What Goes on at the Winter Meetings?

www.insidethemajors.com — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Another season in the books, and quite a spectacular one for all you San Francisco Giants fans out there, but for the other 29 teams out there, it’s already time to start rebooting for 2011. Though spring training is still a few cold months away and 2010 exploits are fairly fresh in the memory, December marks the summit of who’s who in baseball and baseball fans. More casual fans out there might be asking, what goes on at winter meetings? By now you’ve probably at least heard the term on ESPN or some other sports broadcast Picture 3,000 people descending on Orlando, Florida, (the site varies by year), consisting of representatives from all 30 franchises, from head honcho decision makers to minor league affiliates, not to mention several international guests, and professionals spanning all aspects of America’s pastime. While GMs in particular will be focusing on getting some player contracts, negotiations and trades underway, the four days of meetings don’t just look ahead towards spring with anticipation, but feature events to celebrate the accomplishments on the field the previous season. The schedule includes an awards luncheon, banquet, trade show (as in baseball as a trade, not player trade discussions between teams), business seminar and capping it all off, the yearly Gala. Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will play host to professional baseball, as fans around the country hope their club not only enjoys itself at the festivities but walks away with some on-field souvenirs for all to enjoy in the future.

Strasburg: Instant Superstar or Scherzer Sequel?

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:17:11 +0000

Ninety-four pitches is all it took for Stephen Strasburg to turn in one of the most high pressure pitching debuts in the history of Major League Baseball. Strasburg missed Pittsburgh bats left and right fanning 14 batters in just 7 innings on his way to his first career win. Even more impressive, he seemed to heat up as the game carried on, striking out the last 6 batters he faced. Perhaps equally encouraging for Washington fans, and almost unheard of for a first time pitcher, was the zero walks issued by Strasburg. A lone 2 run homer by Delwyn Young was the lone blemish on what would’ve been a clean sheet, but the young fellow responded with the poise of veteran, retiring the next 10 players to step to the plate.So, now a few weeks into his career, how great was his opening act and how bright is Strasburg’s future? The performance in and of itself was no less than legendary, but those calling for a Cooperstown career shouldn’t be so certain just yet. Not to take away from Strasburg or discredit what was an outing that will go down in baseball history, but he isn’t the first young pitcher to burst onto the scene with an awe-inspiring introductory game. In 2008, former 11^th overall pick Max Scherzer made his major league debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks while on the road against the Houston Astros. Coming out of the bullpen, Scherzer pitched a perfect 4 and 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or walk. At one point, he retired 13 consecutive hitters (still the high mark for a debut game) on his way to racking up 7 Ks. Starting out as a reliever, Scherzer was no doubt under less scrutiny than Strasburg, but the on-field portion of his performance stands up to that of the celebrated rookie sensation. For the record, now in his 3^rd year of service, Max Scherzer currently has a less than stellar 12-21 career record with a 4.37 ERA. This season his ERA has ballooned to 6.14 on the way to a 3-6 start. Not to say the fire-baller won’t be one of the better pitchers in the league one day (already boasting his own 14 K game last month), but so far Scherzer has learned it’s a long road to stardom.Scouts have hyped the National’s new guy as arguably the greatest pitching prospect of all time. Analysts across the airwaves are singing his praises, and rightfully so, but bear in mind we are still only 2 games into what will hopefully be a long major league career. When he takes the mound Friday, let Strasburg continue to earn his big league reputation, pitch by pitch, before listing among the all-time greats.

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What Goes on at the Winter Meetings?

Strasburg: Instant Superstar or Scherzer Sequel?