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I encountered one of Brevard County's finest an hour ago when I went out to my car to get a jacket.
He spotted my media tag and asked me if the fans in Washington were as excited about Stephen Strasburg as the fans in Florida seem to be.
I replied that they were likely pretty jazzed about his arrival at Nats Park, whenever that turned out to be.
"Did you know we turned away about 500 cars yesterday?"
I replied that, no, I wasn't aware of that.
"There were scalpers getting $75 a ticket on the sidewalk," he said. "I've worked these games a long time, I've never seen that."
Wow.
It's funny what a few million dollars and spectacular scouting reports can do. Maybe Strasburg needs an appropriate nickname.
How about "Ringo"? Sure, when Strasburg pitches, it's like the Beatles. "Stephen" seems a little too formal, but of course, no one called Walter Johnson "Wally" or even "Walt."
Who was the last D.C.-based rookie in any sport who had this kind of buildup? As great as Alex Ovechkin is, when the Caps drafted him he was mostly unknown inside this country. What Redskins' top draft pick got this kind of praise before he played a game? What Bullet/Wizard? If there's someone who comes to mind, please let me know.
It's safe to say that when Strasburg makes his DC debut, it'll be the hottest ticket in town.
$75 won't be a drop in the bucket.
