March – Bryce Harper. Yeah, you loved DC until you didn’t. But the PHILLIES?! Of all the places to go. So just go.
April – Eagerly hopeful. This is the year, right? Pressed my psychic energy into helping the team.
May – Hated baseball. Despair sets in. (SIL reminded me everyday – long season, 162 games, pace yourself)
June – Began to be hopeful. But cautious hopeful.
July – Looked like team was on a roll, but dreading the after-All-Star-Break slump.
August – Whoa. This Is The Team!
September 3 — Ryan Zimmerman quote of the season: “I blacked out and then we won.” No, seriously. Bottom of the ninth, Nats down 10-4. Come back with 7 runs and a Suzuki walk-off homer. Can’t make this stuff up.
September – THIS IS THE TEAM.
Late-September – Is this a slump? Oh shit.
Last eight games – What a streak! Swept the Phillies! (Thanks, Bryce – you said you wanted to bring a championship back to DC!) And then the Indians! Bring on October!
Wild Card Game – Soto! SOTO! THIS IS THE TEAM!!! Hug all the folks sitting near me! High five everyone. New friends from Seattle whose names I don’t know.
NLDS Game 1 – Reality sets in
NLDS Game 2 – This Is The Team
NLDS Game 3 – Contemplating seppuku
NLDS Game 4 – oh man oh man oh man! Not Really!!!!!
NLDS Game 5 – Howie! Howie! Howie! WE’RE GOING TO THE NLCS!
NLCS Game 1 – OK, now just remember, this is the Cardinals, this won’t be easy like the Dod- what? we won?!
NLCS Game 2 – We won?!!
NLCS Game 3 – WE WON?!!
NLCS Game 4 – OK, now just remember, this is the Car- HOWIE!!!! We’re going to the WORLD SERIES!! OMG OMG OMG – WE SWEPT THE CARDINALS!!
Here endeth the diary. Couldn’t get past sweeping the Cardinals in the NLCS. Still don’t believe it.
The Washington Nationals won the World Series. Turns out the Astros were cheating at least some of the time. Thanks of a grateful nation for not letting them cheat their way to another win.
We swept the Cardinals in the NLCS. Still can’t believe it. Sleeping in NLCS Championship t-shirt ALL the time.
Anyway, Spring Training 2020 is just around the corner. Here we go again.
Addenda in case you forgot:
On May 23 the Nats posted the worst start since 2009 – 19-31. Really not surprising since 5 starters missed more than 75 games between May 7 and May 29.
To wit:
Trea Turner, broken right index finger – missed 38 games – returned May 17
Ryan Zimmerman’s plantar fasciitis resurfaced in his right foot – missed 17 games – returned May 17
Juan Soto – back spasms – missed 10 games – returned May 11
Anthony Rendon – left elbow contusion – missed 9 games – returned May 7
Anibal Sanchez – left hamstring on May 17, returned May 29 and then won 8 straight.
And then: Scherzer broke his nose during batting practice, pitched looking like absolute hell on June 19 and added to his legend. Was on a roll but spent half of July on the IL with back strain, not to mention the 11th hour insanity of games 5, 6, and 7 of the World Series.
The bullpen was never even close to “right” until Daniel Hudson arrived on July 31. And then Sean Doolittle goes on the IL on August 17 with right knee tendinitis, but finally returned to form on September 25.
Manager Davy Martinez has to go to the hospital during the 5th inning on September 15 with something not quite a heart attack. Has to have a stent installed for pete’s sake. Missed three games.
Nats finished the season 93-69. And I lived to tell the tale.
Forced Perspective 