WATERCOOLER CHAT: STRASBURG TAKES MOUND, CLIPPERS REBUILDING, JEREMY LIN
BASEBALL
In baseball, the biggest stories come when Washington Nationals phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg takes the mound. Â People come out in droves to see this kid, even though the Nationals aren’t exactly the best team. Â Now ESPN is starting to broadcast unimportant Nationals games, such as last night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
The story of this game centered around the Reds’ clutch hitter Johnny Gomes. Â Gomes needed just one more home-run for the 100 Home Run mark. Â He publicly stated he hoped it would happen against the Nationals so he could hit one off the ‘kid’ (i.e. Strasuerg). Â Would he get his wish? Â Well, Gomes got two opportunities against Strasburg and, um, struck out both times. Â Strasburg even whipped a 99mph fastball right by Gomes for a Strike 3 call. Â This kid truly is phenomenal. Â So how many years before he winds up on the Yankees? Â Washington 8, Cincinnati 5.
BASKETBALL
In the NBA, the Los Angeles Clippers are starting to rebuild. Â They’ve been plagued by injuries and bad management the past few seasons, but they are about to roll out a solid line-up come opening day. Â They have last year’s #1 draft pick Blake Griffin, as well as Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, and some solid rookie draft picks. Â Now, they’re thinking of adding veteran, and former superstar Tracy McGrady to the mix. Â McGrady is definitely past his prime (primarily due to severe injuries), but his leadership and guidance could be the glue that gets the Clippers in the playoffs.
Finally, some very interesting news from the Golden State Warriors camp. Â They just signed undrafted rookie Jeremy Lin. Â Why is this special? Â Well, Lin is the first Asian-American player to play in the NBA for quite a while now. Â Furthermore, he played his college ball at Harvard — not exactly a locale for many pro NBA athletes. Â The Warriors must see something in Lin’s style that they feel could benefit the team. Â Lin said, “I understand there are not many Asians in the NBA and there are not many Ivy Leaguers in the NBA. Â Maybe I can help break the stereotype.” Â Hopefully, Lin is a success.
