball America. Heyward has been holding up his part of the bargain. Already one of the Braves' best players, Heyward has 11 home runs while hitting .251/.366/.455 as a 20-year-old. But Heyward has a thumb injury that will keep him from hitting against Strasburg tonight. It's a shame because Heyward has a Platinum Sombrero and a Golden Sombrero this season. The strikeout potential had me giddy.

Off Base Coverage
As you know by now, I gots the Strasburg fever. So you can join me over at Twitter and take shots with me every time Strasburg strikes someone out swinging. We also hope to have a guest writer covering the game live tonight. He drinks a lot of beer so only half of the post might be in coherent English but it should be entertaining nonetheless. Look for that tomorrow.

Strasburg Versus, Um, The Royals?

Are you kidding me? How did Strasburg's schedule end up being Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago and Kansas City. They're a combined 115-165. I haven't checked Strasburg's next start but I'm pretty sure he's pitching against the writing staffs of Off Base, The Dugs and that guy who sold me a bag of oranges on the freeway.

Just like last week though, I was stunned to learn that the Kansas City Royals are the second to last team in strikeouts this season. The White Sox do the least swinging and missing but they still managed to strikeout 10 times against K-Stras™ last week. Then I fell out of my chair when Baseball-Reference told me that the Royals have the highest team batting average in baseball. How many guesses would it have taken you before you got to the Royals for highest BA? 14-ish?

Of course, all of those stats are moot when you go against the greatest pitcher in the history of everything. Like always, I'll be live Tweeting his outing. Come join me at @MnkysThrwngDrts, I'll be the one taking a shot every time Strasburg strikes somebody out swinging.

Ryan Zimmerman's Golden Sombrero

A golden sombrero is awarded to a player who manages to strike out four times in a single game (real golden sombrero not included). It's quite the feat unless you're Ryan Howard or Mark Reynolds. Unfortunately, cycles and no-hitters are all the rage nowadays. Not for me, though. I will pour over the box scores to bring you the finest at swinging and missing.

With all the strikeouts Stephen Strasburg has been racking up, the other face of the Nationals decided to get in on the act today. Ryan Zimmerman picked up a Golden Sombrero after striking out four times against the White Sox. This will probably be the only Sombrero I will get to hand out to the 25-year-old All Star third baseman this year so we'll have to make it special. While Zimmerman averages about 120 strikeouts over a full season, this is only his fourth career Golden Sombrero. He had one in each of 2006, 2007 and 2008.

In honor of Zimmerman's rare Sombrero, I've blended up some margaritas and put out the chips and salsa. Now let's all gather around and watch some pinata bloopers!



If you don't enjoy that, we can't be friends. Let's see how Zimmerman won that shiny, shiny hat.

Bottom 1st: Zimmerman struck out swinging against Jake Peavy. Remember when Jake Peavy was good? So did he today.

Bottom 3rd: Zimmerman struck out looking against Peavy. Maybe Peavy is just good against the National League.

Bottom 6th: Zimmerman struck out looking against Peavy. 3 pitches. Perhaps Peavy is just good against Ryan Zimmerman.

Bottom 9th: Zimmerman struck out looking against Peavy. 3 pitches. Oh okay, Peavy just owns Zimmerman. This is also an MTD Hat Trick (striking out 3 times, the same way, against the same pitcher). I haven't come up with a name for when a pitcher strikes out a batter 4 times in one game. I'm open to suggestions though. Comments?

Strasburg Back In World Dominant Form

If you really want to nitpick, Strasburg's last start in Cleveland was less than stellar. He walked five (5) batters, people! He still struck out 7 and gave up only one earned in 5.1 innings. His return to the friendly confines of Nationals Park would go much better than his Cleveland trip. Even President Obama made it out to watch him pitch because, you know, there's not too much going on right now.

When I previewed this game earlier, I was pretty stunned to learn the White Sox had struck out the fewest times as a team in MLB. But strange things happen when a 21-year-old kid takes the mound and throws a 100 MPH fastball and a 91 MPH change up. Strasburg gave up a swinging bunt, infield single to Juan Pierre and a bloop single to Omar Vizquel to open the game. Then he retired 15 straight while striking out 9. He didn't get a decision but a 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K stat line is pretty solid world domination. Let's take a look at those K's in tonight's strikeout rewind.

Top 1st:
Strasburg struck out Paul Konerko swinging. Get used to the word "swinging." You might see it a couple more times.

Strasburg struck out Carlos Quentin swinging. See, I wasn't kidding.

Top 2nd:
Strasburg struck out Gordon Beckham swinging. Tonight won't be the night Beckham breaks out of his slump.

Top 3rd:
Strasburg struck out Gavin Floyd looking. The reason Floyd struck out looking is because he was about 5 feet away from the plate. If he did swing, the ump didn't see it.

Strasburg struck out Juan Pierre swinging. 3 pitches.

Top 4th:
Strasburg struck out Alex Rios swinging. 3 pitches.

Strasburg struck out Quentin swinging again.

Top 5th:
Strasburg struck out Alexie Ramirez swinging. Who didn't see that coming?

Strasburg struck out Beckham swinging again.

Top 6th:
No strikeouts this inning but I thought it was funny that Gavin Floyd would be the one to break up Strasburg's streak of 15 straight retired batters. An AL pitcher, sure, why not?

Top 7th:
Strasburg struck out Ramirez swinging again. 3 pitches.

Strasburg threw an efficient 85 pitches, 59 for strikes, over 7 innings. He also now owns the record for most strikeouts (32) for a pitcher in his first 3 games. Let's recap.

Strasburg's first 3 starts: 19.1 IP, 2-0, 1.86 ERA, 32 strikeouts, 5 walks.

For comparison, Mark Prior's first 3 starts: 15.2 IP, 1-2, 5.74 ERA, 22 strikeouts, 7 walks.

How about another one? Dwight Gooden's first 3 starts: 13.1 IP, 1-1, 4.73 ERA, 16 strikeouts, 9 walks.

This next one is pretty crazy, ready? Nineteen-year-old Felix Hernandez's first 3 starts: 21 IP, 2-1, 0.86 ERA, 21 strikeouts, 3 walks. Yikes.

I could do this all night. Damn you, Baseball-Reference. My point, I think, is that we're entering into one of those special breakout seasons that only come along every so often. So take off work on days that Strasburg pitches (I suggest calling in with the plague, do you know how contagious that is?). If he's coming to your city, get your tickets now. But most importantly, read all of my Strasburg posts.

Strasburg Mania Returns To DC

Freshman phenom/greatest pitcher ever, Stephen Strasburg, returns to Washington DC tonight. I'm not sure there was a parade but I'm pretty sure he gets helicoptered in to the stadium from now on. This is going to be his second home start in what I've dubbed "The Summer of Strasburg." So far, much more productive than "The Summer of George." His first start at home was nothing short of amazing as he struck out 14 over 7 innings while not giving up a walk. His second start was at Cleveland and it was a little rough. He gave up 2 earned, struck out 8 but walked 5 in only 5.1 innings.

Tonight K-Stras™ takes on a streaking White Sox team. The White Sox have won 8 of their last 10 and are 7-2 against the NL this season. But you know what shocked me? The White Sox have struck out the fewest times in the league. They've only struck out 322 times this year or 303 fewer times than the D-Backs. The rest of their team stats are fairly embarrassing but still. Maybe Strasburg can help bringing them closer to league average in K's tonight.

Every Strasburg start is a must see event. So grab an adult beverage and a vuvuzela and join me over at Twitter at 6:05 pm or 7:05 for all of you east coast elitists. Jerks. But please follow me on Twitter @MnkysThrwngDrts!

Stephen Strasburg: Walk Machine

Welcome to my overreaction-mobile. Make sure you buckle your seat belt, things are going to get bumpy. After Strasburg's sensational debut, I expected nothing less than another double digit, no walk performance. The kid let me down and I'm no longer sure I'd vote him into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Strasburg was slightly less impressive today than he was in his first start when he threw 94 pitches, 65 for strikes, while striking out 14 and walking none. In Strasburg's debut, he allowed four hits and two earned on a two run home run over seven innings.

Strasburg got the win today to improve to 2-0 but he only managed to go five and a third while throwing 95 pitches and only 52 for strikes. He struck out 8 which is where Bodog set the over/under. He allowed one run on a solo shot by Travis Hafner. But he walked five! Five! 5! Total chaos. Cats and dogs living together. Is he not the Messiah after all? Can he not turn my Gatorade into booze? For Strasburg's first start, I broke down each strikeout. Today, we'll take a look at each walk.

Bottom 4th:

Strasburg walked Carlos Santana on six pitches. He led off with two balls (hehe) before inducing two swinging strikes and then losing Santana on the next two pitches. No word if the ball from his first walk was sent to Cooperstown.

Strasburg walked Travis Hafner on six pitches. He's addicted.

Bottom 5th:
Strasburg walked someone named Anderson Hernandez on five pitches. Anderson was the lucky winner in Section 546 Seat 19 and got to play third base today. Congrats, Anderson.

Bottom 6th:
Strasburg walked Hafner on five pitches.

Strasburg walked Austin Kearns on five pitches. That would be the end of the day for K-Stras™. Drew Storen would relieve him and preserve the lead. For those scoring at home, that's the 10th pick relieving the 1st pick from last year's draft.

Let's all hope Strasburg can rebound from this win and get back to being the greatest pithcer in the history of everything. Godspeed young Jedi.

The Phenom Fights The Tribe

Stephen Strasburg will make the second start of his Hall of Fame career tomorrow against the Cleveland Indians. And just like Custer when he slayed the Indians, I expect Strasburg to do the same. Wait, is that right? I'll get an intern to check my facts on that one. K-Stras™ is coming off an impressive debut where he struck out 14 Pirates with no walks over 7 innings while only throwing 94 pitches. Cynics will claim that it was the perfect match-up because the Pirates are a free-swinging team and I'm sure the same will be said tomorrow after he strikes out 24 Indians. But I'm going to have to agree with Bob Costas on this one and say Strasbrug is the reincarnation of Walter Johnson. Sure, I like hyperbole. What's it to you?

I should probably nerd-up this post before you start to think I'm a complete idiot. It's too late? Oh well. Going into Saturday's games the Pirates had struck out 429 times as a team, only 3 above the league average, though their team OBP of .306 is pretty hilarious. Houston's .288 OBP is just sad. Cleveland is sixth in all of baseball at striking out with 458. Arizona is trying to lap the field, so make sure you tune in if Strasburg pitches against the Diamondbacks.

Cleveland isn't afraid to take a walk, but Strasburg will probably pound the strike zone pretty hard again. Cleveland shouldn't be much of a home run threat either as they are the third worst team at going deep. But I don't think anyone expected Delwyn Young to take Strasburg yard.

Strasburg-mania will be in full effect tomorrow. The Indians sold an additional 8,100 tickets this past week including 2,000 on the day that Strasburg was announced as the starter for tomorrow's game. I'll be watching it live. Feel free to join me on Twitter, we'll take a shot every time he strikes somebody out.

Did You Hear That Strasburg Pitched Tonight?

I guess it's safe to say that Stephen Strasburg was able to live up to his much hyped debut against the Pirates. I have a feeling you might be able to find several words written about him tomorrow. I heard newspapers might even come out of retirement for an article or two. He went 7 innings and gave up 4 hits including a 2 run home run by Delwyn Young. But people are going to be talking about the 14 strikeouts and no walks while throwing an efficient 94 pitches.

I know there isn't much I can add to what Jayson Stark and crew will give you as far as trivia and historical performance stories. I'd be remiss if I didn't write something though. And if anybody loves strikeouts, it's me. So, I'm going to tackle Strasburg's performance just like how I handle Golden Sombreros. Ready?

Top 1st.
Strasburg struck out Lastings Millege on 3 pitches. He watched the first 2 before going down swinging. Perfect game in tact.

Top 2nd.
Strasburg struck out Garrett Jones swinging. Jones managed to go 3-0 before striking out. Atta boy.

Strasburg struck out Delwyn Young swinging.

Strasburg struck out Ronny Cedeno swinging. But he gave up a hit just before that ending the perfect game and no hitter. Hall of Fame chances decrease by .03%


Top 3rd.
Strasburg struck out Jason Jamarillo looking. Jamarillo watched all 3 strikes. I'm not sure if he realized he was in the batter's box.

Strasburg struck out Jeff Karstens swinging. Karstens watched the first 2 while trying to figure out why he can't do that.

Top 5th.
Strasburg struck out Cedeno swinging again.

Strasburg struck out Karstens looking. Karstens hit 2 foul and returns to the dugout proud.

Top 6th.
Strasburg struck out Andrew McCutchen swinging. 3 pitches.

Strasburg struck out Neil Walker swinging. 3 pitches.

Strasburg struck out Milledge swinging. 4 pitches.

Top 7th.
Strasburg struck out Jones swinging. Strasburg is still hitting 99 mph on the stadium gun or 168 on the Red Sox stadium gun.

Strasburg struck out Young swinging. 3 pitches.

Strasburg struck out Andy Laroche swinging. 3 pitches.

Stasburg would go on to get a curtain call and shaving cream pie to the face. Enjoy the night kid. Don't party too hard though, you have to be up early so they can carve your Hall of Fame bust.