Break Out Your Pitchforks, NatsTown!

(Mike Rizzo and Stan Kasten probably aren't the most popular guys in D.C. tonight, with reports indicating that Stephen Strasburg won't make his major league debut on June 4th. Photo via Getty Images.)

Strasburg's Debut: Not June 4th?

MLB.com's Bill Ladson singlehandedly torched the hopes and dreams of speculative scalpers and ticket brokers (and probably a few dozen Nationals fans) in DC/MD/VA on Wednesday, reporting that the Nationals are tentatively planning for Stephen Strasburg to make his debut with the Nationals during the June 8-10 series at home against the Pirates.

The Nationals are tentatively planning to have right-hander Stephen Strasburg make his Major League debut against the Pirates at Nationals Park in June, according to a team source.

No specific date has been set yet for Strasburg's debut, but the Pirates play the Nationals on June 8-10. The Nats plan to make an official announcement five or six days before his first start.
(via Bill Ladson, MLB.com, 5/26/2010)

What this means, obviously, is that Baseball Jesus's major league debut won't be happening June 4th, the presumptive debut date declared by...well...just about anyone with access to a computer and an internet connection.

Not surprisingly, there's a lot of anger in Nats Town this evening, judging by some of the comments on Nationals Journal, WNFF, etc. Some folks in NatsTown feel burned, blaming the cheapskate Lerners and Evil Stan Kasten for tricking them into buying tickets for a game they wouldn't have otherwise paid for. Or something like that. This comment from Nationals Journal sort of captures the spirit:

Wow. Just wow. The club obviously knows that ticket sales for 6/4 are through the roof. This is about as cynical as it can get. I'm sure that "the plan" calls for another minor league start, cause Stras has such a steep learning curve. Wow. One thing for sure, it won't be June 9, cause that's a "value" game. The Lerners'll want every penny they can squeeze for the debut. ____ ____ and the horse you rode in on, Rizzo, Stan, Mark & Ted L.

Posted by: NATurallyYours | May 26, 2010 7:18 PM (via Nationals Journal)

Now, as much as we enjoy taking jabs at the Lerners, Kasten, Rizzo, et al. whenever possible, we're having a hard time getting upset about anything the Nationals may or may not have done to help sell tickets for that June 4-6 series against the Reds. Heck, about the only thing the Nationals are guilty of is not stepping in sooner to squash the speculation around June 4th. And really: why should they have? It was only last night that anyone from the Nationals even mentioned June 4 as a possibility; and it was Rizzo denying that this date was written in stone.

"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)

All along, Rizzo (publicly) committed only to saying he had a "window" in mind for the debut. That's it. And, don't forget, we told you last week to stick with June 8. Go read Mark Zuckerman, too, while you're at it.

So, put down your pitchforks, NatsTown, and break out your credit cards, again. Plenty of good seats still available for June 8th against the Pirates. Better snatch up your tickets before the ticket brokers do; or before Stan Kasten buses in the entire city of Pittsburgh.

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Comments

[Dave at Nats News Network]

this is NO TIME for rational thought!!!

[The Nationals Enquirer]

Yeah, you're probably right. We'll proceed to 1500 South Capitol St. with pitchfork, immediately...

[James]

Thank you for the June 8th tips you guys have been laying for the past month or two, I secured my, hopefully, Baseball Jesus tickets about 3 weeks ago.

[Kathy]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not sure the Nats front office really ever lead anyone to believe anything. I mean, we heard for weeks - "We have a plan in mind" but they never said for sure June 4. So, it sucks that people bought tickets to the game expecting to see, as you put it so nicely - Baseball Jesus, but, that spin and media hype came from everywhere but the front office. I dont think it's their fault. Please dont come after me with pitchforks. Thanks.

[The Nationals Enquirer]

@Kathy: you're not wrong. But you might want to bolt the door: the angry mob is heading your way with pitchforks at the ready...

[The Nationals Enquirer]

@James: Keep in mind this is the same blog that once predicted Jerome Williams would win 15 games with the Nationals in 2007. But we appreciate your vote of confidence in our prognostication abilities.

[John C.]

Torches and pitchforks? Not really. BUT ...

If this was an incident in isolation, tbat would be one thing. But this whole debut process has been of a piece with the impression of an ownership group that cares about short term $$$ rather than the care & feeding of the fan base. Which is penny wise and pound foolish, IMNSHO. The Nats won't spend the money to make the team visible in the DC market, but instead goes to Philadelphia to sell excursion tickets? The team nickles and dimes the city over payments for a stadium they are already playing in? The team hires Bowden and fields a team based on cheap gimmicks and retreads that loses 100+ games a year?

This cheapness makes fans irate when they read in Forbes magazine that the Nats have the second highest positive cashflow in MLB as the Lerners happily cash revenue sharing and MLB TV revenue checks while esconced in a lovely $625 million ballpark paid for by taxpayers. And the Lerners are even in a position to dismiss dismal TV ratings because, what the heck, MASN is Angelos's problem anyway.

Look, Strasburg's debut is a venal sin, not a mortal one (see, e.g., the Opening Day Phiasco). They were self-serving and coy about it to maximize ticket sales, but they have only lied by omission, not commission. But having already flushed a ton of goodwill down the drain, they are in danger of waking up in a year or two and discovering that no one cares about their team. And that, my friends, is the way to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

[baseball mom]

Looking forward to seeing him pitch no matter where nor what level. Go get 'em Strasburg

[Kathy]

@John C, your NSHO makes great sense. I dont argue they are businessmen before baseball men. But come on, this spun out of control on its own!! all they did was buy the guy!

[Bote Man]

I'm not the kind of guy who says "I told ya so!"

[Simon Oliver Lockwood]

Here's a reason for pitchforks and torches. On Wednesday I Metro-ed to the park to get a pair of tickets for the 4th -- a friend of mine is heading off to ROTC summer camp on the 10th. I asked initially for Section 305, then for Section 322. The lady at the box office said the least expensive tickets available were Section 132U at $46 a pop. Just checked Tickets.com and there were upper deck tickets available. Is StanK telling his box office people to lie to customers in order to upsell?