my stomach aches for thee, Nationals

I love baseball. I have told my wife that baseball is my first love. I have slept on the couch because I would not back down form that statement. (that is not true - Wifey did not take any umbrage with my first love, she is not one to be disturbed by others). Anyways, I've loved baseball since I can remember. Growing up I had no one to influence me as to what team to root for, the Cardinals were close to Memphis, but there wasn't a player I particularly liked and wanted to see win. Even with Memphis Chicks being in town, a farm team for the Royals, I didn't go to enough games in person to warrant an allegiance to any of those guys (Bo Jackson had come and gone so fast I never got to see him). Mostly as a kid, I spent whatever time I might have been watching baseball, playing baseball instead. However, when I was about 12 the New York Mets (who had won the World Series 2 years earlier), led by the catcher Gary Carter, were on TV every day during the summer. I had just begun to play catcher at the time, and fell in love with how good a player he was. (Wifey and I would later go to see Carter inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown - and it was glorious.) So I chose the Mets as my team. I was with them, from afar, for 16 years or so.

I was in the tank for the Mets all the way until I moved to Washington, DC. Even then, I was a Met fan until the most wonderful thing happened - Montreal lost it's team and they moved to DC. They moved in 2005 down the street from where Wifey and I lived in our first apartment after we got married. We were 12 blocks from the stadium, and it was awesome. I immediately picked them to be new Fav. Team. It was great. I could go to a game after work (sometimes during work) and usually not have to pay - I would just stand outside and loudly, without shouting, "Looking for a miracle. Got a ticket? I need a ticket." eventually (every time) someone would walk over and hand over a free ticket. One time, on Opening Day in '06 I was able to get into the beer zone, and drink a couple of free brews. Thanks to that guy.

Well, now the Nats are in there 4th season in DC. I'm as big a fan as I ever have been - the first thing I ever purchased for the baby was a Nats dress and bib - but they are not yet the contenders we'd hoped they would be by now. I watched the Nats host the Reds last night (one of the few games versus the Braves or Reds not blacked out because people do not watch a team as bad as the Nats), and it was not as fun as it should be for a guy who has yet to see a game in person since last year about this time. I won't bore you with details of the game inning by inning, but suffice to say that the Nats lost. They are currently 15-41, that's 15 wins out of 56 tries. And it's not like they don't do some things well, they just seem to rarely do all aspects of the game well in one day. The starting pitching is decent enough to win more games (the relievers are horrible - and Manager Manny Acta should be fired for putting in relievers when pinch hitting is as good as letting the pitcher hit for himself), and they've generally scored enough to win as well, but the defense is dreadful and the relievers suck, and the outfield is more crowded with mediocre talent than a Wisconsin bar on Sat. night at closing time. Yikes.

Here's the deal. I will not quit on my team. I love the Nats. Ryan Zimmerman, Jesus Flores, all the young pitchers, I can't wait to see them win something and get to the post season. I plan on being there when the time comes. But, "DAMN! we are in a tight spot." to borrow a line from Oh Brother, Where Art Thou. And in the meantime, I'm giving myself heartburn and headaches staying up late to watch the two games in three months I'll be able to see, knowing I've got to get up in a little while to take care the baby. Wah, wah wah... I've got two things on my plate, I know.




Maybe a donut will help chill me out.