I know, I know. You must think I’m crazy. Maybe I am. But there’s no question that, for the first time in a long, long while, there’s legitimate excitement about the future of baseball in Washington, D.C.
Am I jumping the gun a little bit? Maybe. Could I be falling for the hype and headed for inevitable disappointment? It’s possible. But maybe I’m right.
Since the return of baseball to the nation’s capital in 2005, Nationals fans have had very little to be excited about. It wasn’t like the Minnesota Twins or Texas Rangers (former Washington Senators franchises) were returning home after leaving this town without America’s pastime since 1971. The Twins at least had a young Joe Mauer and Johan Santana on the roster.
Nope. We got the Montreal Expos whose best players were Jose Vidro and Livan Hernandez (who’s still truckin’ by the way).
Despite the lack of talent, baseball was welcomed home in D.C. with open arms. The addition of Alfonso Soriano was icing on the cake.
Unfortunately for Nats fans, Soriano was the lone bright spot on a team that was lackluster from top to bottom, including management and ownership.
And so it began, a five year stretch of less than stellar baseball. A fan base that was initially buzzing with a boyish excitement began to dwindle, year after disappointing year. An attendance mark that was 11th in Major League Baseball in 2005 fell to 24th in 2009.
Just when it couldn’t get any worse, the Nationals were rewarded for all those years of losing. A franchise saving player arrived gift-wrapped in the 2009 MLB draft: Stephen Strasburg.
Instantly, the buzz was back! After his first major league start in which he fanned 14 Pirates with 100mph fastballs and looping curveballs, Nationals fans finally had something to be excited about.
Strasburg would go on to have his season cut short, requiring Tommy John surgery, but his 5-3 output (with almost no run support to speak of) left a lasting impact in D.C.
So here we are, heading into 2011 blessed with another 1st overall pick waiting in the wings, a phenom named Bryce Harper. Throw in a change in management, a big free agent signing, and responsible roster improvements and we have a team that’s ready to compete.
This upcoming season won’t be the prettiest. It won’t be nearly as bad as last year or the year prior, but don’t expect a miracle. The Nationals have a lot of young, talented players that are still getting used to the big leagues, but the foundation has been built. I contend that this team has a real chance to win the NL East in 2012 and make a decent playoff run.
Here’s why.