Stephen Strasburg needs Tommy John surgery

Stephen Strasburg has an elbow tear, and will likely undergo Tommy John surgery. This will keep him out of baseball likely until 2012. Surely, this is extremely depressing news for everyone who is a fan of baseball - all the baseball junkies who love those 100 mph fastballs, the Nationals' franchise and fans who were looking for him to help turn around Washington baseball, and, most of all, for Mr. Strasburg himself. Obviously, there have been many pitchers who have undergone Tommy John surgery and have made it back just as strong or even stronger, but there's always risk with surgery, no matter how common-place the procedure. Even if he does come back just as healthy, this causes all sorts of problems for the time being. I heard Tim Kurkjian of ESPN say earlier today that even with someone like Kerry Wood, who was considered such a top prospect in 1998, it was a different situation because the Cubs had an established fan base and franchise. The Nationals pretty much built their plans around Strasburg, and now they're going to have to figure out how to get by not only without their best pitcher, but also without their main attraction. Fans would come from all over to see him pitch; I can safely say that there was no one in baseball who had that kind of effect. This is a sad day for baseball.