Stephen Strasburg still has a bright future ahead

Eight years ago, a 21-year-old kid began his major league baseball career. He finished the year 6-6 on a bad but promising club and wowed fans with his ability to strike batters out with a blazing fastball and big curve.

Eight years later, the 21-year-old kid is now a well-traveled man. He hasn’t thrown a pitch in the major leagues since 2006. He has had four surgeries on his shoulder. His fastball has lost its pop. But he’s still plugging away in the independent leagues.

The pitcher is Mark Prior.

Once the king of Wrigley, Prior is just another guy on the Orange County Flyers of the independent Golden League. He is a reliever for the club and can get his fastball up to 92 mph nowadays. He still has hope to return to the majors next year.

Stephen Strasburg does not.

He’ll have to wait until 2012 to feel the magic again.

Like Prior, he began his career as a 21-year-old kid on a bad but promising team. He was possibly even more advanced than Prior with a faster fastball, an equal curve, and a polished changeup. He struck out batters in bunches and it was obvious this kid would be a great one if he could stay healthy.

The big if with talented pitchers got in the way already. Strasburg has a torn ligament in his right elbow and will likely undergo Tommy John surgery. He is expected to miss 12 to 18 months.

He won’t have the chance to shine in a full major league season for quite some time. Strasburg won’t get the chance to dominate like Prior did in his second season when the Cubs right-hander went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA and led Chicago to within five outs of the World Series.

But Strasburg does have a chance that Prior never got. He has the chance to have a long and successful career. All-Star Games, Octobers, and the Hall of Fame are still within reach. Prior never had a shot.

Strasburg has that chance because unlike Prior who had a bum shoulder, he injured his elbow and Tommy John surgery has become a very safe and successful procedure.

Josh Johnson, Tim Hudson, Chris Carpenter, and Jaime Garcia all had Tommy John surgery. They also all have ERAs under 3.00 in 2010. They are four of the most dominant pitchers in this Year of the Pitcher.

Tommy John surgery isn’t the end for pitchers these days; it’s a fresh start that often sees pitchers come back better than ever.

The man behind the first ever surgery, Tommy John himself, won 20 games three times and never missed a start in 13 years after the procedure. He won 164 games to finish his career with 288. The surgery gave him new life.

It can do the same for Strasburg.

Yes, it’s unfortunate and disappointing for baseball. We probably have to wait over a year for him to start firing again. And for a while, we’ll probably hold our collective breath hoping this kid doesn’t burn out.

But considering the track record of the procedure and the advances in training today, Strasburg will be back and he will wow us again.

The next 12 months will be grueling. He will be pushed to his limits mentally and physically, but that will only make him stronger. While his arm heals, his mental toughness will build so when he’s in a bases-loaded jam in 2012, he’ll be ready.

He was hailed for his poise and maturity all season just as much as he was for his pitch arsenal. Now, he’ll add to his mental part of the game. Strasburg will still be able to study film and talk pitching as he rehabs and he will come back with a greater understanding for the game.

So, while the Nationals may struggle in the standings and in filling the ballpark in his absence, today is not the end. It is only a hurdle among many others to come in a professional sports career.

Mark Prior is still fighting to keep the dream alive despite his arm trouble. Even when his fastball dipped to 88 mph, he didn’t give up. He still loved the game and he still had youth on his side.

It’s hard to believe Prior is only 29 years old. It seems like a lifetime ago he was dazzling the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS during the Cubs magical but haunted 2003 playoff run.

He hopes he can make the majors next year and then start in 2012. It’s an uphill battle but it’s nice to see him optimistic and making progress.

If Strasburg adopts his attitude, he will certainly be back.

Prior says he still plays because he can and because hey, he’s only 29.

Strasburg will be 23 years old in 2012.

There’s plenty of time for him to make his mark on the game. The show will go on – it’s just going to take an unexpected break.