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Washington, Get Your Code Red On!
Nats ace Stephen Strasburg first underwent an MRI to examine the issues with his elbow. Worse case scenario...realized. Strasburg has a torn ligament in his elbow and will most likely undergo Tommy John Surgery.
Those are the three most dreaded words to hear if you're a pitcher. Tommy. John. Surgery. It most likely means your season is over. It is for Strasburg. Strasburg could be out for as long as 18 months and as little as 12. The earliest the young phenom could return is around this same time in 2011.
Strasburg is the Washington Nationals right now. They need to rename the Nats park in Downtown DC "Strasburg Stadium" because he's the only guy right now who plays for the Nats who most in DC care about. The District is a football town first and foremost then a hockey city because of some guy named Ovechkin. Strasburg is the primetime movie at 8 and everything else is paid programming at 3 am.
Jim Riggleman and Nats brass smartly had this guy on a strict pitch/innings count ala what the Yankees did a few years ago with Joba Chamberlain (who was over-hyped from the beginning). They understand the importance of Strasburg to their franchise. Without Strasburg, they're essentially the Montreal-Expos-on-the-National-Mall...on the field and at the gate. He even draws big numbers on the road. Earlier this year, the Nats played an interleague game at Progressive Field in Cleveland. The Tribe right now is so bad nobody goes to their games anymore. But when they saw that Stephen Strasburg was hurling one day for the Nats in C-Town, the house was packed. It was as if it was the 90's again and Charles Nagy was pitching for Cleveland.
Dr. Michael Kaplan was on ESPN and gave us some encouraging news...most Tommy John Surgeries are successful and 75% of those who have TJS return to their pre-TJS health and velocity.
This was a guy who ESPN and MLB Network were doing pitch-by-pitch coverage of as he worked his way quickly up through the minor leagues. Have Strasburg, fans will watch. He puts asses in the seats. Then came his big league debut in Strasburg Pa...uh...Nationals Park vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates. Some were rightly concerned that he may have rookie nerves.
Rookie nerves, my ass! He fanned 14 Battling Buc-o's!
Now, not every Strasburg appearance has been as impressive as his first. He pitched in Atlanta one day vs. the Braves and their hot offense and looked like he belonged back in the minors. But we've seen enough of him to where we can assume that he can be a great pitcher for many years to come. And this post-steroid era of baseball where the 45 home run season is once again a rare occurrence should be of even greater help to his career. Look at this year alone from Halladay, to Braden, to Gallarraga, to Ubaldo Jimenez and so-forth and so-on. Pitchers have ruled the roost in 2010!
The names "Mark Prior" and "Kerry Wood" are still fresh on the minds of many in MLB...Jim Riggleman in particular. Riggleman was the skipper for Wood in Chicago. Prior and Wood were looked on as a 1-2 Cubs punch that would anchor the North Siders' staff for the next 15 years. Wood was relegated to bullpen work and Prior never made it the way he should've. I don't think it's time to hit the panic button in DC. Washington is not New York or Philly so they won't panic the way NY or Philly would. Their tabloids would be in a tizzy already. Strasburg will return eventually either next year or in 2012. Let's hope he does and lives up to the hype since he should be a part of a good harvest of talented young pitchers in a pitching-friendly baseball era.
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