Black Heart: Nationals at Phillies Gamethread, June 8, 2013

Let's talk for a minute about Dan Haren.

Dan Haren, as I learned this morning from this post on The Hardball Times, has recorded a win against every team in baseball except the Philadelphia Phillies. He has failed twice this year, but 2013 Dan Haren has really not been the Dan Haren we've come to know in past years. He also failed twice in 2009, and again in 2003. In 2003, Dan Haren was pitching in his first year of major league baseball -- Haren has been pitching for ten years. That surprised me! He was fairly bad for the Cardinals that year, but still posted three victories in 14 games started. One of these victories was against the Expos. Seriously.

In 2009, Haren was amazing, posting a 3.13 ERA and a 3.23 FIP. It was his second year with the Diamondbacks, and the second of four years -- 2008 through 2011 -- of sustained dominance (albeit, with a lesser year in 2010). He still could not record a win against the Phillies.

I don't know if I should always root for history -- part of me says that a July victory against the Nationals is nothing compared to the potential trivia that we might extract from Dan Haren's recording a win against all 30 MLB teams. But I dunno...I don't think I can root for that tonight. I think I'd rather the Phillies just rout the Nats. Call me selfish, and give my apologies to Haren (as this might be his last chance at accomplishing the feat), but just this once, I'm going to root against history.

Discuss historical trends and their victims below

Dan Haren

#15 / Pitcher / Washington Nationals

Height: 6-5

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 17, 1980

John Lannan

#27 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-4

Weight: 215

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Sep 27, 1984

Oh wait, Lannan's going tonight? Well jeez, that crazy bastard just might make it to 30 after all.

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