Schedule makers are on Strasburgs christmas card list
Question: If you were a highly touted pitching phenom trying to make an impact in the MLB, and also had the choice as to which team would would debut against, chances are you’d pick the team thats been sub .500 since you could remember: the Pittsburgh Pirates. Either them or the Nationals, but since Strasburg came up a National, it would be a moot point.
So yeah, Strasburg came in and pitched as advertised against the Pirates. The question now is, how does he fare against a GOOD team? Better yet, as interleague play begins, how does he fare against AL hitters?
The way I see it, Strasburg was promoted to AAAA to face the Pirates, and now gets the MLB promotion to face the American League…
…but wait…not so fast…these arent your regular AL teams. Lets look at the upcomming Nationals schedule and where Strasburg fits in there…
3 games against the Cleveland Indians, arguably the weakest team in the weakest division in the league. Strasburg faces them on 6/13.
3 games against the Detroit Tigers, not facing Strasburg.
3 games vs the Chicago White Sox, another sub .500…Strasburg scheduled to pitch 6/19
3 vs the Kansas City Royals. No Strasburg.
and 3 games in Balitmore against the Orioles, who have an outside chance at the Met’s all time loss record. Strasburg will pitch 6/25.
Wow. Indians, White Sox and Orioles.
Cleeeeveland, a Chigaco team and the only AL east team that isnt killing everything in its path. How. Lucky. Is. That.
Most NL pitchers cry when interleague play comes.
Indians-ChiSox-Orioles. All under .500…all hopeless for the playoffs.
A little perspective: Jeff Karstens, the poor ******* who had to oppose Strasburg, has this trio up next in interleague play: Detroit, Cleveland and the Oakland As.
Strasburg will do amazing as long as he gets the bottom feeders from every division to face. He’ll face the Braves, Padres and Giants right after though, so that’ll be his real test.
(Mets fans can breath a huge sigh of relief as he isnt scheduled to pitch during the 4 game series comming up)
The Yankee Hater Hater 
You obviously haven’t seen the past 4 Indians games. They’re hitting the ball like it’s 1997 again. Which is impressive considering the product on the field is mostly 1st-2nd year players at the moment.
Any year you drop a series against a wild card team shouldnt be wroth noting. 1995 would be a safer call, but I am aware of the point youre trying to make.
Theyre 7-6 since the Yankee series. Over the 4 games you mentioned, they beat Nationals pitchers not named “Strasburg” and faced the hot n cold Red Sox.
The Indians have a lot more ability than I give them credit for (and I have been unwittingly critical of them) theyre my de facto whipping boys after Boston, so that might explain it.
Take solace in this fact whenever you feel blue about the Indians: At least theyre not the Mets, Royals or Orioles. And unlike the Twinkies, its not panic time when the Yankees come to town.
-YHH