A Pep Talk for Stephen Strasburg

Take a seat, Mr. Strasburg, and let me tell you a story.

You see, lad, once upon a time there was a young pitcher that, magically, was given the gift to pitch like no one had ever seen before. He was unhittable. Opponents had no chance. They were baffled.

He would stand on the Wrigley Field mound (and mounds throughout the rest of MLB) and put on a show. A dramatic, soothing motion that made you think he was made by scientists.

His legs would push off the rubber and you just knew another strikeout was about to occur.

His Cub teammates were amused and stunned at the same time.

"Is this guy for real?  He's so young," they would say. "Does he even have to use a razor?"

He would go through lineups as fast as Jessica Fletcher goes through murder cases.

He had veteran leadership all around him, including a fireball-throwing pitcher who had seen the downside of injuries.

He, like you Stephen, was a prodigy. He was as sure of a thing as you could get. He was the next superstar!

What happened?  His arm screwed him over. He might have been overworked by an African-American manager who had a tendency to do just things.

Where is he now?  I am not sure. I spotted him the other day on television, but he just didn't look the same. He had grown weary - his eyes telling the story of a has been who should still be performing at the top level.

It was a sad sight to behold. Such a bright future he had and now, well, I'm not sure.

His story is one you should pay attention to and take advice from. You don't want to become whatever he calls himself these days. Do people still recognize him?  Do they pity him?  Is he a running joke amongst friends and family members?

I am, of course, speaking of the great Henry Rowengartner - the man that lead the Cubs during that remarkable 1993 season in the movie "Rookie of the Year".

Take heed of his actions, Mr. Strasburg. You still have a possible bright career in front of you. Don't become the next epic flame out like Rowengartner.

(What?  You thought I was talking about Mark Prior?)