So they really are going to shut down Strasburg

[frdrizzt]

What's really going to happen is that the Nationals are going to make it all the way to the World Series without him and face the Yankees. A back and forth series goes all the way to Game 7 in DC with Edwin Jackson starting against CC Sabathia. Jackson gets chased after two innings and the Yankees are up 9-0. The Nationals have to burn through their entire bullpen and starters until Gio Gonzalez enters the game at the top of the 8th with two days rest. He pitches a scoreless frame and that's when **** gets real. The Nationals manage to score 9 runs in the bottom of the eight. Gio goes back out but after a few pitches, it's clear to see something is wrong as he walks the first two and then as he throws a curveball, his arm gives out and he hits Ichiro. The trainers come out and Davey Johnson paces back and forth as there is no one left in the bullpen. Just then, he quickly hops down into the clubhouse and then comes running out, telling the trainers to stall. As the umpires finally tell the trainers and Gonzalez to leave the mound, the crowd turns silent as Thunderstruck pounds through the stadium PA. The bullpen doors open, and from them appears a tall and gangly man with unusually high socks. He takes a second, and then runs out into the field to a standing ovation as he is none other than Stephen Strasburg. He takes to the mound without addressing any of his teammates and warms up as if nothing was strange. As his back is to home, he hears the ump behind the plate telling him he can't be out there and Joe Girardi complaining from the Yankee dugout that this was highly illegal. Strasburg smirks, picks up the ball, turns around back to home and delivers a 105mph fastball which glances off the hairs of the nose of the umpire, richocets off the backstop, and heads towards the New York dugout where the balls ends up smashing Girardi in the skull. Strasburg stands there and mouths "play ball" as Derek Jeter cautiously walks towards the plate.

He strikes out Jeter and Granderson, both on three pitches, all fastballs and up steps up Alex Rodriguez with 2 outs and the bases loaded. A-Rod had been absolutely killing the ball the entire series, and already had 4 RBIs in the game. Strasburg spits, and stares him down. The first two pitches are high inside fastballs, both of which nearly hit A-Rod. He goes back in the zone making him whiff on two straight heaters. He attempts to break off a curve for the strikeout but releases the ball awkwardly sending it into the stands as he yells in pain. He falls over the mound, shrieking, writhing in pain as the trainers jump out of the dugout to attend to him. "STOP", he yells, sending the entire stadium into a hush. He gathers himself, and stands up as the crowd stands and cheers with him. He dusts himself off, sets, and stares right back at A-Rod, looking to strike him out on 3-2. He then pulls back and throws a 110mph fastball high and inside. Rodriguez stood no chance. Strikeout.

The Nationals don't manage to score in the bottom frame, so Strasburg is sent back out for 10th... and the 11th... and the 12th. Strasburg matches Kuroda pitch for pitch as the game remains scoreless and in Strasburg's case, hitless deep into the night. It is now the top of the 20th inning. Game still 9-9. Strasburg has thrown 160 pitches so far and is facing A-Rod again. He loses his grip again, yelling in pain as the fastball ends up shattering A-Rod in the head, leaving him motionless as Strasburg grabbed his elbow. Strasburg picks himself up again, proceeds to get the next two outs, but thanks to a Bryce Harper error where he completely loses the ball in the lights and overthrows the play at the plate, the Yankees manage to score and the game is now 10-9 heading into the bottom of the 20th.

The first two Nationals are put down quickly, and it's all up to Roger Bernadina. He works a 14 pitch at bat against Kuroda, and on the 15th pitch, he hits a slow roller to shortstop and beats out a Jeter throw at first. Then Strasburg steps up to the plate to a standing ovation, the game in his hands. Kuroda quickly gets two strikes across, putting Strasburg into hole. He steps out of the batter box, looks at the night sky, and thinks about what his grandma told him, "always believe in yourself, Stephen". A single tear streaked across his face. He steps back into the box, digs in, and watches Kuroda float a curve over the plate. He swings. Ballgame. Stephen Strasburg has just won the World Series with a two run walkoff home run. Strasburg in complete jubilation skips and jumps over to first where he slips on the bag, breaking his right ankle. His teammates, rushing out of the dugout notice this and offer to help him out until the first base umpire reminds them that they cannot interfere. Strasburg is able to regain control of his feet as he limps over to second. Using his left foot, he steps on second but during the turn, twists his leg, completely tearing the ACL and MCL of his left knee. He is now on the ground, crying in agony, and a hush has now fallen over the entirety of Nationals Park. He again attempts to come to his feet but as he does, he falls over to his right, which ends up completely shattering and breaking his right arm in 36 different places. Strasburg, using every single ounce of will inside him, crawls to third base, the bones in right arm breaking every single time he moves it forward. As he touches third, the crowd then begins to chant "STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG", giving him the power to crawl over the third base line. Even the Yankees are moved to tears, and join in on the chant. As he inches closer and closer to home, the chants get louder. STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG. He begins to cry. Right before he touches home, he looks up and sees the thousands of supporters decked in red, showering him with a chorus of cheers which gave him the willpower to go on. He looks towards the luxury boxes and slowly picks up his right arm which is now broken in 297 different places. Using every bit on strength inside him, he manages to lift it up and direct a middle finger towards the box which contains Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo. His right hand slams on home, winning the Nationals the game and the World Series, and Stephen Strasburg immediately passes out and dies. His teammates cheer above him, slowly realizing that he was dead. Their cheers turn into sobs, realizing that the he had just passed in front of their very own eyes. Tyler Clippard hunches over, puts his face right next to Strasburg's cold cheek, crying "w-we did it man... you did it... you are c-champion, Stephen". Clippard weeps over his dead body. The crying is interrupted by a clap. Then another clap. It was the ghost of Walter Johnson, applauding the legendary effort of the late Stephen Strasburg. The team then starts to applaud, then the fans, and if you panned over to the luxury box, you would see Mike Rizzo clapping, tears on his face. The team then lifts up the corpse of Stephen Strasburg to a roar of applause from the Washington faithful, as they carry his dead body on their shoulders, and head into the clubhouse. They don't stop there, however. They walk out into the stadium with his body, the fans inside the stadium following them, forming a mob that chanted STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG with every step. The mob marches down to the Anacostia River, where Michael Morse takes Strasburg's body from his shoulder, and gently places him into the water. As his dead body sails away, the mob chants louder and louder STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG as the camera pans towards the night sky where fireworks from National Park are shot off. The screen dims.


Shortly after, on the screen appears the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background. It is a cold early February morning. The camera pans to a man on a podium with a banner above him and a massive crowd right beneath him. The man is none other than newly elected president Mitt Romney presenting a newly created monument of Stephen Strasburg as the new centerpiece of the mall. As tears run down his cheek, he manages to proclaim "for a man who has given us so much... too much... we dedicate this 47 foot solid gold statue to Stephen Strasburg, the greatest pitcher who ever lived." Screen cuts to black. Credits roll.

But, they won't put him on the postseason roster if they shut him down.

 

[Bryan-Herity]

They are shutting this guy down and they only control him via contract for the next 4 years? If he had signed a 10 year deal I can see shutting him down and protecting your investment. But you know when he is a free agent Scott Boras will sell him to the highest bidder so Mike Rizzo in the end will get burned

 

[sdevito]

Can someone explain to me why this is so dumb? This is the exact same progression all minor league players go through. The only difference is Strasburg is so talented he basically didn't need much time in the minors, and he had major arm surgery so his progression was delayed a year. Why should the Nats deviate from the standard just because he was good enough to skip the minors?

 

[cutchemist42]

Anyone have any academic journal research showing evidence this helps a pitcher's arm?

 

[cutchemist42]

Anyone agree with this from deadspin?

Medlen's scoreless streak has since ended, thanks to an unearned run he allowed in a five-hit, no-walk, 12-strikeout complete-game taming of the Colorado Rockies on Monday. But the point remains: Medlen will be available to handle a full workload in September and October, while Strasburg won't. This was a calculated choice by Atlanta. GM Frank Wren told manager Fredi Gonzalez in March that he shouldn't open the season with Medlen in the rotation, because he'd never want to take him out.
The Nationals could have done something like that with Strasburg, holding him in the pen early in the season. They've had John Lannan—who has a track record as a league-average starter—in their Triple-A rotation all year. Lannan made spot starts for the big club in late July and early August and won both games, and the Nats are trusting him to fill Strasburg's spot for the rest of the season. Lannan, or Zach Duke, his Syracuse Chiefs teammate, could have handled half a season in the rotation well enough.
Lindbergh also suggests that the Nationals should have tinkered with Strasburg at midseason. Even if they didn't know in April that they'd have a shot at the playoffs, surely they knew in June. On June 13, the Nats were 15 games over .500 and had a five-game lead over their closest divisional competitors. They could have skipped some of Strasburg's starts and had him make occasional relief appearances to stay fresh, with side sessions to maintain his stamina.
Instead, they found themselves up against the innings limit.

http://deadspin.com/5941163/how-the-nationals-used-up-stephen-strasburgs-innings-before-they-had-to

 

[sdevito]

Nope. What happens if the start Strasburg sometime in May and then he gets injured for 6 weeks at some point in the season? Say he pulls a calf/hamstring running the bases or something. Then they are in the exact same position next year because he didn't hit his innings limit.

You also don't want to screw with extra rest between starts. A lot of Japanese pitchers have had a tough time adjusting and that is a one time adjustment all year. I'm not sure how anyone would adjust pitching every 5 days for a few months, then every 6-8 days for a few months, and then going back to every 5 days at the end of the season. Not only that, but there is no way to do that without screwing up the rest schedule of your entire rotation.

 

[cutchemist42]

Nope. What happens if the start Strasburg sometime in May and then he gets injured for 6 weeks at some point in the season? Say he pulls a calf/hamstring running the bases or something. Then they are in the exact same position next year because he didn't hit his innings limit.

You also don't want to screw with extra rest between starts. A lot of Japanese pitchers have had a tough time adjusting and that is a one time adjustment all year. I'm not sure how anyone would adjust pitching every 5 days for a few months, then every 6-8 days for a few months, and then going back to every 5 days at the end of the season. Not only that, but there is no way to do that without screwing up the rest schedule of your entire rotation.

So you think Atlanta was dumb for how they handled Medlen?

 

[sdevito]

Nope. What happens if the start Strasburg sometime in May and then he gets injured for 6 weeks at some point in the season? Say he pulls a calf/hamstring running the bases or something. Then they are in the exact same position next year because he didn't hit his innings limit.

You also don't want to screw with extra rest between starts. A lot of Japanese pitchers have had a tough time adjusting and that is a one time adjustment all year. I'm not sure how anyone would adjust pitching every 5 days for a few months, then every 6-8 days for a few months, and then going back to every 5 days at the end of the season. Not only that, but there is no way to do that without screwing up the rest schedule of your entire rotation.

So you think Atlanta was dumb for how they handled Medlen?

I wouldn't use the word dumb, I'd say they took a big risk. It worked out for them but it was still a risk. But Medlen is also a few years older so you might take more risks with him then you would a 23 year old, especially a 23 year old with Strasburg's talent.

 

[GPR.NYM2]

Can someone explain to me why this is so dumb? This is the exact same progression all minor league players go through. The only difference is Strasburg is so talented he basically didn't need much time in the minors, and he had major arm surgery so his progression was delayed a year. Why should the Nats deviate from the standard just because he was good enough to skip the minors?

I'm not coming down on either side of the issue, but you don't even mention that they have maybe the best chance to win the world series this year, and he's their ace.

 

[Rico444]

Can someone explain to me why this is so dumb? This is the exact same progression all minor league players go through. The only difference is Strasburg is so talented he basically didn't need much time in the minors, and he had major arm surgery so his progression was delayed a year. Why should the Nats deviate from the standard just because he was good enough to skip the minors?

I'm not coming down on either side of the issue, but you don't even mention that they have maybe the best chance to win the world series this year, and he's their ace.

And if they don't win the World Series this year, and Strasburg blows out his shoulder because of the added strain?

 

[GPR.NYM2]

Can someone explain to me why this is so dumb? This is the exact same progression all minor league players go through. The only difference is Strasburg is so talented he basically didn't need much time in the minors, and he had major arm surgery so his progression was delayed a year. Why should the Nats deviate from the standard just because he was good enough to skip the minors?

I'm not coming down on either side of the issue, but you don't even mention that they have maybe the best chance to win the world series this year, and he's their ace.

And if they don't win the World Series this year, and Strasburg blows out his shoulder because of the added strain?

And if they lose the World Series because of subpar pitching and never get another chance!? Or if they win it next year with Strasburg and the next three after that!? Or if they win it this year without him!? Or if Strasburg needs shoulder surgery late next year because the innings jump from 160 to 220 was too much!? Gosh, the possibilities are endless.

 

[Rico444]

The point is, these teams obviously have plenty of evidence to support this conclusion, as there are a bunch of teams shutting down young pitchers throughout the league.

The Nationals have a terrific, young core. They'll be in the thick of things for a long time. Compromising your young stud's arm to try to go for it this year when you should be in the playoffs most years moving forward, AND the playoffs are a crapshoot? It just isn't smart.

 

[NBAman619]

What's really going to happen is that the Nationals are going to make it all the way to the World Series without him and face the Yankees. A back and forth series goes all the way to Game 7 in DC with Edwin Jackson starting against CC Sabathia. Jackson gets chased after two innings and the Yankees are up 9-0. The Nationals have to burn through their entire bullpen and starters until Gio Gonzalez enters the game at the top of the 8th with two days rest. He pitches a scoreless frame and that's when **** gets real. The Nationals manage to score 9 runs in the bottom of the eight. Gio goes back out but after a few pitches, it's clear to see something is wrong as he walks the first two and then as he throws a curveball, his arm gives out and he hits Ichiro. The trainers come out and Davey Johnson paces back and forth as there is no one left in the bullpen. Just then, he quickly hops down into the clubhouse and then comes running out, telling the trainers to stall. As the umpires finally tell the trainers and Gonzalez to leave the mound, the crowd turns silent as Thunderstruck pounds through the stadium PA. The bullpen doors open, and from them appears a tall and gangly man with unusually high socks. He takes a second, and then runs out into the field to a standing ovation as he is none other than Stephen Strasburg. He takes to the mound without addressing any of his teammates and warms up as if nothing was strange. As his back is to home, he hears the ump behind the plate telling him he can't be out there and Joe Girardi complaining from the Yankee dugout that this was highly illegal. Strasburg smirks, picks up the ball, turns around back to home and delivers a 105mph fastball which glances off the hairs of the nose of the umpire, richocets off the backstop, and heads towards the New York dugout where the balls ends up smashing Girardi in the skull. Strasburg stands there and mouths "play ball" as Derek Jeter cautiously walks towards the plate.

He strikes out Jeter and Granderson, both on three pitches, all fastballs and up steps up Alex Rodriguez with 2 outs and the bases loaded. A-Rod had been absolutely killing the ball the entire series, and already had 4 RBIs in the game. Strasburg spits, and stares him down. The first two pitches are high inside fastballs, both of which nearly hit A-Rod. He goes back in the zone making him whiff on two straight heaters. He attempts to break off a curve for the strikeout but releases the ball awkwardly sending it into the stands as he yells in pain. He falls over the mound, shrieking, writhing in pain as the trainers jump out of the dugout to attend to him. "STOP", he yells, sending the entire stadium into a hush. He gathers himself, and stands up as the crowd stands and cheers with him. He dusts himself off, sets, and stares right back at A-Rod, looking to strike him out on 3-2. He then pulls back and throws a 110mph fastball high and inside. Rodriguez stood no chance. Strikeout.

The Nationals don't manage to score in the bottom frame, so Strasburg is sent back out for 10th... and the 11th... and the 12th. Strasburg matches Kuroda pitch for pitch as the game remains scoreless and in Strasburg's case, hitless deep into the night. It is now the top of the 20th inning. Game still 9-9. Strasburg has thrown 160 pitches so far and is facing A-Rod again. He loses his grip again, yelling in pain as the fastball ends up shattering A-Rod in the head, leaving him motionless as Strasburg grabbed his elbow. Strasburg picks himself up again, proceeds to get the next two outs, but thanks to a Bryce Harper error where he completely loses the ball in the lights and overthrows the play at the plate, the Yankees manage to score and the game is now 10-9 heading into the bottom of the 20th.

The first two Nationals are put down quickly, and it's all up to Roger Bernadina. He works a 14 pitch at bat against Kuroda, and on the 15th pitch, he hits a slow roller to shortstop and beats out a Jeter throw at first. Then Strasburg steps up to the plate to a standing ovation, the game in his hands. Kuroda quickly gets two strikes across, putting Strasburg into hole. He steps out of the batter box, looks at the night sky, and thinks about what his grandma told him, "always believe in yourself, Stephen". A single tear streaked across his face. He steps back into the box, digs in, and watches Kuroda float a curve over the plate. He swings. Ballgame. Stephen Strasburg has just won the World Series with a two run walkoff home run. Strasburg in complete jubilation skips and jumps over to first where he slips on the bag, breaking his right ankle. His teammates, rushing out of the dugout notice this and offer to help him out until the first base umpire reminds them that they cannot interfere. Strasburg is able to regain control of his feet as he limps over to second. Using his left foot, he steps on second but during the turn, twists his leg, completely tearing the ACL and MCL of his left knee. He is now on the ground, crying in agony, and a hush has now fallen over the entirety of Nationals Park. He again attempts to come to his feet but as he does, he falls over to his right, which ends up completely shattering and breaking his right arm in 36 different places. Strasburg, using every single ounce of will inside him, crawls to third base, the bones in right arm breaking every single time he moves it forward. As he touches third, the crowd then begins to chant "STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG", giving him the power to crawl over the third base line. Even the Yankees are moved to tears, and join in on the chant. As he inches closer and closer to home, the chants get louder. STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG. He begins to cry. Right before he touches home, he looks up and sees the thousands of supporters decked in red, showering him with a chorus of cheers which gave him the willpower to go on. He looks towards the luxury boxes and slowly picks up his right arm which is now broken in 297 different places. Using every bit on strength inside him, he manages to lift it up and direct a middle finger towards the box which contains Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo. His right hand slams on home, winning the Nationals the game and the World Series, and Stephen Strasburg immediately passes out and dies. His teammates cheer above him, slowly realizing that he was dead. Their cheers turn into sobs, realizing that the he had just passed in front of their very own eyes. Tyler Clippard hunches over, puts his face right next to Strasburg's cold cheek, crying "w-we did it man... you did it... you are c-champion, Stephen". Clippard weeps over his dead body. The crying is interrupted by a clap. Then another clap. It was the ghost of Walter Johnson, applauding the legendary effort of the late Stephen Strasburg. The team then starts to applaud, then the fans, and if you panned over to the luxury box, you would see Mike Rizzo clapping, tears on his face. The team then lifts up the corpse of Stephen Strasburg to a roar of applause from the Washington faithful, as they carry his dead body on their shoulders, and head into the clubhouse. They don't stop there, however. They walk out into the stadium with his body, the fans inside the stadium following them, forming a mob that chanted STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG with every step. The mob marches down to the Anacostia River, where Michael Morse takes Strasburg's body from his shoulder, and gently places him into the water. As his dead body sails away, the mob chants louder and louder STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG as the camera pans towards the night sky where fireworks from National Park are shot off. The screen dims.


Shortly after, on the screen appears the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background. It is a cold early February morning. The camera pans to a man on a podium with a banner above him and a massive crowd right beneath him. The man is none other than newly elected president Mitt Romney presenting a newly created monument of Stephen Strasburg as the new centerpiece of the mall. As tears run down his cheek, he manages to proclaim "for a man who has given us so much... too much... we dedicate this 47 foot solid gold statue to Stephen Strasburg, the greatest pitcher who ever lived." Screen cuts to black. Credits roll.

Welp, this is the greatest post ever to grace IGN.

 

[Balcor13]

What's really going to happen is that the Nationals are going to make it all the way to the World Series without him and face the Yankees. A back and forth series goes all the way to Game 7 in DC with Edwin Jackson starting against CC Sabathia. Jackson gets chased after two innings and the Yankees are up 9-0. The Nationals have to burn through their entire bullpen and starters until Gio Gonzalez enters the game at the top of the 8th with two days rest. He pitches a scoreless frame and that's when **** gets real. The Nationals manage to score 9 runs in the bottom of the eight. Gio goes back out but after a few pitches, it's clear to see something is wrong as he walks the first two and then as he throws a curveball, his arm gives out and he hits Ichiro. The trainers come out and Davey Johnson paces back and forth as there is no one left in the bullpen. Just then, he quickly hops down into the clubhouse and then comes running out, telling the trainers to stall. As the umpires finally tell the trainers and Gonzalez to leave the mound, the crowd turns silent as Thunderstruck pounds through the stadium PA. The bullpen doors open, and from them appears a tall and gangly man with unusually high socks. He takes a second, and then runs out into the field to a standing ovation as he is none other than Stephen Strasburg. He takes to the mound without addressing any of his teammates and warms up as if nothing was strange. As his back is to home, he hears the ump behind the plate telling him he can't be out there and Joe Girardi complaining from the Yankee dugout that this was highly illegal. Strasburg smirks, picks up the ball, turns around back to home and delivers a 105mph fastball which glances off the hairs of the nose of the umpire, richocets off the backstop, and heads towards the New York dugout where the balls ends up smashing Girardi in the skull. Strasburg stands there and mouths "play ball" as Derek Jeter cautiously walks towards the plate.

He strikes out Jeter and Granderson, both on three pitches, all fastballs and up steps up Alex Rodriguez with 2 outs and the bases loaded. A-Rod had been absolutely killing the ball the entire series, and already had 4 RBIs in the game. Strasburg spits, and stares him down. The first two pitches are high inside fastballs, both of which nearly hit A-Rod. He goes back in the zone making him whiff on two straight heaters. He attempts to break off a curve for the strikeout but releases the ball awkwardly sending it into the stands as he yells in pain. He falls over the mound, shrieking, writhing in pain as the trainers jump out of the dugout to attend to him. "STOP", he yells, sending the entire stadium into a hush. He gathers himself, and stands up as the crowd stands and cheers with him. He dusts himself off, sets, and stares right back at A-Rod, looking to strike him out on 3-2. He then pulls back and throws a 110mph fastball high and inside. Rodriguez stood no chance. Strikeout.

The Nationals don't manage to score in the bottom frame, so Strasburg is sent back out for 10th... and the 11th... and the 12th. Strasburg matches Kuroda pitch for pitch as the game remains scoreless and in Strasburg's case, hitless deep into the night. It is now the top of the 20th inning. Game still 9-9. Strasburg has thrown 160 pitches so far and is facing A-Rod again. He loses his grip again, yelling in pain as the fastball ends up shattering A-Rod in the head, leaving him motionless as Strasburg grabbed his elbow. Strasburg picks himself up again, proceeds to get the next two outs, but thanks to a Bryce Harper error where he completely loses the ball in the lights and overthrows the play at the plate, the Yankees manage to score and the game is now 10-9 heading into the bottom of the 20th.

The first two Nationals are put down quickly, and it's all up to Roger Bernadina. He works a 14 pitch at bat against Kuroda, and on the 15th pitch, he hits a slow roller to shortstop and beats out a Jeter throw at first. Then Strasburg steps up to the plate to a standing ovation, the game in his hands. Kuroda quickly gets two strikes across, putting Strasburg into hole. He steps out of the batter box, looks at the night sky, and thinks about what his grandma told him, "always believe in yourself, Stephen". A single tear streaked across his face. He steps back into the box, digs in, and watches Kuroda float a curve over the plate. He swings. Ballgame. Stephen Strasburg has just won the World Series with a two run walkoff home run. Strasburg in complete jubilation skips and jumps over to first where he slips on the bag, breaking his right ankle. His teammates, rushing out of the dugout notice this and offer to help him out until the first base umpire reminds them that they cannot interfere. Strasburg is able to regain control of his feet as he limps over to second. Using his left foot, he steps on second but during the turn, twists his leg, completely tearing the ACL and MCL of his left knee. He is now on the ground, crying in agony, and a hush has now fallen over the entirety of Nationals Park. He again attempts to come to his feet but as he does, he falls over to his right, which ends up completely shattering and breaking his right arm in 36 different places. Strasburg, using every single ounce of will inside him, crawls to third base, the bones in right arm breaking every single time he moves it forward. As he touches third, the crowd then begins to chant "STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG", giving him the power to crawl over the third base line. Even the Yankees are moved to tears, and join in on the chant. As he inches closer and closer to home, the chants get louder. STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG. He begins to cry. Right before he touches home, he looks up and sees the thousands of supporters decked in red, showering him with a chorus of cheers which gave him the willpower to go on. He looks towards the luxury boxes and slowly picks up his right arm which is now broken in 297 different places. Using every bit on strength inside him, he manages to lift it up and direct a middle finger towards the box which contains Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo. His right hand slams on home, winning the Nationals the game and the World Series, and Stephen Strasburg immediately passes out and dies. His teammates cheer above him, slowly realizing that he was dead. Their cheers turn into sobs, realizing that the he had just passed in front of their very own eyes. Tyler Clippard hunches over, puts his face right next to Strasburg's cold cheek, crying "w-we did it man... you did it... you are c-champion, Stephen". Clippard weeps over his dead body. The crying is interrupted by a clap. Then another clap. It was the ghost of Walter Johnson, applauding the legendary effort of the late Stephen Strasburg. The team then starts to applaud, then the fans, and if you panned over to the luxury box, you would see Mike Rizzo clapping, tears on his face. The team then lifts up the corpse of Stephen Strasburg to a roar of applause from the Washington faithful, as they carry his dead body on their shoulders, and head into the clubhouse. They don't stop there, however. They walk out into the stadium with his body, the fans inside the stadium following them, forming a mob that chanted STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG with every step. The mob marches down to the Anacostia River, where Michael Morse takes Strasburg's body from his shoulder, and gently places him into the water. As his dead body sails away, the mob chants louder and louder STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG as the camera pans towards the night sky where fireworks from National Park are shot off. The screen dims.


Shortly after, on the screen appears the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background. It is a cold early February morning. The camera pans to a man on a podium with a banner above him and a massive crowd right beneath him. The man is none other than newly elected president Mitt Romney presenting a newly created monument of Stephen Strasburg as the new centerpiece of the mall. As tears run down his cheek, he manages to proclaim "for a man who has given us so much... too much... we dedicate this 47 foot solid gold statue to Stephen Strasburg, the greatest pitcher who ever lived." Screen cuts to black. Credits roll.

we can just go ahead and turn off the lights on the baseball board cause it's over

 

[ZeldaLots11]

So, Rizzo said he asked Dr. Yocum for advice on this issue.

Dr. Yocum disagrees.

 

[dab7291993]

What's really going to happen is that the Nationals are going to make it all the way to the World Series without him and face the Yankees. A back and forth series goes all the way to Game 7 in DC with Edwin Jackson starting against CC Sabathia. Jackson gets chased after two innings and the Yankees are up 9-0. The Nationals have to burn through their entire bullpen and starters until Gio Gonzalez enters the game at the top of the 8th with two days rest. He pitches a scoreless frame and that's when **** gets real. The Nationals manage to score 9 runs in the bottom of the eight. Gio goes back out but after a few pitches, it's clear to see something is wrong as he walks the first two and then as he throws a curveball, his arm gives out and he hits Ichiro. The trainers come out and Davey Johnson paces back and forth as there is no one left in the bullpen. Just then, he quickly hops down into the clubhouse and then comes running out, telling the trainers to stall. As the umpires finally tell the trainers and Gonzalez to leave the mound, the crowd turns silent as Thunderstruck pounds through the stadium PA. The bullpen doors open, and from them appears a tall and gangly man with unusually high socks. He takes a second, and then runs out into the field to a standing ovation as he is none other than Stephen Strasburg. He takes to the mound without addressing any of his teammates and warms up as if nothing was strange. As his back is to home, he hears the ump behind the plate telling him he can't be out there and Joe Girardi complaining from the Yankee dugout that this was highly illegal. Strasburg smirks, picks up the ball, turns around back to home and delivers a 105mph fastball which glances off the hairs of the nose of the umpire, richocets off the backstop, and heads towards the New York dugout where the balls ends up smashing Girardi in the skull. Strasburg stands there and mouths "play ball" as Derek Jeter cautiously walks towards the plate.

He strikes out Jeter and Granderson, both on three pitches, all fastballs and up steps up Alex Rodriguez with 2 outs and the bases loaded. A-Rod had been absolutely killing the ball the entire series, and already had 4 RBIs in the game. Strasburg spits, and stares him down. The first two pitches are high inside fastballs, both of which nearly hit A-Rod. He goes back in the zone making him whiff on two straight heaters. He attempts to break off a curve for the strikeout but releases the ball awkwardly sending it into the stands as he yells in pain. He falls over the mound, shrieking, writhing in pain as the trainers jump out of the dugout to attend to him. "STOP", he yells, sending the entire stadium into a hush. He gathers himself, and stands up as the crowd stands and cheers with him. He dusts himself off, sets, and stares right back at A-Rod, looking to strike him out on 3-2. He then pulls back and throws a 110mph fastball high and inside. Rodriguez stood no chance. Strikeout.

The Nationals don't manage to score in the bottom frame, so Strasburg is sent back out for 10th... and the 11th... and the 12th. Strasburg matches Kuroda pitch for pitch as the game remains scoreless and in Strasburg's case, hitless deep into the night. It is now the top of the 20th inning. Game still 9-9. Strasburg has thrown 160 pitches so far and is facing A-Rod again. He loses his grip again, yelling in pain as the fastball ends up shattering A-Rod in the head, leaving him motionless as Strasburg grabbed his elbow. Strasburg picks himself up again, proceeds to get the next two outs, but thanks to a Bryce Harper error where he completely loses the ball in the lights and overthrows the play at the plate, the Yankees manage to score and the game is now 10-9 heading into the bottom of the 20th.

The first two Nationals are put down quickly, and it's all up to Roger Bernadina. He works a 14 pitch at bat against Kuroda, and on the 15th pitch, he hits a slow roller to shortstop and beats out a Jeter throw at first. Then Strasburg steps up to the plate to a standing ovation, the game in his hands. Kuroda quickly gets two strikes across, putting Strasburg into hole. He steps out of the batter box, looks at the night sky, and thinks about what his grandma told him, "always believe in yourself, Stephen". A single tear streaked across his face. He steps back into the box, digs in, and watches Kuroda float a curve over the plate. He swings. Ballgame. Stephen Strasburg has just won the World Series with a two run walkoff home run. Strasburg in complete jubilation skips and jumps over to first where he slips on the bag, breaking his right ankle. His teammates, rushing out of the dugout notice this and offer to help him out until the first base umpire reminds them that they cannot interfere. Strasburg is able to regain control of his feet as he limps over to second. Using his left foot, he steps on second but during the turn, twists his leg, completely tearing the ACL and MCL of his left knee. He is now on the ground, crying in agony, and a hush has now fallen over the entirety of Nationals Park. He again attempts to come to his feet but as he does, he falls over to his right, which ends up completely shattering and breaking his right arm in 36 different places. Strasburg, using every single ounce of will inside him, crawls to third base, the bones in right arm breaking every single time he moves it forward. As he touches third, the crowd then begins to chant "STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG", giving him the power to crawl over the third base line. Even the Yankees are moved to tears, and join in on the chant. As he inches closer and closer to home, the chants get louder. STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG. He begins to cry. Right before he touches home, he looks up and sees the thousands of supporters decked in red, showering him with a chorus of cheers which gave him the willpower to go on. He looks towards the luxury boxes and slowly picks up his right arm which is now broken in 297 different places. Using every bit on strength inside him, he manages to lift it up and direct a middle finger towards the box which contains Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo. His right hand slams on home, winning the Nationals the game and the World Series, and Stephen Strasburg immediately passes out and dies. His teammates cheer above him, slowly realizing that he was dead. Their cheers turn into sobs, realizing that the he had just passed in front of their very own eyes. Tyler Clippard hunches over, puts his face right next to Strasburg's cold cheek, crying "w-we did it man... you did it... you are c-champion, Stephen". Clippard weeps over his dead body. The crying is interrupted by a clap. Then another clap. It was the ghost of Walter Johnson, applauding the legendary effort of the late Stephen Strasburg. The team then starts to applaud, then the fans, and if you panned over to the luxury box, you would see Mike Rizzo clapping, tears on his face. The team then lifts up the corpse of Stephen Strasburg to a roar of applause from the Washington faithful, as they carry his dead body on their shoulders, and head into the clubhouse. They don't stop there, however. They walk out into the stadium with his body, the fans inside the stadium following them, forming a mob that chanted STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG with every step. The mob marches down to the Anacostia River, where Michael Morse takes Strasburg's body from his shoulder, and gently places him into the water. As his dead body sails away, the mob chants louder and louder STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG as the camera pans towards the night sky where fireworks from National Park are shot off. The screen dims.


Shortly after, on the screen appears the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background. It is a cold early February morning. The camera pans to a man on a podium with a banner above him and a massive crowd right beneath him. The man is none other than newly elected president Mitt Romney presenting a newly created monument of Stephen Strasburg as the new centerpiece of the mall. As tears run down his cheek, he manages to proclaim "for a man who has given us so much... too much... we dedicate this 47 foot solid gold statue to Stephen Strasburg, the greatest pitcher who ever lived." Screen cuts to black. Credits roll.

 

[BluntmanFalcore]

After seeing how the Braves managed Medlen, I would say the Nats failed on this one.

 

[sdevito]

I'm not coming down on either side of the issue, but you don't even mention that they have maybe the best chance to win the world series this year, and he's their ace.

And if they don't win the World Series this year, and Strasburg blows out his shoulder because of the added strain?

And if they lose the World Series because of subpar pitching and never get another chance!?

Then the GM failed to build a great team around a pitcher and OFer with as much talent as any players in the game. THAT should be why he is criticized, not for treating one of those players like he has tremendous long term value instead of a short term asset.

 

[GPR.NYM2]

So, its not enough that the Nationals are a championship caliber team, they should be so without their best starter too?

 

[sdevito]

So, its not enough that the Nationals are a championship caliber team, they should be so without their best starter too?

No. The Nationals aren't a team build around vets whose window is closing, they are a team that is competing earlier than expected. That doesn't mean they don't still have two of the best draft picks since A-Rod with a lot of team controlled years left in them. They SHOULD be getting better every year and if their GM who was dealt that amazing hand can't successfully build a championship caliber team around them during their careers then THAT is his failure. Not for failing to risk the career of one of those players by going all in earlier than expected.

 

[GPR.NYM2]

He can build a fantastic team, but its not assured that they'll ever win a world series. Its not assured that they will this year either. That's what my original point was, I still don't know what side I'm on, I just took issue with how black and white you made it seem.

 

[pretentioushipster]

What's really going to happen is that the Nationals are going to make it all the way to the World Series without him and face the Yankees. A back and forth series goes all the way to Game 7 in DC with Edwin Jackson starting against CC Sabathia. Jackson gets chased after two innings and the Yankees are up 9-0. The Nationals have to burn through their entire bullpen and starters until Gio Gonzalez enters the game at the top of the 8th with two days rest. He pitches a scoreless frame and that's when **** gets real. The Nationals manage to score 9 runs in the bottom of the eight. Gio goes back out but after a few pitches, it's clear to see something is wrong as he walks the first two and then as he throws a curveball, his arm gives out and he hits Ichiro. The trainers come out and Davey Johnson paces back and forth as there is no one left in the bullpen. Just then, he quickly hops down into the clubhouse and then comes running out, telling the trainers to stall. As the umpires finally tell the trainers and Gonzalez to leave the mound, the crowd turns silent as Thunderstruck pounds through the stadium PA. The bullpen doors open, and from them appears a tall and gangly man with unusually high socks. He takes a second, and then runs out into the field to a standing ovation as he is none other than Stephen Strasburg. He takes to the mound without addressing any of his teammates and warms up as if nothing was strange. As his back is to home, he hears the ump behind the plate telling him he can't be out there and Joe Girardi complaining from the Yankee dugout that this was highly illegal. Strasburg smirks, picks up the ball, turns around back to home and delivers a 105mph fastball which glances off the hairs of the nose of the umpire, richocets off the backstop, and heads towards the New York dugout where the balls ends up smashing Girardi in the skull. Strasburg stands there and mouths "play ball" as Derek Jeter cautiously walks towards the plate.

He strikes out Jeter and Granderson, both on three pitches, all fastballs and up steps up Alex Rodriguez with 2 outs and the bases loaded. A-Rod had been absolutely killing the ball the entire series, and already had 4 RBIs in the game. Strasburg spits, and stares him down. The first two pitches are high inside fastballs, both of which nearly hit A-Rod. He goes back in the zone making him whiff on two straight heaters. He attempts to break off a curve for the strikeout but releases the ball awkwardly sending it into the stands as he yells in pain. He falls over the mound, shrieking, writhing in pain as the trainers jump out of the dugout to attend to him. "STOP", he yells, sending the entire stadium into a hush. He gathers himself, and stands up as the crowd stands and cheers with him. He dusts himself off, sets, and stares right back at A-Rod, looking to strike him out on 3-2. He then pulls back and throws a 110mph fastball high and inside. Rodriguez stood no chance. Strikeout.

The Nationals don't manage to score in the bottom frame, so Strasburg is sent back out for 10th... and the 11th... and the 12th. Strasburg matches Kuroda pitch for pitch as the game remains scoreless and in Strasburg's case, hitless deep into the night. It is now the top of the 20th inning. Game still 9-9. Strasburg has thrown 160 pitches so far and is facing A-Rod again. He loses his grip again, yelling in pain as the fastball ends up shattering A-Rod in the head, leaving him motionless as Strasburg grabbed his elbow. Strasburg picks himself up again, proceeds to get the next two outs, but thanks to a Bryce Harper error where he completely loses the ball in the lights and overthrows the play at the plate, the Yankees manage to score and the game is now 10-9 heading into the bottom of the 20th.

The first two Nationals are put down quickly, and it's all up to Roger Bernadina. He works a 14 pitch at bat against Kuroda, and on the 15th pitch, he hits a slow roller to shortstop and beats out a Jeter throw at first. Then Strasburg steps up to the plate to a standing ovation, the game in his hands. Kuroda quickly gets two strikes across, putting Strasburg into hole. He steps out of the batter box, looks at the night sky, and thinks about what his grandma told him, "always believe in yourself, Stephen". A single tear streaked across his face. He steps back into the box, digs in, and watches Kuroda float a curve over the plate. He swings. Ballgame. Stephen Strasburg has just won the World Series with a two run walkoff home run. Strasburg in complete jubilation skips and jumps over to first where he slips on the bag, breaking his right ankle. His teammates, rushing out of the dugout notice this and offer to help him out until the first base umpire reminds them that they cannot interfere. Strasburg is able to regain control of his feet as he limps over to second. Using his left foot, he steps on second but during the turn, twists his leg, completely tearing the ACL and MCL of his left knee. He is now on the ground, crying in agony, and a hush has now fallen over the entirety of Nationals Park. He again attempts to come to his feet but as he does, he falls over to his right, which ends up completely shattering and breaking his right arm in 36 different places. Strasburg, using every single ounce of will inside him, crawls to third base, the bones in right arm breaking every single time he moves it forward. As he touches third, the crowd then begins to chant "STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG", giving him the power to crawl over the third base line. Even the Yankees are moved to tears, and join in on the chant. As he inches closer and closer to home, the chants get louder. STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG. He begins to cry. Right before he touches home, he looks up and sees the thousands of supporters decked in red, showering him with a chorus of cheers which gave him the willpower to go on. He looks towards the luxury boxes and slowly picks up his right arm which is now broken in 297 different places. Using every bit on strength inside him, he manages to lift it up and direct a middle finger towards the box which contains Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo. His right hand slams on home, winning the Nationals the game and the World Series, and Stephen Strasburg immediately passes out and dies. His teammates cheer above him, slowly realizing that he was dead. Their cheers turn into sobs, realizing that the he had just passed in front of their very own eyes. Tyler Clippard hunches over, puts his face right next to Strasburg's cold cheek, crying "w-we did it man... you did it... you are c-champion, Stephen". Clippard weeps over his dead body. The crying is interrupted by a clap. Then another clap. It was the ghost of Walter Johnson, applauding the legendary effort of the late Stephen Strasburg. The team then starts to applaud, then the fans, and if you panned over to the luxury box, you would see Mike Rizzo clapping, tears on his face. The team then lifts up the corpse of Stephen Strasburg to a roar of applause from the Washington faithful, as they carry his dead body on their shoulders, and head into the clubhouse. They don't stop there, however. They walk out into the stadium with his body, the fans inside the stadium following them, forming a mob that chanted STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG with every step. The mob marches down to the Anacostia River, where Michael Morse takes Strasburg's body from his shoulder, and gently places him into the water. As his dead body sails away, the mob chants louder and louder STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG as the camera pans towards the night sky where fireworks from National Park are shot off. The screen dims.


Shortly after, on the screen appears the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background. It is a cold early February morning. The camera pans to a man on a podium with a banner above him and a massive crowd right beneath him. The man is none other than newly elected president Mitt Romney presenting a newly created monument of Stephen Strasburg as the new centerpiece of the mall. As tears run down his cheek, he manages to proclaim "for a man who has given us so much... too much... we dedicate this 47 foot solid gold statue to Stephen Strasburg, the greatest pitcher who ever lived." Screen cuts to black. Credits roll.

guess not

 

[waynwonder]

Good thing the Nationals are guaranteed to make 5-6 more World Series appearances or this decision would look stupid.

 

[TVtech9]

 

[Solefool]

I don't care how bright the Nationals think their future is, they will not be a perennial playoff team. Mark my words.

 

[TVtech9]

I don't care how bright the Nationals think their future is, they will not be a perennial playoff team. Mark my words.

I agree with you. They got the Braves to contend with, and that young team has the makings to be great. The Phillies aren't gonna suck as bad as last year. Plus you never know what competition the Mets can bring. All in all, the Nationals benching Strasburg was plain ignorance, and arrogance to those facts.

 

[Stunnerman]

What's really going to happen is that the Nationals are going to make it all the way to the World Series without him and face the Yankees. A back and forth series goes all the way to Game 7 in DC with Edwin Jackson starting against CC Sabathia. Jackson gets chased after two innings and the Yankees are up 9-0. The Nationals have to burn through their entire bullpen and starters until Gio Gonzalez enters the game at the top of the 8th with two days rest. He pitches a scoreless frame and that's when shit gets real. The Nationals manage to score 9 runs in the bottom of the eight. Gio goes back out but after a few pitches, it's clear to see something is wrong as he walks the first two and then as he throws a curveball, his arm gives out and he hits Ichiro. The trainers come out and Davey Johnson paces back and forth as there is no one left in the bullpen. Just then, he quickly hops down into the clubhouse and then comes running out, telling the trainers to stall. As the umpires finally tell the trainers and Gonzalez to leave the mound, the crowd turns silent as Thunderstruck pounds through the stadium PA. The bullpen doors open, and from them appears a tall and gangly man with unusually high socks. He takes a second, and then runs out into the field to a standing ovation as he is none other than Stephen Strasburg. He takes to the mound without addressing any of his teammates and warms up as if nothing was strange. As his back is to home, he hears the ump behind the plate telling him he can't be out there and Joe Girardi complaining from the Yankee dugout that this was highly illegal. Strasburg smirks, picks up the ball, turns around back to home and delivers a 105mph fastball which glances off the hairs of the nose of the umpire, richocets off the backstop, and heads towards the New York dugout where the balls ends up smashing Girardi in the skull. Strasburg stands there and mouths "play ball" as Derek Jeter cautiously walks towards the plate.

He strikes out Jeter and Granderson, both on three pitches, all fastballs and up steps up Alex Rodriguez with 2 outs and the bases loaded. A-Rod had been absolutely killing the ball the entire series, and already had 4 RBIs in the game. Strasburg spits, and stares him down. The first two pitches are high inside fastballs, both of which nearly hit A-Rod. He goes back in the zone making him whiff on two straight heaters. He attempts to break off a curve for the strikeout but releases the ball awkwardly sending it into the stands as he yells in pain. He falls over the mound, shrieking, writhing in pain as the trainers jump out of the dugout to attend to him. "STOP", he yells, sending the entire stadium into a hush. He gathers himself, and stands up as the crowd stands and cheers with him. He dusts himself off, sets, and stares right back at A-Rod, looking to strike him out on 3-2. He then pulls back and throws a 110mph fastball high and inside. Rodriguez stood no chance. Strikeout.

The Nationals don't manage to score in the bottom frame, so Strasburg is sent back out for 10th... and the 11th... and the 12th. Strasburg matches Kuroda pitch for pitch as the game remains scoreless and in Strasburg's case, hitless deep into the night. It is now the top of the 20th inning. Game still 9-9. Strasburg has thrown 160 pitches so far and is facing A-Rod again. He loses his grip again, yelling in pain as the fastball ends up shattering A-Rod in the head, leaving him motionless as Strasburg grabbed his elbow. Strasburg picks himself up again, proceeds to get the next two outs, but thanks to a Bryce Harper error where he completely loses the ball in the lights and overthrows the play at the plate, the Yankees manage to score and the game is now 10-9 heading into the bottom of the 20th.

The first two Nationals are put down quickly, and it's all up to Roger Bernadina. He works a 14 pitch at bat against Kuroda, and on the 15th pitch, he hits a slow roller to shortstop and beats out a Jeter throw at first. Then Strasburg steps up to the plate to a standing ovation, the game in his hands. Kuroda quickly gets two strikes across, putting Strasburg into hole. He steps out of the batter box, looks at the night sky, and thinks about what his grandma told him, "always believe in yourself, Stephen". A single tear streaked across his face. He steps back into the box, digs in, and watches Kuroda float a curve over the plate. He swings. Ballgame. Stephen Strasburg has just won the World Series with a two run walkoff home run. Strasburg in complete jubilation skips and jumps over to first where he slips on the bag, breaking his right ankle. His teammates, rushing out of the dugout notice this and offer to help him out until the first base umpire reminds them that they cannot interfere. Strasburg is able to regain control of his feet as he limps over to second. Using his left foot, he steps on second but during the turn, twists his leg, completely tearing the ACL and MCL of his left knee. He is now on the ground, crying in agony, and a hush has now fallen over the entirety of Nationals Park. He again attempts to come to his feet but as he does, he falls over to his right, which ends up completely shattering and breaking his right arm in 36 different places. Strasburg, using every single ounce of will inside him, crawls to third base, the bones in right arm breaking every single time he moves it forward. As he touches third, the crowd then begins to chant "STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG", giving him the power to crawl over the third base line. Even the Yankees are moved to tears, and join in on the chant. As he inches closer and closer to home, the chants get louder. STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG. He begins to cry. Right before he touches home, he looks up and sees the thousands of supporters decked in red, showering him with a chorus of cheers which gave him the willpower to go on. He looks towards the luxury boxes and slowly picks up his right arm which is now broken in 297 different places. Using every bit on strength inside him, he manages to lift it up and direct a middle finger towards the box which contains Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo. His right hand slams on home, winning the Nationals the game and the World Series, and Stephen Strasburg immediately passes out and dies. His teammates cheer above him, slowly realizing that he was dead. Their cheers turn into sobs, realizing that the he had just passed in front of their very own eyes. Tyler Clippard hunches over, puts his face right next to Strasburg's cold cheek, crying "w-we did it man... you did it... you are c-champion, Stephen". Clippard weeps over his dead body. The crying is interrupted by a clap. Then another clap. It was the ghost of Walter Johnson, applauding the legendary effort of the late Stephen Strasburg. The team then starts to applaud, then the fans, and if you panned over to the luxury box, you would see Mike Rizzo clapping, tears on his face. The team then lifts up the corpse of Stephen Strasburg to a roar of applause from the Washington faithful, as they carry his dead body on their shoulders, and head into the clubhouse. They don't stop there, however. They walk out into the stadium with his body, the fans inside the stadium following them, forming a mob that chanted STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG with every step. The mob marches down to the Anacostia River, where Michael Morse takes Strasburg's body from his shoulder, and gently places him into the water. As his dead body sails away, the mob chants louder and louder STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG as the camera pans towards the night sky where fireworks from National Park are shot off. The screen dims.


Shortly after, on the screen appears the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background. It is a cold early February morning. The camera pans to a man on a podium with a banner above him and a massive crowd right beneath him. The man is none other than newly elected president Mitt Romney presenting a newly created monument of Stephen Strasburg as the new centerpiece of the mall. As tears run down his cheek, he manages to proclaim "for a man who has given us so much... too much... we dedicate this 47 foot solid gold statue to Stephen Strasburg, the greatest pitcher who ever lived." Screen cuts to black. Credits roll.

Still the GOAT post.

TAPAPOOOOOOWEEERTALKING

 

[NBAman619]

It really is the greatest post in IGN history.

I believe it happened in an alternate universe.

 

[NBAman619]

What's really going to happen is that the Nationals are going to make it all the way to the World Series without him and face the Yankees. A back and forth series goes all the way to Game 7 in DC with Edwin Jackson starting against CC Sabathia. Jackson gets chased after two innings and the Yankees are up 9-0. The Nationals have to burn through their entire bullpen and starters until Gio Gonzalez enters the game at the top of the 8th with two days rest. He pitches a scoreless frame and that's when shit gets real. The Nationals manage to score 9 runs in the bottom of the eight. Gio goes back out but after a few pitches, it's clear to see something is wrong as he walks the first two and then as he throws a curveball, his arm gives out and he hits Ichiro. The trainers come out and Davey Johnson paces back and forth as there is no one left in the bullpen. Just then, he quickly hops down into the clubhouse and then comes running out, telling the trainers to stall. As the umpires finally tell the trainers and Gonzalez to leave the mound, the crowd turns silent as Thunderstruck pounds through the stadium PA. The bullpen doors open, and from them appears a tall and gangly man with unusually high socks. He takes a second, and then runs out into the field to a standing ovation as he is none other than Stephen Strasburg. He takes to the mound without addressing any of his teammates and warms up as if nothing was strange. As his back is to home, he hears the ump behind the plate telling him he can't be out there and Joe Girardi complaining from the Yankee dugout that this was highly illegal. Strasburg smirks, picks up the ball, turns around back to home and delivers a 105mph fastball which glances off the hairs of the nose of the umpire, richocets off the backstop, and heads towards the New York dugout where the balls ends up smashing Girardi in the skull. Strasburg stands there and mouths "play ball" as Derek Jeter cautiously walks towards the plate.

He strikes out Jeter and Granderson, both on three pitches, all fastballs and up steps up Alex Rodriguez with 2 outs and the bases loaded. A-Rod had been absolutely killing the ball the entire series, and already had 4 RBIs in the game. Strasburg spits, and stares him down. The first two pitches are high inside fastballs, both of which nearly hit A-Rod. He goes back in the zone making him whiff on two straight heaters. He attempts to break off a curve for the strikeout but releases the ball awkwardly sending it into the stands as he yells in pain. He falls over the mound, shrieking, writhing in pain as the trainers jump out of the dugout to attend to him. "STOP", he yells, sending the entire stadium into a hush. He gathers himself, and stands up as the crowd stands and cheers with him. He dusts himself off, sets, and stares right back at A-Rod, looking to strike him out on 3-2. He then pulls back and throws a 110mph fastball high and inside. Rodriguez stood no chance. Strikeout.

The Nationals don't manage to score in the bottom frame, so Strasburg is sent back out for 10th... and the 11th... and the 12th. Strasburg matches Kuroda pitch for pitch as the game remains scoreless and in Strasburg's case, hitless deep into the night. It is now the top of the 20th inning. Game still 9-9. Strasburg has thrown 160 pitches so far and is facing A-Rod again. He loses his grip again, yelling in pain as the fastball ends up shattering A-Rod in the head, leaving him motionless as Strasburg grabbed his elbow. Strasburg picks himself up again, proceeds to get the next two outs, but thanks to a Bryce Harper error where he completely loses the ball in the lights and overthrows the play at the plate, the Yankees manage to score and the game is now 10-9 heading into the bottom of the 20th.

The first two Nationals are put down quickly, and it's all up to Roger Bernadina. He works a 14 pitch at bat against Kuroda, and on the 15th pitch, he hits a slow roller to shortstop and beats out a Jeter throw at first. Then Strasburg steps up to the plate to a standing ovation, the game in his hands. Kuroda quickly gets two strikes across, putting Strasburg into hole. He steps out of the batter box, looks at the night sky, and thinks about what his grandma told him, "always believe in yourself, Stephen". A single tear streaked across his face. He steps back into the box, digs in, and watches Kuroda float a curve over the plate. He swings. Ballgame. Stephen Strasburg has just won the World Series with a two run walkoff home run. Strasburg in complete jubilation skips and jumps over to first where he slips on the bag, breaking his right ankle. His teammates, rushing out of the dugout notice this and offer to help him out until the first base umpire reminds them that they cannot interfere. Strasburg is able to regain control of his feet as he limps over to second. Using his left foot, he steps on second but during the turn, twists his leg, completely tearing the ACL and MCL of his left knee. He is now on the ground, crying in agony, and a hush has now fallen over the entirety of Nationals Park. He again attempts to come to his feet but as he does, he falls over to his right, which ends up completely shattering and breaking his right arm in 36 different places. Strasburg, using every single ounce of will inside him, crawls to third base, the bones in right arm breaking every single time he moves it forward. As he touches third, the crowd then begins to chant "STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG", giving him the power to crawl over the third base line. Even the Yankees are moved to tears, and join in on the chant. As he inches closer and closer to home, the chants get louder. STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG. He begins to cry. Right before he touches home, he looks up and sees the thousands of supporters decked in red, showering him with a chorus of cheers which gave him the willpower to go on. He looks towards the luxury boxes and slowly picks up his right arm which is now broken in 297 different places. Using every bit on strength inside him, he manages to lift it up and direct a middle finger towards the box which contains Nationals GM, Mike Rizzo. His right hand slams on home, winning the Nationals the game and the World Series, and Stephen Strasburg immediately passes out and dies. His teammates cheer above him, slowly realizing that he was dead. Their cheers turn into sobs, realizing that the he had just passed in front of their very own eyes. Tyler Clippard hunches over, puts his face right next to Strasburg's cold cheek, crying "w-we did it man... you did it... you are c-champion, Stephen". Clippard weeps over his dead body. The crying is interrupted by a clap. Then another clap. It was the ghost of Walter Johnson, applauding the legendary effort of the late Stephen Strasburg. The team then starts to applaud, then the fans, and if you panned over to the luxury box, you would see Mike Rizzo clapping, tears on his face. The team then lifts up the corpse of Stephen Strasburg to a roar of applause from the Washington faithful, as they carry his dead body on their shoulders, and head into the clubhouse. They don't stop there, however. They walk out into the stadium with his body, the fans inside the stadium following them, forming a mob that chanted STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG with every step. The mob marches down to the Anacostia River, where Michael Morse takes Strasburg's body from his shoulder, and gently places him into the water. As his dead body sails away, the mob chants louder and louder STRAS-BURG STRAS-BURG as the camera pans towards the night sky where fireworks from National Park are shot off. The screen dims.


Shortly after, on the screen appears the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background. It is a cold early February morning. The camera pans to a man on a podium with a banner above him and a massive crowd right beneath him. The man is none other than newly elected president Mitt Romney presenting a newly created monument of Stephen Strasburg as the new centerpiece of the mall. As tears run down his cheek, he manages to proclaim "for a man who has given us so much... too much... we dedicate this 47 foot solid gold statue to Stephen Strasburg, the greatest pitcher who ever lived." Screen cuts to black. Credits roll.

folks,

 

[pretentioushipster]

really was on bath salts back then huh

 

[sdevito]

Yup. They really should have went the Matt Havery route instead and shamed him into pitching.