Ian Desmond, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg: All-Star trio for Washington Nationals-MLB Feature
Distinctions abound for the Washington Nationals this year. Getting three players making it to the All-Star Game is something organisations can only dream about. Addition of outfielder Bryce Harper, if elected through final votes by fans, will be another
feather in their cap.
While one can easily take inspiration from the Nationals now, signs of becoming a formidable force in the season were visible before the start.
During Spring Training, immaculate preparations under the supervision of their manager Davey Johnson led many to believe prematurely that they are going to make an impact in the season.
Ace Stephen Strasburg was upbeat and had his artillery fine-tuned to perfection. Fierceness of his fastballs was being smelled by everyone. His hunger for drawing strike-outs was something opponents had grown conscious about.
Similarly, meticulous care Ian Desmond received from the manager Johnson was indicative of the confidence he was being thrust to by the latter. The manager fixed Desmond swinging issues in time and just before the season began, he was ready to display his
talent.
Desmond got the runners to revolve around him. Extent of his preparations was such that while rest of the line-up fell by, he would stay resilient and keep striking hits on a consistent basis. Rewarding the faith the manager showed, he acted as a lynchpin
of the offence.
Likewise, Gio Gonzalez had sparked the fire way earlier than the time it actually dealt most of the damage.
Spring Training witnessed fastballs that he can intimidate the batters with and get strike-outs as a result. Beginning of the season was the point he had everything cooked up and ready to deliver.
It was to be little surprise when he landed onto the big stage, he was at-ease and least worried about where he has to produce splendours.
The trio now heads to Kansas City for July 10 All-Star Game. The day will mark a history for the Nationals. It will be the day to savour and moments to relish. For Johnson, it will be like the gruelling spells of practice sessions he endured with the players.
The way he regrouped the scattered talent of the Nationals and transformed them into a present crew of All-Stars, he deserves credit.
Yet, a bigger task lies ahead. The job is just half-done. Maintaining the status quo is another challenge for Johnson. Keeping players focused for making it through the play-offs and then shining from there on to somewhere substantial, remains an assignment.
Good thing is that it is not lost on players. For Strasburg reaching the glory of a World Series victory is more important, despite the fact that All-Star Game is going to be an epic experience.
“It’s going to be a tremendous experience, and it’s a huge honor for me,” Strasburg said. “It’s amazing to think where I was a year ago. It’s great to see the hard work has all paid off, but it’s not done. It’s only the halfway point in the year, and we’ve
still got a long ways to go. I’m excited to be a part of [the All-Star Game], but at the same time I want to help this team get to a World Series someday and get to the playoffs year in and year out.”
As soon as All-Star break concludes, one will hope that the Nationals will be back to normalcy. Instead of getting lost in the extravaganza of the Midseason Classic, ideally they will be resuming the season from where they had left.
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