So this very belated post would be my take on the June 10 conference call for bloggers.  As a quick note, I think it’s great that the Nationals are reaching out to bloggers and I was grateful for the opportunity to participate.

Here is the transcript of the entire call from Nats320.

With the starters part of the call, I found the differences between Randy St. Claire and Steve McCatty really interesting. I think that St. Claire’s approach with video and analyzing the motion is good for younger pitchers still trying to get consistent arm movement but McCatty’s approach looking at what feels right and how hitters react is different but still successful.

Personally, I am a fan of the more technical analyzing; there is something I don’t like about the guess and check method. Needless to say, I am not a Nationals pitcher so the method is not as important to me as the final product, which would be a win.

I really liked Craig Stammen’s advice to Stephen Strasburg about being humble and working hard. The worst way, I think, is to come into the clubhouse this September or in Spring Training or whenever and think you are the greatest pitcher that ever walked the earth and not give respect to the veterans that are already there. That is partly what got Lastings Milledge on the Mets bad side.

John Lannan also touched upon the lack of a veteran in the starting rotation. Now with all of this talk of tearing the team apart and trading away the veterans, I think this could really hurt the team in a more general sense. It’s almost always easier to adjust to a new situation with the guidance of someone who has done the same thing a few years earlier, like an older sibling helping a younger one in the first weeks of high school. It is also something very similar to what the Marlins would do and have done.

I also thought the last question was a great way to end that part of the call, asking how the media affects the team because when I watch MLB TV or ESPN or read anything, really there are always remarks about how terrible our performance is. I don’t think it is fair to anyone but I am glad the team tries to not let the media and opinions bother them but I don’t know if that is always true.

After the starting pitchers (minus Martis), Drew Storen, #10 overall (in case anyone forgot), came on the call. His father worked in Washington and he went to Nationals games at RFK so he has a few ties to the area and the team. He also was a fan of the Expos and Chad Cordero — and Jack McGeary and Storen were friends at Stanford. I really like that he has a mental toughness suited for late innings. Storen also really likes and wants pressure (I just hope it is not in the same way Chad Cordero put himself in pressure situations at RFK, that got too scary sometimes!).

I like the term “critical relief” that they use at Stanford; I think that the Nationals should adopt that instead of naming a new closer every few weeks.

and one last note… Storen and Strasburg are already Facebook friends.

It’s nice to get a glimpse of the future during these tough times in NatsTown.

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