Strasburg Saga: Open Letter to Nats GM
September 8, 2012 by Josh Robbins · 3 Comments
Dear Mike Rizzo,
I am so disgusted with the handling of Operation Shutdown . As a baseball fan, Stephen Strasburg is one of the great reasons to watch the game. His overpowering fastball, devastating slider, change-up, and wicked curveball make him a marvel to witness. The Nationals will not win the World Series without their ace right-hander.
You have done an excellent job constructing this team through the First Year player draft, free agency, and various trades. However, I do not want hear that Strasburg’s head wasn’t in the game last night. This is totally bogus and unfounded. Can you imagine working your entire life for something (World Series run) and have it taken away?
Mark my words, Strasburg will not re-sign with the Nationals after his arbitration years. This distasteful portion of his career will remain on his mind for the rest of his life. Scott Boras is his representative and there is little chance of him remaining in DC for his entire career. I know you have an excellent working relationship with Mr. Boras but please, Strasburg will test free agency in 2017.
One last thing, have you ever heard of ending your season on a positive note? Let Strasburg dominate on Wednesday against the New York Mets and finish his season strong. Not only did you pull the plug on his season prematurely but with 159.33 IP, he will not even qualify for the league leaders.
Mr. Rizzo, I hope for your sake the team wins the 2012 World Series. If the Nationals do not win the Championship, this is something that will never be forgotten in DC. This could supplant the 1994 Montreal Expos as the ultimate “what if” in team sports history.
Sincerely,
Josh Robbins
Where was this indignant, pompous post last year at this exact same time when the team did the EXACT same thing with Jordan Zimmermann?
Oh, you mean you didn’t feel this way with him last year? Why is that? Is it simply because the Nats were in last place last year at this time versus first place this year? Is it because of who the player is, in terms of stature? Last time i checked, baseball’s a team game, and Strasburg has added roughly a 3WAR to a potentially 100 win team.
Do you think Zimmermann is “guaranteed” not to sign with the team either, after being managed the same way last year? Because so far this year, its looked like a fabulous move. Zimmermann is top 5 in the league in pitcher war, era and possibly finishes top 5 in Cy Young voting.
I’m sure that upon learning that the Nationals will not win the World Series and that Strasburg will not sign with the Nationals, Rizzo will go and blow his brains out. How will you feel then, you pompous ass?
I do want to point out that Josh has accurately projected the 2012 Nationals as a “what if” team. No matter if they win the World Series, given the amount of ink that has been devoted to this topic, there will be just as much conjecture on the other end about what they would have done “with” Strasburg. What we are watching is the formation of another universe–certainly a parallel one. It one of those gaseous clouds of which you see the beautiful photographs from Hubble, immense clouds of gas that later condense into stars and planets. It’s rare, but it happens. Mostly they are named for astronomers, but this one will be called the Strasburg Super Nebulae.