# Strasburg's 1st MLB game on MLB Network **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 8, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471 "2010-06-08T23:29:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/41 "2010-06-09T18:23:00Z")
One would expect a great, even\* legendar\*y, pitcher to lose games. If said pitcher didn’t lose any games, that would be completely unexpected. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/42 "2010-06-09T18:40:58Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Walter Johnson just might have been, but we’ll never know. > > Some Johnson stats– > > 1913 36-7 1.14 ERA 38 walks 243 strike outs > > This was Johnson’s peak year, but only one of many great ones. And, he played with a team that was the equal of today’s Senators–which is to say, about the worst team in baseball. The Senators were atrocious in the first decade of the 20th century. But starting in 1912 they became a competently-run organization. They had winning records in 10 of the remaining 16 years of Johnson’s career. Manager Clark Griffith eventually got ownership of the team and while they were never flushed with money, he did have a good eye for baseball talent. He was not afraid to make a player in his 20s the manager (Bucky Harris, Joe Cronin)…try doing that today. I suppose the second best pitcher in Washington history would be Firpo Marberry. Bill James once said from 1924-1934 he was the second best pitcher in the American League after Lefty Grove .Some years he would start and some years he would relieve, which hurt his ability to compile big numbers and have a shot at the Hall of Fame. But, geez, Strasbourg really lived up to the hype in his first start. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/43 "2010-06-09T18:45:57Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Funny, I was actually going to start a thread on this very subject. In my youth (late '70’s, early '80’s), power pitchers would strike out batters with pure heat. They’d essentially just throw the 4-seamer as hard as they could and batters would strikeout. But since then, batters have gotten so much better that most of them can now catch up and at least foul off the fastest, straight pitches. More recent strikeout pitchers, such as Clemens and Schilling, had to use the 4-seamer as a set-up pitch. Most strikeouts now come from moving pitches, such as the split-fingered fastball, 2-seamer and slider, or from changeups such as the backdoor curveball or straight change. Strasburg and Jimenez are rarities that can throw 100 and get K’s with pure speed. Verlander can throw high 90s for 9 innings. I do not believe all arms have to be protected. The old days did not feature a bunch of pitchers breaking down. Fast balls are hittable by most ML hitters ,unless they have movement. Then you can challenge anybody. If not, you better have a curve and slider in your bag of tricks. A few years ago, Frank Tanana and Nolan Ryan were a couple power pitchers on the same team. Ryan stayed fast but Tanana hurt his arm and lost his velocity. He became a pitcher instead of a thrower and had a long career after the arm was gone. Zumaya has the best fastball in baseball. He was clocked at 104.7. Even his fastball can be timed if he can not get his curve over. ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/44 "2010-06-09T19:12:39Z")
On the one hand, there wasn’t much to dislike about that first start. Strasburg _could_ end up on an elite list someday with Grove, Clemens, Gibson and the Big Train. On the other hand, that was also true – and many folks said it – about Rick Ankiel and Kerry Wood, and to a lesser extent about Verlander and Beckett. It’s way, way too early to make any predictions of career trajectories. Baseball history is littered with the remains of can’t-miss pitching prospects. That said, I’m going to try getting my eyeballs on as many of his starts as I can this season. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/45 "2010-06-10T05:07:08Z")
And did anyone else catch that awesome tidbit that Strasburg has the same manager as Kerry Wood did when he was overworked and developed arm troubles? Jim Riggleman! Bad omen! It was captivating watching Riggleman try to decide whether to leave Strasburg in for the seventh knowing his history with Kerry. Good times! I think injury is the only possible obstacle to this kid being a tremendous success. I’d be more surprised than normal if he developed major shoulder or elbow problems because his delivery is so smooth. He doesn’t _appear_ to be straining that area or putting too much stress on it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/46 "2010-06-14T01:24:53Z")
Not so good in his second outing today. Sophomore slump? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/47 "2010-06-14T01:47:22Z")
He reminds me of circa 1984 Dwight Gooden. The wicked fastball, the filthy curve but Strasburg adds that change. I’m looking forward to seeing him face a major league line-up (Cleveland and Pittsburgh don’t really count.) It’s not like the Yankees eat up _all_ the great players. More often than not they overpay for players whose best years are behind them. For example, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Chuck Knoblauch, Gary Sheffield and I’m sure there are plenty of others. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/48 "2010-06-29T17:39:45Z")
Update: He’s 2-2 and gave up four runs yesterday before being yanked in 5-0 loss. ERA is very good at 2.3 and strikeout to walk ratio is 48:7. Let’s see how the season plays out, but he is clearly equipped to be a very good pitcher with a shot at being great. Not walking on water at the moment. We can’t expect a 10-0 start and 1.6 ERA, but he has an ERA and strikeout ratio that indicates great/potential long-term success… and the word ‘great’ can surely be used. The numbers have to play out over time, and he has to come back now and deliver a solid game. On a team that could provide run support… he’d have better W/L numbers for sure. Stinkin’ Nationals! ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/49 "2010-06-29T17:55:37Z")
When the worst start of your career is six and a third, six hits, two walks, nine strikeouts, and you don’t give up any runs until the seventh, and the runs start with an error and an unearned run, and all but one earned run score against a reliever because you’re on a pitch count… I’m not sure you’re not still walking on water. Clearly I have a little bit of a biased perspective since I’m on record as trying to get everyone to call him the fucking Christ child, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471/50 "2010-06-29T18:26:10Z")
Did I pass judgement by saying he wasn’t walking on water? Go easy! I’m routing for him to put up historically good numbers! Let’s see how the next few outings turn out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strasburgs-1st-mlb-game-on-mlb-network/542471.md?page=2)