Nats' rocket-armed rook and another 'quake in the park

I hate to hype the already ultra-hyped Stephen Strasburg, but the kid is deserving of praise. So much so, he was named the NL Player of the Week after improving to 2-0 against the Indians in Cleveland Sunday. Stras struck out eight (22 K's in his first two starts, good for second best all-time behind Brooklyn Dodger Karl Spooner) over 5 1/3 innings and brought the second largest crowd of the season to Progressive Field in the process. "Ticket sales were up by 15,000." I've been able to watch him throw in both starts--once on MLB Network and once on TBS--and I was impressed each time (if you haven't watched him yet, set your DVR for Friday when he'll start against the White Sox @ 6:05 p.m. on MLB Network). He is like a hybrid pitcher, mixing Nolan Ryan-like velocity with Greg Maddux-like accuracy. He's given up two HRs but each were flukes, in my opinion. Both to lefties, the first was a good change-up away and the second came on a low inside fastball that would have been a fly ball out to left had he not gassed it up over 100 mph; the faster it comes in, the faster it's gonna go out. Oddly enough, Adam Dunn has a homer in each of Strasburg's starts, and to go with his 2.19 ERA he's got a pretty good sense of humor too...
TOP TEN LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT STEPHEN STRASBURG

A's starter Dallas Braden made an appearance on the show earlier this season.

--In the bottom of the eighth inning of Monday night's contest between the Blue Jays and Padres at Petco Park in San Diego a 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook both fans and players, although some had different reactions.
*Toronto 2B Aaron Hill didn't feel it.
*Fans "howled in delight."
*Batter and Padres 3B Chase Headley had to step out of the box. "I don't like it. Not being from around here... it's kind of freaky".
*Jays catcher John Buck was confused, "I didn't even get to feel it."
*OF Vernon Wells thought a plane flew over. "I didn't know what everybody was fired up about."
*It was pitcher Shaun Marcum's first earthquake. He was in the clubhouse and watched TVs rattle.
This was the second earthquake to hit Petco Park, the first came a day before the regular season opener on Easter, a 7.2 on the Richter scale that shook the foul pole.

Reminiscent of the 1989 Fall Classic and Game Three's Earthquake in San Fran.

Also from Yahoo! MLB blog Big League Stew:
--After taking a survey of 100 players, ESPN reported 53 percent of those asked said Jim Joyce was one of the best in the biz. C.B. Bucknor and Joe West (pictured below) were among the worst.

-- MUST SEE!! Cleveland rookie catcher Carlos Santana gets jacked up at the plate by Adam Dunn. Dunn played college football at the University of Texas, ableit as a QB. Dude is huge, 6'6" and flirting with 300 lbs.

--ESPN Power Rankings June 14
TOP FIVE:
1. NYY
2. TB
3. BOS
4. MIN
5. ATL

REDS RANT
From blog The Real McCoy, DDN:
--The Reds' bullpen may be bolstered by rookie RHP Jordan Smith. Converted this year from starter to reliever and drafted with Drew Stubbs in 2006, Smith is on the 40-man roster after being called up from AA Carolina Mudcats.
--Homer Bailey on the World Cup:
"There are nearly a dozen flat screen HD TVs in the palatial confines of the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse and they all seemed to be tuned in to World Cup soccer early Sunday morning.
Homer Bailey sat at his locker staring at at a TV, the only one NOT displaying soccer. Bailey was watching a show on bow hunting.
'I knew you wouldn’t be watching soccer,' I said. Bailey smiled and said, 'No way. Soccer is a communist sport. And I don’t care if you use that.'"
-Hal McCoy

--Since 2008, the Reds are 3-12 3-13 4-14 against the Dodgers.
--Reds will travel to the west coast this weekend to face Seattle and Oakland for three games a piece. Over the last two seasons, the Reds are 12-20 when facing west coast opponents away from GABP (all were NL teams).
--After throwing three scoreless innings in his first rehab start, Edinson Volquez will pitch again Thursday for single A Lynchburg.
--Ryan Hanigan's thumb is only a problem when he catches.
-!-I'm looking forward to tomorrow's match-up: Leake (5-0, 2.68 ERA) vs. Kershaw (6-3, 3.13 ERA), both the ripe old age of 22.