Sometimes it Takes 50 Years. Or More.
*If you have never loved, or observed even casually, a baseball team struggle and toil through seasons of futility and some success but never achieve the ultimate goal of victory at the end of the season, you may not get this.
But I hope you can understand some of what this means.
The Nationals did something for the first time last week. It felt good to me for a few reasons. It made a few other million people feel good, too.
It took the franchise, the former Montreal Expos and the current Washington Nationals, 50 years, yea, a half century to bring a title, this title championship, home. One World Series victory, in the books, with its Curly "W" to Washington D.C. and the Delmarva Region. It meant something to Montreal fans, too.
I started writing this post around November 3rd, now it is December 12.
The Nats have re-signed their ace Stephen Strasburg (for a huge deal across 7 years) and lost the clutch 3rd baseman Anthony Rendon (similar seven year deal) to the Angels.
Time moves on.
Again, now on Saturday the 14th, I write to chronicle the 50 years of summation with the "Curly W" of D.C. in the books.
Champions of 2019.
They were talented enough back in 2012, and off and on have been picked to win it all ever since.
They faced 5 elimination games and won them all this fall in the playoffs, getting the 7 year-come-50 year monkey off their backs. And a great run to finish off this group of old and young, Zimmerman and Kendrick and Rodney, and Scherzer.
Way to go, Nationals! I watched your franchise struggle and pay their dues since 1981. I only waited some 38 years, not like the diehards at the end of the 1960s.
50 years is not bad; better than some. (See Mariners? Padres?)
I hope it does not take another fifty to achieve the same.
That would put me at age 98, and there are no guarantees at age 50, 90, or at any age.
Live long, and prosper.
Thanks Nats, for putting this together.
We enjoy the feeling of winning, after 49 other years of coming up short.
Really talented players and teams, but no dice till now.
Juan Soto, you and young Robles and journeymen Suzuki and Gomes and yes, the Baby Shark Parra did it for all the great Expos and a few Nats of the past. And us few million fans.
Play on, brave Nationals. We remember the good and bad, and we savor it all.
I started writing this post around November 3rd, now it is December 12.
The Nats have re-signed their ace Stephen Strasburg (for a huge deal across 7 years) and lost the clutch 3rd baseman Anthony Rendon (similar seven year deal) to the Angels.
Time moves on.
Again, now on Saturday the 14th, I write to chronicle the 50 years of summation with the "Curly W" of D.C. in the books.
Champions of 2019.
They were talented enough back in 2012, and off and on have been picked to win it all ever since.
They faced 5 elimination games and won them all this fall in the playoffs, getting the 7 year-come-50 year monkey off their backs. And a great run to finish off this group of old and young, Zimmerman and Kendrick and Rodney, and Scherzer.
Way to go, Nationals! I watched your franchise struggle and pay their dues since 1981. I only waited some 38 years, not like the diehards at the end of the 1960s.
50 years is not bad; better than some. (See Mariners? Padres?)
I hope it does not take another fifty to achieve the same.
That would put me at age 98, and there are no guarantees at age 50, 90, or at any age.
Live long, and prosper.
Thanks Nats, for putting this together.
We enjoy the feeling of winning, after 49 other years of coming up short.
Really talented players and teams, but no dice till now.
Juan Soto, you and young Robles and journeymen Suzuki and Gomes and yes, the Baby Shark Parra did it for all the great Expos and a few Nats of the past. And us few million fans.
Play on, brave Nationals. We remember the good and bad, and we savor it all.
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