Is there any other way to describe Strasburg's debut?
Funny, because leading up to last night, for, oh about the last two weeks, I really didn't sense that Tuesday would feel any different around our sprawling tri-state (sorta) region.
I was wrong.
There was a distinct buzz. On the radio. At the charity golf tournament I was participating in. A giddiness that was palpable.
Then the kid goes out and torches 14 Pirates without walking one. Something no pitcher in his major league debut has ever done.
Ever. Ken Burns can look that one up, and he won't find it. And Ken was in the house last night!
Fucking.... awesome!
I won't say this was exactly "worth" growing up my entire life without a baseball team until 5 years ago.
But it was close.
Tuesday night was the birth of Washington D.C. as a baseball town. We haven't been one since the Nats (Senators) returned. But we are now. Not like New York. Not Boston. Not St. Louis. Not Philly.
Not even the next 10 or 15 cities.
But we were born last night as a baseball city.
Real baseball cities need the following...
a. A Team
b. A star player who gets the blood pumping
c. A playoff appearance to enrapture the city
We fought for 3 decades to get a squad back. We finally did. Check.
We got lucky to land Strasburg. Check.
It's going to take several years and some luck to get "C". But give us time.
For you guys in Milwaukee who had Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, you know. There is nothing quite like having a major league club, and a phenomenal talent.
Maybe Strasburg is only being rented for 5 years from the Yankees. Maybe that elbow will explode like so many power pitchers before him.
I for one, am not living in the "maybe." I'm just soaking it up. As a fan, you are lucky to get one of these players in a lifetime to root for. If Bryce Harper is what he appears to be, then we might just get two.
Score it a big fat "Curly W" flag above the stadium, and a big fat smile on all of Washington's face on Wednesday.
Well said Czabe. Rarely in sports does something live up to that much hype. The Super Bowl is rarely all that super. Championship games are often blowouts. But Strasburg lived up to the moment tonight.
ReplyDeleteHis career...hard to tell. He could be more Ben McDonald than Nolan Ryan. But for this one night, and for giving DC a shot of baseball adrenaline, he was simply awesome.
P.S. Get your ass back on in the mornings. My commute sucks.
As a Phillies fan, I have to admit that I will be crapping my pants when we face Strasburg. That was one hell of a debut. I think this is going to be the wakeup call that turns D.C. into a baseball town.
ReplyDeletecan you imagine how sick to his stomach peter angelos is... as they continue down the crapper, the Nationals pack the house, and have the national media writing about the phenom. hahahahahaha...
ReplyDeleteI was as impressed with Strasburg as anyone, but one point of clarification: The Nats didn't get "lucky" to land him. They sucked ass on the field hard enough for the right to draft him and then bowled him over with enough money to make him willing to button up a Nats jersey. That didn't take luck, my friend.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to his start up here in the Yards on the 26th though. I'm already putting that in the WIN column for him.
Well put.. "I WAS THERE" is probably the most fun thing a sports fan can say and this morning has been dominated by officemates wanting to hear more about what i witnessed.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I would add is that DC is not quite baseball-town ready, I was truly disappointed that NO ONE in Nats Park had K signs, or barely any signs for that matter. The atmosphere was great and all it needs are some more of the baseball staples of fandom to bless DC.
What truly sucks about MLB is that it's only a matter of time before he's a Yankee. Enjoy it for now, though!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see Strasburg in his major league debut in his next start. He certainly was impressive in his DC debut against that AAA team from Pittsburgh. Onto the majors! :)
ReplyDeleteJohn- don't forget Strasburg's next start Sunday is against another AAA team in Cleveland....
ReplyDeleteAnthony Garcia, I read on Dan Steinberg's chat on washingtonpost.com that some fans did bring K signs, and the stadium staff wouldn't allow them to be put up, which is unreal.
ReplyDeleteNats are p*ssies for pushing Strasburg back to the Pirates. The Reds would have ruined his perfect day. Let's see him in a month when he plays above .500 teams.
ReplyDeletelaglo, "Swete" Pete Angelos is whistling dixie right now. He owns MASN, so higher ratings when Strasburg pitches is more money in his pocket. He was quoted in the Baltimore Sun a few weeks ago as saying "What's good for the Nats is good for the Orioles." It's the Orioles fans who are the real losers.
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