Ladies and gentlemen, Strasmas is upon us.
Or Strasmageddon, Straspocalypse, and Strasmukkah.
Whatever your preferred name may be, one fact is clear to all: Stephen Strasburg will finally suit up for the Washington Nationals tonight, making his Major League debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
From the moment Strasburg was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2009 MLB Draft, baseball fans have impatiently wondered when perhaps the greatest pitching prospect ever would first appear for the Nationals, and how he would pan out. Tonight won't provide any conclusive answers to the ladder question, but it certainly has the city of Washington D.C. buzzing about baseball like never before. Well, almost never before.
Strasburg's opponent on the mound will be Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens, who is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 38.0 innings pitched on the season.
The Nationals have lost seven of their last ten games and 16 of their last 23, so they will look to Strasburg to get them back on the right track.
From a personal standpoint, after watching Strasburg get drafted No. 1, sweating out his contract negotiation to the very last minute of the deadline, and keeping a keen eye on him in the minors, I haven't been this excited for a professional debut since Alex Ovechkin's in 2005.
So come one, come all, and please join me tonight as I live-blog what is hopefully history in the making.
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