September 7th update

Wednesday Spotlight: Stephen Strasburg

• Tuesday night Washington Nationals phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg took the mound for the first time in a little over a year. Strasburg, the first overall draft pick in the 2009 and one of the most hyped minor leaguers in many years quickly made his way through the Nationals minor league system. He made his debut to much fanfare last June but blew out a tendon in his right elbow (his pitching arm) after only a handful of starts.
• Strasburg underwent Tommy John’s Surgery (a once revolutionary procedure that is now commonplace, named for the first pitcher it was performed on) which takes a tendon from another part of the body to replace a damaged tendon. This surgery usually requires about 18 months for a full recovery but Strasburg made his return to the Major Leagues a year and 3-days after the procedure.
• Strasburg pitched well, throwing 56 pitches (he was limited to 60 for cautionary reasons) and striking out four. The decision to pitch him this season was questioned by many as the Nationals are out of playoff contention and are relying on Strasburg to be a long term player for them. Many wanted the Nationals to wait a little bit longer to ensure he was fully healthy. The results of the decision to bring him back this soon remain to be seen.


Big names fail to survive NFL Cuts

• NFL Teams had a deadline of Monday to cut their rosters (which are usually inflated throughout the offseason) down to 53-players before the start of the season. There were many surprise cuts and a few surprise non-cuts as well.
• Probably the biggest surprise cut was the Jacksonville Jaguars decision to part ways with starting quarterback David Garrard. Garrard was drafted in the 4th round of the 2002 NFL draft and had been the starter for the Jaguars for much of the past 6 seasons. Signs pointed that he would soon be out of a job as the Jaguars spent a high draft pick this season on quarterback Blaine Gabbert, but he's inexperienced, never having played a regular season NFL game. To see Garrard released while he was still the best QB on the roster is a bit surprising.
• Probably the happiest surprise was that the New York Giants decided not to cut Mark Herzlich. Herzlich, a rookie linebacker from Boston College made his return to football last year after taking a year off to fight a rare bone cancer. Herzlich, who was previously projected to be a high draft pick (top 2 rounds) slipped all the way out of the draft due to the effects of the cancer. He was a long shot to make the team but head coach Tom Coughlin said that he was impressed by Herzlich’s determination to improve and not make excuses for himself. Here's hoping he continues to impress and can channel his inner Zach Thomas and have a productive career.


Phillies closing in on historic season but Braves thriving as well

*Note: This is part 5 of a 6 part series that will break down the division races in each of baseball's 6 divisions.

• The National League East hasnt been the most competitive division in baseball in 2011 but it might be the most interesting as storylines abound. The Washington Nationals won't be relevant for a few more season when Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Drew Storen and others are ready, but those youngsters already have fans in the nation's capital excited for the future.
• The Marlins have had a couple terrible losing streaks, and on one day in particular, drew less fans to a game (Here's a teaser, it was less than 400) than a decent sized block party. But at least they have an awesome manager.
• Then you have the New York Mets, who are doing all they can to show that they should be America's team by nearly going bankrupt (bailout, anyone?)
• But it's not just woeful teams waiting for a chance to win, as the Phillies and Braves have both enjoyed fantastic seasons. The Phillies, behind Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee and a lot more high priced talent only need to win 10 of their remaining 14 games to finish the season with 100 wins, which no NL team has done since the 2005 Cardinals.
• The Braves on the other hand, have achieved their success largely due to the contributions of young players like Craig Kimbrel, Freddy Freeman and a resurgent Jair Jurrjens. While Atlanta won't win the division, they will likely win the NL Wildcard and look to give the Phillies a run for their money to represent the NL in this year's World Series.