Cal Ripken is one of the greatest players to ever step on a MLB field. He’s also tremendously respected off the field for his opinions as a baseball analyst.
Recently he made some comments on Sirius XM radio about the Washington Nationals and their decision to shut down pitcher Stephen Strasburg:
“If I was Stephen Strasburg, it’s not a foregone conclusion you’re going to get back to this position in another year. I won the World Series in 1983 with the Baltimore Orioles, and I thought that would just be one of many opportunities. And we never got back all the way through.”
“In some ways, you want to live in the moment, but I can certainly understand their caution. But I don’t think they’re going to turn back. We might hear from Strasburg a little bit. If it was me, if I was Stephen Strasburg, I’d be making a lot of noise, saying, I’m pitching.”
I applaud Cal Ripken and his thoughts here. My contention all along has been the same, you can’t guarantee a team or player is ever going to get back in position to win another World Series.
The Nationals have yet to even make the playoffs since their rebirth, and the city of Washington hasn’t won a baseball championship since the 1920′s. They need to take advantage of their current opportunity.
Strasburg should take Ripken’s advice and fight this.
The game of baseball needs the Strasburg and the Nationals in the postseason, fighting to win a championship.
Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter @the_realfish
