| schedule Time and venue: | | | | year the eventual date when he will be eligible for |
| 7:05 PM ET, June 8, 2010 | | | | arbitration. |
| Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. | | | | Strasburg is also looking forward to normalcy |
| WATCH NOW LIVE | | | | because he's not a limelight guy. |
| WATCH NOW LIVE | | | | He usually doesn't have much to say when the |
| WATCH NOW LIVE | | | | microphones are turned on, and the team has |
| Pirates-Nationals Preview | | | | protected him by limiting his availability. He will |
| WASHINGTON (AP) -- The anticipation is nearly | | | | sometimes let a reporter know if he doesn't care |
| over. The 21-year-old with the fastball that | | | | for a question, which can both refreshing and |
| approaches 100 mph and the curve that freezes | | | | embarrassing. Strasburg was married in January, |
| batters is about to take the mound in the nation's | | | | but the Nationals have already announced that on |
| capital. | | | | Tuesday: "Strasburg's family will NOT be available |
| Stephen Strasburg is set to make his Washington | | | | to media (no exceptions)." |
| Nationals debut Tuesday night. | | | | Relief pitcher Drew Storen has been called the |
| Standing room only tickets went on sale Monday, | | | | anti-Strasburg. Drafted nine places after his more |
| all part of a rare Nationals Park sellout. The | | | | famous teammates, Storen is on Twitter and |
| Internet is humming with offers for good seats. | | | | always has time for an interview. At spring |
| More than 200 requests for media credentials | | | | training, Strasburg seemed to have an invisible wall |
| have been submitted, forcing officials to turn a | | | | around him, while Storen once spent about 10 |
| dining area into a work space to accommodate all | | | | minutes with reporters discussing socks. Storen, |
| those reporters with laptops. | | | | called up to the majors a few weeks ago, jokes |
| For the Nationals, Strasburg's major league debut | | | | that he and Strasburg have "that Batman-Robin |
| is best summed up in one word. | | | | thing going on." |
| Finally. | | | | Storen, therefore, doesn't mind sharing the news: |
| "I'm looking forward to that first outing or two | | | | Strasburg does indeed have a pulse. |
| being out of the way," manager Jim Riggleman | | | | "He's got a great personality -- it's just that he's a |
| said. "I know the attention's not going to go away | | | | very low-key guy," Storen said. "And it's not what |
| completely, but the anticipation of the thing has | | | | you'd expect out of a guy like that. You expect a |
| been building since the draft -- and before the | | | | big-time talent to have a big-time personality and |
| draft -- last year." | | | | be this real outspoken guy, and he's far from |
| No one's seen anything like it. A No. 1 overall pick | | | | that. He's a guy that will ask anybody questions |
| who gets sellout, rock-star, hire-extra-security | | | | and is willing to learn from anybody, and that's the |
| treatment in minor league cities such as Harrisburg | | | | key to his success. ... He's got a different type |
| and Rochester. It's the type of overexposure | | | | personality than I do, but he's got the right |
| usually reserved for top picks in the NFL or NBA. | | | | personality for the position he's in." |
| The Nationals are actually having a decent year | | | | The toned-down persona hasn't stopped the hype |
| following back-to-back 100-losses seasons, but | | | | machine. Want to bet on how Strasburg's going to |
| everything they've done has been overshadowed | | | | do Tuesday? There are odds on whether his first |
| by talk about a player who didn't have a locker in | | | | pitch will be a ball or strike, how many innings he'll |
| the clubhouse, whose debut against the Pittsburgh | | | | last and nearly everything else in between. |
| Pirates has been given its own baseball holiday | | | | Nationals Park has been sold out only once so far |
| nickname: "Strasmas." | | | | this season -- on opening day -- but the thought |
| "He needs to take a step back, take a deep | | | | that Strasburg might pitch drew the season's |
| breath and kind of soak in the moment because | | | | second biggest crowd Friday against Cincinnati. |
| you only debut once in your career. It's a special | | | | Strasburg's thoughts about it all? Pretty |
| day for him, also," general manager Mike Rizzo | | | | straightforward. |
| said. "We're looking forward to getting back into a | | | | "It's my major league debut. What more can you |
| more normal routine with Stephen Strasburg as | | | | say?" he said. "It's something I've dreamed about |
| part of the Washington Nationals." | | | | my entire life, and now it's starting to become a |
| That would be just fine with Strasburg. He has | | | | reality." |
| candidly stated on many occasions that his | | | | At least Strasburg won't have to wait long for |
| majors debut has been long overdue. | | | | the next phenom to come along. Baseball's draft |
| "I feel like I've been ready," he said after his last | | | | was held Monday, and the Nationals again held the |
| minor league outing, five scoreless innings for | | | | No. 1 overall pick. As expected, Washington |
| Triple-A Syracuse at Buffalo last week. | | | | selected Bryce Harper, a junior college slugger |
| There's not much argument there. It was almost | | | | who's had about as much hype as Strasburg. |
| cruel to watch Strasburg overwhelm hitters in | | | | It makes for quite a week for a franchise that |
| Double-A and Triple-A. His combined stats: 7-2 | | | | hasn't had a winning season since moving to |
| with a 1.30 ERA with 65 strikeouts and only 13 | | | | Washington from Montreal in 2005. |
| walks in 55 1/3 innings. | | | | "I can't remember back-to-back years where |
| But money trumped wins, at least this year. | | | | there's two players who have separated |
| Having already invested heavily in the right-hander | | | | themselves from the rest of the field the way |
| from San Diego State with a record $15.1 million | | | | Strasburg did in '09 and Harper does in '10," Rizzo |
| contract over four years, the Nationals wanted to | | | | said. "In that respect, it is very, very unique. I |
| save some dough down the road by calling | | | | think it's a lucky time to have two No. 1 picks |
| Strasburg up after June 1, thus delaying by one | | | | overall. |