Oh, MLB. You never cease to amaze me. And you didn’t disappoint with your new ad featuring Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg. The new ad shows clips of MLB greats Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan. You know, three pitching legends. Then after we are graced with a glimpse into history, we see Strasburg standing on the mound. Um, what?
Check out the video of MLB’s Stephen Strasburg commercial courtesy of Capital City Goofballs via Deadspin:
The kid is a phenomenon. I’m not denying that. He is extremely talented and I’m not saying that he won’t, with time, rank among the big three. But he has only pitched seven games at the major league level. Are you telling me that he already a first ballot Hall of Fame candidate? I told you a couple weeks ago why I didn’t think he deserved to make the All-Star Game (which thank goodness he didn’t), and I can tell you right now that he does not deserve this commercial.
There’s no doubt in my mind that this kid will be great for years to come if he stays healthy — that’s a no brainer. But what has he done so far besides pitch an amazing first game and some pretty good games against mediocre (at best) teams since?
So we’re going to compare him against the greats? Koufax is not only a Hall of Famer, but he was a six-time All-Star, two time World Series MVP and a three-time Cy Young winner. Nolan Ryan is another Hall of Famer, an eight time All-Star and his jersey has been retired by three different teams. Bob Gibson, again, is in the Hall of Fame. He is a nine-time All-Star, won two Cy Young Awards and was a two-time World Series MVP.
So, MLB you are telling me that Strasburg deserves to be included on this list? Give me a break. Like I said, in time I fully believe he will achieve greatness. He’s got a great arm and is practically un-hittable when he’s throwing balls over the plate at 100 mph. But let’s not create the “LeBron of baseball” and let all this attention get to Strasburg’s head.
Sources:
Rev Up The Outrage; MLB Apotheosizes, Fellates Strasburg in New Ad [Deadspin]
ICYMI: Strasburg “Beyond Baseball” Commercial [Capitol City Goofballs]
Video Credit: Vimeo user Rocket1124
