I first became a Nats fan in '06 when I was sick from work for about a week. With very little to watch on television, I got back into baseball, and as I live in Virginia, MASN was showing the Nationals and Orioles. Partly because I couldn’t stomach the idea of ever rooting for a team from Baltimore, I started watching the Nationals.
I quickly became an addict, even though they were a terrible team. I had the lineups memorized, and kept close tabs on what they were doing despite the fact that wins were very hard to come by.
Like other Nats fans, I was surprised and delighted at how far we came this year. After last year’s 80-81 season, I figured we had a decent shot at making the playoffs, but I didn’t in my wildest dreams imagine winning 98 games and the division title, and taking the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals to the full five games in a hard-fought division series.
And yes, I’m disappointed with how Game 5 turned out, especially how we blew the 6-0 lead. But overall I’m proud of my boys and eagerly anticipate next season.
How do you think we’ll do? I’d like to hear from Nats fans as well as more objective observers. And what are your thoughts on our season?
It was difficult for me to accept the Nats right away. It seems natural for them to be my team since I’m Columbian, but my family left DC in 1969, and the Senators left soon after. So I ended up becoming a Philly fan because that’s where we moved. Even when Washington had a team again I wasn’t about to give up on my beloved stinkin’, losin’, Phillies. Dear lord, they set a new record everytime they lose a game. But my heart still belongs to my hometown, so now I have two National League teams that I root for. I won’t give up on the Phillies, but I’ve worn my Nationals Hat all season, which I’m sure is the reason they’ve made it this far. And I’m sure they be continuing on if those bastards from StL didn’t cheat as much as those scumbag Yankees.
Just about every article about the Nats includes this quote by Bartlett Giamatti: Baseball is designed to break your heart.
I was there opening week 2005, I’ll be there opening day 2013. I think this year was about building a fan base and getting some playoff experience, and boy did they get it.
Maybe next year they’ll use their heads and recognize that if they are going to make the playoffs they’ll need Strasburg around six times and will adjust his start time next season accordingly. They literally cheated themselves out of opportunities to win and still almost pulled it out.
The real question is: Will/should Rizzo still be GM? IMO, if they don’t fire him this off-season (which they should) they MUST win the WS for him to keep his job.
They never would have got to the playoffs if they had shut down Stras at the beginning of the season instead of the end. Nats offense was really slumping and it was their pitching they kept them alive. Plus they don’t have to manage Stras’ innings to the same degree next year as he will be two years out from surgery. I think people are very quickly forgetting how fast Rizzo has built up the team from one of the worst records in baseball.
Rick-Noticed a typo in my post, so I get the confusion. IMO, A GM and manager have a responsibility to try to win every year. If they aren’t committed to winning, they shouldn’t be in charge of a sports franchise.
OTOH a “Parkway Series” (or maybe “MARC Series”, the commuter rail line ends right at Camden Yards) could have been something to shoot for.
Any case, Nats and O’s both did good in climbing back from long years in the wilderness. Sure, nothing beats the pennant, but they both can go home heads held high.
He’s done a great job building the team and they were ahead of schedule this year. Firing him would be utterly moronic. I don’t know if they handled the Strasburg situation very well, but it shouldn’t be an issue next year anyway since he’ll be a year older and further removed from surgery.
What more do you want to know? The Yankees have always cheated. They pay off the umpires and players on the opposing team. They spike the water in the opposing locker room, shine lasers in the eyes of their players, set them up with hookers and blow then blackmail them. The Cardinals just wised up and started these tactics themselves.
