Davey Johnson finds similarities between Stephen Strasburg and Dwight Gooden - MLB Update
In an attempt to invoke comparison between Washington Nationals and New York Mets’ team of 1986 when they won the World Championship, manager Davey Johnson speaks of areas they converge.
Putting his starter Stephen Strasburg with Dwight Gooden, he believes the kind of role he played for the Mets back then, somewhat similar can be expected of him as well.
He clarifies that since Nationals consist largely of youth not much different to the Mets’ 1986 line-up as they possess everything needed to take them to new heights in the current season.
"We've got a pretty good young pitcher that reminds me of Dwight Gooden in Steven Strasburg," Johnson said. "We've got some young players, a la [Darryl] Strawberry, [Lenny] Dykstra, [Wally] Backman. And we were always last place. And then we had a pretty
good year, came in second, won 95 games. Then we got a little better and won 98. And then won 108. Basically, the young guys grew up. And I feel the same way here. If the young guys mature and play to their potential, it could be a similar scenario."
Comparison is more an endeavour toward lifting players’ morale than a conclusion after an objective understanding of both teams.
There are a number of ways one can point out the glaring differences prevalent with the Nationals at the moment and with the Mets’ back then.
Strasburg has the potential at the kind of career record he currently possesses to call it more than just wishfull thinking by a manager.
Gooden was considered the most dominant pitcher in his time and his career win-loss record of 194-112 and 2293 strike-outs are among the best a hurler can achieve.
One can disagree by saying that Gooden also did not have great record by the time he led the Mets to the World Championship.
As Nationals play more games, their strength will unfold and so will their weaknesses. One will be better able to estimate their chances by then.
After all, every season is a different story and hoping one season to pan out the way any season in the past had occurred is a sheer disapproval of how nature works.
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