Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Dear Steven Strasburg...



haven't we met before? I know there are a lot of folks out there who are really excited about getting to know you, like whoever the winner of this auction is, but I keep getting the feeling that we have already been through this. I know, I know, maybe you weren't YOU, and you might not be responsible for what other people are saying about you, but if I remember correctly these relationships can go south pretty quickly. Let's go down memory lane: 

Todd Van Popple was THE man. SI said people called him at all hours "because Todd just may be the next Nolan Ryan." According to Baseball Reference he turned out to be something closer to another Pat Mahomes

Or Brien Taylor? The guy who held out for "Van Popple money" and whom one HOF scout says is one of the five best pitching prospects EVER? How did that turn out?

And finally, let's not forget the man with the perfect mechanics who could not possibly ever break down or get hurt, Mark Prior. Was it Dusty Baker? Was it Prior? Was it you, me?

Ay any rate, we have been here before. Forgive my utter lack of excitement.

5 comments:

  1. I tend to agree. I'll buy into the megahype when/if he has any success in the bigs. That season ending no-hitter looked good on paper, but come on now, it was against Air Force. Big league hitters won't be so overpowered, I don't think.

    I suppose you never know, but what happens the first time he struggles just bit? Strasburg has faced almost no adversity in college.

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  2. I'm just not sure the Nats will put up the money... Sad really, but I blame Boras. He's easy to blame for all our baseball problems.

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  3. But you don't understand. Strasburg is a "different breed of cat"! Scott Boras said so, so it must be true.

    /end sarcasm

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  4. I love how they expect him to be treated as an international signing situation (a la Dice-K), and NOT a Mark Prior deal.... ummm, OK. Because the Mountain West baseball conference (or wherever the Aztecs play) so closely resembles international play??? Riiiiight...

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  5. Yeah, the way they build a case about how each "hot new thing" is totally different from the last new thing is pretty fascinating.

    Not to get too cynical, but you get the feeling that these signings (if not FA signings, too) turn into PR moves aimed at ticket sales instead of what's good for the club. For example, the Texans passed on Reggie Bush a few years ago and got HAMMERED for it, despite the fact that even then there were some folks saying he'd never be THE guy. Or better yet, the Twins passing on "no-miss" Mark Prior to take Joe Mauer, and the beating they took. During games the Twins announcers are sure to bring that up at least twice.

    Since Strasburg was the OBVIOUS #1 pick, I wonder how much perception played into their pick. I mean, how many times would ESPN have lead with "Inept Nat's Whiff with #1" if the Nat's hadn't taken him?

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