For the first time in 34 years, baseball fans in Washington will have a reason to be excited on Opening Day. That's because Monday will mark the first game played by the Washington Nationals, D.C.'s own baseball team, since its relocation from Montreal.
Washingtonians have been baseball-less since the Washington Senators moved from the nation's capital to Texas for the 1972 season. It was the second time in a little over a decade that D.C. had lost a team -- the 1960 Senators had moved to Minneapolis, though D.C. was immediately given an expansion team.
The last 34 years have been marked by frustration, long trips to Baltimore and sinking enthusiasm for baseball. It took years of lobbying and fighting against Orioles owner Peter Angelos to get the baseball powers that be to place a team in D.C. Yet finally it is real, with the Nationals playing at RFK for the next three seasons until their new state-of-the-art stadium is ready. Though baseball won't officially return to Washington until the Nats' home opener April 14 (they open the season on an 11-game road trip), there is no doubt of the palpable excitement in the air around the Capitol.
The Nationals probably won't be competitive this year, or even next year, because of a thin farm system and a low payroll from their days in Montreal and current MLB ownership. But, at this point, who cares?
The players have to be thrilled. In Montreal, the team averaged less than 12,700 fans per game each of the last seven seasons, including a paltry 7,935 in 2001. They topped one million total fans just once, when they played 22 "home" games in Puerto Rico in 2003 (they did the same in 2004). They have not had an owner the last three seasons; the other 29 MLB owners, who actually had an interest in the team not being competitive, controlled them and kept its payroll low.
Now, things are different with the team playing all 81 home games in one place supported by a rejuvenated fan base where demand is rocketing. They will be in the United States, easing currency conversion and sky-high Canadian taxes. And they will soon acquire an owner who wants to make them competitive.
Similarly, the fans cannot get upset at how competitive their team is. We have a baseball team. My Nationals hat has not left my head in the last two months and others are just as excited about the prospect of not having to travel through rush hour to Baltimore to experience America's pastime.
The players are happy to be appreciated, and the fans are happy to have a team. Expectations are rock-bottom and, though the Nats will not compete for a division title, there is some serviceable talent on the squad.
The team that is now the Nationals struggled with its scoring last year but should be better this year. They acquired outfielder Jose Guillen from the Angels in the offseason to hit cleanup. Guillen has always had a sweet stroke, hitting 27 homers and driving in 104 runs last year, but his maligned attitude has made Washington his sixth team in six years. If he can finally get his head on straight, he's a dangerous weapon.
Left fielder Brad Wilkerson is a rising star who hit 32 bombs last year, but the 28-year-old also whiffed 152 times. On the plus side, he gets on base at a decent clip and worked all winter to improve his plate balance. Also, second basemen Jose Vidro is a three-time all-star who was hampered by injuries last year but is still a career .304 hitter.
First basemen Nick Johnson was once one of the top prospects in baseball with great power potential and excellent plate discipline, but he has been unable to stay healthy, playing fewer than 300 games over the last three seasons between the Yankees and Expos. If Wilkerson cuts down on strikeouts and Johnson stays healthy, the lineup has some bright spots.
Unfortunately, general manager Jim Bowden made a couple of bad signings, spending $7.1 million the next two years to fill out the infield with third baseman Vinny Castilla (.218 average away from Colorado) and short stop Cristian Guzman (career .685 OPS).
The pitching rotation is a huge question mark after ace Livan Hernandez. The Cuban pitched in two World Series before coming to Montreal last year and has since turned in two outstanding seasons. Behind him, however, are a handful of injury risks and reclamation projects, one of whom, Tony Armas Jr., is already sidelined.
The only saving grace is the bullpen, which should be heavily used. There are a number of solid relievers, none spectacular, to pitch the middle innings and a pair of Mexican fireballers, Luis Ayala and Chad Cordero, to set up and close out games.
In the end, the Braves will win their 14th straight National League East. I also like the Cardinals and Padres to win their divisions, with the Marlins winning the wild card. In the American League, expect a repeat with the Yankees, Twins and Angels claiming division titles with the Red Sox winning the wild card. I think the Cardinals beat the Angels in the World Series behind newly-acquired ace Mark Mulder and baseball's best lineup.
As a baseball fan from D.C., that's fine with me. I finally have a team.
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