IT PELTED DOWN in New York yesterday, playing havoc with the tennis schedule in Queens – not to mention with the baseball in the Bronx where the Yankees were 1-0 up through four innings last time I looked around half past midnight.
Things had already been pretty discombobulated in the US Open – Roger Federer took to Arthur Ashe not long before midnight on Monday (almost the latest start ever at this event) and then quickly dispensed with Juan Monaco who only managed three games during his 80 minutes of fame.
The delay means that Donald Young gets at least one more day in the limelight he’s been threatening to occupy since being a 12-year-old next-big-thing brought up on an intense diet of tennis in the Southside of Chicago. And, between myself and yourself, if there’s one player from the top four that he’ll really believe he can rattle, it’ll be Andy Murray.
Old flame
America has really fallen out of love with Andy Roddick. He’s still prime-time viewing but that scheduling is a little dated compared to what is going on at ground level. A level rarely occupied by tennis… but there you go.
For Louisa Thomas, who was writing in Grantland on Monday, the busy field of American professionals has failed to make its mark on fans in the US. In Young’s favour is that while he looks the part, now he’s prepared to do his bit to make sure he is the part:
“If there’s anything that’s more appealing than a prodigy, it’s a prodigy who makes the most of a second chance. He almost quit tennis, but he’s still playing. He’s still someone you want to watch.”
This is proving to be a good week for American athletes in their early 20s enjoying a second chance at the top level of their game.
Stephen Strasburg returned to action last night, 382 days since the last time he pitched on a major league mound.
The Washington Nationals, whose post-season chances disappeared weeks ago, took a calculated risk when sending out their young star for an ultimately pointless game after he underwent Tommy John surgery last year to reconstruct his right elbow and get his throwing arm built up again to the point that he could take the ball in the minor leagues.
He stepped up to the majors on a wet night in the capital, restricting the visiting LA Dodgers to five scoreless innings and leaving to a standing ovation after 56 pitches, 40 of which were strikes.
The home field was half-full but Strasburg showed why he was 2009’s biggest hope and last season’s biggest breakthrough until his elbow ligaments couldn’t take it anymore.
The San Diego-born freak allowed two hits and no walks while striking out four, all swinging. He even reached base when his poorly-executed bunt proved enough to get him a double after Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly threw wildly past his first baseman. He would eventually go onto reach home and record a run on a dream return.
It’s been criticised as a cynical way of getting the turnstiles clicking at the home of the Natonal League East ballclub, particularly given the fact that his next start at home is this Sunday afternoon.
Football’s day, yes. September 11, of course.
But there will be enough punters left lying around to watch the ongoing rehab of baseball’s latest second coming.
- John Riordan writes a column for the Irish Examiner. He works as a freelance journalist in New York; check out his blog here.
