AFL Championship...
• Top 5 Reasons You Should Still Watch The AFL Championship Game. - Federal Baseball
"So you don't get to see the '09 No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg pitch, you do get to see the player taken second overall by the Seattle Mariners, Dustin Ackley..."
• Tampa Bay Rays' prospect Mitch Talbot steps in for the injured Stephen Strasburg today, pitching for the Phoenix Desert Dogs (19-13) against Peoria, Arizona's second-favorite team, the Javelinas, (18-14) and right-hander Anthony Varvaro in the Arizona Fall League's Championship game at 12:35 MST (2:35 pm EST) in Scottsdale, Arizona's Scottsdale Stadium. Talbot, 25, a 2002 2nd Round pick of the Houston Astros who was traded to Tampa Bay along with IF/OF Ben Zobrist in a deal that sent IF/OF Aubrey Huff out to Minute Maid in 2006, posted a (4-4) record with a 3.69 ERA and 67 K's in 15 starts and 68.1 IP at three stops in the Rays' system in 2009, and he finished the AFL regular season with a (3-0) record and a 4.37 ERA in 6 starts and 22.2 IP. Anthony Varvaro, a 12th Round pick taken 353rd overall by the Seattle Mariners in 2005 out of St. John's University and Staten Island, New York, pitched at two levels of the Seattle system this season, going (4-3) with a 3.43 ERA and 73 K's in 44 G and 62.0 IP, splitting time between the Class-A Advanced High Desert Mavericks and the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (real name). Varvano, who was (1-0) with 2 saves in 10 games and 13.1 IP this fall will be making his first start of the fall for the Javelinas...
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• Strasburg Diagnosis Is In.
• Desert Dogs Cap Contest.
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• Strasburg Diagnosis Is In.
Apparently a dislocated knee cap is the best possible diagnosis. Washington Nationals fans who heard the words, "Strasburg", "knee" and "pop" and feared the worst will be relieved to know, as Washington Post writer Dave Sheinin reported in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "Strasburg's injury won't require surgery", that the Nats' 21-year-old '09 No. 1 overall draft pick, right-handed flame-thrower Stephen Strasburg won't need surgery, but will instead only need, "...to rest and follow a physical therapy regimen to strengthen all the ligaments around his knee," as he recovers from what LA orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum diagnosed as a "patellar subluxation", "...and (Strasburg) should have no trouble being ready for Spring Training."
In Mr. Sheinin's post on the injury Friday morning entitled, "So how bad is the Strasburg injury", the Washington Post writer noted that "what raised more suspicions" about the injury amongst those following the situation was the fact that the Nationals had initially, "...apparently put a gag order on everyone both in Arizona and Washington," but DC GM Mike Rizzo made himself available to Mr. Sheinin and the DC press after Dr. Yocum's diagnosis was in, telling the Post writer that Strasburg was, "...extremely disappointed he doesn't get to finish out the season with his teammates and pitch in the championship game."
Stephen Strasburg ends his AFL campaign with a (4-1) record and a 4.26 ERA in 5 starts and 19.0 IP over which he allowed 15 hits, 10 R, 9 ER, 3 HR's and 7 walks while collecting 23 K's for 10.89 K/9.
• Desert Dogs Cap Contest.
(ed. note - "Email Both Answers to edchigliakfilms@yahoo.com...":
Two Answers: What were the senior-year high school ERA's of both Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen?