Five years ago today, I rushed out of my office office in Tysons Corner, parked at my apartment building in Pentagon City and Metro’ed to Mt. Vernon Square, Senators pennant in hand for the announcement I had been waiting pretty much my whole life for — baseball was coming back to D.C.
That was a great day wasn’t it? Now, five years and a few games short of five full seasons, we have the team and a two-year old ballpark. That Nationals Park got built is still one of the most shocking things I have experienced as a Washingtonian. I did not think the city burecracy or MLB arrogance and fear of Peter Angelos would ever be overcome. Somehow, despite themselves, the ballpark got built and opened on-time.
Frankly, I expected a lot more wins since that day and if not playoffs, at least some .500 seasons. MLB’s delay in selling the team seemed calculated to kill any positive buzz off of the surprising 2005 season and their hiring as Jim Bowden as general manager was downright irresponsible. That the Lerner/Kasten ownership group retained Bowden after they finally got to take over the team in July 2006 is a strike against them. The franchise was clearly held back by their obliviousness. I am patient though, probably to a fault. I still say, a bad team is better than no team, but for how much longer? Let’s not find out. They better be respectable by the time my son is old enough to care.
The Nats arrival the second best news of the week, as I got engaged two days later.
