Welcome, NationalHeat. I admire that you were able to become hooked in the 100 loss era, especially when it seemed the Marlins owned the Nats. Bad owners will drive away fans. I'm sure you've seen the LAC / LANC debates (If you ignore them, then you are not only welcome but also smarter than most of us). Somehow, someway, the ownership here seems to have brought in good people and let them do their job. That's a nice change from Loria.
Thanks, I think baseball is best to follow when you can watch all 162 games, liaten to them on the radio, actually go to the stadium, etc - so thats what really got me hooked early on.
I guess I don't think the Lerners are cheap OR not cheap; I think they're just regular, middle-of-the-road owners who are successful now because they hired the right leader, who then hired the right staff and made the right moves. Commend them for letting Rizzo spend in the draft/ locking up cost controlled guys, but without forgetting they look silly with the WMATA thing and letting those 05-09 teams look so bad.
Now Loria, THAT IS BAD. They dealt this generation's best hitter to spend on Hanley, saying they couldn't afford both, only to be outed by Deadspin 3 years later. They ROBBED the county of $600 million to build a still half empty stadium, and have hired/fired like 30 managers in less than a decade. Yeah, they also don't spend on the draft.
Lerners are a godsend after having to experience 3 firesales and a meddling owner!
