Before he stepped on the mound, Stephen Strasburg's brand soared to unprecedented levels. A sell-out crowd came from all over the region to see a young, laid-back pitcher from California perform before a national, if not global, audience.
Around the country, baseball fans tuned in to see if Strasburg could live up to the hype. Heavy praise from scouts, baseball experts and the media led to intense curiosity about the pitcher and his unfathomable arsenal of pitches.
It was an important...
