Strasburg Speaks

I somewhat blame myself for Stephen Strasburg's seemingly inevitable Tommy John surgery. My unhealthy man crush and unrealistic expectations must have put an ufair amount of pressure on him. Of course I assume he reads my little blog and read many of my dedicated posts to him. I should also point out that my ego is only two notches below Lex Luther on the Super Villain scale. Anyway, Strasburg had his cast removed about two weeks ago and had a little chit-chat with real media types on a conference call that I assume included an iPhone...

"I'm chalking this year up as a great success," Strasburg, 22, said in a 15-minute conference call with media members Tuesday afternoon from his San Diego home. "It's unfortunate for this to happen. But . . . I stirred up the baseball world well enough to have more people become Nats fans. And I know they're going to be there when I come back in a year."

He's right to some extent. I did hop on the Nats' bandwagon hoping to catch a National League version of the Rays in enough time to seem cool. I tried the same thing with the Brewers a few years ago but it didn't work out so well. Strasburg should bounce back just fine but let's keep in mind that it took Francisco Liriano two years to get close to his former self and the Nats' second best starter, Jordan Zimmermann, is just a year removed from his own TJ. But Strasburg remains optimistic about a speedy recovery...

"If I'm doing well, things could get sped up," he said. "There is a target date, but right now it's way too early [to talk about it]. It is a tough process, but I keep telling myself as each day goes by, I'm getting closer to being back out there battling and winning games."

I can't wait for his return. He was almost better than advertised in his first 12 professional starts. His 2.91 ERA was a little bloated according to his 2.10 FIP and the 12.18 K/9 is must see baseball. He's good for the game and great for Nationals' attendance. Godspeed young Jedi. Oh and Stras, I'd also appreciate if you left your over/under on Aroldis Chapman starts before his Tommy John in the comments. Thanks Stephen!

Chris Valaika'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.

Oh, I had to look Chris Valaika up. We here at Off Base have a both coasts bias. We often overlook what's going on in your precious midwest. So I'll occasionally miss a prospect from Cincinnati or Milwaukee or Pittsburgh. Basically anyone from the NL Central. But we're bringing in an intern to help us out with the divisions we don't care about.

Valaika, a 25-year-old second baseman, was called up a week ago and wasted no time collecting his first Golden Sombrero. The Sombrero almost got past me because it was slightly overshadowed by Aroldis Chapman's debut and 103.9 MPH fastball. Aroldis couldn't have gotten to the bigs at a better time after baseball recently lost that pitching prospect for the Nationals. I already forgot his name. I want to say Sam Steinberg. Anyway, Chapman will be all the talk until he has surgery when his elbow explodes.

I guess we might as well take a look at Valaika's poor night at the dish before Chapman completely hijacks this post...

Bottom 3rd: Valaika struck out swinging against Yovani Gallardo. He actually singled in the first so the night was "Mark Reynolds terrible."

Bottom 5th: Valaika struck out looking against Gallardo. Gallardo gave up 8 runs in 5 innings but it was better than his last start. I assume he wasn't robbed at gunpoint again last night.

Bottom 6th: Valaika struck out swinging against Gallardo.

Top 8th: Chapman strikes out Jonathan Lucroy by ridiculousness. Lucroy might as well have been swinging a spoon against the last pitch.

Bottom 8th: Valaika struck out swinging against Todd Coffey.

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]

MLB Draft Signing Deadline: Zach Lee Edition

The MLB draft signing deadline has come and gone with only 3 of the top 50 picks not signing. It was not big surprise that Bryce Harper and Manny Machado signed at the very last minute. But Zach Lee, that one I didn't see coming. Let's take a look at some of yesterday's highlights while I try to reign my Dodger hatred in a little...

Nationals
In no surprise, the Nationals were able to sign Bryce Harper right before the 11:59 p.m deadline last night. It's the second straight year the Nationals have signed once-in-a-lifetime prospects according to Super Agent Soctt Boras. Harper got a 5-year deal worth $9.9 million including a $6.5 million signing bonus. The power hitting 17-year-old will be transitioned to the outfield from catcher to expedite his arrival to the majors. Keith Law Tweeted that the Nats might even send Harper to the AFL in October.

The Nationals also signed 2nd round pick left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis for a $1 million bonus and 4th rounder right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole for a $2 million bonus. Quite the nice haul for the Nationals who are putting together a good core of young players. I've technically been a big fan of theirs since they signed Vladimir Guerrero in 1993 so I don't want to hear any lip about hopping on the bandwagon.

Pirates
Pittsburgh continues to be the biggest spender come draft time. It helps if you're constantly one of the worst teams in baseball but that's just a theory I'm working on. The second overall pick right-handed pitcher Jameson Tallion signed for around a $6 million bonus. Fellow right-handed pitcher Stetson Allie tumbled all the way to the second round before the Pirates drafted him. Allie probably has the most uside of any pitcher in the draft other than Tallion and the Pirates opened up their wallet and paid out $2.25 million for him. Impressive draft.

Orioles
Baltimore gave a $5.25 million bonus to short stop Manny Machado minutes before the deadline.

Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks reached a deal with 6th overall pick pitcher Barret Loux but his physical revealed arm damage. The D-Backs were able to void the contract and, it turns out, Loux will become a free agent. Loux will be able to sign with any team (Diamondbacks?) and the Diamondbacks will receive the 7th pick in next year's draft as compensation.

Padres
The Padres reportedly offered 9th pick overall pitcher Karsten Whitson a $2.1 million bonus but Whitson held out for more and never signed. $2.1 million with a chance to eventually live in San Diego and pitch in a massive pitchers park? Doesn't seem bad to me but I live in New Orleans where the temperature is Fire but with a lot of humidity.

Brewers
The 14th overall pick Dylan Covey declined to sign for a different reason. The pitcher was on his way to signing when his physical revealed Covey has Type 1 diabetes. The Brewers were still interested in signing him but Covey decided it would be better to attend the University of San Diego which is close to home. I wish the kid the best of luck. And if he ever wants to have me out to watch a game and maybe hit a party, my email is on the right of the page.

Angels
The Halos were able to reach a deal with 2-way star Kaleb Cowart. They'll likely give him a chance to play third base before moving him to a full time pitcher.

Rockies
The 26th pick in the draft struck a deal right before the deadline. Outfielder Kyle Parker signed a $1.4 million contract allowing him to still quarterback the Clemson Tigers. By choosing to play football, Parker probably left close to $1 million on the table.

Dodgers
Buckle in kids, I have a lot of venom built up for this one. It was already a bad day for LSU when Anthony Renaudo and LSU commit Lucas LeBlanc ended up signing with Boston. But it got worse when future quarterback, Zach Lee signed with the Dodgers. I was convinced the Dodgers had a near zero percent chance of signing Lee away from LSU as I wrote here and more recently here.

It took $5.25 million to buy Zach Lee out of his LSU commitment and love for football. Where did the Dodgers, tied up in the McCourt divorce, get that kind of cash? I can't be certain, but this has Alyssa Milano written all over it. Lee was already enrolled at LSU and even practiced with the football team that afternoon before signing. Lee might have even had a shot at starting by the end of the season considering the track records of incumbent QBs Jarett Lee and Jordan Jefferson. Of course, the LSU baseball team also suffers losing Lee from their rotation.

The Lee bonus more than doubles Clayton Kersaw's $2.3 million in 2006, the Dogers' former largest bonus. Despite the fate of the franchise being in limbo because of the divorce, the Dodgers both added payroll at the trade deadline and gave out one of the largest bonuses of the draft. I have a feeling this will make me angry for quite some time. Or until Thursday, my attention span isn't very...oh my god, that dog is wearing a hat.

Shot Of The Night: A-Rod's Paying

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.

We'll occasionally bring back the shot of the night when someone really causes us to drink for good or ill. Tonight we celebrate. The shot of the night is Slugger's Delight: 1 shot 151 proof rum, 12 oz Rock and Rye® liqueur and it's in honor of Alex Rodriguez.

A-Rod murdered the ball tonight for the Yankees going 4-5 with 3 home runs that laughed at the outfield wall while sailing over it. A-Rod warmed up by crushing a solo shot 412 feet off of Sean O'Sullivan in the 6th inning. The next big fly came off of Kanekoa Texeira in the 7th inning and went 419 feet. But the slugger saved his best performance for Greg Holland in the 9th. A-Rod crushed the 2-0 offering from Holland 439 feet into the Kansas City water falls. Despite my general dislike for all things Yankee, I remain a big time A-Rod supporter. I look forward to covering A-Rod's chase for history even if Bud Selig plans on turning a cold shoulder to the offensive monster.

Honorable Mention: Bobby Wilson
The hitting challenged Angels catcher somehow managed to hit 2 home runs off of Blue Jays pitching prospect Brett Cecil. Meanwhile, Brandon Wood pinch hit and went 0-1 lowering his slash line to .166/.183/.223 continuing to disappoint the Angels, his parents, scouts and yours truly. I've recently reached out to Wood's agent to see if he has any interest signing on with my Wiffle Ball team. We only pay in potato chips but we're prepared to make a very generous offer. Perhaps even sour cream.

He's Coming... Domonic Brown Edition

The number one prospect in the minors was called up by the Phillies today after Shane Victorino hit the disabled list. Dom Brown will make his major league debut in right field for the Phils tonight. Brown was selected in the 20th round in 2006 due to either his move from Florida to Atlanta or his commitment to attend the University of Miami where he would also play wide receiver. But that would be the Phillies gain as the 22-year-old moved quickly through their system. Between AA and AAA this year, Bron has 20 home runs and a .327/.391/.589 slash line.

As much as prospects debuting in the bigs excites me, this graduation is even more special for me. Brown's move the the majors means there is a new top prospect in the minors. Any guesses? Should be obvious. Keith Law tweeted today that Mike Trout will be taking over those honors. Mike Trout is already my favorite player in the history of baseball but, um, no pressure kid.

UPDATE: In Brown's first at bat he hit an RBI double off of the wall.

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.

The Meteoric Rise Of Mike Trout

*In full disclosure, I am a big Angels fan*

With the MLB All Star Futures Game tomorrow night, I wanted to take a look at Mike Trout. Trout has been the hot name among prospects this year and I can't really remember a time that a player climbed the rankings so quickly.

The Stats. In Trout's first full year at Low Class A Cedar Rapids, he's put together an impressive .362/.454/.526 slash line. He leads the league in Batting Average, On Base Percentage, stolen bases (45) and hits (113). Impressive stats. Oh yeah, he will also be the youngest player at the Futures Game at just 18-years-old. Earlier today Jonathan Mayo reported (via Twitter) that after the Futures Game, Trout will be promoted to High Class A Rancho Cucamongo.

The Rise In Ranking. It's hard not to respect the prospect work Kevin Goldstein does at Baseball Prospectus. In Goldstein's Future Shock column coming into this season, he had Trout ranked 53rd out of his top 101. On July 1st, Goldstein came out with a Future Shock that listed his top 11 prospects left in the minors after all the recent promotions. Phillies' outfielder Domonic Brown moved from 24th to first and Mike Trout moved to second. To completely rip off KG...

Why He's Here: It's not just the ridiculous .367/.449/.543 line at Low-A Cedar Rapids, as it's hard to find a scout who isn't downright giddy after watching him. He can hit, he's a plus-plus runner, he's going to hit for way more power down the road, his approach is good, and he's a fine center fielder. What more do you want? How about a max-effort player who runs out every ground ball and does it with a smile on his face? One scout gave him the highest compliment one can get from a talent evaluator: "I'd pay to watch him play."

Keith Law, ESPN's snarky prospect guru, has also moved Trout into his top 3 prospects. He had this to say in his most recent Klaw Chat...

Kevin (NJ)

Great job on being ahead of the curve on Mike Trout. What is his power upside?

Klaw (2:10 PM)

20-25 home runs, conservatively.

and

Dave (FL)

How do you have Brown rated higher than Trout?

Klaw (2:12 PM)

Among other reasons, Brown could play in the majors tonight, while Trout is at least a year away.

Pretty high praise from some pretty smart guys.

My Level of Excitement. Being an Angels fan who has seen a few prospects deliver (Kendry Morales, Jered Weaver) and some bust (Brandon Wood *that hurts to type*, Dallas McPherson), I'd say my excitement for Trout is about 9 out of 10 Strasburgs. The stats he's putting up at 18-years-old are pretty ridiculous. The power is coming. Scouts and coaches rave about him. I tend to get carried away with prospects but I'm pretty sure this kid is the reincarnation of Mickey Mantle. Trout was born 4 years and 6 days before Mantle passed but I'm working on a theory.

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.

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.

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.

He's Coming... Dayan Viciedo Edition

I really need to decide on some criteria around here. But until I do you'll just be subject to the whims of which upcoming prospect I'd like to feature. Unfortunately, for some reason, I missed previewing Indians' catcher Carlos Santana and all he's done is hit .333/.467/.625 in his first 30 plate appearances. He was also Baseball America's number 10 prospect coming into this year. For that, I apologize. So, I'm going to make it up by previewing a guy who actually fell out of Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list in 2010. See, no criteria whatsoever*.

The 21-year-old Dayan Viciedo is scheduled to play third base for the White Sox today. Although it's doubtful he'll remain at third with his 5'11, 240 pound frame. That makes him 5-years younger and just 30 pounds lighter than Prince Fielder. I don't like Dayan's chances especially with McDonald's new Big Mac topped with a 9 piece McNugget (I plan on getting credit for the McFatty™). In 2008, the Cuban defected on a boat to Mexico and then crossed over to, wait for it, Miami. He signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the White Sox. He was BA's #61 prospect in 2009 but after an unimpressive rookie season at AA, he fell out of BA's Top 100 this year. In Triple A this year, he has 14 home runs and is hitting .290/.329/.525. He will join fellow countryman, short stop Alexei Ramirez in the Cubanest infield in the bigs. Look, I made it that whole post without making a rafting or pork sandwich joke! *blows vuvuzela*

*I think the eventual criteria for this feature will be prospects inside Baseball America's Top 50 for the season or if I'm bored or if it's someone I'm particularly excited about. Hmm, still sounds like there's no criteria.

UPDATE: Viciedo is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's White Sox game.

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!

He's Coming...

Did I mention I love prospects? I do. They're exciting. They're the new hot girl in school. Everybody is talking about her. Everybody wants one just like her. But for every Stephen Strasburg there's a Laura Newberry. Amirite? At least two people will enjoy that. Anyhoo, I covered Strasburg (in great detail later) and Mike Stanton. So who's next?

Word has it, Pirates' top prospect, Pedro Alvarez, might be called up as soon as tomorrow. The third base slugger was the second overall pick in 2008 and hit 40 home runs and .286/.374/.537 over his two minor league seasons. He has 196 strikeouts against 102 walks so, you know, that's not great. For him. For me, it means I might get to hand out a Golden Sombrero or two.

The big loser in all of this is Andy LaRoche. LaRoche has been playing third for the Pirates since being acquired from the Dodgers in the Manny Ramirez trade. LaRoche was once a highly touted prospect ala Brandon Wood. *sigh* Andy looks to be headed to a super utility role until he eventually lands on another team. I hate when prospects flame out. I'm looking at you, Laura.

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.

NL East Full of Phenoms

When Washington called up Stephen Strasburg and Florida promoted Mike Stanton Tuesday, the pair joined Atlanta's Jason Heyward to form a electric trio in the NL East.

Stanton



All the 76th pick in the 2007 draft did in his first full minor league season was hit 39 home runs with a .993 OPS. He did strike out 153 times, but as the saying goes, chicks don't give a shit about strikeouts as long as you're a ridiculous power hitter. Last season, Stanton split time between Jupiter and Jacksonville and in about the same number of at bats, dipped to just 28 combined home runs and a .341 OBP. But Stanton wasn't fooling around when the Jacksonville season began this spring. He hit 21 home runs, the OBP shot back up to .441 (OPS: 1.167) and the Marlins couldn't wait any longer, calling him up for his big league debut Tuesday.

Heyward



Also a member of the '07 draft class, Heyward went from the No. 14 overall pick out of Henry County High School (McDonough, GA) to the starting right fielder on opening day in two years. He was a sandlot legend during his youth baseball days and the Braves always scout heavy in their own state. So it was no surprise when Atlanta chose the 6-5, 240-pounder with its first pick. In his first full year of pro ball with the Rome Braves, Heyward tore up the Sally League, collecting 217 total bases, a .323 batting average and a .388 OBP in 120 games. His promotion to Myrtle Beach was brief, and uneventful (22 at bats), but in 2009 Heyward split time between Myrtle Beach, Mississippi and Gwinnett and hit a combined .323 with a .408 OBP. The Braves thought he was ready, he broke camp with the big league club this spring and is the current favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year.

Strasburg



Unless this guy wins it. Strasburg has been hyped so much that after his big league debut, someone said Strasburg and Walter Johnson in the same sentence and didn't include the words "has always been a fan of". That debut was sparkling-7 IP, 14 K, 0 BB-and while its only one start, it's clear Strasburg has stuff, mainly a blazing fast ball and a filthy curve ball, that's there with the best in baseball. I would have a detailed account of Strasburg's journey to the big leagues, but there's not much to say. He was drafted No. 1 overall in 2009, made 11 starts combined at Harrisburg and Syracuse this spring, allowing eight earned runs in 55 1/3 innings (1.30 ERA), and the Nats called him up faster than you can say we need to try and save Jim Riggleman's job!


That's three potential superstars in a division that already includes Hanley Ramirez and will soon include Bryce Harper.

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.