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Beltway Boys: Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and the Rise of the Nationals
An insider’s look at the Washington Nationals’ breakout season and their unique strategy to piece together a contending team, this work shows how the team combined once-in-a-generation talent with an experienced manager and a roster of other talented young players to lead the team to the top of the National League East. Anchored by a pair of number one draft picks—the steady, serious Stephen Strasburg and the brash, bold Bryce Harper—the Nationals have been elevated to first place in the National League East. Beltway Boys dives into Strasburg and Harper’s preordained journey to the major leagues and the challenges they faced once they arrived, including Strasburg’s recovery from Tommy John Surgery and Harper’s misperceived persona. Also included are several never-before-told stories about the budding superstars, manager Davey Johnson, and general manager Mike Rizzo, making this the perfect reference for any baseball fan.
- GenresSportsBaseballNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 29, 2019
"Beltway Boys" is a book written by Elliot Smith that chronicles the drafting and development of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper by the Washington Nationals. The book details the baseball playing of Strasburg and Harper before they were drafted and signed by the Nationals. It also looks into the drama and excitement that was present as the Nationals prepared to draft and sign each player in back to back drafts. Additionally, the book examines the minor league performances of each player as well as the beginning of their major league careers. The first chapter of the book is dedicated to the history of baseball in Washington D.C before Strasburg and Harper were drafted.
Drafting players with potential helps sports teams to be hopeful and optimistic about the future. No matter how poorly a team had played in the past, there is always hope that young and new players can change the narrative that surrounds the team. Hopefully, new and talented players will make the team better and more exciting. Hopefully, new and gifted players will help teams to improve their performance on the field as well as their attendance at the stadium.
These are the kind of sentiments that surrounded the Washington Nationals' organization as they prepared to draft Strasburg in the 2009 draft and Harper in the 2010 draft. Both were obvious number one selections. The only uncertainty was whether or not the Nationals would be able to sign them for the money that they and their agent, Scott Boras, were looking for.
As a junior in high school, Strasburg was receiving attention from baseball observers. He was throwing 90 miles per hour, and was viewed as a good professional baseball prospect. However, he needed to improve his conditioning. Also, Strasburg was hurt by poor run support from his team During his junior year, Strasburg went 1-10. In his senior year, Strasburg faired better, as he went 7-2 with a 1.36 ERA. During his senior year, he was also in better shape according to Strasburg's high school coach.
Initially, Strasburg wanted to go to the University of Stanford, but he decided to go to San Diego State instead, in part, because it was closer to home. It was also a team coached by hall of famer Tony Gwynn. At first, Strasburg did not like the conditioning that was involved in college and actually thought about quitting baseball and working at "Home Depot" close to his house. However, Gwynn and San Diego strength coach Dave Ohton helped him to improve his conditioning. He pitched well at San Diego State and became one of the best prospects in all of baseball.
Strasburg was drafted first overall by the Nationals on June 9th, 2009 as expected. The Nationals were very happy with the selection. He signed a four year contract with Washington on August 15th for 15.1 million dollars, a record for a rookie contract. Strasburg made his minor league debut on October 16th, 2009 with the Phoenix Desert Dogs. He then played for the Double A Harrisburg Senators and the Triple A Syracuse Sky Chiefs. Eventually Strasburg made his major league debut with Washington on June 8th against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Harper was also a talented high school baseball player. He grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Harper was an all around athlete who liked playing different sports, not just baseball. Harper credited his father has having a big influence on him and teaching him how to play baseball "the right way."
Harper was so talented that he made the cover of Sports Illustrated as a junior in high school. Harper tried hard to improve every day and did not focus on a lot of the attention he was receiving. Eventually, Harper went to the College of Southern Nevada to play baseball. He played baseball there for two years at the junior college.
The Nationals drafted Harper first overall. The Nationals signed Harper on August 16th, 2010 right before midnight. Harper received a five year, 9.9 million dollar contract, including a 6.25 million dollar signing bonus. As Smith says, it was the richest contract ever received by a rookie position player.
On February 28th, 2011, Harper played the New York Mets in his spring training debut. Soon after, Harper was assigned to the minor leagues. He was assigned to Hagerstown, a single A affiliate of the Nationals. After playing 72 games for Hagerstown, Harper was promoted to Harrisburg to play double A baseball. Eventually, Harper was promoted to triple A Syracuse.
Smith mentions that Strasburg and Harper have very different personalities. Smith says "It's hard to imagine two players more wildly different from a personality standpoint than Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. They may have a shared experience as can't-miss, No. 1 picks, but otherwise the two men were as different as night and day." Smith mentions that Strasburg is quieter and "introspective," whereas Harper is more outgoing and that "Harper welcomed the attention of being a phenom." Smith mentions that even before he became a professional, people around the country knew who Harper was.
In 2012 , both Strasburg and Harper made the All Star game which helped promote the Washington Nationals. The game was played at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City. Harper went 0-4, while Strasburg pitched the fourth inning. The National League shut out the American League, 8-0. At the time, the Nationals were having a good season and had a chance to make the playoffs. However, the Nationals had Strasburg on a pitch count. They were trying to limit the number of innings that he pitched as he came back from Tommy John surgery. So, after just over 159 innings, and with a 15-6 record, the Nationals did not allow Strasburg to pitch any more during the season. Even though the Nationals were going to make the playoffs, the organization decided that they did not want to risk an injury to Strasburg.
The decision to not pitch Strasburg the rest of the year or the playoffs was controversial among some of his teammates. It was also controversial in the media as many sports writers disagreed with the decision.
The Nationals completed the regular season with the best record in the National League. They had a chance to advance in the playoffs and maybe go all the way to the World Series. However, the Nationals lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 in the Divisional Series. Though the Nationals lost in the playoffs, Harper was named the rookie of the year and Strasburg had a solid season.
"Beltway Boys" is a decent book about the beginning of the careers of both Strasburg and Harper. The book addresses the attention and the hype that surrounded the scouting, drafting and developing of both players. The book discusses the different personalities of the two players and the excitement that both brought to the Nationals and to Washington, D.C.
Drafting players with potential helps sports teams to be hopeful and optimistic about the future. No matter how poorly a team had played in the past, there is always hope that young and new players can change the narrative that surrounds the team. Hopefully, new and talented players will make the team better and more exciting. Hopefully, new and gifted players will help teams to improve their performance on the field as well as their attendance at the stadium.
These are the kind of sentiments that surrounded the Washington Nationals' organization as they prepared to draft Strasburg in the 2009 draft and Harper in the 2010 draft. Both were obvious number one selections. The only uncertainty was whether or not the Nationals would be able to sign them for the money that they and their agent, Scott Boras, were looking for.
As a junior in high school, Strasburg was receiving attention from baseball observers. He was throwing 90 miles per hour, and was viewed as a good professional baseball prospect. However, he needed to improve his conditioning. Also, Strasburg was hurt by poor run support from his team During his junior year, Strasburg went 1-10. In his senior year, Strasburg faired better, as he went 7-2 with a 1.36 ERA. During his senior year, he was also in better shape according to Strasburg's high school coach.
Initially, Strasburg wanted to go to the University of Stanford, but he decided to go to San Diego State instead, in part, because it was closer to home. It was also a team coached by hall of famer Tony Gwynn. At first, Strasburg did not like the conditioning that was involved in college and actually thought about quitting baseball and working at "Home Depot" close to his house. However, Gwynn and San Diego strength coach Dave Ohton helped him to improve his conditioning. He pitched well at San Diego State and became one of the best prospects in all of baseball.
Strasburg was drafted first overall by the Nationals on June 9th, 2009 as expected. The Nationals were very happy with the selection. He signed a four year contract with Washington on August 15th for 15.1 million dollars, a record for a rookie contract. Strasburg made his minor league debut on October 16th, 2009 with the Phoenix Desert Dogs. He then played for the Double A Harrisburg Senators and the Triple A Syracuse Sky Chiefs. Eventually Strasburg made his major league debut with Washington on June 8th against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Harper was also a talented high school baseball player. He grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Harper was an all around athlete who liked playing different sports, not just baseball. Harper credited his father has having a big influence on him and teaching him how to play baseball "the right way."
Harper was so talented that he made the cover of Sports Illustrated as a junior in high school. Harper tried hard to improve every day and did not focus on a lot of the attention he was receiving. Eventually, Harper went to the College of Southern Nevada to play baseball. He played baseball there for two years at the junior college.
The Nationals drafted Harper first overall. The Nationals signed Harper on August 16th, 2010 right before midnight. Harper received a five year, 9.9 million dollar contract, including a 6.25 million dollar signing bonus. As Smith says, it was the richest contract ever received by a rookie position player.
On February 28th, 2011, Harper played the New York Mets in his spring training debut. Soon after, Harper was assigned to the minor leagues. He was assigned to Hagerstown, a single A affiliate of the Nationals. After playing 72 games for Hagerstown, Harper was promoted to Harrisburg to play double A baseball. Eventually, Harper was promoted to triple A Syracuse.
Smith mentions that Strasburg and Harper have very different personalities. Smith says "It's hard to imagine two players more wildly different from a personality standpoint than Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. They may have a shared experience as can't-miss, No. 1 picks, but otherwise the two men were as different as night and day." Smith mentions that Strasburg is quieter and "introspective," whereas Harper is more outgoing and that "Harper welcomed the attention of being a phenom." Smith mentions that even before he became a professional, people around the country knew who Harper was.
In 2012 , both Strasburg and Harper made the All Star game which helped promote the Washington Nationals. The game was played at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City. Harper went 0-4, while Strasburg pitched the fourth inning. The National League shut out the American League, 8-0. At the time, the Nationals were having a good season and had a chance to make the playoffs. However, the Nationals had Strasburg on a pitch count. They were trying to limit the number of innings that he pitched as he came back from Tommy John surgery. So, after just over 159 innings, and with a 15-6 record, the Nationals did not allow Strasburg to pitch any more during the season. Even though the Nationals were going to make the playoffs, the organization decided that they did not want to risk an injury to Strasburg.
The decision to not pitch Strasburg the rest of the year or the playoffs was controversial among some of his teammates. It was also controversial in the media as many sports writers disagreed with the decision.
The Nationals completed the regular season with the best record in the National League. They had a chance to advance in the playoffs and maybe go all the way to the World Series. However, the Nationals lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 in the Divisional Series. Though the Nationals lost in the playoffs, Harper was named the rookie of the year and Strasburg had a solid season.
"Beltway Boys" is a decent book about the beginning of the careers of both Strasburg and Harper. The book addresses the attention and the hype that surrounded the scouting, drafting and developing of both players. The book discusses the different personalities of the two players and the excitement that both brought to the Nationals and to Washington, D.C.
April 20, 2013
If you're a Nationals' fan, or just curious about the two young players who headline the book, this is definitely worth a look. But otherwise, it just feels like this is a little too much of a stretch to fill a book. The whole thing seems to be well researched, with quotes from a lot of different sources and a lot of different angles.
It feels like another go-over from an editor might not have been amiss. While there are no glaring outright errors, the book is full of awkwardly overwritten phrasing - as an example "the things to which he is accustomed" instead of "the things he's accustomed to." It's a small but persistent thing.
But I think the biggest problem I had with this book isn't technical, but personal - the people it's about never really establish themselves within the pages as characters we need to care about and root for. All the technical things are well done, but there seemed to be a lack of humanization of especially Strasburg. Harper comes across as a bit more of a personality, but its not enough to carry the book to 4 or 5 stars.
Still, it's a solid look at a surprising year for the Nats and I think fans will have a lot to enjoy if they choose to pick this one up.
It feels like another go-over from an editor might not have been amiss. While there are no glaring outright errors, the book is full of awkwardly overwritten phrasing - as an example "the things to which he is accustomed" instead of "the things he's accustomed to." It's a small but persistent thing.
But I think the biggest problem I had with this book isn't technical, but personal - the people it's about never really establish themselves within the pages as characters we need to care about and root for. All the technical things are well done, but there seemed to be a lack of humanization of especially Strasburg. Harper comes across as a bit more of a personality, but its not enough to carry the book to 4 or 5 stars.
Still, it's a solid look at a surprising year for the Nats and I think fans will have a lot to enjoy if they choose to pick this one up.
March 2, 2014
Beltway Boys by Elliot Smith, foreword by Bob Carpenter
2 of 5 Stars by Aden Sachs
Read February 14,to March 2, 2014
I am a die-hard baseball fan and love playing, watching, and reading about the game, but I would not recommend this book to sports fan anywhere. This story was about the Washington Nationals and their struggle of having losing seasons year after year. Scoring two back to back number one draft picks, the Nationals became a competitor in their division.
Elliot Smith wrote this nonfiction book to prove you have to go backwards before you go forward. The Nationals came into the division close to dead last, not long after the team went backwards to dead last. The team scored two, back to back number one draft picks and began to shoot forward in the standings. The determination the team showed throughout the story was incredible, always trying to win.
The theme of the story was determination and never giving up, shown not just by Steven Strasburg, battling injury, but the whole team fighting continuous losing seasons. "This is a new challenge. I want to be the best at everything. Right now, I am going to be the best at rehabbing." This quote by Steven Strasburg was when he was fighting a shoulder injury requiring Tommy John surgery. He showed determination by never giving up on baseball even when he was at his worst.
The style of this story a slow narration going through each and every problem, quote, and statistic of the Nationals seasons, which made the book very monotonous. From their first game on April 4, 2005 to winning the division title in 2012. The Nationals faced many problems such as injury, poor management, and lack of fan support. The style the author wrote in made it feel as the reader was the skipper of the team, facing the same problems first hand. The author gained and lost my interest throughout the story because of the style, sometimes I could read for days and other times I did not even want to see the book.
I did not enjoy the majority of this book, but there was some really great, inspirational quotes from the top athletes in the game that really caught my interest. My absolute favorite quote was mentioned earlier in this review, "...I want to be the best at everything..." The thing I did not like about the book and would like to change it was extremely slow at first going through each and every little thing. I would of changed it to be more about the two all-stars going through their life.
I would not recommend this book to anyone, very slow paced story with a lot of unnecessary quotes by sport commentators and little side stories. If you do happen to read the book, I recommended the last 4 chapters of the book because that is when everything begins to click. I hope you enjoy Beltway Boys more than I did.
2 of 5 Stars by Aden Sachs
Read February 14,to March 2, 2014
I am a die-hard baseball fan and love playing, watching, and reading about the game, but I would not recommend this book to sports fan anywhere. This story was about the Washington Nationals and their struggle of having losing seasons year after year. Scoring two back to back number one draft picks, the Nationals became a competitor in their division.
Elliot Smith wrote this nonfiction book to prove you have to go backwards before you go forward. The Nationals came into the division close to dead last, not long after the team went backwards to dead last. The team scored two, back to back number one draft picks and began to shoot forward in the standings. The determination the team showed throughout the story was incredible, always trying to win.
The theme of the story was determination and never giving up, shown not just by Steven Strasburg, battling injury, but the whole team fighting continuous losing seasons. "This is a new challenge. I want to be the best at everything. Right now, I am going to be the best at rehabbing." This quote by Steven Strasburg was when he was fighting a shoulder injury requiring Tommy John surgery. He showed determination by never giving up on baseball even when he was at his worst.
The style of this story a slow narration going through each and every problem, quote, and statistic of the Nationals seasons, which made the book very monotonous. From their first game on April 4, 2005 to winning the division title in 2012. The Nationals faced many problems such as injury, poor management, and lack of fan support. The style the author wrote in made it feel as the reader was the skipper of the team, facing the same problems first hand. The author gained and lost my interest throughout the story because of the style, sometimes I could read for days and other times I did not even want to see the book.
I did not enjoy the majority of this book, but there was some really great, inspirational quotes from the top athletes in the game that really caught my interest. My absolute favorite quote was mentioned earlier in this review, "...I want to be the best at everything..." The thing I did not like about the book and would like to change it was extremely slow at first going through each and every little thing. I would of changed it to be more about the two all-stars going through their life.
I would not recommend this book to anyone, very slow paced story with a lot of unnecessary quotes by sport commentators and little side stories. If you do happen to read the book, I recommended the last 4 chapters of the book because that is when everything begins to click. I hope you enjoy Beltway Boys more than I did.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews