There hasn't been a more hyped debut of a rookie in Washington DC history. Sure Jordan had hype. Gibbs 2.0 had serious hype. Diehard Caps fans were pumped about Ovechkin.
But nothing matched tonight. Ever
According to the Nationals, 200 media credentials were given out, which is about how many are given out for an LCS. ESPN's baseball crew was in town. The NBA Finals, Stanley Cup and World Cup going to page 2 for this.
And he didn't disappoint at all.
Stephen Strasburg's stat line
7 IP, 4H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 14Ks
Yes, that is 14 strikeouts, in only 7 innings and 94 pitches in his MLB debut. The kid only had the entire baseball world watching him.
JESUS!
Watching the game, you weren't just impressed by the 98 mph fastball, the raw power, the overwhelming stuff, you were impressed by the movement on his pitches, the sick curveball, breaking ball, slider, the quick pace he had, the focus, the "I am going to CRUSH YOU" attitude to his pitching, all you could say was "JESUS"
Most impressive was how he bounced back after the 4th inning. As a good friend of mine thought the Pirates were starting to figure Strasburg out, it turned out just to be a blip on a dominant night. Giving up 3 hits, and a 2 run HR in the 4th, Strasburg went on to retire the last 10 batters he faced, and struck out the last 7.
JESUS
For once, DC sports fans were not let down. For once, a Washington athlete delivered well beyond the hype. For once, we were able to cheer and say "this guy is ours"
Welcome to Washington D.C, Stephen Strasburg. The high bar you set in the minors has only gotten higher
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