Fucking Awesome

Is there any other way to describe Strasburg's debut?

Funny, because leading up to last night, for, oh about the last two weeks, I really didn't sense that Tuesday would feel any different around our sprawling tri-state (sorta) region.

I was wrong.

There was a distinct buzz. On the radio. At the charity golf tournament I was participating in. A giddiness that was palpable.

Then the kid goes out and torches 14 Pirates without walking one. Something no pitcher in his major league debut has ever done.

Ever. Ken Burns can look that one up, and he won't find it. And Ken was in the house last night!

Fucking.... awesome!

I won't say this was exactly "worth" growing up my entire life without a baseball team until 5 years ago.

But it was close.

Tuesday night was the birth of Washington D.C. as a baseball town. We haven't been one since the Nats (Senators) returned. But we are now. Not like New York. Not Boston. Not St. Louis. Not Philly.

Not even the next 10 or 15 cities.

But we were born last night as a baseball city.

Real baseball cities need the following...

a. A Team
b. A star player who gets the blood pumping
c. A playoff appearance to enrapture the city

We fought for 3 decades to get a squad back. We finally did. Check.

We got lucky to land Strasburg. Check.

It's going to take several years and some luck to get "C". But give us time.

For you guys in Milwaukee who had Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, you know. There is nothing quite like having a major league club, and a phenomenal talent.

Maybe Strasburg is only being rented for 5 years from the Yankees. Maybe that elbow will explode like so many power pitchers before him.

I for one, am not living in the "maybe." I'm just soaking it up. As a fan, you are lucky to get one of these players in a lifetime to root for. If Bryce Harper is what he appears to be, then we might just get two.

Score it a big fat "Curly W" flag above the stadium, and a big fat smile on all of Washington's face on Wednesday.