Nationals P Stephen Strasburg made his first rehab start yesterday with the Single-A South Atlantic League Hagerstown Suns since Tommy John surgery last year, and his potential return to MLB was discussed on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” last night. ESPN’s Curt Schilling said Strasburg is “going to be great for the game,” but there is “absolutely no reason for him to pitch in the big leagues this year.” ESPN’s Barry Larkin, who served in the Nationals’ front office from '05-08, said, “If he is capable and if he is healthy, those people in Washington have to be able to sell something to those fans.” Larkin: “If he comes up and has some success in the big leagues this year … they can spend this entire winter talking about ‘Come out and watch our star, our budding star, our superstar.’” Schilling said, “You’re either going to satisfy the marketing and PR department or the player development department.” ESPN’s Karl Ravech: “I think if you’re the Nationals, you want to go player development first” ("Baseball Tonight," ESPN, 8/7). In DC, Jason Reid writes Capitals fans "would argue Alex Ovechkin is second to none in production and style" in local sports, while the Wizards have a "rising superstar" in G John Wall and the Redskins feature Pro Bowl DT Brian Orakpo. Reid: "None of them, though, are capable of captivating DC sports fans as much as Strasburg. Ovechkin, Wall and Orakpo don't possess the potential to do as much as Strasburg could for the Nationals 30-plus times a season" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/8).
STRASMAS COMES EARLY THIS YEAR: In Maryland, Bob Parasiliti reports an "overflow crowd" of 5,758 fans attended the Suns' game against the Greensboro Grasshoppers yesterday to see Strasburg's rehab start. Prior to throwing his first pitch, Strasburg was "greeted by a standing ovation" (Hagerstown HERALD-MAIL, 8/8). In DC, Dave Sheinin reports the crowd "fell short of the stadium record," but 65 media members were at the game. That contingent is "more than twice as big as the one that showed up on April 15" for the Hagerstown debut of Nationals prospect Bryce Harper, who "replaced Strasburg this season as the Nationals' top phenom and fan obsession" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/8).
