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It's been three days since the Nationals announced Stephen Strasburg would have Tommy John surgery, and I, along with the rest of the D.C. area, am still wondering how it all happened. I've read a lot of articles, considered all sorts of explanations and tossed around so many scenarios in my head.
But ultimately, the only explanation that makes sense is that ... there is no explanation. I think Mark Zuckerman hit the nail on the head here.
The Nationals babied him too much. No, wait, they weren't cautious enough. They should have known he'd blow out his arm because of his pitching mechanics. Or maybe it's the velocity. You can't throw 100 mph fastballs and 91 mph changeups and expect your elbow to retain its structural integrity. Clearly, this ligament tear had been building up over months and years. Unless it just collapsed under the weight of one unfortunate changeup Saturday night.
No, the Nationals really did nothing wrong. One could argue, I suppose, that they should have done more to teach him how to pitch instead of letting him merely rely on his velocity. But then you think back to articles like this, and you realize the Nationals were doing exactly that.
I'm not putting this out there because it's therapeutic; I'm putting it out there because I believe it's true. Mike Rizzo was correct when he said he wouldn't second-guess the way the Nationals brought Strasburg along. Sometimes, pitchers get hurt even when you do everything right.
Today's must-reads from around the SB Nation network:
- If you want to know more about Wizards' rookie Kevin Seraphin, this interview over at Bullets Forever is a must-read.
- It's nearly September, and there hasn't been any progress in extension talks with Adam Dunn. Federal Baseball wonders why.
- Hogs Haven whips out some game film to evaluate the performances of Willie Parker and Ma'ake Kemoeatu on Friday night.
- Maryland has churned out a couple good linebackers recently, but where does Alex Wujciak rank among them? Testudo Times discusses.