The Washington Nationals: The Black Sheep of Baseball

In a city that is known for its sports ownership idiocy, the Nationals take the cake. Not only are the Nationals off to a slow start on the field, they're lagging behind off it as well.

In a melting pot city that sees people come from all over the country and the world, the Nationals are already at a disadvantage, and it doesn't seem like they are making an attempt to win over their city's residents.

Washington began the season 0-7 before a stunning 8-2 win over divisional rival Philadelphia. The rain that postponed the game the day before, was starting to fall a little harder on the Nationals. 

Actually, I am getting ahead of myself. Rewind to opening day at Nationals Park.

With the economy struggling and expectations already low for the Nationals and their attendance numbers after an 0-6 start on the road, Nationals President Stan Kasten went on the radio to invite Philadelphia fans to make the short drive to D.C. for the Nationals home opener against the Phillies. 

A desperate move by a desperate man? How about a ridiculous stunt by an idiot in the Nationals front office.

This was only the beginning to the woes the Nationals would endure on opening day.

On the bright side, it was supposed to be a day for celebration and rejuvenation.  The Nationals were to unveil there new commemorative statues of Washington greats Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson, and Frank Howard.

The tension had mounted in the offseason when it was announced that the Nationals would be unveiling the statues on opening day. 

When the curtains came up, jaws dropped.  Literally.

The statues, according to their designer Omri Amrany, were supposed to capture speed and time, known as the "fourth dimension." Instead, they captured what looked like the baseball team from Planet Tattooine. It's OK though, the Nationals' owners the Lerners flipped the bill for this one. 

Oh, what?  It was taxpayer money? 

After D.C. taxes were boosted to cover the $661 million ballpark, another $700,000 were spent on the "works of art" outside Nationals Park.  The Nationals' owners, the Lerners, are worth over $3 billion.

It only got worse from there.

Phillies broadcaster and the voice of NFL films Harry Kalas collapsed and died in the broadcast booth the morning before the game. If it weren't for bad luck, the Nationals would have no luck at all; and yet, it was the first few chapters of the tragedy that is the Washington Nationals in 2009.

After falling short of a home opening win, the Nationals second home game was postponed due to rain. A prayer had finally been answered for the Nationals. A day without scrutiny, a day where nothing could go wrong.

In fact, the next day things were looking up for the lowly Nats. They pulled out their first win 8-2 over the Phillies. Then came the weekend. 

Washington took the field against the Marlins in a weekend series, and after Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman had given their jerseys to the hall of fame, they would have to be provided new ones.

However, someone at Majestic Athletic, the team's jersey provider, failed to run the spell checker. Dunn and Zimmerman took the field wearing jerseys spelled, "Natinals", missing the "O." It took three innings for anyone to notice before new jerseys were brought out.

To make matters even worse, as if it were possible, Washington took leads in to the ninth inning in all three games against the Marlins in their three-game weekend series. They failed to win any of those games and were swept by the Marlins. The next day the team stripped the bullpen clean.

The Nationals are on a hot streak, one that may burn them right out of D.C.

All is not lost for the Nats. They overcame their woes in the first two weeks of the season and pulled out two wins against the Braves Monday and Tuesday, improving their record to a gaudy 3-10. 

The baseball season is young and a lot can happen in the next five months, but at least for the Nationals, it seems things can't get any worse than they did the last two weeks.

At least we hope not.