Stephen Strasburg
word on the street is that SS is going to need TJ (Tommy John) surgery for a torn ligament. Shame this had to happen to this young man as he had a pretty level head about him, but unfortunately this sort of stuff seems to happens to the young and the fast-throwing (Volquez, Cueto, Harden, Wood, Hill). Was this a product of the Nationals babying him? OR should this have been expected?
Now it is possible that after TJ surgery he comes back and throws harder than before (and they will rename it Stephen Strasburg surgery), it has happened, or he could be doomed to a life of countless injuries and a fast fade into obscurity (like so many number #1 pitching draft picks before him). I just dont know what the MLB Network or ESPN or any of the other major sports outlets are going to do next year, because they already had this kid slotted into the HoF.
Comments
Did the injury happen when he was on the mount against the fills the other day and he grabbed his forearm after a pitch? Or was that unrelated?
Yep, that was it. The ump said he heard a ‘pop’, but the batter at the plate (D. Brown I believe) said he heard nothing.
I don’t think it’s a result of the Nats babying him. Human arms weren’t meant to throw baseballs 99mph. Injuries are going to happen. 60 years ago they’re would’ve said ‘sorry about your luck, kid’ and sent him home. Nowadays they have millions invested in young talent so obviously that doesn’t happen. The thing that bugs me is that there’s little to no evidence to support the notion that pitch counts and babying prevent arm injuries. I believe Strasberg was a on a pitch count the day he got hurt. Is there really that much of a difference between pitch #65 and 73??
My prediction is that he comes back in 2012. He’s going to be a solid pitcher, just not as dominant as he was for the last three months. Scouts and managers have raved about his desire to learn. He’s not just a see ball – throw ball type.
Awful news really. Maybe not so much for you Phillies fans, but this kid was the real deal. He seems to be determined enough to get through this, but I was really looking forward to watching Strasburg set records and dominate. The guy was living up to hype that was really impossible to fulfill.
As far as babying him is concerned, I hate how coddled these modern athletes (especially baseball players) are and I think it sucks for the fans. It’s clearly about the money, but if anything this injury will just strengthen this trend of slowly bringing prospects along. While there isn’t much of a difference between pitch 65 and pitch 73, fatigue definitely sets in when you start pitching in the 150+ inning range after never having gotten over 90 or so previously. Fatigue then leads to injuries, so…
Also, my fantasy team doesn’t appreciate this either. I’ve been dominating the regular season, but I don’t like my playoff chances at all.
Bill Conlin made some good points today (fancy that). The number of pitches thrown isn’t nearly as important as how you throw them. Good mechanics have become a lost art.