Warning: Use of undefined constant wpurl - assumed 'wpurl' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/y9gq09f5yym1/public_html/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/addtofacebook.php on line 50
The Nationals gave out these stubs to fans who bought tickets online.
On Tuesday night, I witnessed baseball history as the Nationals’ first round pick, Stephen Strasburg, took the mound in his first Major League game. The baseball world has eagerly awaited his arrival in the bigs since being drafted from San Diego State about a year ago. The Nationals had him pitch in the minors over the past few months, and I had considered seeing one of the minor league games, but having been lucky enough (reload) to score a ticket, I was happy to make my first trip to see baseball in Washington for Stephen Strasburg’s debut.
And what a game it was! Strasburg used a lot of soft pitches in addition to his heat, and racked up FOURTEEN strikeouts! You shoulda heard the crowd react the first time he hit 100 mph on the scoreboard. Strasburg’s 14 were one short of the 15 K first game thrown by J.R. Richard, in 1971. (J.R. Richard was one of the most imposing players of the 70s). Positioned in the first row of the upper deck behind home plate, I had an excellent seat and gorged myself on amazing hot dogs from Ben’s Chili Bowl while the kid mowed ’em down.
Prior to the game, I happened to read the David Clyde entry from Josh Wilker’s fantastic book, Cardboard Gods: An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards. Clyde was a first round pick by the Rangers in the 70s who skipped the minors and went on to a spotty career in the majors. (read Seasons in Hell: With Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog and The Worst Team in Baseball History for more info about his first year!).
Coming just a week after the controversial “imperfect” game by Armando Gallaraga due to Umpire Jim Jones’ bad call, it’s getting very interesting for baseball fans. Strasburg’s next start is on Sunday in Cleveland, and it will be a circus wherever he goes until he gets bombed badly. And then it may still continue! Someone compared Strasburg to Nolan Ryan, and the announcer Jim Kaat even said that had he been forced to pitch his first game with this much attention, it would have been a distraction. It seems to me that he is way beyond Ryan, who debuted in obscurity and then blossomed once on the Angels. On the Josh Wilker tip, I grew up ripping on Met fans for having traded Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi, usually in response to 69 Mets vs. pre-’76/post-’64 Yankees taunts.
And finally, the retirement of the Kid, Junior Griffey from baseball after 22 seasons. He was the best player I ever saw, with massive power, average, speed on the bases and acrobatic leaps in the outfield that turned homers into outs – literally pulling the ball back into the park from over the wall. I razzed him at Anaheim Stadium once, saying “come to the Bronx!” for a whole game from three feet away. Finally in the 8th inning, he looked over his shoulder and shook his head as if to say “NFW.” It was also at Anaheim Stadium that I saw him and his Pop pop back to back homers. He will surely be missed but we have all been missing that Junior for about a decade now. He really went south after heading east to Cincinnati.
If Stephen Strasburg, Armando Gallaraga and Ken Griffey, Jr. don’t get you psyched, I would still recommend the book and website Cardboard Gods, which really lives up to its subtitle “An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards.” You don’t have to be a baseball fan to be into, nor a God or even an American. But if you are a baseball fan, this has been a good week or two, hasn’t it?
Stephen Strasburg “Steps into the Arena” (*-after Guru)
