It’s a cliche to say, “Where do I start?” when writing a reflective piece. Especially when you’re reflecting on something that happened 3 hours earlier. To understand the scope of Stephen Strasburg’s debut tonight, you have to understand the apathy people in Washington have for the Nationals. Or at least “had,” before tonight.
On a given weeknight, the predominant color at Nationals Park is not red, it’s blue. Blue being the color of the seats. The Nationals moved into their new park the same year I moved to this great city and I was, and continue to be, struck by how little people care about the ins and outs of the organization. In a lot of ways, a Friday night baseball game here, for a lot of people, is a social outing rather than a baseball experience. I’m still not used to it, but I’m getting more comfortable with the fact that Washington, in terms of baseball fandom, isn’t quite New York, Boston, or Philadelphia. That was until Tuesday June 8.
The arrival of Stephen Strasburg in DC had been highly anticipated. He was on the cover of “Politico” Monday for heaven’s sake. Strasburg’s pitching arsenal is unlike anyone I have ever seen. To find a pitcher, a 21 year old pitcher, with a 99-101 MPH 4-Seam Fastball, a 95-97 MPH sinker, and a gorgeous 78-83 MPH 12-6 curveball is kind of like finding the Loch Ness Monster riding Bigfoot in the Fountain of Youth. Strasburg is one of a kind as pitchers go. He is, if all goes well, on the road to Cooperstown, NY. The potential is there. We all wondered though, “How would he live up to the hype?”
On Tuesday, June 8, he exceeded it. 7 IP, 2 ER, 0 BB, 14 K. In his MLB debut. But the numbers won’t be what I remember, necessarily.
When I walked into the park, I was astonished at the crowd already inside an hour before first pitch. However, it wasn’t until I got to my seat (Sect. 203, Row D, Seat 5) that it hit me. As I sat there, I could sense the buzz that I’ve always heard about at major sporting events. There was lots of noise, 25 minutes before the National Anthem. That only built. I’m not a skilled enough wordsmith to describe the level of noise and excitement. I have never, ever been to a sporting event like Stephen Strasburg’s debut. His final 3 innings were legendary. After he gave up a two-run HR to Delwyn Young, Strasburg settled down and delivered the most impressive 9 outs I have ever seen. Ever. And the crowd appreciated every bit of it. As impressed as I was with Stephen, I was equally impressed with the baseball crowd in Washington.
On a beautiful late spring night, a game that would have looked a level below innocuous on the preseason schedule, was the centerpiece of the sports universe. A June game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals had the feel of a World Series game. There are (hopefully) many, many more starts in the history of Stephen Strasburg in the Major Leagues. The world is in his hands, as far as baseball goes. He’s a relaxed, self-aware, motivated, and humble 21 year old with perhaps the greatest right arm on the planet Earth right now. He still has a long way to go on his way to Cooperstown, NY. However, for at least one night, his first in the big leagues, he captivated 40,000+ people, who have likely never seen a more dominant performance in their life. And I will always consider myself blessed to have witnessed Day One of his Major League Career. And I thank him, not only for the joy of being there June 8, 2010, but for all that he will accomplish as a pitcher in his career.
Mid-Atlantic Bias 