Stephen Strasburg to Have Tommy John Surgery, May Not Return to Majors Until 2012

He came. He conquered. He got injured.

The 1st coming of Stephen Strasburg was a treat to watch, and had Washington Nationals fans giddy with thoughts of October baseball within reach before the end of the world in 2012. That may all be on hold now that the rookie sensation has been shut down for the season, and is seriously facing the dreaded Tommy John surgery to repair his electric right elbow.

In 1998 Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood blazed a similar trail when he exploded onto the scene to dominate the big leagues in his rookie season, much the way Strasburg has with a blazing fastball and a no fear approach to hitters. Wood was forced to have Tommy John surgery in 1999 and although he has had some success in his career, he never lived up to that first year promise that the Cubs were banking on.

Let’s hope the second coming of Strasburg comes before Jesus’.

Nationals Sign #1 Draft Pick Bryce Harper

You can thank super-agent Scott Boras for the the theatrics, as the Washington Nationals were pushed to the brink of failure as the clock inched towards a midnight deadline last night, threatening the future of a miserable franchise looking to build on it’s failure with two of the best #1 draft picks in back to back seasons ever put together.

17-year-old hitting sensation, Bryce Harper, received a $9.9 million deal that will bring him to the big show within the next 4 years. Considering the money spent on Harper, you can bet on seeing him within 3 years if the Nationals plan on winning before Washington fans forget about these kids.

Sure, it remains to be seen if Harper’s potential will translate to success at the highest level, but it’s safe to say, he’s already better than most of the guys already on the current roster.

Why Stephen Strasburg Isn’t That Great

Before you write a 2 page comment that makes you sound like Mel Gibson in a domestic dispute with a female Nigerian-Jewish police officer, let me explain.

Every couple of years the media and the scouts tell us that so-and-so is the next coming of Michael Jordan or Hank Aaron, and 99% of the time the guy turns out to be Ryan Leaf or Kwame Brown. Sure if you call every #1 pick the next best thing, eventually you’ll be right. LeBron James is in that 1%. But, let’s slow down the Stephen Strasburg bandwagon long enough to watch it pass.

The 22 year-old flamethrower has pitched in 6 Major League games this year over a one month span. One month! He signed his record rookie contract for $15.1 million back in August of last year, but immediately went into the Arizona fall league to get him ready for the 2010 season as soon as possible since the Nationals knew they had to bring him up this season.

Maybe you’re asking, “How does this prove he’s not that great?”.

Calm down nerd, I’m getting to that.

This kid may have a $15 million contract, but he still hasn’t had a chance to spend that money. That’s where the true test of character will come. After buying his parents a house, and maybe buying himself one too, he’s still got to take care of all the people who got him to where he is now. That’s a lot of begging hands.

What happens when one of his ex-girlfriends calls him and tells him she’s pregnant and that he’s the father. How’s his fastball gonna look that night?

What happens when he goes to watch the All-Star game in Anaheim and ends up going out for drinks with Mike Napoli and some Newport Beach “pro’s” only to find himself wandering the streets at 6AM the next morning yay’d out of his mind wondering why his junk itches and where his rental car went?

What happens when the Nationals keep refusing to give him any run support and he starts over-throwing the ball and his elbow goes all Kerry Wood on him?

How is Stephen Strasburg gonna to respond to playing for a mediocre team for the next 4 years?

I’m not saying Stephen Strasburg isn’t a great pitcher. He’s probably the best pitching prospect I’ve seen in the past 2 decades, and hopefully he’ll never run into any of these problems over his career. I hope Stephen Strasburg becomes the greatest pitcher in MLB history, because that would be amazing to watch. But let’s stop debating whether a 3-3 starting pitcher should be in the All-Star game. Let’s stop calling him the second coming of Bob Gibson or Nolan Ryan.

For Christ’s sake let the kid go on a road trip before you retire his jersey.

Enter Stephen Strasburg

We have all seen Stephen Strasburg mow down 23 in his youtube videos from San Diego State, but now he must do it in the bigs, in front of a sold out crowd.  Most kids his age are leaving school to begin their internships.  They are faced with the tall order of working fax machines, coffee makers, and dry cleaning tickets.   They face the potent stress of making sure their bosses sandwich does not have pickles on it, and what size socks his kids wear.

This 21 year old pitching phenom will make his pitching debut in Washington DC.   All of the hype has made this by far the biggest debut in MLB history.  He is faced with the expectations of being an instant ace, of being the next Nolan Ryan, of turning around a piss-poor franchise.

No pressure kid.

Boras To Rape Nats

For months we have been hearing about the phenom pitching prospect out of San Diego State Steven Strasburg, and for months Scott Boras has been posturing for the biggest signing bonus ever, for a player who has never pitched in the majors before.

This isn’t even fair; Boras is fishing with dynamite right now.  It doesn’t matter what the Natinals say, or what shape the economy is in, they have no choice but to pay whatever Boras asks, because if they don’t their is no doubt their few fans will give up, and they will have to watch him turn into the best pitcher ever some where else.  They drafted him and they need him.

Boras can just sit back like a pedophile selling cotton candy at a fair, drooling and patiently waiting for what he wants.

Michalis Hatzigiannis