August 10, 2011
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
He was drafted to be the face of the franchise, with an arm that could give the struggling team some national recognition. Last summer, Washingtonians became enamored with Stephen Strasburg, the 21-year old right hander who had been the Nats’ No. 1 pick of the 2009 draft, and his June 2010 major league debut was dubbed one of the most hyped MLB pitching debuts in recent history. Strasburg didn’t disappoint.
In seven innings pitched, he allowed two earned runs, with no walks and 14 strikeouts. In three starts he set a new record for most strikeouts in a rookie debut with 32. The Nationals began to get more attention and Strasburg became a local hero and national sensation almost overnight. His hype was real. And then, in true Washington sports fashion, what seemed to be too good to be true was.
More than a little over a month after his debut, Strasburg was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury, and then taken off the starting rotation completely in late August. It was then announced that he would be undergoing Tommy John surgery, in which a ligament in the elbow is replaced with a tendon from another place in the body. For pitchers, the surgery requires a rehabilitation of up to a year. Fans were devastated, and the Nationals again became a joke. They finished the season 69-93 (.426).
On Sunday evening Strasburg re-emerged for his first baseball appearance in over a year. Though the Hagerstown Suns are just a single-A minor league team affiliated with the Nationals, the bleachers were overflowing with fans eager to get a glimpse of the pitching phenomenon. In his first minor league rehab start, the now 23-year-old right hander pitched 1 and 2/3 innings, allowing one homerun and striking out four. According to reports, some of his pitches were clocked at almost 100 mph, and 25 of his 31 pitches were strikes. If Strasburg can stay healthy, he could be back on the mound at Nationals Park in September. Chances are, fans will be back to watch.
Redskins
On Saturday, the Skins kept with the tradition, opening the gates of the training facility in Ashburn, Virginia to thousands of proud Skins supporters for their annual Fan Appreciation Day. The event included getting to watch a team practice, a performance by the cheerleaders and marching band and autograph signings. Despite the day, which was a nice respite from the criticism the franchise usually receives, the team has a lot of work to do if they want to even be considered contenders in the NFC East.
With rumors that would-be quarterback John Beck is struggling to keep his starting job, coupled with his new groin injury, it will be interesting to see if the Skins will be able to come together for their first preseason game against the Steelers, which is this Friday at FedEx Field.
PGA Tour
Australian golfer Adam Scott is the latest winner in the PGA tour, coming in first in the Bridgestone Invitational at 17 under par. With five birdies in the final round, it was his first impressive win since 2004. Though the event was Tiger Woods’ return to the tour, it was not as triumphant as he had hoped, as he finished tied for 37th place. Instead, Scott beat out Rickie Fowler and Luke Donald for the title. There was a bit of Woods’ old magic in the winner’s circle, though — Steve Williams, Woods’ ex-caddie. The split of Williams from Woods has turned into a media frenzy of he said, she said, and it couldn’t have been pleasant for Woods to see his former partner win No. 1 with someone else. Yet, according to a post on Tiger Woods’ official website, the former No. 1 golf superstar was both pleased and encouraged with his performance considering he had not played in an event since April.
