With his apparent talent and the accompanying hefty contract, pitcher Steven Strasburg's debut with the Washington Nationals could only be a much-hyped event, but MLB Network might somehow be able to cut through that commotion and add some context Tuesday night.With Bob Costas handling play-by-play duties and two former pitchers (Jim Kaat, John Smoltz) as analysts, the nuts and bolts of Strasburg's first start should be just part of the conversation. Veteran TV analyst Kaat and smart Smoltz should be able to discuss what the young pitcher does well and what he can do better.
That part should be informative and potentially interesting.
Beyond that, Kaat and Smoltz bring experience as players from different eras who have first-hand, maybe locker-next-door, experience with talented pitchers. Or pitchers who simply got a lot of attention.
As long as Strasburg does not struggle and get pulled from the game early -- and there's a reason he's making his debut against the Pirates if that's really a concern -- the two analysts could provide a good conversation about the youthful pitcher in terms of on-the-field performance as well as off-the-field adjustments. And, if Costas serves only as a proven traffic cop without interjecting himself much, it might result in a good broadcast.
If MLB Network and the folks in the booth can do that, it'll be a victory for them. (Of course, if Strasburg were to exit early and they someone produced a compelling broadcast between the Pirates and Nationals without the most-talked-about player in decades that would be an even more impressive feat.)