Two topics today. First, the fantastic debut of Stephen Strasburg. He has managed to exceed early expectations. He will never exceed the hype.
I’m not trying to throw cold water on his performance which was both historic and important for the city, and the game of baseball, but I hope two things come out of last night’s game.
First, I hope fans in DC show up tonight. And show up in five days (or whenever his next home start will be). Don’t make this a one-game event. Show up. Support your team because they’re actually pretty darn good this year.
Second, I hope Bob Costas goes back and listens to his call of last night’s game where he compared Strasburg to no less than eight different Hall of Fame pitchers. He actually said at one point in the game that — based on hype, a few minor league starts and FIVE INNINGS IN THE MAJORS — Strasburg could be in line for the Hall of Fame as long as he stays healthy.
Come on. It’s one start. It was 91 (or so) pitches. He was dazzling. But Walter Johnson has a high school named after him. Right now there’s as good a chance that Strasburg ends up like Mark Prior than Nolan Ryan. Let’s be excited, but Costas nearly ruined the moment by trying too hard to make it one.
SPECULATION STATION:
College football will end up just being one huge conference. And it will probably be called the Big Ten. We talk about the expansion mess.
Skeets had to postpone his (heavily plugged) appearance for a trip to the ER, so rather than ask Nick about the Basketball Jones, we talk some Grapefruit League baseball.
And while we’re talking about Stephen Strasburg’s impact on the Nationals, our D.C. friend and resident GOPerative Phillip Stutts calls in to talk about the crazy insane Eric Massa media tour yesterday. Stutts is a pretty connected guy, so he shares some Inside the Beltway insight into how the White House feels about Congressmen and what the whole shakedown of Massa’s resignation really means.
Somehow this turns into a conversation about discussions in the shower which the leads to a HARD LEFT TURN back to baseball to discuss Bill Conlin’s claim that the Phillies have the best infield of the modern era. Is it better than the Yankees? Could the two best infields in the last 50 years both be playing right now?
