AP Photo
The man who oversees baseball's best pitching staff does not care for the position's most glamorous statistic. In fact the thought of it makes Steve McCatty recoil. He crosses his arms. His head shakes. A sour expression crosses his face.
"Strikeouts are bull[bleep]," he says.
He scoffs. Such a waste, he implies.
It is late in the morning on the last day before the All-Star break and his Washington Nationals pitchers are grabbing their gloves in the clubhouse, heading to the field. He watches as they walk by – Stephen Strasburg with the sizzling fastball, Gio Gonzalez with the swooping curve, Tyler Clippard, who is the current closer – strikeout specialists all should they want to be, and McCatty says the empty swings aren't always worth the effort....
If you defeat 60 percent of your opponents and post the best record in baseball, logic dictates that the playoffs — contested against teams you’ve defeated during the regular season — should be no different. ... more »
The amused expression on Nationals Manager Davey Johnson’s face and the composure, with only the slightest smile, on the mug of owner Ted Lerner told the whole bizarre bifurcated story of their team’s playoff-clinching... more »
The Astros found their man.Congratulations Bo Porter.Or should I write, Bo Porter, um, congratulations?I’m only half kidding. It is a big deal to become manager of a major league ballclub.It is a bad deal to become manager of... more »
The Nats are sneaky. The Nats are sly. They seem to have more identities than Jason Bourne. Just when you think you’ve nailed them down and know their limits, they pull out a new passport. For the past 85 games, more than half... more »
Seems like just yesterday we were debating the relative merits of the Stephen Strasburg Shutdown. And wasn’t that fun, sports fans? There’s an entire faction out there that can’t wait for the Washington... more »
Email
Print
Share