2012 MLB Season

[Epiphanic]

The Nats did not want him pitching in the playoffs

Wait...what? I could have sworn you just said that the Nationals didn't want Strasburg for October.

The Nats did not want him pitching in the playoffs

Oh dear lord, you did. A moment of silence for our fallen comrade, sanity.

Put him on 7 or 8 days rest in the regular season. You would have cut out at least 5 or 6 starts and have him ready to go for October. I think that's what most baseball people would have done if they were told somebody had an innings count and they were in great position to make the playoffs.

No. Skipping starts, long rest isn't good for his development and rehabilitation. The Nationals did that with Zimmermann last year and he was not so good on starts after long rest. The Nationals came to the decision that he should be used normally until his arm has has had enough. So if you really wanted to have Strasburg available for October, the only real option would have been to delay his start until June or whatever. So why didn't the Nationals do that? Because no one expected the Nationals to make the playoffs let alone be the best team in baseball. After a quick Google, only Jon Heyman predicted the Nationals to win the East. Everyone else picked Washington to finish 3rd or 4th. Even the people at Baseball Prospectus had the Nationals at a collective 4th place this year. I think it's safe to say the Baseball Prospectus guys know what they're talking about. So what does this mean? If the Nationals don't make the playoffs now they've cut Strasburg's season short by a month or two and he only pitches around 130 innings. And I'm willing to guess that as far as rehabilitation goes, underpitching is also undesireable.

To say he's not pitching in October period is something only ownership would do and I'm certain that's where the decision came from. They're not even going to put Davey Johnson in the situation to let him decide when enough is enough for Strasburg in the biggest games of the year.

Welcome to the conversation. Shutting Strasburg down was Rizzo's (he's the General Manager) plan the entire time. Yes, the Nationals are better with Strasburg than without. However, they are better with a healthy Strasburg. Not an injured Strasburg.

What part of Stephen Strasburg's doctors have said that if he pitches any more this season his arm will tear again doesn't anyone understand...?

Eloquently put.

[Kramerica Industries]

Since I was completely off about the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, White Sox, Indians, A's, Phillies, Marlins, Reds, Diamondbacks, and Rockies - I'll just toot my own horn by pointing out I had Washington pegged for 94 wins before the season began.

[Still MIGHTY]

Yesterday, Mike Trout led off the game with a home run and ended it by robbing Prince Fielder over the wall.

Today, Mike Trout again led off the game with a home run to help the Angels to their second consecutive sweep (3 vs Oakland, 3 vs Detroit, 11 of 12, 15 of 18) and pull within one game of the 2nd Wild Card Baltimore, one and a half of the 1st Wild Card Oakland.

Coming up, four game set in Anaheim against Oakland.

1) Oh, here we go.

2) Do the Angels have to make the playoffs for Mike Trout to win MVP? And would you give Trout the MVP right now?

[pmoehrin]

Do the Angels have to make the playoffs for Mike Trout to win MVP? And would you give Trout the MVP right now?

I don't think they do, and yes I would give Mike Trout the AL MVP if the season ended today and barring some type of 0-30 slump for him don't think anyone will overtake him. The only person in the AL who's been a better hitter then Mike Trout is Miguel Cabrera. But Cabrera is not even close to Trout in terms of defensive or speed, and Trout is playing a position where offense is at a higher premium as well.

You can debate who the second player in the AL has been, but Mike Trout has been the best player in the American League for the 2012 season and I don't think there's been a position player this talented at Trout's age since Ted Williams.

Some years its easy to figure out who the MVP should be and this is one of them.

[maz]

Big series, Buccos. Look like you belong here.

[Sport]

Big series, Buccos. Look like you belong here.

I know the Pirates are slumping hard, but the Reds have looked bored and disinterested in baseball for the better part of the last ten days. I don't know what to think about this series. I do like to see Wandy Rodriguez coming to town because the Reds have owned him lately.

[maz]

Strangely enough, prematurely taking out Wandy could be the Pirates' undoing tonight. Then again, putting in Huges only made that decision worse.

[Fox]

Don't look now but the Phillies are only one game below .500 and are only 5.5 games out.

[Kramerica Industries]

And six more games this week against two cellar-dwelling teams, followed by three against the Mets (who've actually given them hell this year - 2-7 against the Mets at home).

Not that I expect them to get to the wild card, but they've finally started playing to their potential. Getting rid of Victorino was addition by subtraction, with the abysmal season he has had.

[pmoehrin]

Reds to rest Chapman.

http://espn.go.com/m...tigued-shoulder

I don't know of anybody outside of maybe Nolan Ryan where an average fastball of 94 would be considered slow for a guy, but I would agree with sitting him down for a few games. The Reds have that division locked up so your not losing anything standings by sitting him and they need him in October because it is a huge drop off from him to Marshall and Arredondo in terms of quality. When he has his best stuff Aroldis Chapman might be the most unhittable pitcher in baseball. 119 strikeouts and not even 70 innings pitched is just insane. Its not the best season ever for a reliever, but its the best season I can ever remember a Reds reliever having. Maybe Dibble in '90, Franco in '88, or Abernathy in '67 were as good if not better, but that's going back 20 and 40 years respectively.

[epper]

I can't remember a time in baseball when both Yankees and Red Sox fans simultaneously hated their own teams this much.

[Kramerica Industries]

Yankees haven't won consecutive ballgames since the Rangers were in the Bronx. That was sometime around August 15.

Today was September 11.

I remember the Tigers had a stretch like this in April-May as well. The Yankees' chances of getting to the playoffs are dwindling on a daily basis, with the way they're playing. The only good thing to come out of tonight, for them, was the fact that at least one of the teams on their tail (Baltimore and Tampa Bay) lost. It would've been kinda hard for both of them to win, since they were playing each other.

[DarkJourney]

Baseball Awards as of right now:

American League

MVP: Mike Trout, Angels

Cy Young: David Price, Rays

Rookie: Mike Trout, Angels

Manager: Bob Melvin, A's (slightly over Buck Showalter)

National League

MVP: Buster Posey, Giants

Cy Young: Gio Gonzalez, Nats (slightly over R.A. Dickey)

Rookie: Wade Miley, D-Backs

Manager: Davey Johnson, Nationals

[Still MIGHTY]

Angels strand 1st and 3rd with no outs in the first inning.

Angels strand 1st and 3rd with no outs in the ninth inning.

That's a game the Halos have to win, but the exact same can be said about the A's. Damn. Have to get a split in this series. HAVE to.

[Sport]

The Reds' magic number is 10.

I wouldn't have dreamed of having a lead this comfortable back in April when they started 4-8. Just gotta get guys healthy and rested for the postseason at this point. Maybe they'll throw a 6th starter for only the second time this year to give the rotation some rest. These are luxuries you can afford when you're in their position, and as a fan of a team who hasn't been here that often in my lifetime, it feels amazing.

[BBTV]

Don't look now, but Kyle Kendrick (?!) is pitching like an ace, and the Phillies are back to .500 and 4.5 games out of the 2nd WC.

[Kramerica Industries]

Brewers are also back at .500 on the heels of an almost-identical run.

What the hell does this say about the parity-ridden MLB we're seeing today? Phillies traded away Hunter Pence and Joe Blanton, and the Brewers traded Greinke, and yet both teams have played much better ever since. And with 20 games left, both teams are squarely in the wild card race.

[DarkJourney]

2013 schedule is out.

Yankees final series of the 2013 season: at Houston.

[NJTank]

2013 schedule is out.

Yankees final series of the 2013 season: at Houston.

You tell that bastard there is now way the Yankees are coming to Houston.

[zpqmaowl]

The first interleague series of the year will be when the Angels open the season in Cincinnati.