Comments on: Strasburg Debuts Tonight

Strasburg Debuts Tonight

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:52:14 -0800

He was previously introduced to the blue a year ago wherein he was heralded as the most incredible pitching prospect of all time. A year later, almost on cue, Stephen Strasburg makes his MLB debut tonight in Washington DC amid much fanfare.

Stephen has been been absolutely lighting it up in the minors. Of course, the cycle goes ever on, as in yesterday's draft The Nationals selected the 17 year old hitting phenom and rare skilled catcher, Bryce Harper. Strasburg Harper Pitcher/Catcher combo? John Wall to be drafted #1 overall by the wizards? McNabb re-injecting life into the Redskins? ... Anyone else interested in in moving to DC?

By: Ella Fynoe

Ella Fynoe — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:55:37 -0800

Not to mention how he manipulates the laws of physics.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:57:24 -0800

They're so excited around here that there's talk of renaming Strasburg, VA, in his honor.

By: gemmy

gemmy — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:59:32 -0800

I know someone who has tickets to the game. So jealous.

By: docgonzo

docgonzo — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:59:59 -0800

The DC team? Fuck them. Those greedheads stole our team.

By: gnutron

gnutron — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:00:03 -0800

Harper's not gonna play catcher. They've already said they're moving him to the outfield so he can focus on hitting.

By: Mister_A

Mister_A — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:00:39 -0800

The Nats are saying that Harper's an OF, at least for now.

By: jeffamaphone

jeffamaphone — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:05:17 -0800

Anyone know if this is watchable on basic Comcast in the bay area?

By: roomthreeseventeen

roomthreeseventeen — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:07:55 -0800

There was talk last year of him skipping the minors; anyone know why he didn't?

By: bearwife

bearwife — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:08:05 -0800

The most interesting thing may be how he looks next year. Young pitchers can often dazzle initially, before the players get a sense of their motion and stuff. I still hope he does well, because I've always liked the Nationals (including when they were the Montreal Expos, docgonzo) nd think they deserve a chance to emerge from their perpetual cellar spot.

By: NolanRyanHatesMatches

NolanRyanHatesMatches — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:15:18 -0800

There was talk last year of him skipping the minors; anyone know why he didn't? Mainly to push back Strasburg's contract arbitration eligibility by one year. Saves the Nats a ton of money. This does a halfway decent job of explaining the free agency/arbitration situation of his contract (short answer: calling him up to the Majors after June 1st effectively saves the Nats a buttload of money).

By: Lacking Subtlety

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:16:39 -0800

Harper's not gonna play catcher. They've already said they're moving him to the outfield so he can focus on hitting. posted by gnutron at 10:00 AM on June 8 [+] [!] The Nats are saying that Harper's an OF, at least for now. posted by Mister_A at 10:00 AM on June 8 [+] [!] They're talking about it, but the discussion is already starting to swing back the other way, as just about everyone in the world is telling them their idiots for giving up on an all-star catcher. The value is just too high at that position.

By: Lacking Subtlety

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:20:31 -0800

There was talk last year of him skipping the minors; anyone know why he didn't? posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:07 AM on June 8 [+] [!] NolanRyanHatesMatches is dead on, and plus there's some historical precedence for "giving a young kid time to build." There's no doubt that Strasburg was ready to pitch immediately, but when you couple the arbitration issue with the whole not wanting to pressure him thing, then it just makes a lot of sense. But he ended up tearing through the minors so quickly there was really no choice but to bring him up. And June was always sort of the target date anyway.

By: This Guy

This Guy — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:30:07 -0800

I was at the Nats game last Saturday night, and people were definitely already wearing Strasburg jersies. I was surprised, since most of DC isn't exactly showing up in throngs to their games. They did apparently hit 33,000+ fans this weekend though so it's nice to see them generating some excitement. That's out of a 41,000 or so total, and an average attendance from last year of just over 22,000 (21,560 so far this year). Tonight looks to be a sellout, with some standing-room-only tickets being made available. Great news for the Nats.

By: playertobenamedlater

playertobenamedlater — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:31:41 -0800

Mainly to push back Strasburg's contract arbitration eligibility by one year Exactly. I think there was also a lot of concern about throwing him to the wolves right out of the bag, given how weak the Nationals are this year in pitching, defense, and run support (specifically with RISP). I'm not expecting perfection from Strasburg tonight (or this season, really), but it would be nice to see him get his first win tonight. I just hope he doesn't fall apart like Mark Prior and Dwight Gooden (or *gulp* Ben MacDonald). Living in the DC I watch about 150 Nationals games every and will go to about 25-30 games this year (including tonight's). For the past three years this team has been completely unwatchable, with very little hope for being anything other than a doormate for the other NL East teams. Yeah, they have Ryan Zimmerman and Drew Storen, but outside of those two, and Strasburg, the Nationals have had very little success from the drafts and farm system. Strasburg won't turn them into a contender overnight, but he will add a much needed dose of excitement to an otherwise boring and dismal franchise. I usually don't buy into hype with draft picks or guys that are lights out in the minors, but I can't wait for tonight. After watching in misery as the Nationals looked like a sad group of AAAA (at best) bums for three years, tonight has me excited for the future of this franchise.

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:32:16 -0800

They also wanted to give their minor league affiliates some revenue and to generate some buzz by letting him work his way up quickly (but not quicker than June 1st.)

By: playertobenamedlater

playertobenamedlater — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:35:44 -0800

They did apparently hit 33,000+ fans this weekend though so it's nice to see them generating some excitement Yeah, me and my wife and a group of friends went to Friday's game (which was speculated to be Strasburg's first start) and the place was pretty packed. Of course, the speculation of him starting on 6.4 resulted in a ton of scalpers selling loads of tickets for less than a $1, but it was good to see a good turn out for once. Tonight's game is a total sell-out, though there are still some folks with tickets on exchange sites asking ridiculous prices. What I'm most interested in is what happens at Strasburg's second home start of the season. Will it be the usual 20K crowd or will people still flock to see him.

By: inigo2

inigo2 — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:36:51 -0800

They did apparently hit 33,000+ fans this weekend though so it's nice to see them generating some excitement. That's because a ton of people bought tickets to games hoping that it would be the series where Strasburg debuted (thoughts that weren't discouraged by the club, until real late). The 4th was almost sold out, thanks to this and ticket speculators...

By: thebergfather

thebergfather — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:40:31 -0800

Steven Strasburg is Christmas morning. I'll be watching this game on MLBtv tonight, even though my team is playing at the same time. One of the great things about baseball is that, even if he does something ridiculous like throw a no-hitter or strike out 21 tonight, we'll still have no idea how good (or bad) he's going to be over the long haul. He's pitching for a last place team. My hope is that the Nats keep him on a strict innings and pitch count. It will be fun to watch him this year, but it will be even more fun if he has a long and successful career.

By: The Card Cheat

The Card Cheat — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:40:43 -0800

Pffft. Everyone knows this guy was the most incredible pitching prospect of all time.

By: escabeche

escabeche — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:44:35 -0800

I root for the Orioles, I went through this last year with Matt Wieters, and I congratulate Nats fans on their exciting day and their inevitable slow, bitter disappointment.

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:47:09 -0800

Strasburg finished the 2009 season 13–1 with a 1.32 ERA, 59 hits allowed, 16 earned runs, 19 walks, and 195 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched. Holy shit? Thanks for the alert -- I hope tonight's game is broadcast down here.

By: Lacking Subtlety

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:51:14 -0800

Steven Strasburg is Christmas morning.... posted by thebergfather at 10:40 AM on June 8 [+] [!] Haha. Xmas morning. Lots of people are making the necessary Mark Prior comparisons, which is totally justified. The thing I like to remind folks is that Prior still had one unreal season. You definitely hope for more out of the guy, but who knows... just right now I'm loving the unbelievable promise and hope of a guy who could be the next pedro martinez. I don't know what a gift horse is but I still don't want to look it in the mouth.

By: This Guy

This Guy — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:00:48 -0800

The Card Cheat: "Pffft. Everyone knows this guy was the most incredible pitching prospect of all time." That may be the most annoyingly written sports article I've ever read... Although, to be honest, I only got 2 pages in before I gave up

By: Man-Thing

Man-Thing — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:02:49 -0800

I saw him pitch a couple of times here in Harrisburg when he was playing for the AA Senators this spring. The first time was his home opener here. After a 2 1/2-hour rain delay (extended a bit when all the lights went out in the stadium) he whiffed the first batter on three pitches. I think he threw 6 pitches total in the first inning. Unfortunately, when he came out to pitch the third the skies opened up and the game was delayed again. When it resumed the Senators had a new pitcher (but I was long gone and very wet). The next time I saw him he was actually kind of mediocre. They lifted him in the fourth or maybe fifth inning--and I couldn't help but think they didn't want an L on his record. But it was cool to see the young phe-nom pitch in our small (but beautifully renovated) ballpark.

By: cl

cl — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:03:50 -0800

Let's not overlook his .400 batting average and 1.000 fielding percentage. :)

By: Hiker

Hiker — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:09:30 -0800

The thing I like to remind folks is that Prior still had one unreal season. I think the thing to learn about Prior is that talent alone has never sustained for very long. You've got to be: - healthy (Prior's downfall); - motivated to improve (Todd Van Poppel, who was once a phenom but had a poor work ethic); - avoid getting caught up in non-baseball lifestyle (cough, Doc Gooden); - mentally tough enough for pressures of baseball (Dontrelle Willis, not that he's at the same level); I sincerely hope he has the health and desire of Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens and Roy Halladay because if he does, we're in for a special next 15-20 years with him, Tim Lincecum, Zack Greinke and Ubaldo Jiminez throwing smoke.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:26:44 -0800

Everyone in the world is telling them their idiots for giving up on an all-star catcher. The value is just too high at that position. People say this, and there's certainly more value in an All Star catcher than an outfielder, but the Nationals are not crazy, either. There's a lot of common sense the other way, both fiscally and baseball-wise. He's probably going to sign a six or seven year deal right now. If he's a catcher it will take three or four years to get him ready for the big leagues (catchers need a LOT more development time.) If he plays any other (less demanding) position on the field, however, he can be with the Nationals a year or eighteen months from now. From the Nats perspective, that will save a fortune in money that would otherwise be 'wasted' on the highest paid minor leaguer in history, and also get him contributing to the ballclub sooner and for a longer time. From his perspective, it also starts his MLB career sooner and gives him a longer one, which really matters from a legacy standpoint. Catchers also have shorter careers and are worn down by injury much sooner, leading to a move off-position anyway. Again, it's in both parties' interest to preserve his health and extend his career. And, of course, the number one prospect in the Nationals system (until now) happens to be an elite hitting catcher, so they don't have a gaping need. Third base or right field.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:27:55 -0800

Paul Konerko, Jayson Werth, and Scott Hatteberg were all first round picks as nominal catchers, too, remember.

By: Danf

Danf — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:36:16 -0800

One rotator cuff tear and it's over. But I hope he's successful and that the Nats can build around him and have a team by the time he qualifies for free agency. I would hate to see the Yankees end up with him.

By: GodricVT

GodricVT — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:59:59 -0800

Paul Konerko, Jayson Werth, and Scott Hatteberg were all first round picks as nominal catchers, too, remember. Carlos Delgado came up as a catcher too, although I think he was signed straight from Puerto Rico rather than through the draft.

By: mark242

mark242 — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:12:10 -0800

By: yiftach

yiftach — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:12:19 -0800

We are, of course, very excited down here at SDSU.

By: Lacking Subtlety

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:18:28 -0800

Let's hope, after he loses the requisite 4-5mph on his fastball after a couple of seasons, that he's able to transition into more of a cerebral, control pitcher. If he does, you're looking at the next Greg Maddux. If he doesn't, you're looking at the next Mike Maddux. posted by mark242 at 12:12 PM on June 8 [+] [!] The amazing thing is that he's already showing that control. It's the reason the hype is so big and people are comparing him to young roger/young pedro and not just another great prospect with good stuff (think King Felix, who took a few seasons to put his control together). I look at Hiker's post and though it's waaaaaay too early to tell the only thing that could be a concern is health. He really seems to have his head screwed on right. Damn I can't wait.

By: bearwife

bearwife — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:21:40 -0800

I would hate to see the Yankees end up with him. Absolutely. They are the giant vacuum for all baseball talent, and the result is the perpetual Yankees presence in the post season. Enough with the Empire already -- a better distribution of baseball stars among teams would make for an infintely more exciting and balanced baseball season.

By: BobbyDigital

BobbyDigital — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:38:45 -0800

docgonzo, if you are so upset about it you should make a time machine and go back to when Montreal had them and try to force people to actually give a crap about baseball up there. As others have said Bryce Harper will not play catcher, and a big reason why is Derek Norris, incidentally the Nationals Minor Leaguer of the year last year. There is the potential for an exiting rotation in the Nationals organization at the moment, and with Jim Bowden gone it does feel like smart people are finally making decisions. Also though post loses some points for not mentioning the most exciting #1 pick in DC.

By: Lacking Subtlety

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:40:47 -0800

Also though post loses some points for not mentioning the most exciting #1 pick in DC. posted by BobbyDigital at 12:38 PM on June 8 [1 favorite -] Favorite added! [!] Haha. I knew I was forgetting something. Believe me I loves watching me some Ovie.

By: tigrefacile

tigrefacile — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:52:58 -0800

I haven't been this excited about a pitching debut since Mike Leake! I think he'll probably dust down into a Verlander-type. But his delivery is less complicated, so he might just be a real live giant of the game. On a bad team.

By: Challahtronix

Challahtronix — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:54:35 -0800

We are, of course, very excited down here at SDSU. For a few seconds there I thought "nice try, but there's no way I'm clicking on THAT" before I realized it said "go aztecs"

By: rokusan

rokusan — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:55:37 -0800

f you are so upset about it you should make a time machine and go back to when Montreal had them and try to force people to actually give a crap about baseball up there. Been to a Marlins game lately? You can get an entire section to yourself.

By: Kirk Grim

Kirk Grim — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:13:07 -0800

Those entire sections are left empty at the request of the Marlins' risk management people. They're concerned about fans getting injured when the Marlins soar.

By: jermsplan

jermsplan — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:58:43 -0800

To make the game even more interesting, I think the Pirates should be required to take back Matt Capps if they lose tonight. /was at the game on Sunday and WTF

By: dirigibleman

dirigibleman — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:18:33 -0800

This is going to be the most-watched Pirates game since Sid Bream lumbered around third.

By: saul wright

saul wright — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:57:13 -0800

What can I say? I'm buying into the hype and I'm pumped. The Nats have been doin pretty decent this year...with Stas and Slugger boy next year, they might have somethin real going.

By: Lacking Subtlety

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:57:46 -0800

T-Minus 3 Minutes

By: escabeche

escabeche — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:10:49 -0800

First pitch a ball. Let the reassessment begin!

By: Asparagirl

Asparagirl — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:14:42 -0800

Wait a minute. Do you mean to say that a young star baseball prospect basically just popped out of nowhere to play for the Washington ~~Senators~~ Nationals, who are in desperate need of help (especially against the hated New York Yankees), and he starts tonight? For reals? This calls for dancing baseball players!

By: Lacking Subtlety

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:17:43 -0800

First pitch a ball. Let the reassessment begin! posted by escabeche at 4:10 PM on June 8 [+] [!] No hit first inning capped by gnarly strikeout by slurve! Let the reassessment begin!

By: (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates

(Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:55:48 -0800

Kid is good.

By: wemayfreeze

wemayfreeze — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:56:45 -0800

14 Ks in 7. Unreal.

By: dirigibleman

dirigibleman — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:56:53 -0800

Seven innings, 14 strikeouts (7 in a row). I know it's the Pirates, but that's twisted.

By: Lacking Subtlety

Lacking Subtlety — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:03:17 -0800

7 IP, 2 runs, 4 hits, 14 K's The ERs were really just off one mistake pitch and it was pudge's fault on a bad pitch call (seriously don't call for his weakest pitch on a 3-2 count and a man on third) That being said... Welcome to the big league kid. Stay healthy and it's going to be fun for all of us.

By: Hiker

Hiker — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:29:10 -0800

He struck out 6 in a row twice. The Pirates are pitiful but still...talk about living up to your hype. His mechanics are effortless, which bodes well for his longevity.

By: Corduroy

Corduroy — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:47:56 -0800

One of the most impressive statistics from the night is that he struck out each Pirate at least once. He wasn't just picking on the three worst batters in the line up and it shows a pretty good mental understanding of the whole opposing line up (although some of that must be attributed to the catcher. I didn't watch; does anyone know if Strasburg was shaking off that many pitch calls?)

By: saul wright

saul wright — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:55:33 -0800

HOLY SHIT

By: umberto

umberto — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:46:39 -0800

As a Nats fan, I am 100% woody at this point. As much as I like the Ks...no walks! On top of which he seems insanely together for 21. He already has that drawlin' Chuck Yeager, if-I-had-any-more-energy-I'd-say-aw-shucks kind of a thing. Seems like a natural. Also, I saw something I'd never seen before, after the game. In the usually vile, partisan, macho, bile-spewing, chest-beating team fan forums tracking the game, fans from OTHER teams were dropping by to offer congratulations and respect. Sincerely. Even unto the Phillies fans. Weird sports fan activity. Downright genteel, which is usually not even in the same zip code as online fan behavior.

By: kosem

kosem — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:50:33 -0800

He was every bit as good, and possibly better than we were told he was going to be -- and that is saying something. Absolutely electric stuff.

By: yiftach

yiftach — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:49 -0800

14K Highlight Reel Gawd that was beautiful to watch. I can't wait to see him play live.

By: notmydesk

notmydesk — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:25:50 -0800

Can't wait to see him pitch against a baseball team. Seriously, this kid is going to be fun to watch. Happy to see they pulled him in the 7th. Hope they continue to take care of his arm.

By: antifuse

antifuse — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:27:43 -0800

Let's hope the Nats have managed to ditch the Expos curse when they moved to Washington... Otherwise if they do well at all we are going to lose another World Series to a strike. :)

By: rokusan

rokusan — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:38:11 -0800

"I didn't actually read the scouting report [on the Pirates hitters] because I didn't have time. I just threw whatever [catcher Pudge Rodriguez] called for and tried to hit his glove." -- Strasburg, postgame interview. Imagine what he'll do when he actually prepares.

By: chavenet

chavenet — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:39:27 -0800

I recorded this game and watched some of the highlights. Damn that's good pitching. Plus, for some strange reason I really like the Nationals, despite only having been in DC for one week as a kid on the standard-issue "see the Smithsonian & the Monuments" trip.

By: chavenet

chavenet — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:40:37 -0800

Relatedly: Yes, iCan.

By: chavenet

chavenet — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:42:32 -0800

Er, wrong thread. Sorry.

By: inigo2

inigo2 — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:14:58 -0800

Plus, for some strange reason I really like the Nationals, despite only having been in DC for one week as a kid on the standard-issue "see the Smithsonian & the Monuments" trip. It's cause you weren't here long enough to see the owners pull one of their shady tricks (pay for rent? Pshaw........)