The Nationals Should Bring in Strasburg for the Third Inning - My latest for Bleacher Report

I make my case for using Stephen Strasburg from the third inning on in my latest for Bleacher Report.

All I a want is to have the best pitcher on the mound late in the game. It is bonkers. It makes sense to ME, but I am strange.

To read the article CLICK HERE.


   

A stupid thought... why not bring in Strasburg in the 3rd?

Stephen Strasburg was dominant tonight.

13 strikeouts in 6 innings letting up only 1 earned run.
He got the win but they handed the ball off to the bullpen in the 7th.  Why? Because he hit the 100 pitch mark and Washington is still inching him along after his Tommy John surgery.

So in the critical 7th, 8th and 9th innings, where the margin for error is smaller, the Nationals weren't using their best pitcher.

Now the three relievers they used did the job and the Nats won, but a thought plopped into my brain.
If you know that Strasburg is on a tight leash, why not set up the game so he is pitching deeper into it?

In other words, on his scheduled games, have a reliever throw innings 1 and 2. Maybe a left hander or someone who pitches completely differently than Strasburg. Perhaps even a pitcher having his "throw day" goes an inning. Then in the start of the third inning, in comes Strasburg.

He could throw his 100 pitches but now that would last until the 7th or 8th innings.
He warms up like it is a start and you make sure he never comes in before the start of the third.

It might be a bonkers idea, but when my team only has 1 or 2 more swings left, I want my best pitcher on the mound keeping it close.

It's something that just popped in my head.

OK, that is a 100% lie. It has been stirring in my head since 1999.

I remember when the Red Sox beat the Indians in the clinching the 1999 Division Series.

Pedro was from another planet he was so good that year but left Game 1 with an injury. Nobody was sure if he was available for Game 5. The Red Sox started Saberhagen and  Lowe who were both rocked.

Pedro Martinez entered the game in the 4th. It was already 8-8.

Pedro then threw 6 no hit shutout innings. The Red Sox won and Pedro was on the mound to clinch it.

With their bullpen worn out and the starters totally ineffective, the Red Sox were able to have the best pitcher in the Solar System pitching in the late innings.

And I've been thinking in the 13 seasons that have passed "Why don't more teams do that?"
Especially when it is a super talented pitcher on a short leash.

You still get to monitor the innings but the best pitcher throws deeper into the game. If the reliever coughs up a run, there are 7 innings to make up for it rather than one or two.

It makes sense to me.
Which is why it is probably totally illogical.

Either way, I wanted my thoughts on the matter recorded before it becomes the new trend!



 

The Rangers matched their greatest post season ever

The Rangers went into today's game with a grand total of one post season win in their history.
Now they have two.

To understand how insane that is to double a team's post season success in one day, just imagine if the Yankees played a post season game... and in the process won the World Series 27 times in that day.

Thus the storied history of the Rangers just got some story to it!

Equally nutty... the Rangers scored more than twice as many runs in today's game as they scored in the 1998 and 1999 Division Series combined.

Actually Bengie Molina matched the post season home run and RBI totals of the 1998 and 1999 squads today.

This is why they got Cliff Lee. So much for home field advantage in the Division Series.

Now don't forget. They won Game 1 in 1996 against the Yankees as well... and they didn't win another post season game until this afternoon.

Game 2 is arguably the biggest game in the history of the Rangers.

And let me ask again... are you excited, Rangers fans?

100 win teams bounced in the Division Series

100 wins is still a magical mark for a season. It means you are an elite team and chances are one of the great teams in your franchise’s history.

And when a team wins 100 in the regular season, there is no doubt they are thinking beyond the Division Series. They are thinking they are a legit World Series contender… a pennant will have to be beaten from them.

But there have been teams that have won 100 games that were cruelly bumped out of the playoffs early and shown the exit in the Division Series.

The staff at Sully Baseball has compiled a list of the teams that reached the century mark but couldn’t make the LCS… and also listed the players on those teams who remain ringless and probably thought that was their year.

There have been 9 different teams… a few franchises have multiple entries.

And one year, 2002, saw three (count em, THREE teams!) that fell short.

1998 HOUSTON ASTROS
102-60 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to San Diego Padres. (98-64).

Manager:
LARRY DIERKER

Ringless Veterans Include:
BRAD AUSMUS
JEFF BAGWELL
CRAIG BIGGIO
MIKE HAMPTON
DOUG HENRY
RICHARD HIDALGO
JOSE LIMA
SHANE REYNOLDS
BILLY WAGNER

1999 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
100-62 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to New York Mets. (97-66)

Manager:
BUCK SHOWALTER

Ringless Veterans Include:
OMAR DAAL
BERNARD GILKEY
GREGG OLSON

2001 OAKLAND A’S
102-60 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-2 to New York Yankees (95-65)

Manager:
ART HOWE

Ringless Veterans Include:
CHAD BRADFORD
ERIC BYRNES
ERIC CHAVEZ
RON GANT
JASON GIAMBI
TIM HUDSON
TERRENCE LONG
MARK MULDER
F. P. SANTANGELO
MIGUEL TEJADA
BARRY ZITO

2002 ATLANTA BRAVES
101-59 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-2 to San Francisco Giants (95-66)

Manager:
BOBBY COX (Won Ring as manager in 1995)

Ringless Veterans Include:
HENRY BLANCO
DARREN BRAGG
VINNY CASTILLA
JULIO FRANCO
MATT FRANCO
RAFAEL FURCAL
CHRIS HAMMOND
ANDRUW JONES
KEVIN MILLWOOD
B. J. SURHOFF

2002 NEW YORK YANKEES
103-58 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to Anaheim Angels (99-53)

Manager:
JOE TORRE (Won Rings as manager in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000)

Ringless Veterans Include:
RON COOMER
JASON GIAMBI
NICK JOHNSON
STEVE KARSAY
RAUL MONDESI
MIKE MUSSINA
JUAN RIVERA
ALFONSO SORIANO
ROBIN VENTURA

2002 OAKLAND A’S
103-59 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-2 to Minnesota Twins (94-67)

Manager:
ART HOWE

Ringless Veterans Include:
CHAD BRADFORD
ERIC BYRNES
ERIC CHAVEZ
RAY DURAM
MARK ELLIS
SCOTT HATTEBERG
RAMON HERNANDEZ
TIM HUDSON
BILLY KOCH
TED LILLY
JOHN MABRY
MARK MULDER
MIGUEL TEJADA
RANDY VELARDE
BARRY ZITO

2003 ATLANTA BRAVES
101-61 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-2 to Chicago Cubs (88-74)

Manager:
BOBBY COX (Won Ring as manager in 1995)

Ringless Veterans Include:
DARREN BRAGG
VINNY CASTILLA
ROBERT FICK
JULIO FRANCO
MATT FRANCO
RAFAEL FURCAL
MIKE HAMPTON
ROBERTO HERNANDEZ
ANDRUW JONES
RUSS ORTIZ
JARET WRIGHT

2003 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
100-61 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to Florida Marlins (91-71)

Manager
FELIPE ALOU

Ringless Veterans Include:
EDGARDO ALFONZO
RICH AURILIA
BARRY BONDS
JOSE CRUZ, Jr.
RAY DURHAM
ANDRES GALARRAGA
JEFFRYE HAMMONDS
JOE NATHAN
SIDNEY PONSON
KIRK RUETER
BENITO SANTIAGO
JASON SCHMIDT
J. T. SNOW
TIM WORRELL

2008 LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
100-62 regular season record.
Lost Division Series 3-1 to Boston Red Sox (95-67)

Manager:
MIKE SCIOSCIA (Won Ring as manager in 2002)

Ringless Veterans Include:
VLADIMIR GUERRERO
TORII HUNTER
HOWIE KENDRICK
GARY MATTHEWS, Jr.
KENDRY MORALES
DARREN OLIVER
ERVIN SANTANA
JERED WEAVER


There are some heart breakers on this list… and a few players who might have a more compelling Hall of Fame resume if they lead these teams to October glory.

Right now, no teams in baseball are on pace to win 100. (The Rays and Yankees are on pace to win around 97 or 98 wins.) If they win 100, that is a great achievement. But don’t think you are guaranteed a spot even in the LCS. Just ask the teams above.

Strange... I'm not that nervous

Yesterday was supposed to be the center square on the Bingo Card.

Lester pitching at home... that was the "given" game.
That was the game that made us all not really sweat out the 11 inning game 2 loss.

"Hey, we're 1-1 with Lester on the mound. We'll take it."

And before you could ask "What does B. J. stand for?" we were down 5-0.

And yet here I sit typing this blog entry... and I am not a bundle of nerves.
I am not panicking.
I'm not really even that worried.

Let's list the reasons and find the Silver Lining in a Katrina like cloud.

1. It was quick

As I stated before, 9-8 losses are the worst. But 9-1 losses, those I can handle.

Those are games where nothing went right. There's no one play that nags at you after a 9-1 loss. No stifled rally, no bad call. It was a decisive ass thumpin'. And hopefully the Sox can just shrug and say "We'll get them tomorrow."



2. The Paul Byrd Factor

By taking the bullet and going the remaining 3 1/3 innings, Paul Byrd allows the Sox to set up the bullpen perfectly for games 4 and 5.

Papelbon, Masterson, Okajima and Delcarmen haven't pitched since the Saturday marathon... so Paps could go two innings. And the others can each go at least one. With Wakefield on the mound, it's good to know they can get as many as 5 innings from their top relievers.



3. We've Heard This Song Before!

It's almost exactly a year ago today that I told Red Sox Nation to calm the f--- down.

Yeah being down 2-1 to Tampa sucks.
How is that worse than being down 3-1 last year, IN Cleveland, facing Sabathia and Carmona for games 5 and 6?

How is that worse than being down 3-1 in 1986, IN Anaheim with Mike Witt dealing?

How is that worse than being down 2-0 in the 1999 Division Series, no Pedro, no Nomar, no life on the team and Cleveland's bats going nuts?

How is that worse than being down 2-0 in the 2003 Division Series facing Oakland's pitching?

Seriously... how is this worse than being down 3-0... 3 outs from a sweep... the Yankees in Pedro's head... Schilling on the operating table... Rivera on the mound... bottom of the order coming up?

How soon we all forgot Dave Roberts!



4. The Wakefield Factor

Call me insanely optimistic, but I think that with Tampa's offense clicking, now's as good a time as any to wheel out Tim Wakefield.

Seriously, they've been smacking the ball around left and right and their timing is just on...

Maybe some of Wake's knucklers floating into the zone is just what the doctor ordered. Maybe they'll be flailing at it. Maybe they'll be overly agressive. Either way, it will force them to change their approach to hitting which, safe to say has been working!



5. It's already been fun!

Don't get me wrong. I want the Red Sox to win the 2008 World Series as much as anyone you will ever meet.

And don't think for a second that I won't be incredibly disappointed if the season ends with the Red Sox watching another team celebrate.

But I won't be devastated.
Devastation ended in 2004. The feeling of "Oh Crap... I can't believe I was so stupid to think they'd actually win" is long gone.

And this isn't even the intense disappointment of 2005 either.
That year the Red Sox and Yankees finished the season tied... but because the Yankees won the season series 10-9, they were the Division Champs and the Red Sox were the Wild Card.

One more single win in 2005 would have meant the Sox would host the Angels (who they always beat) in the Division Series instead of starting the post season on the road against the much better (and eventual champion) Chicago White Sox.

The Red Sox were clobbered in game 1 in Chicago and lost two close games to end the defense of the World Series by being swept.

The end of the year left a disappointing emptiness. Not to mention the fact that the team was old and clearly breaking up. (Mueller, Damon, Millar and Arroyo will all be gone by the next opening day... Nixon, Foulke and Kapler would be gone the next off season.)

This year the Red Sox already pulled off the upset of the 100 win Angels with 4 unforgettable games including a 2 run 9th inning game winning homer from J. D. Drew and the series ending single by Jed Lowrie.

Between those games and the Dice-K game 1 win in the ALCS, the Sox have provided infinitely more October memories than the last time they defending a World Series title.

Plus with Lowrie, Papelbon, Youkilis, Ellsbury, Lester, Masterson and Bay all still young and not going anywhere... there isn't a sense of this being the only shot.


So let it be known I am rooting full steam ahead for the Red Sox to repeat as World Champions... but I'm not at all panicked.

Emotionally we are playing with house money.

That being said, I hope they kick Tampa's ass tonight.