June 13: Something to Lift the Spirits

In the 1930s, a nation cheered for a small horse named Seabiscuit and an old boxer by the name of Jim Braddock. Times were tough and these two characters pulled an entire country together and gave hope to millions. In 2010, a young man emerged from a city in California and found himself in the spotlight as he pitched in the capital of a battered nation.

A few days ago, I received an email from my aunt from Washington DC. The subject line was "Our New Pitcher" and she was referring to the young phenom, Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals. "As you can imagine" she wrote, "DC is a buzz over Stephen Strasburg. We watched the first game by TV and the stadium was completely sold out with standing room only." She went on to tell me about how her husband became emotional to see the young man pitch because it reminded him of when he was given the opportunity to be a bat boy for a Major League club when he was younger. She concluded the paragraph with, "It is so nice to have something so exciting to lift the spirits of so many who are having a tough time."

Seabiscuit, Braddock, Strasburg? I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, he's an amazing pitcher and a lot of fun to watch and root for. His fastball routinely hits one hundred on the gun and his changeup is faster than a lot of pitchers' fastballs. In his Major League debut on Tuesday, he struck out fourteen without issuing a single walk; a first in MLB history. He struck out the last seven batters he faced. Through four innings of work today, he had already struck out an additional seven hitters. Suffice it to say, he's good.

My issue with him being a beacon of hope and inspiration for millions lies in the insane contract he signed last year when he was drafted. Before throwing a single pitch at the professional level, he already had a $15.1 million dollar deal for four years. He received a $7.5 million bonus for signing and then another $2.5 million just fifteen days after the contract was approved by the Commissioner's office. After the four years is up on that first contract, the sky is the limit. Who knows where the economy will be, but I guarantee you it won't affect the right-hander.

The country was in disarray when Seabiscuit beat War Admiral and Braddock (literally) beat Max Baer. Two average Joes stepped into the spotlight and shocked and inspired everyone. Dreams really can come true, but how is rooting for a rich superstar athlete comparable? Sure, he'll be pitching in the nation's capital for the next few years and it's fun to watch him, but is this really our next Cinderella story?