Montreal had better honor the Hawk

Andre Dawson dusted off the Expos beach ball cap one more time and was honored by the crowd in Washington DC tonight. The Hall of Famer got emotional watching the tribute to his career and the crowd was respectful and cheered.

But most of them were there to see Stephen Strasburg.

You see Strasburg plays for Washington... Dawson never did. In fact Dawson never played a big league game that counted IN Washington.

He played the bulk of his career for the Expos... who moved from Montreal to Washington.

The tributes have been many for The Hawk. The Marlins (his current employer) has honored him already and in August he will have his own day at Wrigley Field. (Hopefully they will retire his #8 there.)

But he went into the Hall of Fame as an Expo and became a superstar in Montreal.

Yeah his knees were banged up there and he became a national figure when he moved to Wrigley... but that doesn't excuse the fact that he should take his bows in front of the French Canadian fans whom he played his guts out for.

And there is a way to do it.

Montreal doesn't have a baseball team anymore... and it is sad because that team produced a lot of great players and as I have said before, I miss the Expos.

But they DO have a hockey team. And that hockey team has a crazed following. And it is safe to say if you are a Canadien fan of a certain age, you probably have fond memories of the Expos of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

When the Canadiens start their season, they should do the right thing.

They should bring out the Hawk and have him do that strange honorary first puck drop before one of their first games.

It would be the fitting farewell to his year long victory lap and closure to his Expos career that ended in collusion after the 1986 season.

One more time, Montreal. VIVE LE FAUCON!

Stephen Strasburg should only throw home games for the rest of the year

I am actually dead serious when I say that.

It makes all the sense in the world for the Nats in 2010. Strasburg is the face of the franchise. He's the only reason anyone gives a damn about the Nationals.

Oh yeah they are doing better than they were last year and the year before... but those were years they lost 103 and 102 games. They were able to draft Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg because they were monumentally dreadful.

And yeah they are the best team in the Beltway, but that's because the Orioles are on pace to go 43-119.

People watch the Nats because of Strasburg and that's it!
So the Nationals are understandably going to be cautious to not wreck their prized arm (see Prior, Mark.) So they will probably set him on an innings limit.

But while the Nationals don't want to kill the Golden Goose, they also want to cash in some of those golden eggs!

Today there were nearly 40,000 on a Wednesday afternoon to see him pitch. The team normally draws about 20,000 to a game, often less. But they just about double that number when Strasburg is on the bump.

And I bet that most of the fans left Nationals Park happy today even though their team lost.

They saw Strasburg pitch beautifully again. 6 strong innings, 9 strikeouts and 0 walks for the tough luck loss.

The fans were buzzing and a park that last year would be lucky to draw 12,000 on a weekday afternoon pulled in 3 times that.

Which brings me to my original thought.

When the Nationals go on the road... don't pitch Strasburg!

Shut him down then. You limit his innings. He gets 6 or 7 days off.
In one stretch between July 16th and July 25th, he will have 10 games where he has off.

Then, right now, you announce that he will pitch the first game of every homestand.

And watch the advance ticket sales go up.
People want to see him live. People know this is an extraordinary pitcher and so far he has been delivering the goods better than anyone thought he would... and people are clearly going to pay to see him.

So why have Baltimore, or the Mets, or the Marlins, or the Braves or the Diamondbacks make dough off of this.

If 40,000 are going to pay, have them pay in DC!
If 40,000 are going to buy a pretzel, some dogs, chili at Ben's and $8 beers, then buy them at Nationals Park.

The Nationals can build up a fan base this way... going to the games can become an event and something that the fans can share.

I know it sounds like I am joking, but how does this not make sense?

Innings limited? Check.
Profits maximized? Check.
Fan base pleased? Check.

It makes sense to me!

Hey Bryce Harper... put away the catchers gear

The trade deadline flurry is continuing in baseball and one of the most interesting moves took place between the Twins and Nationals tonight.

Minnesota trails the White Sox by a game and a half and looked to make their pitching staff deep. The Twins strengthened their bullpen with Nats All Star closer Matt Capps. Granted he was an All Star simply because Stephen Strasburg wasn't selected... but the Capps deal may affect Strasburg and his fellow #1 pick overall Bryce Harper in the long and short term.

The Twins shipped off Wilson Ramos, one of the best catching prospects in baseball, to Washington and frankly that is much more interesting than the Twins pen getting deep.

The Twins have no room for Ramos with Mauer signed to a long term deal and he was worth more as a trade chip. (They tried to use him to pick up Cliff Lee.)

The Nationals got a major league ready catcher who can move right into the big club and learn from Pudge Rodriguez, one of the best ever, for this season and next.

By the time the 2011 season ends, he'll have a season and a half under Pudge's wing and be only 23 years old.

When 2012 rolls around (assuming the world won't be ending) Ramos will probably be the starting catcher. Stephen Strasburg will be at full strength.

And maybe Bryce Harper will be ready.

Now Harper, who was drafted as a catcher, doesn't need the tools of ignorance. Forget learning to catch and handle a pitching staff... just learn to hit and be as advertised at the plate.

If Harper is as good as promised (or even remotely as good) then the development of Ramos might add 5 years to Harper's career.

It's a ripple effect and Washington could very well be an exciting baseball town in 2012 when Obama is up for reelection.

And all of this because they signed Matt Capps, a non tendered free agent from Pittsburgh, who cost the Nationals no draft pick compensation.

Not a bad off season move.

Now all Strasburg, Ramos and Harper have to do is be awesome and Hall of Fame caliber in their career.

No pressure.