Posts Tagged ‘Washington Nationals’
 |
Playoff Misery 101October 8th, 2008
|
Pity the poor fans of the Chicago Cubs. After a great regular season where they were arguably the most dominant team in the National League, they go out and get bounced from the playoffs after only three games. The Dodgers win two at Wrigley and one at Chavez and the loveable Cubbies’ span between World Series titles will be at least 101 years now.
After watching the Red Sox and the White Sox both erase decades-long World Series title droughts/generation-crushing curses, the overwhelming opinion was that it would be the Cubs turn to lose their identity and host a parade. So a baseball nation mourns as the Northsiders losing streak continues. Can any franchise match that kind of futility?
Oh, wait, maybe I can think of one. Read more
 |
Memorial Day Musings from D.C.May 30th, 2008
|
This past Memorial Day, three cars cut me off in a 20 minute span on the D.C. Beltway. I spewed F, D, B, C, S, and A bombs with no reserve.
After walking through the turnstiles of Nationals Park and taking a tour of the stadium, I noted only one touch of personality, the patriotic bunting hung from the upper decks.
I managed to weave through crowds without anything from Ben’s Chili Bowl or any of the other eateries being spilled on me as I found my seat along the third baseline. Waiting for the game to begin, I watched as a middle-aged man pushed his way through some Milwaukee Brewers fans, the Nationals opponent that day, and announced his displeasure about sitting next to these foreigners before pledging his allegiance to the Yankees.
Even though the game had started, I could see only what now seemed like a zoo. Grown men attacked foul balls without regard to the children sitting next to them. People downed beer with reckless abandon. It was 40,000 people exposing their id.
With the game moving slowly and mediocre ball being played, I wondered if I should head home. When the Brewers put up six runs in the sixth inning to put the game in doubt, I decided to stay longer.
Just before the eighth inning, the video board showed a picture of four wheelchair-bound veterans in attendance. Immediately, the largest cheer of the day erupted from all corners of the stadium. A good portion of the fans stood and applauded these men and women for their individual work and for being symbols of their active and inactive peers.
The standing ovation is a symbolic salute for these wounded warriors and their co-workers who have paid a dearer price because they will never again be able to rise to their feet.
They did not choose to protect the inconsiderate individual but to preserve the ideals and freedoms of this nation.
I sat through the rest of the game and enjoyed the competition of the athletes. But the game’s outcome, the actions of the players, and the behavior of the fans lost their significance – in the harsh light of what these veterans gave up so that we could enjoy freedoms such as watching a baseball day in the warm sun.
|
Streaking player probably won’t play; winner of none, loser of three will!May 12th, 2008
|
Raise your hand and speak up if you have no clue in the world what is happening with DC’s baseball team.
But, please: not everyone at once.
The Washington Nationals is the same team that earlier this season owned MLB’s worst record and had lost 15 of 17 games then turned it around to play .750 ball by winning nine of 12 games to climb to within striking distance of the team ahead of them in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves.
That surge also prompted the Nats to rise above five other MLB teams, pull into a tie with a sixth and – more importantly – demonstrate the team can play ball, win games and continue soaring upward.
Or so we thought.
Through Monday morning, as they approach this season’s quarter mark, the Nats are tied with the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies for third-worst in MLB, ahead of the penultimate Seattle Mariners and the last-place San Diego Padres.
What more to expect from a team that markets itself on its own Web site with the following sub-headline to its top story: ‘Aaron Boone has been on a tear for the Nationals, but will likely not start as Odalis Perez throws against the Mets at 7:10 p.m. ET tonight.’
The Nationals are reduced to pitching the exploits of a back-up third baseman.
One who might not even find his way into the game.
Naming him alongside the name of the pitcher whose record is 0-3.
Is the message from the Nats: Viewers should watch the game not to watch the streaking infielder but to watch the pitcher who has won no games but lost three in the eight he has started?
|
Keys to the Nats’ RisingMay 5th, 2008
|
Will this team break out? We know they can and it just might be on the brink of doing so.
In less than two weeks, the Washington Nationals have climbed out of MLB’s basement by playing .727 ball. Their record through Saturday afternoon has them looking down on five teams and tied with a sixth. They are only five games below .500.
The Nats are 8-3 in their past 11 games, during which they captured series against three solid teams, and they’ll try to clinch another series Sunday afternoon.
Through Saturday afternoon, they have won two of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Right handed pitcher Tim Redding leads the charge Sunday in game four at Nationals Park against Ian Snell, also a righthander. Should the Nats lose, they’ll at least emerge with a series tie.
|
Nats to begin May with three-game win streakMay 1st, 2008
|
The Washington Nationals stylishly finished April by taking a two-game set against the Atlanta Braves, their division rival whom they now trail by only 1.5 games.
The team that endured a nine-game losing streak through April 13 now has won six of its last eight games and is riding a three-game winning streak as the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town for both teams’ first four-game set this season.
Several obvious positives have emerged and they are impossible to ignore.
They have solid starting pitchers, one of whom is working on a scoreless inning streak. They have stumbled upon a solid closer who notched his fifth save Tuesday night when the Nats beat the Braves 6-3. Their lineup has some potent bats that can turn on the ball with ease. And the whole team how shown it can excel when playing late- and extra-inning ball.
|
Nats occupy MLB’s cellarApril 22nd, 2008
|
Nationals Park seems like nostalgic Americana from yesteryear, blossoming by the Tidal Basin, glittering alongside the rushing Rivers Potomac and Anacostia, glistening near the Reflecting Pool, and shimmering by the Capital’s assortment of white monuments, memorials, pillars, columns and marble fountains.
And then we have the Washington Nationals.
The owners of the worst record in Major League Baseball through Tuesday morning have lost 15 of their last 17 games, weighing in at a .250 winning percentage and a 5-15 record. The Nats dwell in last place of the NL East, immediately looking up at the Philadelphia Phillies whose even record gives them five less losses and five more wins.
The Nats are baseball’s only team with a winning percentage lower than .300 as two AL teams, the Texas Rangers in the AL West and the Detroit Tigers in the Central, hold records of 7-13, which converts to a .350 winning percentage. In the NL Central, the Pittsburgh Pirates hold a 7-12 record, translating as a .368 winning percentage.
The other divisions’ last-place teams are in the high .300s or low .400s.
Is this any way to inaugurate a new home?
|
Nats snap 9-game losing streakApril 13th, 2008
|
The Washington Nationals used the final game of their first extended homestand at their new field to snap an ugly nine-game losing streak, defeating the Atlanta Braves 5-4.
Nats starter Tim Redding picked up his second win of the season after giving up six hits and three runs in five innings. Jon Rauch notched his second save of the season by throwing one pitch that induced Braves catcher Brain McCann to fly out to right. Rauch relieved Chad Cordero, who began the ninth by quickly retiring two Braves hitters before loading the bases.
 |
Extrapolator’s DelightApril 13th, 2008
|
“Stop telling such outlandish tales. Stop turning minnows into whales.”
Dr. Seuss, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
April is the month of irresponsible prognostication. All across baseball, there is loose talk of things to come. In the bleachers and papers alike, rashness abounds. It’s been a long winter, and in the anxiousness to fully immerse ourselves in the new season, we seem to forget that it’s a long season, and that the laws of the universe will apply to all of it. Everywhere, emperors are being overthrown and paupers are rising to take their place. Temporary, minor concerns are made to be fatal flaws. Countless mountains from many mole hills. Easy fellas, it’s early yet.
|
Opening DayMarch 31st, 2008
|
The US Capital is within hours of christening another National Shrine, one that is bound to enchant millions.
And this hallowed haven will take its rightful place alongside DC’s monuments and memorials, Congressional halls and landmarks, all steeped in the traditions and nostalgia of Americana.
Mark the date and time: the evening of Sunday, March 30, when the Washington Nationals Baseball Club will enjoy the 2008 home opener at Nationals Park, a brand new ballyard. The Atlanta Braves will be the first team to occupy the visitors’ dugout, bullpen and clubhouse.
Three-plus years after relocating from Montreal to Washington, the Nats’ bats will crack balls in the park specifically built for them. They played the three past seasons at RFK Stadium, one of the main reasons DC was selected for the Montreal Expos’ relocation.
The grand opening coincides perfectly with another annual tradition in DC: the flourishing of the Cherry Blossoms, the yearly display of Spring’s glory. The Cherry Blossoms have begun their peak season as they burst with brilliant red, white and pink petals, the ideal indicator of the onset of warmer weather in the Nation’s capital.
Spring serves as the perfect re-awakening as slumbering souls are invigorated after the Winter hibernation. Baseball begins again!
And the stars are aligned in Washington, where the Home Town Nine will begin settling into its brand new, state-of-the-art stadium that holds more than 41,000 fans. The new stadium is equipped with cutting edge electronics and technology, as well as views of the US Capitol and the Washington Monument.
Nationals Park is sure to establish itself in its permanent home, where the national pastime belongs.