Can the Nationals go 11-3 the rest of the way?

OK, it isn't the thrilling pennant race to save the season... BUT it could be a big stepping stone for the Nationals.

11-3 would mean the Nationals would have a winning record.
After losing over 100 games in 2008 and 2009 and coughing up 93 losses last year, a winning year THIS year would be a giant first step for the franchise.

It would be the franchise's first winning season since they were the 2003 Expos.
It would be the city of Washington's first winning baseball season since the Ted Williams managed 1969 Senators.

And with a core of young players like Wilson Ramos and Ryan Zimmerman and pitchers like John Lannan, Jordan Zimmermann, Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard they might be piecing together decent team.

And oh yeah. If Stephen Strasburg is totally back from his Tommy John surgery and Bryce Harper hits as advertised, this team could be making strides to be the first playoff team in DC history since 1933.

Step one though... put a winning team on the field.
And they can do that THIS year by going 11-3.

And I'm rooting for them.

Tommy John Surgery

Surgery is a four letter word for most people. It conjures of images of pain and pain killers, rest and lengthy rehab. For an athlete, the stakes are even higher. It can often mean the difference between playing again or retiring. Despite all the advances in medicine there is always that "what if" white elephant in the room - what if it doesn't work and I can never play again?

With the recent news of Washington Nationals wonderkid Stephen Strasburg having to go under the knife, the tragic price athletes can pay for pushing their bodies to the limit was brought to the forefront of the collective sporting world's mind. 

Throwing a baseball is the most unnatural motion in sport and this motion places a great deal of stress on the both the elbow and the shoulder. In 1974 Tommy John, then a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, became a victim of this stress and, at the hands of Dr Frank Jobe underwent Ulnar Collateral Ligament reconstruction. It has since become known as Tommy John Surgery as he was the first to have the procedure done. Now, I digress and will admit that some ball players should probably consider stomach stapling surgery before anything else!

Whatever surgical procedure an athlete chooses to undergo, the return to playing is never a sure thing. The road back is also a long one. In some small way I know what this is like. I've had Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately though, one small ligament change wasn't able to elevate my fastball from weekend warrior superhero to chicks dig the fastball status. As of 2009, the success rate of this particular procedure was listed at between 85-92%. So, while the odds are good Stephen Strasburg will return, they are by no means a slam dunk.

The unfortunate thing about his injury is that Strasburg made people turn on their TV's to watch baseball again. He was water cooler talk for even the casual fan. In his brief stint in the majors people came out to see his magic right arm sling bullets and baffle hitters. Here's hoping we see him again soon.

Strasburg, Tommy John and Insanity

If you were a pitcher in the big leagues, there are so many things in Tommy John's career I am sure you would wish for.

Pitching in 26 different seasons...
AVERAGING 200 innings a year...
A pair of Cy Young runner up seasons...
Three 20 win seasons...
A 13 win season at age 44...
288 career wins...
Multiple All Star berths...
Pitching on the biggest stage in three different World Series...

Name me a young pitcher today that wouldn't take a career like that!

Yet when pitchers hear his name, they act like the pilots wives when the creepy preacher showed up in The Right Stuff.

It's the death knell.

OK, maybe not that bad... but it probably means a lost year.

Now of course pitchers can heal after Tommy John Surgery and make the tendons more strong, basically make the movie Rookie of the Year come true.

But there is a certain amount of insanity here.
The Nationals treated Strasburg with scientifically precise kid gloves and no doubt had each bowel movement weighed.

And the result? Two trips to the disabled list and 2011 probably lost.
GOOD LUCK WITH THE 2011 SEASON TICKETS, WASHINGTON!

Have I missed where the kid glove treatment has resulted in great successes?

I'm not talking about avoiding blowing out pitchers arms (Clay Buchholz and David Price were held back a little early on and are now Cy Young contenders) but this insane bean counting and arbitrary pitch numbers seems to be doing more harm than good.

You can no longer look me in the eye and say that this babying of pitchers works.

How did the Glavine/Maddux/Smoltz of the world combine for 50 some odd years in the big leagues and get only ONE Tommy John Surgery (for Smoltz in 2000 after he was already building his Cooperstown resume) and a Strasburg can't even last 1/2 a season without 2 trips to the DL?

Are pitchers like Halladay and Sabathia just freaks of nature and we need to keep handling pitchers like Joba Chamberlain until his career is ruined?

I REALLY don't want to include Strasburg on the list of "Can't Miss Aces Who Missed"... but so far it DOESN'T look good.

If only those guys could have Tommy John's career.

Montreal had better honor the Hawk

Andre Dawson dusted off the Expos beach ball cap one more time and was honored by the crowd in Washington DC tonight. The Hall of Famer got emotional watching the tribute to his career and the crowd was respectful and cheered.

But most of them were there to see Stephen Strasburg.

You see Strasburg plays for Washington... Dawson never did. In fact Dawson never played a big league game that counted IN Washington.

He played the bulk of his career for the Expos... who moved from Montreal to Washington.

The tributes have been many for The Hawk. The Marlins (his current employer) has honored him already and in August he will have his own day at Wrigley Field. (Hopefully they will retire his #8 there.)

But he went into the Hall of Fame as an Expo and became a superstar in Montreal.

Yeah his knees were banged up there and he became a national figure when he moved to Wrigley... but that doesn't excuse the fact that he should take his bows in front of the French Canadian fans whom he played his guts out for.

And there is a way to do it.

Montreal doesn't have a baseball team anymore... and it is sad because that team produced a lot of great players and as I have said before, I miss the Expos.

But they DO have a hockey team. And that hockey team has a crazed following. And it is safe to say if you are a Canadien fan of a certain age, you probably have fond memories of the Expos of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

When the Canadiens start their season, they should do the right thing.

They should bring out the Hawk and have him do that strange honorary first puck drop before one of their first games.

It would be the fitting farewell to his year long victory lap and closure to his Expos career that ended in collusion after the 1986 season.

One more time, Montreal. VIVE LE FAUCON!

Hey Bryce Harper... put away the catchers gear

The trade deadline flurry is continuing in baseball and one of the most interesting moves took place between the Twins and Nationals tonight.

Minnesota trails the White Sox by a game and a half and looked to make their pitching staff deep. The Twins strengthened their bullpen with Nats All Star closer Matt Capps. Granted he was an All Star simply because Stephen Strasburg wasn't selected... but the Capps deal may affect Strasburg and his fellow #1 pick overall Bryce Harper in the long and short term.

The Twins shipped off Wilson Ramos, one of the best catching prospects in baseball, to Washington and frankly that is much more interesting than the Twins pen getting deep.

The Twins have no room for Ramos with Mauer signed to a long term deal and he was worth more as a trade chip. (They tried to use him to pick up Cliff Lee.)

The Nationals got a major league ready catcher who can move right into the big club and learn from Pudge Rodriguez, one of the best ever, for this season and next.

By the time the 2011 season ends, he'll have a season and a half under Pudge's wing and be only 23 years old.

When 2012 rolls around (assuming the world won't be ending) Ramos will probably be the starting catcher. Stephen Strasburg will be at full strength.

And maybe Bryce Harper will be ready.

Now Harper, who was drafted as a catcher, doesn't need the tools of ignorance. Forget learning to catch and handle a pitching staff... just learn to hit and be as advertised at the plate.

If Harper is as good as promised (or even remotely as good) then the development of Ramos might add 5 years to Harper's career.

It's a ripple effect and Washington could very well be an exciting baseball town in 2012 when Obama is up for reelection.

And all of this because they signed Matt Capps, a non tendered free agent from Pittsburgh, who cost the Nationals no draft pick compensation.

Not a bad off season move.

Now all Strasburg, Ramos and Harper have to do is be awesome and Hall of Fame caliber in their career.

No pressure.