History has changed. It used to reveal itself afterward. Then people became cognizant they were witnessing history. Then people were constantly reminded as they watched that they were witnessing history. Now, with Stephen Strasburg’s first start, we have reached a new level, where people are reminded ad nauseam that there’s a plausible chance they could be witnessing history. We tuned in, we bought tickets, money was made, and whether the event itself was historical is irrelevant.

We could harp on Bob Costas’ duplicity. You can’t chastise the 24-hour hype machine for making a mountain of the kid, then bust out the Walter Johnson comparisons before he finishes his second inning. Could we give him at least a couple starts before comparing him to the greatest pitcher in the history of the sport?

But, there’s a greater point, which Costas, paradoxically, made himself.

Certainly there’s room for analysis, and there’s plenty of room for all these little ironies and historical connections, but the one thing we have is the drama and the excitement of the moment. When he gets on the mound in that first inning, that’s the story. It’s an event. It’s theater.

Exactly. It is theater, and, when you see a talented young actor playing Othello for the first time, you enjoy it. You don’t need ubiquitous contextualization beginning before you walk in the door about how you may be seeing the next Lawrence Olivier. “Do You Believe in Miracles” has become hours, if not days, of “brace yourself, this could potentially be a miracle.”

When you see a beautiful woman, it is apparent. You don’t need Bob Costas to break down her proportions and incessantly compare her to Bridget Bardot. The greatness can support itself. Stop buttressing it.

Seeing Strasburg’s stuff for the first time, even if it was against the Pirates, was incredible. It was so incredible that even the stat fetishists will forget sample size and find ways to prove how great it was, yet, the enduring memory for me and, judging by twitter many others, will be Bob Costas being ridiculous. We should not need to press the mute button to witness something amazing.

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