P-Nats Cashing in on Strasburg's Arm

Potomac Nationals market Strasburg

The Nationals pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Friday, but the future ace of the team, Stephen Strasburg, already showed up earlier this week.

Baseball fans can't wait to see the 21-year-old unleash his 100 mph fastball.  Neither can the Potomac Nationals, apparently.

The big-league Nats are trying not to put added pressure on the rookie.  But that's not the case for the minor league team. The P-Nats are advertising a "$15 Million Plan" to buy tickets to see Strasburg pitch for the team's Opening Day. The plan says fans could see Strasburg make as many as five starts for as little as 40 bucks.

You see, the $15 million plan is because the rookie signed a record $15.1 million deal when the Nationals picked him No. 1 in the draft.

The big-league Nationals don't want to rush Strasburg into the majors at the start of the season. 

"We're in business of marketing whatever assets we have," team president Stan Kasten told the Washington Post. "But one thing we have to balance is overexposure -- not in terms of our marketing, but in terms of impeding his progress."

Post writer Dave Sheinin said there will be almost zero marketing of Strasburg in D.C. His image, with no voice-over, will appear fleetingly near the end of a MASN commercial -- but no billboards, no print ads, no media guide cover, Sheinin said.

But what happens if he dazzles the scouts and lives up to all the hype in spring training? And what happens if Strasburg doesn't pitch a game for the Potomac Nationals? There goes the campaign ...

Opening Day for the Potomac Nationals is April 8 at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium. Opening night for the Washington Nationals is April 5. Only time will tell which team Strasburg pitches for first.

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