Maybe the best part of Steven Strasburg's performance in his major league debut Tuesday was the speed with which he worked.He threw 94 pitches in seven innings of work and did it quickly. His fairly fast-paced routine works well for him -- and it might be good for baseball broadcasts as well.
While Strasburg has proven to be a big box office draw anywhere he pitches, his willingness to work fast has proven popular, too. With him on the mound for all but the final three innings, the game sustained a good pace and finished in 2 hours, 19 minutes -- well ahead of the major league average.
Almost everyone from broadcasters and owners to fans and umpires, has complained about the speed of games at times in recent years and while rules have been implemented about the time between innings to keep action moving, some games still drag along.
If Strasburg proves successful, his efficient approach might become the standard for copycats.
Former major league pitching coach Ray Miller always encouraged his pitchers to work fast, throw hard and change speeds -- an approach that too few pitchers practice.
It could only help the sport if the time of games diminishes a bit. If some small part of Strasburg's influence helps make that happen, that would make him successful beyond wins and losses for the Washington Nationals.