Author Topic: A Thank You to the Nationals  (Read 2243 times)

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Offline vernon337

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A Thank You to the Nationals
« Topic Start: October 08, 2019, 04:14:59 PM »
Whatever happens tomorrow night, this season has been a ton of fun, and the players and coaching staff get my wholehearted thanks for that.

I appreciate them not just for the turnaround they made, one of historic proportions.  But even more than that was the way they did it, swimming across turbulent waters with that 100-pound millstone of a bullpen around their necks. I don't follow MLB that closely, but I can't remember another team that made it to the playoffs with such an important and glaring weakness.  And they had fun doing it! 

Got to admire the guys who were discarded by other teams, then came to D.C. and helped propel the Nats to a wild-card berth.  First on that list would be Parra, who not only had such a powerful effect on the team chemistry but also made it more fun for the fans with the home-run dances and the brilliant Baby Shark walkup.

Respect for Ross, Fedde and Voth, who all fought through early-season struggles to provide help at the fifth starter position over the last half of the season -- along with some relief work that helped out as well.  Same for Michael Taylor and Andrew Stevenson, stuck with the  AAAA label but both providing some assistance either in the regular season or the playoffs. 

Maybe best of all were Strasburg and Zimmerman, who took a lot of shots from Nats fans but have proved their worth over the past few weeks.  The home run from Zimmerman was as much of a highlight to me as the ones by Suzuki and Turner. 

Martinez has earned my admiration by holding this team together through the long slog of a season, for never losing faith in the team and somehow transmitting that to the players.  I really believe it was a key factor in the resilience the Nationals have shown, the key ingredient that distinguished this team -- and one that is especially gratifying to me as a fan.  As the season played out, I became less and less likely to give up on a game even when we were behind by multiple runs in the later innings.  And my increasing willingness to see the games play out to the end paid off time and again.  It has made for one of the most positive experiences for me as a baseball fan, a guy who first fell in love with the game as a 7-year-old in 1953. 

 




Offline Smithian

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #1: October 08, 2019, 04:17:03 PM »
If they lose tonight, it'll take some time but eventually this will be my favorite Nationals seasons since 2011 and 2012 when the Nationals turned the corner then busted through.

Offline mitlen

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #2: October 08, 2019, 04:30:36 PM »
"By God, Woodrow; it's been one hell of a party."    ....    Gus McCrae

Offline dracnal

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #3: October 08, 2019, 04:38:54 PM »
I appreciate them not just for the turnaround they made, one of historic proportions.  But even more than that was the way they did it, swimming across turbulent waters with that 100-pound millstone of a bullpen around their necks. I don't follow MLB that closely, but I can't remember another team that made it to the playoffs with such an important and glaring weakness.  And they had fun doing it! 


I know the Dodgers have been anointed the Team of Destiny, but their bullpen blew the same number of games as ours - 27 - and our win/loss record, after the 19-34 start was the same as theirs. There's a reason the wildcard team has forced a game five against a team that won more than 105 games. And I fully agree those mid-season shots of adrenaline from replacement new additions who went from being cast off to part of an historic drive really, really contributed so much.

Offline Baseball is Life

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #4: October 08, 2019, 04:53:53 PM »
It's been a fun season no matter what. Of course, we all want to win tomorrow but this has been a good season with lots of great story lines.

Offline RiotAct

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #5: October 08, 2019, 04:54:59 PM »
If they lose tonight, it'll take some time but eventually this will be my favorite Nationals seasons since 2011 and 2012 when the Nationals turned the corner then busted through.

don’t wait up TOO late... game is tomorrow ;)

Offline wj73

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #6: October 08, 2019, 05:11:07 PM »
Well said, Vernon. I’ve been saying this is my favorite team since 2012. You articulated the reasons much better than I ever could.

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #7: October 08, 2019, 05:12:34 PM »
If they lose tonight, it'll take some time but eventually this will be my favorite Nationals seasons since 2011 and 2012 when the Nationals turned the corner then busted through.

the lack of competition helps - it's not like there's a nats team that has accomplished anything to displace

Offline UMDNats

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #8: October 08, 2019, 05:12:35 PM »
If they lose tonight, it'll take some time but eventually this will be my favorite Nationals seasons since 2011 and 2012 when the Nationals turned the corner then busted through.

Definitely my favorite nats team since 2012. which is kind of amazing considering we were one of the worst teams in baseball in late may.

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #9: October 08, 2019, 05:13:41 PM »
Well said, Vernon. I’ve been saying this is my favorite team since 2012. You articulated the reasons much better than I ever could.

I actually think I like this team better- 2012 was awesome and so welcome after years of suck, but they jumped to a lead and pulled away. This team was buried by everyone and managed to claw it's way back.

Offline spidernat

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #10: October 08, 2019, 05:17:24 PM »
Definitely my favorite nats team since 2012. which is kind of amazing considering we were one of the worst teams in baseball in late may.



the St Louis Blues of MLB :shock:

Offline Smithian

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #11: October 08, 2019, 05:22:11 PM »
don’t wait up TOO late... game is tomorrow ;)
What I get for posting and emailing about dinner plans at the same time.

Offline imref

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #12: October 08, 2019, 06:31:33 PM »
If they lose tonight, it'll take some time but eventually this will be my favorite Nationals seasons since 2011 and 2012 when the Nationals turned the corner then busted through.

yeah, definitely this and 2012 were my favorite teams.  The Zimm/Willingham/Dunn years were fun too.

Offline DCFan

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #13: October 08, 2019, 07:22:34 PM »
What's with the eulogies while the playoffs are still going on?   :hammer: :wtf: :confused:

Offline spidernat

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #14: October 08, 2019, 07:23:40 PM »
getting a head start  :rites:

Offline DCFan

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #15: October 08, 2019, 07:29:41 PM »
getting a head start  :rites:

Some of these posters are so dense.  :spaz:

Offline mitlen

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #16: October 08, 2019, 07:42:10 PM »
What's with the eulogies while the playoffs are still going on?   :hammer: :wtf: :confused:

Gotta know where you've been to know how to get where ya wanna go.   Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.     :blah: :blah: :blah:

Offline Baseball is Life

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #17: October 08, 2019, 07:59:19 PM »
What's with the eulogies while the playoffs are still going on?   :hammer: :wtf: :confused:

No eulogies. I think it's just a realization for some of us that it's not always about "winning it all." We're enjoying the ride and have no problem saying so, win or lose tomorrow night.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #18: October 08, 2019, 08:04:15 PM »
If they lose it’s another failed year. They need to at least win a real playoff series.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #19: October 08, 2019, 08:05:12 PM »
Gotta know where you've been to know how to get where ya wanna go.   Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.     :blah: :blah: :blah:
If I knew where I left my keys I could find them again.

Offline vernon337

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #20: October 08, 2019, 08:25:08 PM »
What's with the eulogies while the playoffs are still going on?   :hammer: :wtf: :confused:

Not a eulogy, just an appreciation for a team that too often gets slammed for what it hasn't been able to do rather than appreciated for what it has so far been able to do while saddled with a historically bad bullpen.  I have admired several of the traits they have shown in accomplishing this feat, even if those traits don't win them a World Series.

I have enjoyed the ride.  I am not the kind of fan who can't enjoy the ride until and unless it ends in a World Series win. 

Offline sixthree175

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #21: October 08, 2019, 08:55:27 PM »
Not a eulogy, just an appreciation for a team that too often gets slammed for what it hasn't been able to do rather than appreciated for what it has so far been able to do while saddled with a historically bad bullpen.  I have admired several of the traits they have shown in accomplishing this feat, even if those traits don't win them a World Series.

I have enjoyed the ride.  I am not the kind of fan who can't enjoy the ride until and unless it ends in a World Series win.
Winning the World Series would be great or course.  What we really want to see is our team play good, sound baseball.  Losing is acceptable when the other team actually beats you.  What's happened in previous NLDSs has often been inexplicable.  Let's hope for a hard fought and well played game tomorrow.

Offline Baseball is Life

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #22: October 08, 2019, 09:14:26 PM »
Winning the World Series would be great or course.  What we really want to see is our team play good, sound baseball.  Losing is acceptable when the other team actually beats you.  What's happened in previous NLDSs has often been inexplicable.  Let's hope for a hard fought and well played game tomorrow.

This. The Dodgers are a very good team and there would be no shame in losing to them. In the past, frustrations emerged when I thought the Nats lost to lesser teams, and in some cases in very unfair or flukey circumstances.

Offline Baseball is Life

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #23: October 08, 2019, 09:16:54 PM »
If they lose it’s another failed year. They need to at least win a real playoff series.

For me, it has been an entertaining year and therefore not a failed year. I'm never going to be content unless they advance and eventually win a WS but I'm not going to not enjoy my time as fan in the meantime.

A failed year for me would have been not making the postseason. Instead, we've enjoyed two of the best games in Nationals history in the last week. What's not to like.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: A Thank You to the Nationals
« Reply #24: October 08, 2019, 09:23:37 PM »
For me, it has been an entertaining year and therefore not a failed year. I'm never going to be content unless they advance and eventually win a WS but I'm not going to not enjoy my time as fan in the meantime.

A failed year for me would have been not making the postseason. Instead, we've enjoyed two of the best games in Nationals history in the last week. What's not to like.
What’s not to like? A team that can’t at least make the NLDS. The Mets are hardly ever in the playoffs and made the World Series in 2015.