I think they are now 38 and 70.... but the bottom line is they suck.. last year we kept hearing all this stuff about how they were bulding for the new stadium.. well boys the new stadium is here and the TEAM IS WAY WORSE THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN! and that includes the montreal expos! what are we waiting for???? Karsten and Lerners what are you waiting for? Washington DC is not a big baseball as evidenced by the fact that its lost at least two major league clubs (one left and became the Minnesota Twins and another left and became the Texas Rangers which has the ignominous distinction of having given George W. Bush his shot at redemption and the big time).. basically DC is not a baseball town and when you put a completely loser team on the field you're not giving people much of a reason to come back.. There has been a big miscalculation by the team brass: they think that people in DC are so hungry for baseball they will go watch the games no matter what product is on the field.. this just ain't going to fly.. people are getting seriously turned off! the team ownership and management should be trying to win over and woo the residents of DC many of whom are pretty mad that they even had to fork over $600 million for a new stadium to lure the historically sorry Expos......
Washington DC like all towns has its own characteristics.. I think many of us think of ourselves- rightly- as the political center of the world.. a power capital of sorts.. its a competitive town and many of us come here from all over drawn by politics, multilateral and non governmental organizations... many others originally based in other big cities in the northeast such as New York and Philly come here to study and stay for a while.. these people all share one thing in common: being from places that are used to being taken seriously... moreover, the greater DC area is an important economic center home to many IT industries - for example along the Dulles corridor, etc.- very important law firms, consulting firms, defense contractors, etc... We are a powerful town- like it or not rest of America and the world- and yet the current ownership of the team is running it as if we're- no disrespect meant- Winnetka, Kansas or Podunk, Indiana.. come on!!!!! you can't have your cake and it eat too here Nationals: you have very expensive tickets and concessions (tickets behind home plate here are three to six times more expensive than in Baltimore at the lovely Camden Yards) and at the same time beg poverty as a reason for not being able to make any acquisitions..
Basically Karsten, Lerner and company run the team as if we are a small market team and thats just not accord with the facts.. we've heard the endless stories that the team is going to be built from the ground up but eventually you do have to add a few proven veterans on the free agency market or through trades.. right now the team acts as if its the Pittsburgh Pirates trading all its proven players for unproven could be major leaguers in a few years.. meanwhile the team stinks! Now we're told to be patient and wait a few years but a few years ago we were told to be patient and wait for the new stadium...
Also, I'm sorry but Manny Acta is not impressing me...last night he left Redding in too long and it resulted in him giving up a three run homer that proved to be game set and match...And somebody has to take responsibility for having a major league team with players that wouldn't start anywhere else: Austin Kearns? the guy is hitting 214!!!!!!!! He is just not major league material...But as follows from above what I really don't understand is why our front office can't spend any money to improve the team?? I mean tickets are expensive..attendance isn't bad (and would be great with a better product on the field)... its all very shortsighted...
