Word: strasburg
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Nationals were counting on a match made in heaven when they picked Stephen Strasburg first overall in this year’s Major League Baseball amateur draft. On the surface, it was a no-brainer. Strasburg, who went 13-1 with a 1.32 ERA in his final season with San Diego State, was unanimously agreed to be the best player available; some experts even called the 20-year-old starter “the best pitching prospect ever.” By draft day, it was unthinkable that the first-picking Nats would...
Baseball pundits have also raised the possibility that Strasburg may someday throw the fastest fastball ever pitched. But this is even more cause for concern: Pitchers, especially young ones, can abuse their (developing) bodies by throwing unnaturally hard. Of the four pitchers who have been recorded at 103 miles per hour, three have had career-altering injuries. The fourth is Stephen Strasburg. There’s no question that the wunderkind is talented today—but such extreme talent at such a young age should be considered a red flag, not a boon...
...best reason to take a stand against Strasburg, though, is money’s egregious influence in baseball. Superagent Boras is responsible for some of the largest contracts in the history of the game, many of which smell suspiciously of price gauging. Now that the Nationals have secured the right to sign Strasburg, Boras is reportedly demanding a $50 million contract for his young client. This ridiculous sum is simply not the fair market value for a pitcher who has never played an inning of pro ball. Moreover, teams pass the cost of such inflated contracts along to the fans...
...might be wondering why Harvard fans should care. Take any all-star and add his stats to your roster fantasy-style and things should be looking up, right?. But trust, we have reason to sigh. Casually mentioned on popular sportsblog Deadspin, it appears Strasburg was recruited by the Crimson when he remained a relatively unheralded prospect coming out of high school. A quick google search provides some confirmation that the claim is true...
...unclear how seriously Strasburg considered making the trip east, especially since both of his parents attended SDSU, but every time the 6'4", 220 pound righty pumps his fastball by a hapless fellow rookie this summer, people in a Crimson uniform will ponder the what...