What do sports pundits and meteorologists have in common?
From April 2012 …
MLB 2012 Preseason Predictions
SI.com’s resident experts provide all of their picks for the 2012 season.
**signifies World Series champion
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Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/baseball/mlb/04/02/expert.picks.2012/index.html#ixzz28B010KHa
X – Clinched Division
Can this really be?
Have our Washington Nationals actually done something that seemed so improbably fantastical 6 months ago?
Let’s dispel something right away. No team with 96 wins, and the best record in baseball, “back in” a division championship. The Nationals have weathered the crucible of division competition and come up the winner. And we have weathered all the growing pains associated with being ‘foundation fans’. I said long ago I’d give the Lerner family 5 years before I started questioning my baseball dollars. Looks like that was just about right.
Am I happy that they have to start the playoffs on the road? Nope. Thanks for that Bud. They should be at home against the Giants/Braves/Dodgers/Cardinals. But they will be – soon enough. There’s no telling where it goes from here. If they fold like a tent in the wind people’ll say “Well. they surpassed all expectations this year”.
At this point, I have no reason to think they will not continue to surpass expectations.
Congratulations team G*Nats. We have exceeded all expectations too. So let’s cheer them on to nailing down the home field advantage, and ride this crazy train to it’s final destination.
Washington Nationals: 2012 Eastern Division Champions!
x – clinched playoff berth
Hey everyone!
If you have a couple minutes, check out Tom Boswell’s article in the WaPo this morning. He details really well how exceptional our Nationals are this year – and how the rest of the baseball world better start taking more notice of us.
To say I’m thrilled at the now confirmed prospect of Nationals Post-season baseball is an understatement. And to my fellow G*Nats I again offer that through thick and thin, rain and snow, heat and cold – we’ve shown up and ‘taken our medicine’ for 7 years prior to the beginning of this season.
You never forget your first time, right?
So our mission now is to slap those Phillies around and crush any remaining hope they may have of making the dance. The next couple weeks are a good tuneup for what lies ahead. This team is confident, poised, has tremendous leadership and the best fans – who have themselves earned this spot in the baseball sun.
Congratulations to our Washington Nationals on their first step to what could be something extraordinary. They are the best team in baseball.
The stretch run
Now, I know I’ve been resistant to uttering the p-word. Just too many variables for me to give myself over to that – but we have a HUGE series against the Bravos this weekend. Not looking past the Metropolitans now, but in their house…Det, Jackson and Gio will take it to Chipper Jones and the only other viable team from the NL East.
I am however starting to consider what a Nattily-dressed Nats fan wears to a division series game.
Bumps in the road
Okay guys, we’re all a little relieved that the Nationals have righted the ship after their week-long skid that made everyone a little wigged out. But hey, it’s baseball….these things happen and better now than later in September, right?
So how about that – September baseball! First time since Davey Johnson managed the Orioles back in 1997 that I have a team I give a hoot about playing meaningful games this late in the year. Hopefully by 9/4 the Nationals will be sealing the deal on the most wins in their history, and ensure that this year is noteworthy on at least that level! I mean hey – if someone said to us we’d be finishing over .500 this year we’d've probably taken that to the bank and been happy. But the most wins in their history by the first week in September? Rock OUT!
So did you guys see the monster shot from Bryce in Miami? Talk about delicious. I wish I could have seen Guillen’s face as the ball smacked off the bat. And I’m glad Harper gets pissed at himself when he hits into a double play. More ballplayers should be that hard on themselves. Maybe not quite so demonstrative, but I’ll take it.
And how about Bryce passing Mickey Mantle on the latest made-for-TV statistic of most home runs by a teenager, born on the west coast on a Tuesday, with the moon in the seventh house and Jupiter aligned with Mars? Bet you don’t find that nugget in the Baseball Encyclopedia anywhere.
So yeah – it’s almost time to say goodbye to Stras for the year (yes, we kinda heard about that already Dan). But hey, we know he’ll be chomping at the bit to pitch next year and can you imagine what we’ll see when they turn this guy actually loose? I think we all agree Rizzo is making the best call possible for the player, and the team. No way he risks Stras breaking down on national TV and inviting THAT second guessing. It would ruin everything…Rizzo’s career, not to mention Strasburg’s, player’s faith in management’s decisions…and it would wreck Davey, McCatty…potential free agents wanting to come here, etc., etc.
Yeah – just sit him down. Let’s all say Goodnight Ladies to Stephen and look forward to seeing him next year.
I’m real curious if the pitchers can help Suzuki shut down the opponent’s running game. The pitching has been SO GOOD that we haven’t had to worry much about the swipes – but momentum is a tricky thing…just ask the Yankees when they led the Red Sox 3 games to 0 in the 2004 ALCS, leading by a run in the bottom of the 9th with Mariano Rivera on the mound – who then walked Kevin Millar, then allowed pinch runner Dave Roberts to swipe second who ultimately scored the tying run on Bill Mueller’s single. That whole series pivoted on that moment. Don’t let anyone kid you – stolen bases matter.
So let’s enjoy the last 10 games of this home stand, and see how we stack up against the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals…because perhaps, just perhaps we’ll be seeing them again in the p…..p…..pl…..p…. (sigh).
Let’s get to 82, then look over the fence. Have a great weekend!
September promises
Believe it or not folks…I still cannot make myself say it. While things still do look very good for our Nats, baseball history is fraught with spectacular collapses in September. I mean, I’m talking epic. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m ponying up with the likely outcome being October baseball…but ”The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” Cases in point:
2009 Detroit Tigers
Jim Leyland’s 2009 Tigers were about to capture their first division crown since 1987, up by seven games after the first week of September. They went 11-16 for the rest of the month and, to make matters worse, dropped a gut-wrenching 12-inning, one-game tie-breaker to the Twins. Instead of a division title, the Tigers became the first team since 1901 to blow a three-game lead in their last four games.
2008 New York Mets
The 2008 Mets, led by manager Willie Randolph, held a 3.5-game lead in the NL East, and with only 17 games to go, New York looked like a sure thing. However, the Metropolitans won just seven of the remaining contests to blow the division lead. What’s worse is the Mets had also choked the previous year becoming the first team ever to blow a 3.5-game lead in consecutive Septembers, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
2007 New York Mets
The 2007 Mets had a commanding seven-game lead with 17 to go. They proceeded to lose 12 of those games, including one in which Tom Glavine got shellacked and didn’t complete the first inning. The stunning collapse saw the Mets slog through a 1-6 homestand against the Nationals, Cardinals and Marlins.
1995 California Angels
The 1995 Angels were threatening to run away and hide by building an 11-game margin by August. They were led by center fielder Jim Edmonds, who hit .290, smashed 33 homers and drove in 107 runs. However, the Angels reeled off nine straight loses in late August that carried into September and followed that up by losing nine straight again, beginning on the Sept. 13. They won their last five games to force a one-game playoff with Seattle.
1987 Toronto Blue Jays
The 1987 Toronto Blue Jays were down to their last seven games, holding a 3.5-game margin over the Detroit Tigers. However, Sparky Anderson’s boys slipped right by the Jays as the Jays lost every remaining game, including a season-ending three-game series against the Tigers. Detroit won each of the three games by a lone run margin.
1978 Boston Red Sox
The 1978 Boston Red Sox had the Yankees by 14 games in mid-July, but the ‘Sox proceeded to drop two of three to both the A’s and Orioles to open the month of September. They were then swept in a four-game series against the Yankees and, after winning the first game of the next series against Baltimore, the Red Sox wound up losing five straight that included two more losses to the Bronx Bombers.
The Red Sox reeled off eight straight wins to finish in a dead heat with New York, forcing a one-game playoff, which New York won 5-4 on a three-run homer from Bucky Dent and a solo blast from Reggie Jackson.
1969 Chicago Cubs
Leo Durocher’s 1969 Cubs led the Mets by 9.5 games by mid-August, but Gil Hodges’ team became known that year as “The Miracle Mets.” The Cubs lost eight straight in early September, including a three-game sweep by the Pirates (who finished third that year) and a two-game sweep by both the Mets and Phillies.
The Cubs dropped 17 of their last 25 to allow the Mets to claim the division crown in the first year of divisional alignment.
1964 Philadelphia Phillies
The 1964 Phillies held a commanding 6.5-game lead over the Reds and Cards, both tied for second, and there were just 12 game left to play. The Phillies lost 10 straight of the remaining 12 to allow the Cardinals to slip past and win the NL crown by one game.
1962 Los Angeles Dodgers
Walter Alston’s 1962 Dodgers, led by fireballer Don Drysdale’s 25-9 record, dropped 10 of their final 13 (including the last four straight), losing a four-game lead over the Giants and forcing a three-game playoff against the Giants. The Giants won, led by Willie Mays who slammed 49 homers to pace the NL that year.
1951 Brooklyn Dodgers
The 1951 Dodgers lost another lead to the Giants. Both teams were in New York in those days. In mid-August, the Dodgers were up by 13.5 games. The Giants weren’t to be denied, however, winning 16 straight before the month was out.
In September, the Giants reeled off another eight wins in a row. Brooklyn went 15-15 for the month, finishing tied with the Giants and forcing a three-game playoff. The Giants, behind Bobby Thomson’s famous “shot heard ’round the world” off Ralph Branca, won the NL pennant.
The P-word
Greetings all! Been way-layed by work lately but vacation starts tomorrow and it’s time to weigh in on a topic that dare I utter? I can’t even bring myself to say it out loud yet lest I jinx this….this amazing turn of events for us.
The P-word.
But let me digress a bit. We know who we are. We’re the G-Nats! We’re the crazy group of gay guys who formed a club to see our baseball team rebuild itself in front of our very eyes. Through snow, rain, cold, broiling heat, and many, many nice days and breezy nights we sat and watched our Nationals put the best team on the field they thought they had. We bought the tickets, we scored the beers, we sat through the fleeting highs, and endured the miserable lows. We suffered through the Phans invading our park and being belligerent. We watched as the Marlins beat us like a drum over, and over, and over. We persevered past Mets fans thinking they were entitled to beat us. And the quiet arrogance of the Braves fans who just keep sending Chipper Jones up there to smack us around in the late innings.
In 2010 I went to 25 games, I swear 20 of them I saw Livan Hernandez pitch.
The P-word.
We watched as 23 different guys started at second base. No kidding, 23! We watched as Barry Bonds bashed his homer off our beloved Nats, who literally had to coax Mike Bascik (who was out of baseball the year before) back to the mound because there was no one else to take the ball.
We watched in horror as Elijah Dukes showed a flash of what could be, then melted down in spectacular fashion. We hoped against hope that Willy Mo Pena would find his power stroke. We sat and wondered if guys like Esteban Loaiza would stay with the team, cheered as Alphonso Soriano had the best year of his career, greedily read about John Patterson and keeping our fingers crossed he would recover from his forearm surgery. And Lastings Milledge? Let’s not even go there.
And what fun it was when Chad Cordero was saving every game he entered in his nail bitingly high wire style. Or when our stalwart, Ryan Zmmerman quietly went about his business waiting for a ballteam to be assembled about him, welcoming us to our new ballpark with the home run we’ll never forget.
The P-word.
And the management? Smileygate? Bowden’s DUI in Miami? We have been through the gauntlet boys. We paid the admission during all those trying days. And now, suddenly, everyone is wearing curly W’s. ESPN simply cannot ignore us anymore. MLB Network seems to actually LIKE us! The flaming bloggers on the Nationals Journal have quietly receded back to their caves. Guys want to come to Washington to play. Mke Rizzo and the Adults are running what’s playing out to be a good baseball show this year. And who knows, Bryce Harper may even be given the chance to grow up a little and not have the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Three all-stars. Fielding that is amongst the league’s best – which translates to a pitching staff amongst the league’s best. They are beating the teams they should now. They have the best record in baseball by three games. The series against the Braves later this month could have serious meaning, but we’ll see if they turn ito an ‘Object in the mirror which is closer that it appears’ or if the Nationals start pulling away. Many divisional games left on the schedule….
The P-word. I’ll see if I can utter it next post.
