born july american professional baseball pitcher major_league_baseball mlb selected washington pick mlb draft mlb debut nationals talented high school baseball player played college baseball best collegiate pitchers country pitched united_states national baseball team summer olympics winning bronze medal years later called pick draft history espn closely watched pitching prospect history baseball sports_illustrated major league debut june produced franchise record strikeouts months major league career tore pitching elbow injury required surgery year rehabilitation rejoined nationals september able pitch innings year season marked successful return form selected play mlb star game pitches average fastball mph amateur career high school attended california struggled school baseball team posting win loss record junior year game senior year allowed hit drew attention scouts finished senior year earned run average era strikeouts innings pitched seven complete games finished varsity letters set school records era named school named second team league team mvp despite achievements selected year major_league_baseball draft college hoped attend stanford_university accepted recruited number schools country enrolled parents attended school played college baseball coached late baseball hall fame arrived unlikely candidate pitch collegiate baseball overweight shape conditioning coach nicknamed encouraged quit baseball difficult time adjusting college life moving dormitory mother days acknowledged wasn mature guy high school soon responded intense losing pounds process worked improve mental coaches tested placing high pressure situations telling needed strikeouts relief pitcher freshman year began season pitching middle relief closer held opponents batting average named mountain west conference summer played collegiate summer baseball new_england collegiate baseball league named closer chosen sophomore converted time starting pitcher went era strikeouts innings thirteen starts complete games april year struck mountain west conference record batters game versus gained miles hour fastball regularly working upper 90s touching mph finished junior year season era hits allowed earned runs walks strikeouts innings pitched final home start threw career hitter striking batters lone loss came virginia advanced college world series struck seven innings loss won dick trophy international play named united_states national baseball team june role appeared held late july united_states won gold medal competition lone collegiate player selected united_states national team summer olympics beijing start olympics hit netherlands seven innings striking batters faced overall lone hit allowed seventh inning single united_states having secured spot semifinals medal round manager held second start august order pitch round semifinals cuban national baseball team august innings pitched runs earned lasted innings giving runs earned cuba won game ended record era bronze medal olympics united_states won following contest japan won usa baseball richard dick case player year award professional career draft june drafted number overall major_league_baseball draft august signed record breaking year million contract nationals seconds deadline shattering dollar record previously held signed million represented agent minor leagues professional debut october starting selected play league rising stars showcase unable participate minor neck injury won pitcher week honors week november led wins season started named pitching prospect second best overall prospect assigned senators class eastern league start season anticipation hype surrounding media members attendance april debut espn nationally broadcast portions game won senators debut allowing hits runs earned striking batters innings home start april yielded hits run strikeouts innings loss innings limited rain delay set attendance record home debut fans completed class stint era striking walking innings promoted game chiefs pitched scoreless innings striking batters allowing hit walk game drew fans highest attendance year history baseball syracuse second start removed pitching hit innings finished minor league stint overall record era strikeouts walks innings walks plus hits inning pitched whip ratio debut major league debut june pittsburgh pirates sports_illustrated columnist termed pitching debut game seen espn article revealed celebrated debut picked win debut pitching seven innings allowing earned runs walks strikeouts setting new team record pitcher history strike batters issuing walks pro debut falling short time record pitcher debut struck took innings walked struck start wasn big league debut struck batter pirates lineup struck seven batters faced nationals record threw pitches miles hour faster including reached miles hour second major league starts struck batters respectively setting major league record strikeouts pitcher starts previous record holder richard struck starts featured cover story sports_illustrated following second start jersey selling jersey baseball month june best selling nationals jersey time span injuries rehab placed disabled list right shoulder july returned action august game august removed apparent injury august nationals announced torn requiring surgery months rehabilitation season pitched games starts throwing innings strikeouts compiling era named pitcher league rehab start august rehab starts minor league season throwing total innings strikeouts compiling era record starts major league season coming los_angeles_dodgers september year threw innings struck compiled era record season april accumulated best strikeouts second best era totaled walks home run consequently named month went hitter game baltimore_orioles hit career home run solo shot june start pitcher year strike batters july elected star game alongside teammates ended season era whip strikeouts innings pitched hit home run rbi walks earning silver award innings limit rehabilitation surgery precaution low innings total nationals decided limit number innings throw season number official rumors started limit innings decided final pitch playoffs surgeon operated elbow agreed innings total limited consult nationals general manager season teammate underwent similar process year high profile success nationals season innings limit topic national conversation addition baseball writers number figures views topic known including football broadcasters basketball reporter prominent politicians defended decision shut criticized buzz surrounding good piece good subject people weighed know probably percent information know opinion based nationals announced scheduled final start september replaced nationals starting rotation rough outing september announced finished season spent postseason physically unable perform list nationals lost games season pitched opening day nationals nationals park washington april went seven innings giving runs hits recording strikeouts following batter game retired nineteen straight batters earned decision win final score served brief stint disabled list mild lateral strain june activated june achieved longevity pitched 8th inning time big league career win hometown san_diego_padres subsequent starts july august pitched career complete game winning philadelphia_phillies ejected time mlb career august umpire intentionally pitching braves batter second inning game prior hudson warned teams hit pitch fastball following braves home run finished year era whip wins losses strikeouts innings pitched season enjoyed best season career leading league strikeouts finishing 9th young award posted career innings pitched strikeouts season disappointing year nationals injuries limited production innings lowest output meantime nationals failed playoffs despite setbacks effective limited action winning games good wins nationals pitching staff season reported agreed year million extension remain nationals deal official day extension national receive opt clause contract allow elect free agency seasons desires june placed day disabled list upper strain returned july cincinnati_reds took hitter innings lifted game throwing pitches hitter broken 8th inning nationals won july pitcher start pitching style pitch repertoire approach repertoire features pitches fastball primary pitch miles hour tops mph fastball miles hour refers miles hour miles hour throws mix pitches left handed hitters facing right handed hitters liable throw right strikes adds counts velocity significantly affected surgery fastest fastball starting pitchers season averaging miles hour high rate innings mlb innings corresponds high swing miss rates pitches including highest rate starting pitchers began tracking pitches season career walk ratio rank second time innings qualify maintains high rate intentional fact maintaining low pitch counts mechanics pitching mechanics drawn concern years scouts coaches sequence delivery places great deal stress arm placing greater risk elbow shoulder injuries pitching coaches quietly predicted risk elbow independent scout compared mechanics pitching legend saying motion inefficient badly synchronized personal life born san_diego california credits maternal grandmother helping develop baseball skills child frequently play catch work pitching labels biggest inspirations married january met students june stated interview going stop tobacco wake college coach death
Stephen Strasburg