Strasburg anticipation thread

[imb]

here's a quote from a scout checking him out in ST

 

"His slider looked like it hit something mid-air. His slider broke so hard it looked like it hit something mid-air. It's not just unhittable, it might be uncatchable. Best slider I've ever seen. Ever. It's an 85."

[jersey cubs fan]

I may be cynical in old age but I definitely get excited to see new stud pitchers arrive on the scene. It's a pretty unique thing in sports. Much more interesting than rookie QBs.

[TruffleShuffle]

scouts have a boner for this guy like you wouldn't believe. hopefully he stays healthy.

[jyoung55]

I'm just hoping the people in front of me aren't paying attention and he falls to the 4th pick in the first round of my keeper league.

[DiamondMind]

So everyone missed him giving up a grand slam and 3R HR in the same inning the other day eh? Sample size, context, I know I know.

[Ski]

So everyone missed him giving up a grand slam and 3R HR in the same inning the other day eh? Sample size, context, I know I know.

Total bust.

[Sammy Sofa]

So everyone missed him giving up a grand slam and 3R HR in the same inning the other day eh? Sample size, context, I know I know.

 

He's done.

[ISUCubsFan]

Almost every article I read about him is comparing him to Prior in some way or another, either in college dominance, stuff, or mechanics. That last one could be a problem.

[erik316wttn]

If he has even an average spring, is he going to break camp with the Nats?

[Derwood]

If he has even an average spring, is he going to break camp with the Nats?

 

no

[bcl412]

The Strasburg hype reminds of Prior so much. Hopefully, for Nats fans sake, it doesn't end of the same. That franchise needs him to be the real deal.

[Garwilly]

The Strasburg hype reminds of Prior so much. Hopefully, for Nats fans sake, it doesn't end of the same. That franchise needs him to be the real deal.

 

"Winning is our Priority!"

[Sammy Sofa]

I'm not sure why people are acting like Prior comparisons are a bad thing. Sure, the "perfect mechanics" hype was overblown with Prior, but his fate ultimately was due to the relatively unusual in-game injuries he suffered as opposed to issues with his mechanics. Unless comparisons to Prior also somehow mean that Strasburg will also get clobbered on the basepaths and take a line drive off the elbow, such comparisons are generally a good thing.

[bcl412]

I'm not sure why people are acting like Prior comparisons are a bad thing. Sure, the "perfect mechanics" hype was overblown with Prior, but his fate ultimately was due to the relatively unusual in-game injuries he suffered as opposed to issues with his mechanics. Unless comparisons to Prior also somehow mean that Strasburg will also get clobbered on the basepaths and take a line drive off the elbow, such comparisons are generally a good thing.

 

It's not so much a bad thing but for Cubs fans it brings back bad associations.

[ISUCubsFan]

I'm not sure why people are acting like Prior comparisons are a bad thing. Sure, the "perfect mechanics" hype was overblown with Prior, but his fate ultimately was due to the relatively unusual in-game injuries he suffered as opposed to issues with his mechanics. Unless comparisons to Prior also somehow mean that Strasburg will also get clobbered on the basepaths and take a line drive off the elbow, such comparisons are generally a good thing.

 

From 2002 to 2005 it was mostly fluke injuries that kept him out of action. After that his shoulder blew up on its own. I don't know how much of that is being overworked and how much is the infamous "Inverted W", but I think it's pretty much agreed on that those mechanics aren't great for your arm. I'm not sure how good or bad Strasburg's mechanics are on the whole, but if I were a Nats fan I would be worried about it. I'd also be excited that his stuff is phenomenal by all accounts.

[Sammy Sofa]

From 2002 to 2005 it was mostly fluke injuries that kept him out of action. After that his shoulder blew up on its own. I don't know how much of that is being overworked and how much is the infamous "Inverted W", but I think it's pretty much agreed on that those mechanics aren't great for your arm.

 

There aren't any pitching mechanics that are "good for your arm." It's difficult to judge what ultimately put Prior in condition he's in now since he had to continually adjust and tweek his approach to deal with the injuries from the in-game accidents as well as the overuse and the achilles issues. He was basically a perfect storm of crappy, crappy circumstances for a pitcher.

[Derwood]

pretty much. a guy's arm is either built to withstand a pitching motion over and over or it isn't. Kerry Wood's isn't, Nolan Ryan's was. You just never know

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Mechanics, schmechanics. We know that pitcher injury is strongly correlated with high pitch counts at a young age. We know Prior's arm got the everloving crap beat out of it down the stretch in 2003.

 

It's not hard to put 2 and 2 together here. He had an elbow strain in 2005 before he got hit on the arm by a line drive.

[NCCubFan]

Anticipation, Anticipation

Is making me late

Is keeping me waiting

[champaignchris]

I read that quote on Strasburg's slider and immediately thought of Kerry Wood and that unbelievable curve he had when he came up in '98. It's was the old 12 to 6 curve, but it was going about 90 miles an hour. Jaw dropping. I don't know how right-handers even stayed in the box, let alone got up the nerve to swing at it.

 

I hope Strasburg stays healthy and pitches very well against teams other than the Cubs.

[Guest]

I read that quote on Strasburg's slider and immediately thought of Kerry Wood and that unbelievable curve he had when he came up in '98. It's was the old 12 to 6 curve, but it was going about 90 miles an hour. Jaw dropping. I don't know how right-handers even stayed in the box, let alone got up the nerve to swing at it.

 

I hope Strasburg stays healthy and pitches very well against teams other than the Cubs.

Not to be too picky, but 12-6 curves drop straight down. Kerry's pitch was a slurve that had a frisbee break towards the feet of a left handed hitter.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Not to be too picky, but 12-6 curves drop straight down. Kerry's pitch was a slurve that had a frisbee break towards the feet of a left handed hitter.

 

He threw both. His slurve became famous after the 20k game, but coming into the big leagues it was the straight up-and-down curve that scouts raved about.

[Guest]

Not to be too picky, but 12-6 curves drop straight down. Kerry's pitch was a slurve that had a frisbee break towards the feet of a left handed hitter.

 

He threw both. His slurve became famous after the 20k game, but coming into the big leagues it was the straight up-and-down curve that scouts raved about.

Yes, I know, but right-handed hitters had no reason to quake in fear about being hit by a 12-6 curve that started and ended over the plate. I worded my response poorly, but the one that righties (and lefties sometimes) really feared standing in against was the slurve.

[champaignchris]

Not to be too picky, but 12-6 curves drop straight down. Kerry's pitch was a slurve that had a frisbee break towards the feet of a left handed hitter.

 

He threw both. His slurve became famous after the 20k game, but coming into the big leagues it was the straight up-and-down curve that scouts raved about.

 

Yeah. Find a highlight reel of the 20k game. I believe the second and 18th strikeouts are perfect examples. (It's amazing how many of the 20 were just fast balls that he blew by people.)

[Guest]

Not to be too picky, but 12-6 curves drop straight down. Kerry's pitch was a slurve that had a frisbee break towards the feet of a left handed hitter.

 

He threw both. His slurve became famous after the 20k game, but coming into the big leagues it was the straight up-and-down curve that scouts raved about.

 

Yeah. Find a highlight reel of the 20k game. I believe the second and 18th strikeouts are perfect examples. (It's amazing how many of the 20 were just fast balls that he blew by people.)

Interesting...

 

if you're talking about the 12-6, how do you explain this quote (which is what I was responding to)

 

I don't know how right-handers even stayed in the box, let alone got up the nerve to swing at it.

A 12-6 curve is over the plate the entire time. Right handers wouldn't bail out of the box on that.