• There wasn't much good news out of Florida today. All the reporters on the Nationals beat have arrived in town with pitchers and catchers set to report tomorrow, when Washington will also introduce pitcher Chien-Ming Wang to the nation's capital from the Nationals' Spring home at Space Coast Stadium in sunny Viera, Fla. MLB.com's Bill Ladson began the 2010 Spring coverage with a note via Twitter where he wrote about having seen recovering left-handers Matt Chico and Scott Olsen throw strong bullpen sessions, with Chico, (who had Tommy John surgery in July of 2008) "throwing harder" according to Mr. Ladson, and Olsen explaining that he, "...still needs to get the strength back in his shoulder," after surgery to repair a small labrum tear last year. Chico and Olsen, however, weren't expected to be healthy when Spring Training began, '06 1st Round pick Ross Detwiler was supposed to compete for a spot in the starting rotation, and any hope of that has been delayed by about ten weeks as he recovers from hip surgery according to the People's reporter Mark Zuckerman of NatsInsider who was told by "a source close to the left-hander" that the 23-year-old pitcher had undergone a procedure on Monday (Monday?) to repair a "torn hip flexor" which the pitcher sustained as he prepared for the twenty-ten campaign...
• Well at least the '09 No. 1 overall pick, pitcher Stephen Strasburg was ther..."No sign of Stephen Strasburg in #Nats camp today," according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson...
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• Speaking of Stephen Strasburg...
• Mike MacDougal Signs With Marlins.
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• The Daily Aztec, San Diego State University's independent student newspaper had a feature article on Stephen Strasburg today entitled, "The Stephen Strasburg effect', in which Daily Aztec Sports Editor Edward Lewis looked at the former SDSU Aztec ace, and the impact he's had on the school since he was identified as the best prospect in the country and taken 1st overall in the '09 Draft by the Washington Nationals after a stellar junior season which saw Strasburg go (13-1) in 15 starts and 109.0 IP in which he K'd 195 (16.1 K/9) and walked just 19 (1.5 BB/9) while posting an absurdly low 1.32 ERA.
In the article Mr. Lewis examines the baseball program Strasburg left behind, writing that, "In a way, Strasburg was SDSU baseball. He was the face of the program, the Friday night ace, the legend with the 103 mph fastball. Now, he’s just a memory," but the memory, according to Straburg's Manager during him time as an Aztec, former Major League Tony Gwynn, is more than enough to help the baseball program when it comes to recruiting the next class of pitchers who'll have to replace Strasburg:
"'Because we had the No. 1 player in the country, we got a lot of attention that otherwise I don’t think we would have gotten,' Gwynn said. 'And I think we took advantage of the fact that we had the best player in the country. And there’s no question that he put us on the map, there’s just not.'"
• Mike MacDougal Signs With Marlins.
As reported by FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal on Twitter and Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson in an article entitled, "Florida Marlins sign former Nationals closer Mike MacDougal", the Florida Marlins and free agent reliever Mike MacDougal have agreed upon what Mr. Rosenthal reports in a follow-up tweet, is a minor league deal worth, "...$650K if he makes the Marlins roster", where he'll set up for Florida closer Leo Nunez. MacDougal blew just one save after taking over as the Nationals' closer last season. The 32-year-old sinking fastballer with control issues born Robert Meikeljohn MacDougal, allowed 31 walks (5.6 BB/9) and struck out 31 batters (5.6 K/9) over 52 appearances with Washington in which he recorded 20 saves while posting a 3.60 ERA (117 ERA+) and a 1.52 WHIP in 50.0 innings even.
The Marlins, might I remind you, were 12-6 against the Nationals last season...let's hope Washington was right about MacDougal's hip...(if that was the reason they passed)...