The Moment

2|23|10: Florida

Few things in life embody hope as effortlessly as spring training. Millions shiver and curse the slush, but somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright, youth swells with promise, and every team has an equal share of first place. Nowhere is this spirit more desperately needed than in Washington, D.C., oppressed by record snowfalls and blizzards of icy distrust. Enter Stephen Strasburg, the pitching phenom drafted first overall by the lowly Washington Nationals. A strapping fella with a record $15.1 million contract and a 103-m.p.h. fastball, Strasburg brings more heat than a Tea Party rally, with more spin...

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