You can just feel it. This is where.....

[MarquisDeSade]

OK wait - never mind.  I feel 75 or so wins this year, even without LaRoche.

  that's funny.  I can't see us winning 70 games this year without a few of our guys getting back on the juice (Morse, Ankiel, Pudge) or in a time machine (Pudge, Stairs).

[Baseball is Life]

I'm pretty OK with how this season has gone overall.  Still on pace to win 75ish games.  Still on the right track.

That was my prediction at the beginning of the year and I see no reason to change it. Now if LaRoche is out the rest of the year and Zim doesn't come back 100% then we might be in trouble.

[sportsfan882]

Feels just like every other season in Nationals history.

People nag that the team is fine even though they are losing games in the standings at an alarming rate come May-June and they are always totally wrong with the team quickly drops out of contention and is done for the year by June.

I think every year except for 2007 I believe we have completely tanked in the second halves of seasons. The last couple of years we have gotten off to okay starts which is better than some of those awful starts we have had before but just like always we go down the gutter in a hurry.

[Evolution33]

Feels just like every other season in Nationals history.

People nag that the team is fine even though they are losing games in the standings at an alarming rate come May-June and they are always totally wrong with the team quickly drops out of contention and is done for the year by June.

I think every year except for 2007 I believe we have completely tanked in the second halves of seasons. The last couple of years we have gotten off to okay starts which is better than some of those awful starts we have had before but just like always we go down the gutter in a hurry.

I don't know of anyone that thinks the team is fine. Winning this year was impossible. This year and possibly next year are just a purgatory of waiting for guys like Strasburg and Harper. Looking at the minors now actually makes me feel hopeful rather than depressed as Meyers, Peacock, and Milone are all putting up good numbers. The organization is still thin on close to major league ready position players, but Lombardozzi is doing well and if Desmond continues to OBP under .250 then he might be needed soon. When people say the team is fine they mean it is meeting their expectations. I never believed that a team could only manage to win 72 games without suffering at least one long losing streak.

[Terpfan76]

The issue is we all know we are not ready to contend or even be a .500 club yet somehow via smoke and mirrors and often blind luck we are somehow sitting just a few games under .500. Now as soon as things begin to normalize Chicken Little starts screaming about the sky falling as if this was some how unexpected. I expect the team to be competitive, which is why I hated last nights game so much, but with the absolute lack of hitting and injuries to Zimmy and Laroche the fact that we are anywhere close to .500 at this point is amazing.

Since Rizzo got here, there has been an influx of talent, but due to our situation, the guys that are close and should be populating AAA are on the big club. The rest of the young talent is too new to contribute before next season at the earliest except for maybe a few pitchers. I think Rizzo is doing the right thing by trying to build the farm system through the draft instead of gutting the roster. I know everyone's tired of hearing it, but patience is a virtue and Rome wasn't built in a day.

[sportsfan882]

I don't know of anyone that thinks the team is fine. Winning this year was impossible. This year and possibly next year are just a purgatory of waiting for guys like Strasburg and Harper. Looking at the minors now actually makes me feel hopeful rather than depressed as Meyers, Peacock, and Milone are all putting up good numbers. The organization is still thin on close to major league ready position players, but Lombardozzi is doing well and if Desmond continues to OBP under .250 then he might be needed soon. When people say the team is fine they mean it is meeting their expectations. I never believed that a team could only manage to win 72 games without suffering at least one long losing streak.

7 years for a chance at a winning baseball team? Haven't we suffered enough? And it's not even close to a guarantee that we compete next year or the following year.

This team is not meeting my expectations, not even close. I want a winner and this team keeps putting it off for longer and longer.

What happens if we aren't winning anything in two years? Then what do we do? Start over again and take another 7 years to build anything?

[sportsfan882]

20 years from now will people still be spouting the same old patience and "maybe we'll do it next year" attitudes? It's like the Nats are given a free pass to suck for a decade without anyone even caring.

[Terpfan76]

7 years for a chance at a winning baseball team? Haven't we suffered enough? And it's not even close to a guarantee that we compete next year or the following year.

This team is not meeting my expectations, not even close. I want a winner and this team keeps putting it off for longer and longer.

What happens if we aren't winning anything in two years? Then what do we do? Start over again and take another 7 years to build anything?

The New York freakin' Yankees wouldn't live up to your expectations.

[Evolution33]

7 years for a chance at a winning baseball team? Haven't we suffered enough? And it's not even close to a guarantee that we compete next year or the following year.

This team is not meeting my expectations, not even close. I want a winner and this team keeps putting it off for longer and longer.

What happens if we aren't winning anything in two years? Then what do we do? Start over again and take another 7 years to build anything?

Yes. If Rizzo fails he will be fired and a new GM will be brought in and clean house and start over. I don't know where you get seven years from as Rizzo has only been in charge since March of '09 and didn't have that off-season to begin putting his stamp on the team. The biggest mistake this franchise ever made was holding onto Bowden. It is just a fact that this team could never win anything ever. Reality doesn't give a crap if you like it or not.

[HalfSmokes]

What happens if we aren't winning anything in two years? Then what do we do? Start over again and take another 7 years to build anything?

Then Zimmerman probably dons pinstripes, and we re-load (load maybe) and hope Harper, Strass, and a by then very well paid, but likely declining Werth will be enough. I may be insane, but I think for the future of this franchise (at least in the near to mid term) it's important to make a run while Zimmerman is still here with Strassburg and hopefully Harper ready

[HalfSmokes]

Yes. If Rizzo fails he will be fired and a new GM will be brought in and clean house and start over. I don't know where you get seven years from as Rizzo has only been in charge since March of '09 and didn't have that off-season to begin putting his stamp on the team. The biggest mistake this franchise ever made was holding onto Bowden. It is just a fact that this team could never win anything ever. Reality doesn't give a crap if you like it or not.

when he came over in 2006, we poached him for his scouting ability, are you saying he had no hand in those drafts, that Bowden overruled him constantly?

[Terpfan76]

when he came over in 2006, we poached him for his scouting ability, are you saying he had no hand in those drafts, that Bowden overruled him constantly?

I don't think it's being suggested that he had no hand in those drafts, but what can be said is he didn't have the say with them then that he does now. Look at our most recent drafts. Sure Harper and Strasburg were no-brainers but at the same time, we got them signed and our other picks were pretty good as well. Would you really be all that surprised though if Bowden did overrule him constantly?

[Evolution33]

when he came over in 2006, we poached him for his scouting ability, are you saying he had no hand in those drafts, that Bowden overruled him constantly?

I am sure Bowden did overrule his scouts on some picks. I am not sure at all of the innerworkings of all that, but Rizzo couldn't make trades or sign free agents. I am sure Rizzo is responsible for a guy like Danny Espinosa, but I am really not sure at all how many picks he suggested were selected by Bowden or if the scouts Bowden choose to work under Rizzo are as good as the scouts Rizzo choose to work under Clark. These are all things we can never know, and I won't pretend to know.

[sportsfan882]

Yes. If Rizzo fails he will be fired and a new GM will be brought in and clean house and start over. I don't know where you get seven years from as Rizzo has only been in charge since March of '09 and didn't have that off-season to begin putting his stamp on the team. The biggest mistake this franchise ever made was holding onto Bowden. It is just a fact that this team could never win anything ever. Reality doesn't give a crap if you like it or not.

I don't care when Rizzo took over, we have been a loser since 2005. Did those first 3-4 years just not count? Should we scrape those years of misery from the record books?

Potential is all and good but we as fans have been saying the same things for years now and yet the losses keep piling up every year. Nothing has changed or is changing. It almost feels like we are going backwards though it's probably just stagnant.

[HalfSmokes]

So we credit him with good picks, but blame bowden for bad ones?

[sportsfan882]

Then Zimmerman probably dons pinstripes, and we re-load (load maybe) and hope Harper, Strass, and a by then very well paid, but likely declining Werth will be enough. I may be insane, but I think for the future of this franchise (at least in the near to mid term) it's important to make a run while Zimmerman is still here with Strassburg and hopefully Harper ready

If we don't compete by the time RZ's contract runs up, you are right, he will be wearing Yankee pinstripes. We need more than three players to win. This team has so many holes in the lineup and in the pitching staff. We aren't close.

[OldChelsea]

I think every year except for 2007 I believe we have completely tanked in the second halves of seasons. The last couple of years we have gotten off to okay starts which is better than some of those awful starts we have had before but just like always we go down the gutter in a hurry.

Nationals records, first and second halves (dividing at the All-Star break, with the 'better' half of the season in boldface):

PRE-BREAK

2005 - 52-36 (.591)
2006 - 38-52 (.422)
2007 - 36-52 (.409)
2008 - 36-60 (.375)
2009 - 26-61 (.299)
2010 - 39-50 (.438)

POST-BREAK

2005 - 29-45 (.392)
2006 - 33-39 (.458)
2007 - 37-37 (.500)
2008 - 23-42 (.354)
2009 - 33-42 (.440)
2010 - 30-43 (.411)

[Evolution33]

So we credit him with good picks, but blame bowden for bad ones?

No. There is not enough information to put credit or blame on anyone. The ultimate call was Bowden's and he might have listened to Bob Boone or Chuck LaMar over Rizzo. We simply do not know.

Rizzo has had the final say in drafts starting in 2009. Those are the only drafts we know where he had the final say on all the players.

[Evolution33]

I don't care when Rizzo took over, we have been a loser since 2005. Did those first 3-4 years just not count? Should we scrape those years of misery from the record books?

Potential is all and good but we as fans have been saying the same things for years now and yet the losses keep piling up every year. Nothing has changed or is changing. It almost feels like we are going backwards though it's probably just stagnant.

The first two years were Bowden dressing up the franchise to be sold and then his rebuild project began. I do not know how long a rebuild should take but with the lack of any talent in the farm at that point i would say five years. Bowden's rebuild was aborted in 2009 when he was let go and Rizzo took over to start a five year process over again. This very well could be an endless cycle and the Nationals may never be a winning team.

[Lintyfresh85]

So we credit him with good picks, but blame bowden for bad ones?

That how I'm reading the reactions.

[sportsfan882]

The first two years were Bowden dressing up the franchise to be sold and then his rebuild project began. I do not know how long a rebuild should take but with the lack of any talent in the farm at that point i would say five years. Bowden's rebuild was aborted in 2009 when he was let go and Rizzo took over to start a five year process over again. This very well could be an endless cycle and the Nationals may never be a winning team.

Are you being sarcastic?

Another couple years of this mediocrity and we will be another Pirates/Orioles (if we aren't already).

[HalfSmokes]

Another couple years of this mediocrity and we will be another Pirates/Orioles (if we aren't already).

hate to break it to you

[Evolution33]

Are you being sarcastic?

Another couple years of this mediocrity and we will be another Pirates/Orioles (if we aren't already).

There is no rule that says all teams get a chance at winning. The Nationals might very well never become a winning team.

[MarquisDeSade]

There is no rule that says all teams get a chance at winning. The Nationals might very well never become a winning team.

The Cubs fanwagen has plenty of space...

[wpa2629]

LOL at another "couple of years" we'll be doomed .. the Cubs have waited for a World Series winner for 100 years! Boston waiting over 80.

We've waited 6 - OH THE HUMANITY!


Good grief, it's like people have the attention span of a Gnat -- no pun intended.

It takes as long as it takes, sometimes it NEVER happens. That's the beauty and cruelty of sports. It sucks now, it sucks to "strive" to be 500, but what exactly are you going to do about it? Freak out every time they lose?

Try and get better and try and enjoy it in the meantime.

All the hand wringing and teeth gnashing and OMG SEASON OVER ... it's exhausting