Rob Carr / AP

Is Stephen Strasburg ready for the majors? It sure would be fun to find out.

My first pitching coach was Marv Grissom, a man I will never forget because he really helped me and brought me along. I’ll never be able to thank Grissom and my veteran teammates enough for helping me along at age 19.

Strasburg will also need support as he runs into the inevitable rookie struggles. He is a highly talented pitcher, and a lot of scouts don't think he'll be in the minors for long. But what happens if he struggles when he comes up? Do you send him back down, or do you tell him he’s going to get a chance to work through his problems? I think that when a pitcher is that good, as Strasburg appears to be, you stay with him. You let him learn on the job in the big leagues. Don’t let him get too high or too low, and he’ll be fine. A pitcher is going to have bad outings on occasion. It’s how you come back from those outings that can make or break you.

KEEPING FOCUS
You have to be focused to make it in the majors, and sometimes that’s hard when you’re young. For my part, I had no trouble being focused. I didn’t want to party. I wanted to be a pitcher for a long time and I wanted to work my tail off.

When you’re a pitcher, it’s not so difficult to stay focused on game day. It’s the days in between that can sometimes make or break these guys. Strasburg has to open his heart and his soul to the idea of wanting to be the best, and he must focus on what he has to do to get there.

It’s an exciting time for Strasburg. He’ll probably be biting his nails and hoping he rises rapidly to the majors. Once he does, it will be a burden off his chest. But this is no time to rest. It’s a time when the fun really begins, and when the work begins.

It’s all about having the total package, because you can’t make it by just having a good arm. The Nationals have a lot of money invested in Strasburg’s arm. They’re looking to build a team — and a fan base — for the future. As long as Strasburg’s makeup is good, I say let the kid find out if he is ready.

I say let the future begin now.

More news

NBC Sports

Milestone magic ... or not?

  HBT Extra: David Ortiz aims for 400 homers and Derek Jeter chases hitting legends, while Albert Pujols and A-Rod struggle. Who will reach their milestones?

HBT: Harper, Hamels downplay rematch

Headlines

• Label

Red Sox top O's, climb back to .500

HBT: Selig says little pressure for more replay

Segui could be reluctant witness against Clemens

Feds ask for 45-day to respond to Bonds appeal

HBT Extra Nats too cautious with Strasburg?

For Yankees, it seems a lot like 2008

HBT: Blood clot delays Rivera's ACL surgery

MLB: Playoff bound? Maybe not