Our very own Patrick Reddington, also the lead blogger for Federal Baseball, is on the scene at Nationals Park to cover Stephen Strasburg's debut.
Amid taking the spectacle all in, he graciously found time to email me regarding the pre-game stadium atmosphere:
There has been a buzz in Nationals Park for hours now. Originally generated by the 230-250 or so members of the media who requested credentials, but it's slowly grown now that the fans are filing in. 40 minutes before Stephen Strasburg throws his first pitch he just walked out to the bullpen to stretch and begin his pregame routine, and a wave of applause grew and followed him as the distracted fans realized that the player in the red sweatshirt walking out to the outfield with Nats' pitching coach Steve McCatty was the player baseball writers, television analysts, personalities and local dignitaries have all come out to see. Stephen Strasburg is in the right field corner of Nationals Park preparing to throw his first pitch, in less than 30 minutes now the park will momentarily light up as several thousand camera flashes light up to capture the moment when Stephen Strasburg finally uncorks his first high-90's heater and officially begins his Major League career.
I think people might be excited to watch this kid pitch. I also think that's the understatement of the century.