It was 2:15 a.m. at the Melbourne Airport rental car counter. The gentleman was trying to service the line of Delta passengers delayed four hours. He looked up, recognized the customer and said, "We've had some Nationals players here at this counter. Let me tell you, that Strasburg kid is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Couldn't have been more polite, more thoughtful, more polite ..."

Eight hours later, Stephen Strasburg began his morning rehabilitation program at the Nationals' Minor League training complex. He did a long-toss program with rehabilitation coach Mark Grater and then went onto the mound to throw.

"I've been in this game for a long time," said Grater, who pitched briefly for the Cardinals and Tigers in the early '90s. "I haven't met many people like this kid. It's unbelievable how hard he works and does so without any ego. You'd never know what he'd become when he got hurt."