GameThread: Chicago Cubs At Washington Nationals- Game 88 of 162.

Today's Starting Pitchers Are Going To Stare At You Now...(Is Harden OK? That pose will hurt his neck...)

John "Cool Hand" Lannan

#31 / Pitcher / Washington Nationals

Height: 6-4

Weight: 225

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Sep 27, 1984

'09 Stats - (6-6, 3.70 ERA), 18 GS, 1 CG, 112.0 IP, 117 H, 52 R, 46 ER, 39 BB, 50 K's, ERA+ = 117, 3.1 BB/9, 4.0 K/9, 1.28 K/BB.

vs CHC - (2-0, 3.38 ERA), 2 GS, 13.1 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 6 K's, 1.35 WHIP, .229 BAA.

Origin Story - Washington Nationals' 11th Round pick, 324th overall in 2005.

Rich Harden

#40 / Pitcher / Chicago Cubs

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Nov 30, 1981

'09 Stats - (5-6, 5.47 ERA), 14 GS, 74.0 IP, 78 H, 49 R, 45 ER, 16 HR, 36 BB, 83 K's, ERA+ = 81, 1.54 WHIP, 4.4 BB/9, 10.1 K/9, 2.31 K/BB, .271 BAA.

vs DC - (1-0, 1.29 ERA), 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K's, 0.29 WHIP, .087 BAA.

Origin Story - Oakland Athletics' 17th Round pick, 510th overall in 2000. Traded to Cubs w/ (RHP) Chad Gaudin for (RHP) Sean Gallagher, (OF) Matt Murton, (RHP) Josh Donaldson and (IF/OF) Eric Patterson.

The Cubs vs John Lannan...

Kosuke Fukudome - 1 for 2, .500 AVG, 1 2B.

Reed Johnson - 1 for 6, .167 AVG.

Derrek Lee - 2 for 5, .400 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI.

Aramis Ramirez - 0 for 6, .000 AVG.

Alfonso soriANO! - 0 for 2, Big Goose Egg.

Geovany Soto - 1 for 2, .500 AVG.

Ryan Theriot - 0 for 5, .000 AVG.

The Nationals vs Rich Harden...

Ronnie Belliard - 1 for 7, .167 AVG.

Adam Dunn - 0 for 2, .000 AVG.

Cristian Guzman - 0 for 6, .000 AVG.

Willie Harris - 0 for 8, .000 AVG.

Anderson Hernandez - 0 for 2, .000 AVG.

Nyjer Morgan - 3 for 4, .750 AVG.

Josh Willingham - 0 for 1, .000 AVG.

Ryan Zimmerman - 0 for 3, .000 AVG.

Strasburg vs Crow...

I probably would have been more concerned by the Stephen Strasburg quote in a recent Nationals Journal article by Washington Post writer Dave Sheinin, if I didn't remembered hearing Aaron, in an interview by Joseph Hamrahi at Baseball Digest Daily Live on 8/23/2008, shortly after the Washington Nationals had failed to sign their no.1 overall pick, state that he hadn't heard from the Nationals after the draft either, or as he put it in the interview:

"'Well, I mean, I talked to the general manager (then Jim Bowden) right after, like the day, (of the draft) he was just like 'Hey congratulations, we’re glad to have you' but then I didn’t hear back from him until for like the whole rest of that month, and you know, I never talked to him, it was mostly dealing with my agent and all that stuff, so, I mean it was not really trying to get something figured out right away. It was just like, 'Congratulations, we’re glad we picked you,' and just, they left it at that for the most part on draft day.'"

So when Strasburg says, as quoted by Mr Sheinin, "I haven't heard from the Nationals" since being selected in the draft, it doesn't worry me too much, since Mr. Sheinin also notes later in the article that, "'Acting' General Manager Mike Rizzo has been in frequent contact for weeks with the Strasburg's agent, Scott Boras..."

The Riggleman Era Begins...

Just so you know, in 90 games after taking over for the Seattle Mariners last season, Jim Riggleman was 36-54.

Ryan Zimmerman In The ASG (Go Ahead Click And Listen!!)

-- Ryan Zimmerman takes over at third for David Wright in the top of the fifth. Zimmerman gets his first AB with one out in the fifth against Edwin Jackson of the Tigers. Zimmerman flies out to The Rangers' Josh Hamilton in center.

-- 2 outs in 7th. Francisco Cordero gets a line drive from Justin Mourneau right into Ryan Zimmerman’s glove at third.

-- Zimmerman’s 2nd at bat of the night its against Joe Nathan and he flies out to Adam Jones in right for the second out.

Check the NatCast if you're heading to Nationals Park...

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Who's Watching The Nationals?