In the spring of 2005, I was in the process of relocating back to the DC area. I was living in Chicago, working on a project outside Indianapolis, and flying to DC every other weekend to get reacquainted with my new home. Things were hectic to say the least. But one of things that made this arrangement enjoyable was knowing that every other weekend when I was in DC I was most likely to head to RFK and cheer on this new baseball team of ours! And they were a baseball team that was winning games. How exciting!! So I flew to DC every other weekend, rented a car, and went to games with my family. Considering I was going to games almost every other weekend (when both the team and I were in town at least), you’d think I would have seen a winner every now and then, right? Well, think again. That first spring, the Nationals did not win a single game that I attended. Not one. This is not an exaggeration; they were losing every game I went to. I would leave after the weekend ended and my brother would report to me all the winning games he went to the following week. And then I’d come back two weekends later and see…a losing game.

When the days of splitting weekends was over and I was permanently living in the DC area in July 2005, I figured that I’d start seeing winning games. I mean, I traveled Monday through Friday for work, but I was now home EVERY weekend, so my chances to see a win increased, no? Now, by this point I think the Nationals had been in first place for the entire month of June or something like that (I don’t claim to have my facts entirely accurate here, so hold your comments). I figured, “This is it! Bring on the winning games!!” But, um, no such luck for me. Every game I went to, they lost. Somewhere near this time, I recall reading a Gene Weingarten article about how every game he attended was a loss and someone responded that every game that person went to was a win, and what would happen if they went together? Funny, but it made me feel a little better that I was not the only one missing out on these wins!

Eventually, on August 9th of 2005, my birthday no less, I saw the Nats win. Unfortunately, I was working on a project in Houston at the time and the Nationals were playing the Astros – at their home, Minute Maid Park. So while I was thrilled to see the win (oh, and how much do I love seeing my team win when they are away and I am there wearing my Nats hat?), it still was not a home win. I flew back home for the weekend happy, but still unfulfilled. The season ended without my seeing a home win.

After seeing another Nats win while working in Atlanta in 2006, I finally decided that I was destined to only see wins on the road. In fact, it would not be until sometime in June or July of 2006 – Yes, 2006 – that I would see a win at RFK. And it isn’t like I wasn’t going to games…I was! I cannot tell you the exact date, but I do know that it was won on a Nick Johnson walk-off homerun. I remember turning to my brother and saying, “Do you know what this means?” And he said, “Yes, we won!!” and then, “Oh wait…you saw us win at home!!!!”

1 ½ seasons to wait for a home win. But the funny thing is, I really didn’t care. I still enjoyed going to games, I still had fun discussing the losses, I still wore my hat and was excited for the team to be in DC. And then the next season, I became a season ticket holder. So here we are, three years after viewing my first home win, and I find myself slowly becoming less excited, and this concerns me. Me, Ms. Positive, I’m starting to get worn down. But what am I down about? Is it the losses?

In 2005 and 2006, amid all those losses, I didn’t know about chat boards. I didn’t know about blogs. I didn’t realize that there was this world of “fans” that discussed on a daily, no wait, on an hourly basis the ins and outs of each bit of Nationals baseball. I just didn’t realize that people had the the time to do this. I had no clue. But now I read the blogs, I read the chatboards, I read the online reports and the responses from folks. And now I am down. I am depressed. I am having a harder time keeping my chin up. I am having less fun at games. I am less optimistic. Is there a correlation? I don’t know.

I have a belief that negativity breeds negative results. I also believe negativity is contagious. Am I blaming the fans for the losses? Absolutely not! But I am blaming them for my as-of-late baseball fatigue. I am blaming some of them for my spiral downward. I am blaming them for starting to not care. So here is what I am going to do: I am going to go to games and pick a piece of something good and write about here, and if folks want to submit comments to me and be negative here, I’ll deal with that. But I am not going to read the comments posted on other blogs, chat rooms, or online articles. I’m not going to listen to “Fire Manny,” which will be replaced with calls for “Fire Person X” when that result doesn’t work, followed by “Fire Person Y” when that doesn’t work, etc. I’m going to go into my positive cocoon and think, “It is only baseball. It’s fun. It’s a good way to spend the summer afternoon or evening. It’s a good way to bond with friends, family, and strangers who truly love the game.”

I sit in a section of the ballpark that is pretty much designated for groups. There are hardly any season ticket holders up there with me. At first, this bugged me because I felt like the lone group of fans among the masses of those who don’t care. But now I am thinking in a different light. I am going to take this as an opportunity to talk to people in those groups and find out if they are having fun. Is it their first trip to Nationals Park, to any baseball game? Do they closely follow the game of baseball, or are they just happy for being there tonight? Are they enjoying themselves despite the loss? Basically, are they ‘me’ as I was back in 2005-2006? I hope that I find out that they are.

During the first day of the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, Manny Acta gave an interview to mlb.com.  The subject of Jesus Flores as starting catcher came up once again.  Sounds like Manny and the Front Office want a little competition behind home-plate.

Yeah, we would like to have a guy that can push him. It’s such an early age that he doesn’t feel it’s all his, and he can just sit down and rest. That’s not his makeup or his character, but we as managers always like to do that, so we like probably a guy that can push him and give him a run for his money.

It seems a little unfair that Flores has to prove himself again this year.  Last offseason, the big question was if he was ready to play everyday in the majors.  When both Lo Duca and Estrada got injured early on, Flores really stepped up.  He had a great first half of the season, even led the team in RBI’s at one point.  Sure he isn’t perfect, but no one on the team is. How about trying to push Zimmerman, Kearns, Milledge or heck even Dmitri Young to be better too?  Should extra catching really be a top priority when we still don’t have a reliable first baseman, a solid rotation or a dependable bullpen?  If Nieves isn’t the guy the team feels can help Flores develop, I hope they pick someone solid.  The “veterans” they picked last year to help him sure didn’t work out as planned.

Honestly, if the team is this worried about who is behind the plate, then I think Nats fans have reason to really worry about next season.

Paul Lo Duca really talks a big game. He seems to have something to say about everything, yet he hasn’t delivered much in the way of offense or defense since arriving in DC. In fact all he’s done is run his mouth. Before last night’s defeat, Lo Duca was quoted with this gem: 

“We need to realize [we can win], we need to show and play with that cockiness and play with that edge. That’s how we are going to win ballgames.” 

Paul went on to say that he doesn’t think the Nats have that edge yet: 

“We need to go out there with a little attitude and play with attitude and keep fighting – run balls out. Even when you are getting beat, those are the times you need to hustle even more. That’s what we need to do.” 

Hmm I don’t know Paulie but, I think that maybe trying to actually throw a runner out at second, or trying to catch a ball at the plate that might save a run, or maybe even running through first base, would help the team a little bit.  Lo Duca can point fingers and talk all he wants, but the reality is, he hasn’t done much at all, and he seems to be the only one freaking out about the team’s performance. 
 
If the theme for the team is patience and learning, then why not let a young catcher – who at this point is just as good offensively, if not better than Lo Duca or Estrada – learn in the big leagues.  Our centerfielder is still learning, our pitchers are still learning, heck our third baseman is still learning. What is the harm with letting Flores get experience in the majors? Sure he isn’t major league polished yet, but his power is already better than Lo Duca’s. He can catch, hit, and run unlike Estrada currently, and he tries with success to throw out the runners, something Lo Duca hasn’t even attempted yet. At this point, a platoon with Flores and one of the vets has got to provide more offense (and defense) at the plate than we are getting right now.
 
I guess the only problem with keeping Flores in the majors is the type of mentor he would have in Paulie. I’m not sure what advice Lo Duca would have to offer the young guys. He isn’t catching well, can’t throw, can’t run, can’t stop gambling, and can’t stay faithful to his wife, sounds like a great role model. The team is young; they need patience, support, and time to be successful. Things will click, sooner rather than later, but Lo Duca’s constant yapping isn’t going to make it happen any faster.

On top of all this, what’s up with Manny lately? I realize he is dealing with a short supply of players, but a couple of his decisions in the last few games have left us with a bad taste in our mouths. He left Bergmann in way too long on Wednesday. He’s taking Felipe out of left field in the 7th, which wastes our bench. He put Tim Redding (a top starting pitcher) in to run for Estrada last night.  What kind of decision is that?  Last season we lost Bergmann and Hill to injuries on the base paths.  I can’t believe Manny needlessly exposed Redding to that last night.

I’m not so quick to blame the pitching (GM Jim) or the lack of offense on our team’s struggles as of late.  The bullpen has certainly had its fair share of problems too. It seems like a lot of things are out of place and that starts at the top and trickles the whole way down.  

It’s going to be a fun series against the Braves isn’t it? Hudson, Smoltz and Glavine, aren’t we lucky.
 
Lastly, on a positive note, we have attended now five games at Nationals Park. At each game, I have been nothing but impressed with the services and the people. I am greeted like a friend every time I enter. My food has been served in an efficient and pleasant manner. Everything from the amenities offered, to the employees and services are a huge upgrade from RFK and I couldn’t be happier.

We’d sure would be happy to take his seat instead.

Manager Manny Acta already has his favorite seat picked out. Not a fancy box seat or suite, but a lower-deck outfield perch just above the Nationals’ bullpen in right field with the game spread out before him like a panorama and the Anacostia River just over his shoulder. “The perfect place to watch a game,” he says, as if he wishes, for a day, he could be a fan. — T. Boswell

Cherry trees are now planted, opening day tickets are already sold out and the new HD scoreboard is ready to go.  Even the announcers are eager to get to the new park.

Twenty-three days.

Nationals manager Manny Acta recently sat down with Fox5’s Dave Feldman for a brief discussion about the upcoming season. Acta talks about last year’s team, the future of the organization, Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes, Chad Cordero and the Mitchell Report.

While not addressing the Lo Duca* situation directly, Acta said that the players accused “have to be man enough to admit it.”

You can see Manny tomorrow night at the Washington Capitals game. He will join Jason Bergmann and John Lannan to sign autographs before the game as part of the continuing winter tour.

Nationals Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden and Coach Manny Acta just held a conference call to announce the big trade of Brian Schneider and Ryan Church to the Mets for Outfielder Lasting Milledge. We were and still are a little shocked by the trade, its kind of like watching two of your good buddies move away. We are very sad to see both of them go, and wish them nothing but the best in NY.With that said, both Manny and Jim sounded pretty excited about the deal during the conference. Bowden made the announcement and said that Milledge fits right into “the plan” as he is a young (22) player who will likely develop into a middle of the lineup impact hitter. The Nats will control him until 2012, so it bodes well for the future of the team. Jim also said that the Nats paid a steep price for the young player by dealing Church and Schneider. He thanked both of them for their work on and off the field, and made it clear that they will be missed.

Manny said it was a day of mixed emotions, but that the Nats are getting a guy that fits into the plan. He sounded confident in Milledge’s abilities to play strong defense, produce runs, and bring a lot of energy to the team. When asked about the controversy surrounding Lastings, Manny defended him wholeheartedly, and said that Milledge is a good kid, who became a big leaguer at a young age, and had to learn a lot quickly. Acta said he has no doubt that Lastings is going to be just fine with the Nats. When asked if Milledge will be the Nats starting center fielder in 2008 Manny said it was still too early to tell. He’s waiting till after Spring Training to make that decision.

After the Q&A with Jim and Manny, Lastings himself called in to answer a few questions. He said he is very excited to be with Jim and to play for Manny. Lastings admitted that while he struggled in New York Manny was there for him and showed him the way. Milledge said he would make sure to play hard for Manny. When asked if he thought he could play CF for the Nats, Lastings was confident in his abilities. He was drafted as a CF and feels like its his premier position. He feels comfortable playing in both left and right field as well. Milledge said he welcomes the playing time and that it’s a relief to be with a team for a while.

Jim, of course, was asked about losing Schneider’s veteran influence and leadership. Jim said that Austin Kearns, Dmitri Young and Ryan Zimmerman could step up to fill that void. He continued to emphasis that the goal was not to fill the 25 man roster perfectly, but to pick up a building block for the future. He cited some concern over losing two left-handed hitters, for example, and about the status of Jesus Flores. Jim did not give a clear answer, but said he is still open to allowing young Rule 5 star Flores to take the position.

Acta and Bowden continued to emphasis their desire to build a team through drafts and trades, using free agency only as a last resort.We were encouraged by the conference. Milledge seems very excited to be part of a young team and glad to be given the chance to play. Manny couldn’t say enough about him and seems to be very confident in his abilities. We are excited to see what Lastings will bring.

Milledge is a career .257 hitter. In 59 games with the Mets last season, he batted .272 with nine doubles, seven homers, 29 RBI and a .341 on-base percentage.

Sure to be lots of reflection and discussion about this over the next few days….leave your thoughts!

With the season over for the Nationals, reviews of 2007 are everywhere. The New York Times did a piece on the Nats yesterday. It’s an exciting time in Washington, the team that was supposed to lose 130 games in 2007 played .500 from mid May to September. With a young team, its time to look to 2008. I wonder how different media predictions will be prior to 2008 Spring Training. With Manny’s optimistic attitude, and a young team that’s only on the rise, anything can happen. We love what Manny said yesterday, “Despite our shortcomings, these kids showed a lot of heart.”

These boys played every game with a determination to be better than predicted. Manny’s positive attitude was reflected on the playing field. The Free Lance-Star, says “The Nats beat the odds, and the predictions and finished the season with their heads held high.” We think Ryan Church said it best though, ” When it comes to heart, we are up there. It goes to show that it starts with the manager. It shows what kind of team we are. We battle.”

“We just like to compete and we showed it,” Church said. “When it comes to heart, we are up there. It goes to show that it starts with the manager. It shows what kind of team we are. We battle. We are not giving up, we are not packing it in. We have an opportunity to make the Mets or the Phillies join us for the offseason. We don’t know. It could be the Mets or the Phillies.”

And, Tim Brian’s column today at Yahoo Sports says Manny should be a runner up for Manager of the Year.

Manny Acta, Washington Nationals. They didn’t lose 110 games. Or 100 games. They might not even lose 90. That qualifies as a monumental (D.C. reference) achievement, if not by the Nats’ front office, then by the guy who convinced the players they didn’t have to be total disgraces. Acta sent 13 different starters to the mound, many of them not as good as the original five, the reason for the dire spring predictions, and the Nationals are about to have their second winning month in the last three.

On Dmitri: Yahoo Sports article

On Manny: Washington Post article

On Ryan Zimmerman: Zimmerman’s weekly column