You can feel it. Slowly but surely, it's building. There are Curly-Q "W" hats on the street, whispers of how many innings Livan Hernadez will be able to pitch this year, how Jose Vidro will play on the grass instead of that rug up in Montreal, what the mascot will look like and how RFK will hold up this season.
I'm talking about Nationals fever here, people, and catch it now before the bandwagon's full. Sure, they don't have an owner, the stadium isn't up to par (in fact, it doesn't even have a field yet, just dirt), television rights still need to be worked out, private funding for the new stadium needs to be figured out, and the team needs to get out of its trailers, I mean offices, in the parking lot next to the stadium, but other than that, things are looking great.
I've got the fever, and the only prescription is more Nationals. Forget about counting down to the Super Bowl; people here in Washington should be counting down to spring training. (Pitchers and catchers report to Florida in 17 days.) Who cares about who's better, McNabb or Brady, when the question on everyone's lips is who will play first base, Nick Johnson or Brad Wilkerson.
I know it's late January and the season doesn't start till April, but what do people in our area have to get excited about? The Redskins are bad and done till next summer, and even head coach Joe Gibbs seems to want out. The Wizards are winning, although I've yet to meet someone who's seen them play in person, making me think there's a grand conspiracy behind their season. And the Capitals? Well I'm sure there's a guy sitting in an armchair in Bethesda right now with a Caps jersey who's pretty bummed out, but that might be it. It's time to look toward the future, and people are sensing it.
As for this upcoming season, there are only two things I know for certain: that on April 14, 2005, the Nationals will take the field for their first time in their new city to face the Arizona Diamondbacks, and that they are going to stink up the joint. Boy, they are going to be bad. It will be so bad that the kids here at AU who are Pirates fans will laugh at us. (At least they have a nice ballpark.)
Yet, they will be our lovable losers. Just think of it, all you baseball fans out there, no more train rides to overpay to see the Orioles. No more long bus rides home from Baltimore, praying you'll make the last subway so you can get home to study for your finals No more of any of that. Now all it will be is a quick jaunt over to loveable RFK to see those Nats of ours get walloped.
I'm certainly ready to go. I've got my Nats hat, Expos T-shirt (retro being "in" and all) and a sign that says "Schneider for President!" I've got my seven bucks for some outfield seats and a metro card to get me to the Orange Line. I've even got the dispensation to root for a losing team.
I'm a Red Sox fan at heart, but I feel like they've become too popular now that they've won the World Series, like the Yankees or something. The Nationals will appease my need for a long losing drought (A Washington team hasn't won the World Series since 1924, six years after the Sox had last won it). They'll also allow me to be bitter about baseball, permitting me to pick up the paper and mutter to myself about those lousy Nats. Sigh, I'm smiling already.
So do not fret sports fans, because although the winter is long, with only basketball to sustain us, spring will be glorious. The smell of fresh-cut grass will fill our nostrils, hot dogs will be eaten in untold quantities, the nights will be warm, and, yes my friends, there will be baseball.
