Merry Strasmas

Tonight’s election returns from Colorado, Georgia, and perhaps Connecticut should provide a good dose of excitement for political junkies like me. But I won’t be following the returns. I won’t even be watching the U.S – Brazil soccer match. Instead, I’ll be at Nationals Park watching Stephen Strasburg return from a brief stint on the disabled list to pitch against the Florida Marlins.
I’ve seen most of the great fireballers of the past 50 years, though not Koufax and, somehow, not Clemens. The ones that made the greatest impression on the day were Steve Barber, Sudden Sam McDowell, Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and (above all) Goose Gossage.
I expect that Strasburg, who occasionally has been clocked at 100 miles an hour or more, will join that list.
UPDATE: Strasmas was not so merry. Strasburg’s fastball was clocked at 100 miles per hour one time and was consistently between 96 and 98. However, he lacked command, and was charged with six earned runs in less than five innings of work.
Oh yes, in Colorado, the Dems have nominated Sen. Michael Bennet, and Ken Buck is leading Jane Norton on the Republican side. In Georgia, Nathan Deal holds a razor-thin lead over Karen Handel.
Finally, it was Brazil 2, the U.S. 0.