Bad Nationals Nostalgia / "Lean Years" Memories thread (merged)

[Minty Fresh]

Berkman swung.

[spidernat]

Berkman swung.

PC hammered that one for years

[The Chief]

Anyone remember John Patterson's grandma (or whatever the relation was) who posted here?

[spidernat]

Anyone remember John Patterson's grandma (or whatever the relation was) who posted here?

thunderstrucknatsfan (TRJPWH)

[Smithian]

Berkman swung.

The Nats could win the World Series and I'd still be mad at that.

Angriest I've ever been over a regular season game.

[bluestreak]

I didn’t get to experience the Tony Plush years here, but I did in Wisconsin when I lived there... that’s all I got. I’m a relative Johnny come lately.

[Smithian]

I didn’t get to experience the Tony Plush years here, but I did in Wisconsin when I lived there... that’s all I got. I’m a relative Johnny come lately.

Super exciting revelation in second half of 2009 when the Nationals just about played their way out of Strasburg.

Embarrassing disaster throughout 2010. Still disappointed Nats didn't cut him until he and Jayson Werth had an altercation in Spring 2011.

[Slateman]

Super exciting revelation in second half of 2009 when the Nationals just about played their way out of Strasburg.

Embarrassing disaster throughout 2010. Still disappointed Nats didn't cut him until he and Jayson Werth had an altercation in Spring 2011.

You can thank Yuniesky Betancourt for almost single handedly winning the Mariners two games at the end of 2009

[Vega]

You can thank Yuniesky Betancourt for almost single handedly winning the Mariners two games at the end of 2009

There’s a name from ages past. He suuuuucked and somehow lingered in the MLB for quite a while.

[tomterp]

I think he's right though. I believe those were the two that got traded for Milledge and I remember it because turtleboy cried inconsolably for weeks over that trade.

I still get a little weepy from time to time just thinking about it.  But I'm over it now.  I swear I am, this time for real.

[rileyn]

Khalil Greene.  That late night in 2005 rocked me to my core.  I still remember how angry I was pacing around my kitchen (moved twice since) with my young kids asleep upstairs.  Of course we could only listen on the radio back then.

Frank Robinson trying to fight Mike Scoscia.  Jose Guillen trying to fight everybody.  Joey Eischen.  Gary Mejewski.  Jon Rauch. 

[bluestreak]

https://www.mlb.com/video/robinson-umpire-stare-down-c1883691283

[tomterp]

Khalil Greene.  That late night in 2005 rocked me to my core.  I still remember how angry I was pacing around my kitchen (moved twice since) with my young kids asleep upstairs.  Of course we could only listen on the radio back then.

Frank Robinson trying to fight Mike Scoscia.  Jose Cruz trying to fight everybody.  Joey Eischen.  Gary Mejewski.  Jon Rauch.

Jose Guillen?

[spidernat]

Khalil Greene.  That late night in 2005 rocked me to my core.  I still remember how angry I was pacing around my kitchen (moved twice since) with my young kids asleep upstairs.  Of course we could only listen on the radio back then.

Frank Robinson trying to fight Mike Scoscia.  Jose Cruz GUILLEN trying to fight everybody.  Joey Eischen.  Gary Mejewski.  Jon Rauch. 

I remember the night of the Khalil Greene grand slam. Up 5-0 in the bottom of the 9th and they blew it. I was so angry that I took my dog out for a long late night walk. Came back home and watched them lose in the 12th inning. 

[rileyn]

Yes.  Guillen.  My bad.  Thanks.

[NatsDad14]

Khalil Greene.  That late night in 2005 rocked me to my core.  I still remember how angry I was pacing around my kitchen (moved twice since) with my young kids asleep upstairs.  Of course we could only listen on the radio back then.

Frank Robinson trying to fight Mike Scoscia.  Jose Guillen trying to fight everybody.  Joey Eischen.  Gary Mejewski.  Jon Rauch. 

Was that the game The Chief had a 1-0 and bases loaded with 0 outs and got out of the jam? Most exciting Nats moment of 2005

[Mathguy]

The 1st 81 games of 2005 - the Nets first year and they were in first place.  Those 81 games hooked the city into baseball in a way the Orioles never could.

This World Series is going to do the same - only it will convince all the transplanters who have come to DC for their career to leave their following of their home teams and become lifelong Nats fans.

[zimm_da_kid]

Saul Rivera, Jason bergmann, mike MacDougal

Complaining about the bullpen still in 2019

[The Chief]

Was that the game The Chief had a 1-0 and bases loaded with 0 outs and got out of the jam? Most exciting Nats moment of 2005

That was the 3rd game of the series at Anaheim - you'd have thought it was a deciding playoff game by the deathgrip I had on my steering while

[UMDNats]

freak Mike Bacsik.

[Smithian]

Can we make fun of Bill Ladson? I know he had health issues, but isn't he okay now?

[vernon337]

Has anyone mentioned.............................. ......FLop?

He is the SS in the Belliard gem

He (Lopez) has the distinction of putting up the worst WAR (-1.7 in 2008)  in any Nationals' season.

[raleighnat]

My favorite Nats call back in the day....hilarious:

[raleighnat]

My favorite Nats call back in the day....hilarious:

Also - some memories:

- Being excited the Expos were moving closer to my North Carolina home....but also watching Omar Minaya eviscerating the Montreal club (under MLB ownership) before they could good here
- Being there at RFK for the Rick Short hit
- Loving Livan - he couldn't break glass with his fast ball but what style
- The first half of the '05 season when we were like 18 games over .500 before a second half collapse
- Drafting Zim
- Lavalle Speignor beating Johanne Santana
- Bascik humiliating himself with his post record homer given up to Bonds "road tour" (I remember several interviews he gave - I found his enthusiasm for that moment of failure to be appropriately degrading for the Nats at that time)
- Thinking Dukes and Milledge were the future
- Trying to build a rotation in my mind around John Lannan that I was rationalizing could somehow compete
- Signing Werth, drafting Stras and his opening night
- And then it turning in 2012 - with Michael Morse and his walk up song
- Trying to like Harper because he was our guy but always preferring Stras' keep your mouth shut and do your job style
- Drafting Rendon and signing Max
-  All the great seasons with October collapses
- AND NOW - A chance to win the world series with a great group of players - led by Zimm - that you can root for without reservation
 

What a ride!  Let's do this!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

The '05 bullpen coach used to bring the entire bullpen into CCSP pretty regularly that year.

I remember a night I was at the main bar and as I was going out the bartender or someone pointed out Austin Kearns and Nick Johnson, just standing at the end near the door, talking to each other pretty quietly.  This was just after they were both put on the DL or something.  RZ used to come in, too. 

End of 2011, Alex Cora sitting up on 3 with a couple of the Spanish-speaking young ballplayers, kind of advising them on how to handle the big leagues.  Even then, I was saying he'd be a manager and the Nats should sign him as a minor league or bench coach when he retired.

I still have my Milledge tee-shirt.