Hello, all,
I am a "refugee" from Nats Fanatic, and, in a different life, one of the staff at The Hogs Net.
Born in DC at Garfield Hospital, which sat on the third-base side of Griffith Stadium, saw my first live game when they awarded Mickey Vernon the Hillerich and Bradsby "silver bat" as AL batting champion. Suffered through the '50s teams, was about 11 in 1959, the year the Senators broke the major league record for consecutive losses but also had Harmon Killebrew (42 HR, co-AL champ), Jim Lemon (33), Bob Allison (31), and Roy Sievers (21 HR on half a season). That year, Camilo Pascual led (or was second) in strikeouts, won 17 lost 10, had a .260 ERA, pitched about 18 complete games with six or ten shutouts, and also hit about .310.
For 1960, see David Gough's "They've Stolen Our Team".
With great sense of loss, cheered for the New Senators (see David Hartley's book).
Listened to the "last game" over Yankees radio, so I heard Phil Rizzuto and Bill White call that last inning.
Felt profound disgust for MLB, increased about 1990 when I took my son to Cooperstown, and found almost no mention that Washington had had baseball since the 1870s: only evidence being Walter Johnson's plaque, the presidential seats from the old stadium, and an insulting display case -- in the Texas Rangers area -- of the 1969 red trimmed uniform, with red curly-W hat, selected by {he who shall not be named}, the owner who shorted the District and moved to Dallas/Ft Worth.
I believe that all seasons played between 1972 and 2004, inclusive, have an asterisk: by the nature of MLB, and by tradition going back to President Taft, the baseball season starts when the President throws out the first pitch at a Nats/Senators game. No pitch...no season.
Took delight in bringing my daughter to RFK just to show her the remaining seats painted to show that Frank Howard hat hit them. She was amazed, and I was amused to read that current players had grumbled that RFK was to big for them.
I believe that last year's team was the worst I've seen in a Washington uniform. "These are the times that try men's souls" as Tom Paine wrote about a more serious crisis.
Having grown up with the '50s and '60s Nats and Redskins, I tell younger fans that this all makes it sweeter when the team gets good. I hope that's soon!
