Nationals prospect Stephen Strasburg is set to make the most celebrated major-league pitching debut in years.
The anticipation of his coming-out party rivals the debuts of two other prodigies: LeBron James’ 2003 NBA christening and Sidney Crosby’s 2005 NHL arrival.
David Price can relate. So can Tim Lincecum and Clay Buchholz.
“He knows he’s a big-leaguer,” said Price, dubbed a can’t- miss prospect before joining the Tampa Bay Rays. “He wants to prove to everybody else he is a big-leaguer.”
And everybody wants to see if he can live up to the hype.
Price made his highly anticipated pitching debut as a reliever at Yankee Stadium, and the former Vanderbilt star allowed two runs and three hits over 5 1/3 innings.
James and Crosby played well in their openers.
James scored 25 points on 12-of-20 shooting and finished with six rebounds, nine assists and four steals in his first game with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a 14-point road loss at Sacramento.
Crosby assisted on Pittsburgh’s only goal in a loss to New Jersey in his Penguins debut. He scored his first goal in the team’s home opener.
Tuesday night, all eyes with be on Strasburg, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft out of San Diego State who signed a record $15.1 million, four-year deal.
Japan’s Daisuke Matsuzaka made a big splash internationally when he signed a $52 million contract with the Red Sox before the 2007 season. Even he’s fascinated by the attention Strasburg has drawn since last June.
“I think that the expectations placed on him are even higher than what was placed on me,” Matsuzaka said through a translator. “But the fact that expectation exists means that there’s talent there.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Strasburg has been more than just impressive in the minors, going 7-2 with a 1.30 ERA in stints with Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse.
Price, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, also ascended quickly through the minor leagues. He was a combined 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA — and made his big-league debut in mid-September 2008.
A month later, the hard- throwing left-hander was on the mound when the Rays clinched the AL pennant, introduced then-presidential candidate Barack Obama at a rally the following day, and became the overall top pick to play in the World Series the quickest.
Each of Strasburg’s starts the past two months has drawn bigger-than-usual crowds. Fans everywhere have been able to track his progress through television reports and extensive coverage in newspapers, magazines and on the Internet.
“I saw (Roger) Clemens in his prime when I coached with the Red Sox. I played with Steve Carlton, and I faced J.R. Richard, who threw 100 miles an hour. (Strasburg) is pretty good,” said former major leaguer Richie Hebner, now a batting coach at Triple-A Norfolk.
