CINCINNATI - One of the more interesting decisions Charlie Manuel will face in his second straight year as manager of the NL All-Star team will concern the fate of Nationals wunderkind pitcher Stephen Strasburg, whose candidacy has generated considerable debate in recent days. Strasburg, 21, has mostly lived up to his unprecedented hype thus far, though last night he allowed three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings against Atlanta to fall to 2-2, with a 2.27 ERA. He is averaging 13.6 strikeouts-per-nine-innings against just 1.9 walks-per-nine. But last night's start was only his fifth of the season, and with the rosters set to be unveiled Sunday, there is some thought that Strasburg has not played long enough to earn an All-Star spot.
Manuel not tipping hand on adding Strasburg for All-Star Game
"I've seen people, especially on TV [saying], 'It'll be a shame if he's not in,' " Manuel said yesterday. "I say there's a lot of shame every day somewhere in the world."
That said, Manuel saw last season how his performance as All-Star manager can affect his day job, as the NL lost to the AL, meaning that when the Phillies reached the World Series, it was the AL-champion Yankees who enjoyed homefield advantage.
"He's very high-talented," Manuel said. "Just let him pitch. See what happens. I've got an open mind about it. I'll watch him pitch." *
-David Murphy