Even Stan Kasten can't contain himself anymore...

 

(Stan Kasten joined Jason Benetti and Steve Grilli in the TWCS booth during Monday night's Strasburg broadcast. Photo of TV/MASN via Nationals Enquirer staff.)

"I’ve been around a lot of good pitchers in my life, but I’ve never seen anything like this. His trajectory is unique. Everything about him is unique. You can write anything you want and use that word in every context. In every conceivable way you can use the word, unique."
(Stan Kasten, via The Syracuse Post-Standard, 5/25/2010)

Woah there: Unique? Don't go overboard there, Stan.

And so, with a rare Strasburg baseball card selling at $10,000, impressive ratings (relatively speaking) for Monday night's broadcast of Strasburg vs. Toledo on MASN, and tickets selling faster than a Strasburg 100-MPH heater for June 4 -- the presumptive date of Strasburg's MLB debut, after he makes what is hopefully the final minor league start of his career against Scranton/W-B -- Strasburgmania is beginning to work itself up into quite a frenzy.

In case you need further proof, here's someone on Craigslist apparently selling a single ticket to the June 4th Nats-Reds game for a million dollars (or best offer) in section 403:

 

But before you go spending your hard earned million on a ticket for June 4th in Sec. 403, the Post's Adam Kilgore quotes Mike Rizzo Tuesday night as "bristling" at reports of a definitive debut date. Rizzo's sticking to his story that a date hasn't been decided yet:

"That hasn't been decided yet, although you did announce that he's pitching on the 4th. No, that hasn't been determined yet. There are factors that will be involved when we announce it. And even when we announce it, it's not going to be settled on until after a couple days after he starts his last start in Triple A."
(Mike Rizzo, via Nationals Journal, 5/25/2010)

So you're saying June 8th is still in play, Mike?

Meanwhile...

• Farewell Brian Bruney. Hope you find that strike zone somewhere.

• The Nats aren't doing very well in All-Star voting so far. Time to rally the troops and push Zim to the top of the pile, at the very least.
  

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Comments

[Bote Man]

Man, all those people who have paid top dollar for June 4 tix are gonna be really pissed if Strasburg doesn't start that day.

Or...what if it's rained out and postponed?

Or...what if he blows out his arm in his final minor league start?

OK, I'm done now.

[The Nationals Enquirer]

Boy, Bote Man, we could've done without the last "Or..." on your list. Sheesh.

But the point is well taken.

[Kevin]

I've got a $75 ticket for June 4th. That should be worth two million, easy. ;)