Old Macdonald is the Stephen Strasburg of GCA

[Ted Cahill]

It exceeds the considerable hype. I played it three times on my recent visit. A lot has been written about OM. Two things I would contribute. The view looking back from the 17th green, the forest on the right, may be the most dramatic on the property.

Second, I am interested in others opinion who have played OM- it "felt" like Bandon Trails on the most inland holes and much of the bunkering. I wondered if C&C borrowed from CB in their design?

[Tom_Doak]

Jesus, now I have to REALLY hope the young man does not blow out his arm and become Karl Spooner ...

[Wyatt Halliday]

I'm sure there's no reason to worry. Clyde and Spooner were both lefties.

[Tom_Doak]

David Clyde was never anywhere near that good ... he was just hyped by the Rangers because they were so desperate.

Spooner was different ... he pitched two games at the end of 1954, and shut out the Giants [eventual World Champs] and Pirates, striking out 15 and 12 in his two starts.  [He did walk six ... so he wasn't as commanding as Strasburg, but walks were not as big of a deal in that era, either.]

Then he hurt his arm in spring training in 1955, when Walter Alston brought him in an inning earlier than planned and he hadn't warmed up properly.  Went 8-6, but his shoulder was damaged, and that was the end of his career.

Strasburg is awesome, but there is no predicting the future.

[Carl Nichols]

Michael Wilbon said the other night that he thinks Strasburg looks just like Kerry Wood did when he was a rookie -- let's hope Strasburg's just a little bit more durable!

[Jud_T]

Strasburg's stuff looks better than Wood's did.  This kid's the real deal if he stays healthy.  Now he just needs to get traded to a team that actually has a chance of winning...

[Tom_Doak]

Strasburg would have to fall farther than Spooner before a general manager would dare trade him.

And though he certainly cannot do it by himself ... Washington's chances of being a winning team are much much greater than they were before he showed up.

P.S.  Just a coincidence, but Spooner's one full year in the big leagues was 1955 -- the one year Brooklyn won it all.

[Anthony Gray]

  Warren Spahn maybe what Tom is looking for.

  ARG

 

[Wyatt Halliday]

Tom,

Where do you come down on Snider v. Campanella?

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Don Newcombe when I was eleven years old. He is an extraordinary story teller.

[Jud_T]

Strasburg would have to fall farther than Spooner before a general manager would dare trade him.

Either that or become a free agent and have the Yankees dangle a $30mm/yr. contract in front of Boras...The reason they even put him in the minors for two months is so they could get the extra season out of him before he becomes arbitration eligible....But they did just draft that highly touted catcher....Best Battery mates in the majors?

[Richard Choi]

Well, if baseball learned anything from Mark Pryor/Kerry Wood saga is that young pitchers should be on a very strict pitch count. As long as they do that, hopefully Strasburg will have a career that his talent deserves.

[Don_Mahaffey]

David Clyde was never anywhere near that good ... he was just hyped by the Rangers because they were so desperate.

Moving him straight from high school to a starter in the majors contributed to his arm breaking down. Had he been brought along properly he may have had a good career, or not, but he's the poster child for not rushing young pitchers to the majors.

[Ian Andrew]

I don't see this one at all.

Strasburg has the potential to bring people out to baseball who don't watch the game.
Old Mac has the most appeal for those who already love the game.

[Anthony Gray]

I don't see this one at all.

Strasburg has the potential to bring people out to baseball who don't watch the game.
Old Mac has the most appeal for those who already love the game.

  I think it is about living up to the hype.

  Anthony

[Michael Huber]

Strasburg's stuff looks better than Wood's did.  This kid's the real deal if he stays healthy.  Now he just needs to get traded to a team that actually has a chance of winning...

Yeah besides the hoopla of Strassburg, I don't think anyone cared to notice that the Nationals really have an awful, awful lineup.  It rivals the Pirates for most impotent lineup in the National League, and that is quite a bold statement.  

Also, Re: Kerry Wood.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but Kerry Wood's biggest asset was his assinine slider.  He threw hard, but not Strasburg hard, and Strasburg can always rely on the outrageous movement of his fastball and his 91 mph (lol) changeup.  

[Michael Huber]

Also, does this mean that any of the Trump courses would be the Lebron James of GCA?  Lots of hype, lots of attention, and overxposed on tv without anything to show for it?

[Michael Dugger]

Strasburg's stuff looks better than Wood's did.  This kid's the real deal if he stays healthy.  Now he just needs to get traded to a team that actually has a chance of winning...

Yeah besides the hoopla of Strassburg, I don't think anyone cared to notice that the Nationals really have an awful, awful lineup.  It rivals the Pirates for most impotent lineup in the National League, and that is quite a bold statement.  

This I cannot agree with.  Adam Dunn is a perrenial 40 hr guy.  Zimmerman is a fine young stick.  Willingham is quite serviceable.  Guzman is hitting .308. Nyjer Morgan can steal 50 bags.

Granted they are not great, but with Strasburg.....and another nice young arm in Justin Zimmerman (currently on DL)...coming on.

The Nats have a bright future if they can keep the core together.

[Jud_T]

Strasburg's stuff looks better than Wood's did.  This kid's the real deal if he stays healthy.  Now he just needs to get traded to a team that actually has a chance of winning...

Also, Re: Kerry Wood.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but Kerry Wood's biggest asset was his assinine slider.  He threw hard, but not Strasburg hard, and Strasburg can always rely on the outrageous movement of his fastball and his 91 mph (lol) changeup.  

Michael,

After the zip on the 101mph heater dies down a bit, his best pitch may be the 82mph curve.  I'm not sure I've seen anyone drop it off the table like that AND throw it consistently for strikes...And if Old Mac lives up to the hype like this kid did the other night we all better get offline now and book our next 5 trips before the tee sheet fills up for the next decade!   

[Alex Miller]

Strasburg's stuff looks better than Wood's did.  This kid's the real deal if he stays healthy.  Now he just needs to get traded to a team that actually has a chance of winning...

Yeah besides the hoopla of Strassburg, I don't think anyone cared to notice that the Nationals really have an awful, awful lineup.  It rivals the Pirates for most impotent lineup in the National League, and that is quite a bold statement.  

This I cannot agree with.  Adam Dunn is a perrenial 40 hr guy.  Zimmerman is a fine young stick.  Willingham is quite serviceable.  Guzman is hitting .308. Nyjer Morgan can steal 50 bags.

Granted they are not great, but with Strasburg.....and another nice young arm in Justin Zimmerman (currently on DL)...coming on.

The Nats have a bright future if they can keep the core together.

And they just drafted "the chosen one" in Bryce Harper. In 2 years I expect Washington to view a sub .500 season as a disappointment, not an expectation. So is NGLA Walter Johnson?

[Tim Bert]

With three other aces on the pitching staff at Bandon Dunes it would be more appropriate if Strasburg pitched for the Yankees.

As for the star they drafted this year I think plans are to convert him to OF so battery mates probably won't happen. 

[Joe Bausch]

So to extend these things from Strasburg/OM, what would the golf equivalent be of my childhood favorite pitcher Mark Fidrych for the Tigers (19-9. AL ROY, I think an era like 2.31 in 1976)?  He came up through the minor leagues with little fanfare, then blew out his knee in spring training in 1977 and was out of the game not too long after that.

[Joshua Pettit]

Then he hurt his arm in spring training in 1955, when Walter Alston brought him in an inning earlier than planned and he hadn't warmed up properly.  Went 8-6, but his shoulder was damaged, and that was the end of his career.

Its never a good idea to bring in a pitcher when he isn't warmed up -- as evidenced by the Giants' appalling loss to Cincinnati today.

[Joshua Pettit]

Strasburg's stuff looks better than Wood's did.  This kid's the real deal if he stays healthy.  Now he just needs to get traded to a team that actually has a chance of winning...

Assuming he does stay healthy, I still wouldn't bank on him winning 2 Cy Youngs in his first 2 seasons....dare I inject LincYcum into the conversation. 

[Jerry Kluger]

Tom: You aren't old enough to remember Spooner - go ahead, tell me you also remember Reese, Gilliam, Snider, Hodges, Roe, Furillo, Erskine, Labine, etc., etc.!

[Joshua Pettit]

Tom: You aren't old enough to remember Spooner - go ahead, tell me you also remember Reese, Gilliam, Snider, Hodges, Roe, Furillo, Erskine, Labine, etc., etc.!

That argument sure bears a slippery slope!