Tonight’s game is not even being referred to as the Braves vs the Nationals. No, it’s the Braves vs Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals are an afterthought. Come to think of it, so are the Braves. The game is on the MLB Network tonight and they are all Strasburg all the time over there. I can see Harold Reynolds running around screaming, “Stephen Strasburg’s on tonight…ratings, ratings, ratings!!”
I readily admit he is quite the phenom. He has put up some outstanding numbers. He has some of the nastiest stuff I have seen in many years. I realize he was the number 1 overall pick. But for right now, isn’t he just the hot flavor of the moment? Jason Heyward’s a phenom as well, he’s just not on Stasburg’s hot-o-meter level apparently.
Many fans were looking forward to the Strasburg/Heyward matchup tonight. Unfortunately, Heyward has to have an MRI today and it is unclear if he will play tonight. If he does, it will not be the Braves vs Nationals. If your name isn’t Strasburg or Heyward, you really are inconsequential in this. Believe me, the MLB Network will make it so.
I will be interested to see how Strasburg fares in the intense heat and humidity in Atlanta. Will it make any difference? Or will it just serve to make him all the looser? I will also be interested to see how the Braves batters handle that flat nasty breaker. And more to the point, how the Braves as a team handle the Strasburg media mania. The Braves have had a little bit of media mania with Heyward, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Strasburg worship.
In truth, in my heart, I’m just hoping the Braves don’t get no hit and that the Mets lose. Strasburg’s not even on my radar….yeah that’s it.
© photo credit: Geoff Livingston
