Nationals Fan Cringefest: October Baseball Open Thread

Though fans of the Washington professional football team might disagree, it's a pretty good time to support the region's major sporting franchises. The Mystics are up 1-0 in the WNBA Finals and are favored to take the title. The Caps are one year removed from an epically cathartic Stanley Cup title run. DC United have clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive year, and are one Wayne Rooney postseason flex from being a serious contender. The Washington Spirit, while not very good, boast Mallory Pugh and Rose Lavelle, two of the youngest and most exciting members of the World Cup-winning US Women's National Team.

And the Washington Nationals shook off a very slow start and somewhat quietly put together a really good season. The Nats host the NL Wild Card game against the Milwaukee Brewers this evening at Nationals Park. Crazy-ass Max Scherzer (11-7, 2.92, 243Ks in 172 innings) takes on Brandon Woodruff (11-3, 3.62, 143Ks in 121 innings) in the winner-take-all tilt.

Nats fans will be watching this game through their fingers, as they cover their faces to avoid having to witness yet another postseason failure. Washington has never won a postseason series (though, cruelly to two fan bases, their MLB.com history page reflects the Expos' 1981 NLDS win over the Phillies). They're 0-3 in deciding NLDS Game 5 contests, though they led in all three of those. Eight of their last nine playoff losses have come by one painful run.

I have watched very little baseball this season. It might, in fact, be the least I've watched the game in my memory. Some of that is because the Red Sox were generally boring, and a lot of it has to do with the demands of real life, but the fact remains. But October is different, even if I'm a man without a team. Or a man with a whole bunch of teams, one of which needs to send the Yankees home to play golf without a World Series title.

Play ball!

Nats Pride: Minor League Edition

Well, Happy Monday to all. It's especially a good day if you're Columbus Clipper Brandon Watson*, who yesterday broke a 95-year-old International League Record with a hit in his 43rd straight game. Watson bumped Jack Lelivelt and his 1912 42-game streak from the IL record books with a single against the Ottawa Lynx. The Clippers are now the AAA affiliate of the hometown Nats after being the Yankees AAA franchise for years.

It's great to see Watson experiencing such success with Columbus (thanks to the streak, he's second in the league with a .338 BA), because his brief stints in the bigs have not gone too well. Watson has hit just .176 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in 68 big league ABs. In 2006 he was actually the Opening Day starter in CF and the lead-off hitter for the Nats, but was quickly demoted after struggling mightily.

No offense to Ryan Langerhans, who might be the greatest defensive OF ever, but it would seem to me the big league club could now find room for Watson at the expense of the .167-hitting Langerhans. That's right folks, not a misprint - Langerhans is hitting .167 in 120 2007 ABs. He's a career .241 hitter in 777 big league ABs. I don't think he's getting any better. Come on Jim Bowden, do something right for once and get Brandon back up to RFK during the summer and let's see what he can do.

*Interesting Watson nugget - he is the godson of former All Star outfielder Eric Davis (thanks wikipedia)