Dunkirk NY – The run of the Washington Nationals to the 2019 World Series Championship was nothing short of improbable. Anyone reading this post will already know the story behind how the Nats won the championship, so no need to rehash that here. But man, what a ride.
The Nationals are not a team I ever pay much attention to during the regular season. Their collection of players is so eclectic as to defy explanation. I was pulling for the Brewers in the wild card game because I felt they had the best chance to beat the Dodgers. But when the Nats won in a comeback victory off Josh Hader, I got a little downcast. I was under the impression that they would be no match for the Dodgers.
When they disposed of the Dodgers in 5 games, I was ecstatic. They beat the hated Dodgers! I went all in with the Nats on the NL side, but was still with my Yankees on the AL side. Then the Nats went on and beat the Cardinals – another hated rival – and as the Astros dispatched the Yankees, I was completely all in on the Nats for the title.
It’s the first time in I can’t remember when that I pulled for the NL team to win it all. Last year was truly a terrible postseason for me as I had to watch two teams I dislike – the Dodgers and the Red Sox – vie for the title. I begrudgingly went with the Sux, and I was impressed with their win, but I felt no joy last year as the season ended. While the AL team won, having to cheer for the Red Sux was disheartening, and I really wasn’t all in. And you know, fuck the Dodgers, right?
In what has become an interesting twist, I think the Astros went from a team that people enjoyed to a team that people actively root against. The trash talk, the antics, combined with the whole Osuna/Taubman fiasco and the sign-stealing episodes, I think turned people actively against the Astros. When once they were a delightful bunch of young, brash, talented players who were fun to watch, they’ve become the New England Patriots of the baseball world; talented, but somehow tainted, shady, a little too full of themselves, and suspected of being this side of cheaters. A.J. Hinch is no Bill Belichick in terms of personality, but in terms of his ability to manage a baseball team he’s on that scale. And now he has a team that mirrors how people look at the Patriots – powerful, talented, but not well-liked.
I know that’s why I got on the Nats bandwagon once the Yankees went down. Baby Shark, Finish the Fight, Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto ,Geraldo Parra, Steve Strasburg, Max Scherzer, and the whole band of young and old just brought a tremendous “Natitude” the the World Series. It was fun, entertaining, thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable without being brash. “Natitude” became a terrific balance between confidence and humility. Playing through pain (Trea Turner’s right hand was literally crippled, not to mention Scherzer’s neck in Game 7), coming up big in improbable moments, contact/situation hitting combined with power when needed, winning 5 elimination games – I mean you just don’t see that every century. I’m sold on Natitude, and I hope it spreads throughout MLB.
Some final thoughts on the 2019 season:
- I hope starting pitching is back and that teams re-think the value of it. I think this post-season demonstrated that clearly. I hope the Yankees take this to heart, as I thought all along this was their most glaring weakness, finally exposed in the playoffs. Same for contact and situational hitting.
- I think the Yankees probably regret not signing Patrick Corbin. He wasn’t exactly lights-out in the playoffs, but his three innings last night are indicative of his potential and talent. He had a pretty good season overall as well. And despite what my son says, I think failing to trade for Cole was also a regrettable mistake.
- Also despite what my son says, I think Boone should have had Chapman walk Altuve and made Marisnick beat them in Game 6. It may have put Springer in scoring position, but the odds of Marisnick beating you are far smaller than the odds of Altuve beating you. Never let their best player beat you. Old school.
- The Nats became a better team when they let Bryce Harper go. Coincidence? I think not, despite all the denials you’ll hear. Good luck, Girardi.
- Either we get robo umps in the future, or MLB has to get a better system of getting the best umps into the playoffs regardless of seniority. This article really gets it right. There were just too many bad calls on balls and strikes.
And so another season comes to a close, and The Great Darkness begins to settle in. Right now, on this Halloween day, a cold rain is steadily falling. October’s colorful pageantry will soon give way to November’s stark and chilly nakedness. Daylight Savings Time will end, plunging the early evening hours into a depressing darkness. The SAD light will be busted out for the winter. Knee surgery and its ensuing recovery will begin next week. Best to close with Rogers Hornsby’s famous quote about the off-season:
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.