1 year ago
29
World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg has decided to retire, sources says
I think I've really learned that, you know, if I focus on the things that I can't control, and I think I've, I've learned that I'm *** perfectionist. I've learned that I'm *** control freak and in this game it's very hard to be perfect, very hard to control, control things. Um, but the one thing that you can control is is your approach and how you handle your business off the field and when you go out there and compete, it's, it's just, it's just about execution and, um, you put in all the work in the off season, uh in between starts to go out there and try and be the best version of yourself. And, um, that's something you can't control every time Steven, could I ask, what was the dugout like when, how he hit the home run? Oh, man, I mean, I was, I don't know, like they were obviously, you know, all the fans were standing up for most of the game and, you know, I just kind of had *** feeling that it was gonna get real quiet in that inning. And, um, you know, I did and, uh, you know how he's how he's been big for us all year and, um, you know, go out there and hit another homer, especially after the big grand slam. And, uh, no Ds, it's just amazing to watch winning every game on the road in the World Series. Has this got to be the craziest route to *** World Series title. And how do you, how do you feel about that, you know, this year? Um, I can honestly say nothing. Would have surprised me. I mean, uh from where we started some of our, our traveling boos. I mean, you name it. Uh we've been through *** lot. Um But like I said before, these guys, we stuck together, you know, they believed in each other. I believed in them. And, um, you know, I told him, you know, before the game, I said, hey, I want you guys to just treat this as just another game, this game 1 84 which is hard to do. I said, but we, we made it this far, just play one more game, you know, one more one or no. And they did that tonight. Uh questions for Dave and how close was Max to being his usual stuff? It looks like he was moving sort of uncomfortably out there. He was missing *** little going inside outside. Yeah, he, he, I mean, hey, hey, Max is *** bulldog. You know, we saw him earlier. Uh His location was as Chris. It wanted to be he fought through some unbelievable innings and he kept us in *** ball game. That's all we can ask for. Max. I mean, he had 100 and two pitches. He came in and wanted to stay. Uh, he said, hey, I'll give you another inning if you need me. And I said, Maxx, you did *** great job. You kept us in *** ball game, but we'll, we'll get, we'll get this, we'll figure it out. We, we're, we're gonna win this game. So, um, but what *** fantastic job he did. How hard is it to believe you were not able to win ***, *** home game in the World Series? It's easy to me. I just, I just loved it. I mean, it's not that hard for me. I mean, I just lived it. So, I it's, the Nats are really good. Congratulations to them. Um You know, Riz and, and Davy and the coaching staff, the players, I mean, that's, this is about the nationals, so this isn't about not performing at home or anything that we didn't do. I'm, I'm um I come away, incredibly impressed by, by the, the team that we played and got beat by. Yeah, I mean, let's be honest, there's 28 other teams that would love to have our misery today. You know, this, these teams, every we, it's all we, we play to get here. We play to have an opportunity to, to, to win it all and and, um, I just told our team, I mean, it's hard, it's hard to put into words and, and remember all the good that happened because right now we feel as bad as you can possibly feel. I mean, it's, I'm proud of these guys. I'm proud of the, uh, the season. It's, it's impossible to call *** season in which you reach game seven of the World Series and have the lead going into the seventh inning as, as not as is not good. I mean, it was an incredible season for us. It feels really bad. This is gonna sting for *** really long time. Um, and it should, um, but that, but when we, when everything that does settles, we'll be very proud of the, of the, of the season we had albeit one win short.
GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS
The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.
World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg has decided to retire, sources says
Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has decided to retire, ending a career that began as a No. 1 draft pick, included 2019 World Series MVP honors and was derailed by injuries, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because Strasburg has not spoken publicly about his plans. The person told The AP that Strasburg is expected to hold a news conference before a game at Nationals Park next month.The Washington Post first reported Strasburg’s decision to retire, saying the announcement is expected to come Sept. 9.“When healthy, he was one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the game,” longtime teammate Ryan Zimmerman told The AP by phone Thursday. “You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who worked harder than he did. He deserves to be celebrated because he was a pretty special player. You could argue that he lived up to, or even exceeded, what was expected of a No. 1 pick.”Strasburg, who turned 35 last month, had his career knocked off course and ultimately cut short by injuries after leading the Nationals to their first title in franchise history four years ago. He had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve and blood disorder that involved removing a rib and two neck muscles.The right-hander has not pitched since June 9, 2022 — his only start that season, which lasted 4 2/3 innings before going back on the injured list. He has thrown only 528 pitches in the majors since signing a $245 million, seven-year contract in December 2019 and did not report to spring training earlier this year after experiencing a setback.“It’s been tough, I’m sure, for him and his family and the guys in this clubhouse miss him and we wish nothing but the best for him and what’s to come,” Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin said after a 6-5 win over the Yankees. "He’s a big reason why we’re here and a big reason why we have a championship ring.”Strasburg, featuring a 100-plus mph fastball, was touted as a generational talent before becoming the first pick in the 2009 draft, and he became one of the faces of Washington's franchise after making his anticipated debut on July 8, 2010. He struck out 14 batters and allowed two runs on four hits with no walks against the Pittsburgh Pirates to win a memorable game that became known as “Strasmas.”That night still sticks out to Zimmerman, the retired infielder who was the first draft pick by the Nationals after they moved from Montreal to Washington for the 2005 season and owner of most of the club’s hitting records.“To be the type of prospect that he was — in an age where everyone gets hyped up so much, you almost expect to be let down — and him being this next phenom, and then to actually do that in his first start, it was fun to be a part of that,” Zimmerman said. "The electricity. The crowd. The excitement. All for a game in the middle of the season. It was like something I’d never really seen before.”Strasburg is owed just over $150 million beyond this season on the $245 million contract he signed in 2019, which set records for the most total money and annual salary given to a pitcher. It was unclear if the sides had negotiated a buyout.After Strasburg had Tommy John surgery early in his career, the Nationals took heat for shutting him down late in the 2012 season, despite him being 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA. Without their ace, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series.The long-term benefit of the shutdown didn’t emerge until October 2019, when Strasburg went 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA on Washington’s championship run and won each of his two starts against Houston in the World Series.Strasburg went 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA in 247 career regular-season starts in the majors, all with Washington. He was a three-time NL All-Star and led the National League in strikeouts with 242 in 2014 and in innings pitched with 209 in 2019, which turned out to be his last full season.___AP freelance reporter Larry Fleisher in New York contributed.
Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has decided to retire, ending a career that began as a No. 1 draft pick, included 2019 World Series MVP honors and was derailed by injuries, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because Strasburg has not spoken publicly about his plans. The person told The AP that Strasburg is expected to hold a news conference before a game at Nationals Park next month.
The Washington Post first reported Strasburg’s decision to retire, saying the announcement is expected to come Sept. 9.
“When healthy, he was one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the game,” longtime teammate Ryan Zimmerman told The AP by phone Thursday. “You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who worked harder than he did. He deserves to be celebrated because he was a pretty special player. You could argue that he lived up to, or even exceeded, what was expected of a No. 1 pick.”
Strasburg, who turned 35 last month, had his career knocked off course and ultimately cut short by injuries after leading the Nationals to their first title in franchise history four years ago. He had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve and blood disorder that involved removing a rib and two neck muscles.
The right-hander has not pitched since June 9, 2022 — his only start that season, which lasted 4 2/3 innings before going back on the injured list. He has thrown only 528 pitches in the majors since signing a $245 million, seven-year contract in December 2019 and did not report to spring training earlier this year after experiencing a setback.
“It’s been tough, I’m sure, for him and his family and the guys in this clubhouse miss him and we wish nothing but the best for him and what’s to come,” Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin said after a 6-5 win over the Yankees. "He’s a big reason why we’re here and a big reason why we have a championship ring.”
Strasburg, featuring a 100-plus mph fastball, was touted as a generational talent before becoming the first pick in the 2009 draft, and he became one of the faces of Washington's franchise after making his anticipated debut on July 8, 2010. He struck out 14 batters and allowed two runs on four hits with no walks against the Pittsburgh Pirates to win a memorable game that became known as “Strasmas.”
That night still sticks out to Zimmerman, the retired infielder who was the first draft pick by the Nationals after they moved from Montreal to Washington for the 2005 season and owner of most of the club’s hitting records.
“To be the type of prospect that he was — in an age where everyone gets hyped up so much, you almost expect to be let down — and him being this next phenom, and then to actually do that in his first start, it was fun to be a part of that,” Zimmerman said. "The electricity. The crowd. The excitement. All for a game in the middle of the season. It was like something I’d never really seen before.”
Strasburg is owed just over $150 million beyond this season on the $245 million contract he signed in 2019, which set records for the most total money and annual salary given to a pitcher. It was unclear if the sides had negotiated a buyout.
After Strasburg had Tommy John surgery early in his career, the Nationals took heat for shutting him down late in the 2012 season, despite him being 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA. Without their ace, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series.
The long-term benefit of the shutdown didn’t emerge until October 2019, when Strasburg went 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA on Washington’s championship run and won each of his two starts against Houston in the World Series.
Strasburg went 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA in 247 career regular-season starts in the majors, all with Washington. He was a three-time NL All-Star and led the National League in strikeouts with 242 in 2014 and in innings pitched with 209 in 2019, which turned out to be his last full season.
___
AP freelance reporter Larry Fleisher in New York contributed.
English (US)