Friday, October 12, 2012

From Teddy's mouth to Nats' ears

Associated Press photo
A mob scene awaits Jayson Werth at the end of Game 4 last night.
In a disconsolate clubhouse following Game 3 of the National League Division Series, Mark DeRosa suggested he might have a few words to say to his Nationals teammates before they took the field the following night with elimination staring them in the face.

So Thursday afternoon, DeRosa turned on the karaoke machine that has sat in his locker most of the season, grabbed the microphone and began reading an inspirational speech he's been reading to himself before big games since he played at the University of Pennsylvania.

Among the salient passages: "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood."

When he finished the famous speech -- with perhaps a couple of unprintable words sprinkled in for maximum effect -- DeRosa paused and uttered the most important line of all.

"You know who spoke these words?" the veteran utilityman said. "Teddy Effin Roosevelt."

Yes, the speech that helped save the Nationals' season was "The Man in the Arena" by none other than the Rough Rider, The Bull Moose, the Trust Buster, the 26th President of the United States and the man whose caricature's futility in the nightly mascot race at Nationals Park for nearly seven years came to embody this franchise's woeful existence. At least, until he finally won the fourth-inning race on the season's final day and has proceeded to win it twice more in the postseason.

"I mean, it's fitting," DeRosa said. "It's perfect."

Hey, whatever works.

And there's no denying the effect the surprise pregame speech had on the Nationals in advance of the most important game they'd ever played. Across the board, players said DeRosa's speech struck the perfect balance between serious motivation and laugh-out-loud hysterics.

And no one was more impressed than Jayson Werth, the eventual hero of a 2-1 victory with his bottom-of-the-ninth homer off Lance Lynn and resident expert on all things Teddy (both the actual president and his racing mascot).

"I actually know that speech real well," said Werth, who was in the training room when he heard DeRosa begin his recitation. "I think it's a good one. It's kind of very parallel to the world we live in today. Not only that, but the fact Teddy gets disrespected for however many years it was. When I did some research on Teddy last year, I ran across that and I found it to be a very powerful segment of that speech. So when I heard D-Ro with some of that stuff, I was like: 'Somebody finally is reading this aloud in our clubhouse. I thought it was good."

Good enough to propel the Nationals all the way to victory in this series and to send them off to the NLCS against the Giants? Perhaps, though credit should probably be given more to the performance of a host of players in Game 4 than to the words that were spoken before they ever took the field.

Make no mistake, the Nationals are still alive because of Ross Detwiler, because of Adam LaRoche, because of Jordan Zimmermann, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen and -- most importantly -- because of Werth.

Put that all together and the Nationals now get the opportunity to host a decisive Game 5 tonight against the Cardinals, the momentum having suddenly and forcefully swung back in their favor.

"We knew this was a huge game for us," Clippard said. "We're at home. To get the momentum back, to win this game today and get it tied knowing that a win tomorrow gets us to the next level. The momentum is definitely on our side, and that's how we wanted it to happen."

Momentum in baseball, though, can a funny thing. Managers love to say momentum is only as good as the next day's starting pitcher. So another rocky outing from Gio Gonzalez could kill the positive vibes altogether and tilt the pendulum back to the Cardinals.

The Nationals understand they can't just ride the emotion from Game 4 and assume it will carry them through Game 5.

"You shouldn't discount a win like that," Ryan Zimmerman said. "That's a heck of a win. To come back after yesterday, against a team like that, with a really good pitcher on the mound ... they had everything set up going their way. They blew us out yesterday. They had a 16-game winner on the mound. And Ross matched him. For him to do that and for us to grind out a win like that today and get to tomorrow -- which was the goal -- we'll enjoy it.

"But this win doesn't get us anything tomorrow. We'll wake up tomorrow and forget about this and get back to tomorrow and hopefully win tomorrow."

If anyone knows anything about the power of postseason momentum, it's the team currently occupying the visitors clubhouse at Nationals Park.

The Cardinals pulled off a similar feat in last fall's World Series, storming back to beat the Rangers in a dramatic Game 6 capped by David Freese's walk-off homer at Busch Stadium. They returned the following night for Game 7 and cruised to a 6-2 victory and a champagne celebration.

"I think you wipe it clean," Storen insisted. "I think we had a great approach today that you don't let the last couple days affect you. You can say that's great, we had a good time. We know how we got there. But tomorrow when we show up, we've got a new approach and we're going to be ready to battle. Because it's going to be ugly tomorrow, but it's going to be a lot of fun."

Indeed, there's nothing quite like a winner-take-all ballgame. Gonzalez and Adam Wainwright may be given the ball to start the game, but it'll be all hands on deck for both clubs.

That applies, of course, to the field of play. Does it apply to the choice of pregame speeches?

Will DeRosa offer a repeat rendition from Teddy?

"I don't think," he said. "I mean, if we don't realize what's at stake tomorrow..."

Don't worry, Mark. Everyone realizes what's at stake now.

78 comments:

Gonat said...

From Jayson Werth: "When I did some research on Teddy last year, I ran across that and I found it to be a very powerful segment of that speech."
____________________________________

Jayson clearly is an intelligent guy. Last year when he was reciting the Bull Moose Party was impressive.

Glad DeRo was able to incorporate tidbits into his speech.

NatsNut said...

Is anyone else still floating around the ceiling?

Gonat said...

NatsNut, who can sleep?

Gonat said...

Here is the full Teddy "Man in the Arena" speech:

"It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

natsfan1a said...

haha, that's awesome. Ladies and gents: Teddy Effin Roosevelt.

Make no mistake, the Nationals are still alive because of Ross Detwiler, because of Adam LaRoche, because of Jordan Zimmermann, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen and -- most importantly -- because of Werth.

Desi had a pretty nice catch, too.

baseballswami said...

This is what you get when you have smart guys in your clubhouse. Have they offered DeRosa a minor league coaching contract yet? They are clearly keeping him in the dugout in that role, which has been his role for most of the season. Det's mom is a teacher, Ryan went to UVA, Drew to Stanford. Even the non-college guys, you can just tell they are very intelligent. Another example of how the Nats are very unique.Aside from the speech - I was thinking about how we were calling our pitching aces, Stras to Gio to JZim- 1a, 1b and 1c. I think we have a candidate for 1d.

320R2S15 said...

Jordan "Effin" Zimmermann is a man!

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

From yesterday's discussion about a rival GM badmouthing Rizzo and the Nats:

http://www.csnwashington.com/baseball-washington-nationals/talk/report-mlb-gms-rooting-against-nats

This is telling as some have speculated it is Braves GM Frank Wren but of course the betting odds say it is a 1:14 chance it was Wren, but smart money knows how Wren thought his plan on Medlen was the right one (wrong) and then the impending Free Agency of Bourn and speculation he will land in Washington:

Said a National League GM: "I hope they go down in flames. I hope it takes another 79 years before they get back to the playoffs. That's how strongly I feel about it."


Then there is this:

http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121010&content_id=39666824&vkey=news_atl&c_id=atl

Note the story the Braves are going to be looking for a Centerfielder to replace Bourn and this quote:

While the Braves will evaluate the possibility of bringing Michael Bourn back to play center field and serve as their leadoff hitter, they are not likely to get in a bidding war with the Nationals and Phillies, who are also expected to make a run at Bourn.

Yah, Bourn is a Scott Boras client.

alexva said...

this is all very confusing because JayB stated that this team doesn't have any leaders.

natsfan1a said...

In other news, I went and did the StubHub thing. See y'all tonight. :-)

peric said...

Games not until 8:30 PM.

sm13 said...

Great for a guy like DeRosa to rise to the occasion like this. Plenty of major leaguers would have sulked and gone home after being replaced on the postseason roster by a rookie. Instead, DeRosa has stepped up his clubhouse game and shown class and character. We have a vacancy for a 3rd base coach next year -- seems like DeRo should be a candidate.

And, yes, I'm still buzzin' from last night....

Faraz Shaikh said...

320R2S15, there was never any doubt.

Good stuff from Mark. Let's keep it going guys!!!

Natslifer said...

Morning everyone! Now that the sun is rising again I love the immediate focus at the back end of these quotes on resetting everything for today. I do believe Desi's catch was awesome (and the raw energy when he gets up and flings the ball in the stands was amazing), but there are very few baseball players that can have an at bat like Werth's - fouling off pitch after pitch on purpose and just waiting for the one he wanted - given the pressure, it was one of the greatest AB's I've ever seen.

Here's to Harper and Morse breaking out and helping to bring it home. This team has been about balance all year long and they're ready!

Natslifer said...

Reading the GM quote above is very interesting to me. How could someone look at that one decision along with the overall body of work putting this team together and decide he literally hates Rizzo? It's such a strong position to take it doesn't seem rational to me. It sounds more like the perspective of the ex-MLBers who are the ones most against the decision - they hate it because it's about them not getting their chance (me, me, me). But it's a GM's job to be dispassionate about the player and passionate about the team both in the short and long term. So good luck to whoever that is because he sounds like he's going to have a very hard time making objective decisions about his own ball club down the line.

320R2S15 said...

You know, wishing for all those years for MLB to come back here, I knew how special it could be, but I had no idea that it could be like this. The Nationals, from the field staff, venders, front office and players, have provided me with more happiness than I ever thought possible. What a feeling, thank you Washington Nationals, every single one of you.

MicheleS said...

By the way.. that home run was quite the shot for our benched/backup catcher.

natsfan1a said...

If the game time info was for me, yes, I know. I'll be there waaay past my bedtime. :-) Also, I will be needing pepcid.

Agreed. From where I was sitting, I could see the ribbon scoreboard thingy behind home plate, and at some point I started counting off the pitches. Epic.

but there are very few baseball players that can have an at bat like Werth's - fouling off pitch after pitch on purpose and just waiting for the one he wanted - given the pressure, it was one of the greatest AB's I've ever seen.

baseballswami said...

We wanted the Nats to be relevant in October - we got it. I am noticing so many things that are different. Starters relieve, I miss FP and Carp - but for me the strangest thing is playing another team five times in a row.I always feel that after 3 or 4 they should know everything about the other team. You also are facing the same pitcher twice in a series. I have been watching post season all my life, but some of these things I just never noticed until now. This new post season is living up to its billing.

sjm308 said...

Still in NC, still nervous, but man what a night!!

I rarely sit through an entire game unless I am present at the actual game but this was truly riveting. I have to admit that I did not mind Stockton and Brenley and the pitch track they use at TBS really does help. It was interesting to us that Joyce gave that outside pitch to both teams and had no clue about low strikes. I will say he was fair (well, maybe the last strike to Matt Holliday was even more than a tad outside).

As soon as the ball cleared the fence I called my son. I honestly could not hear him through the cheering at the stadium. I called back 5 min. later and they had still not moved from their seats. He said there was lots of hugging going on. He called me back 30 min. later and they had still not gotten out of the stadium. What a great crowd. The last call of the night confirmed what I had thought. "greatest game he had ever seen". Please please please!!! Win tonight so I can see my first playoff game EVER.

Go Nats!! Score First!! Win tonight!!!

sjm308 said...

MichelleS - could you explain your comment about Flores?

On DeRosa - I have long thought he (like Werth) provided positives to this team that could not be seen by the fan in the stands. I loved that he made the team in spring training and yes, his numbers were such that he was not going to make the playoff roster. Lots of clamour for him to go into coaching but this is one of the toughest things for a pro to do. I am sure DeRosa feels he can still contribute and help a team on the field. I have no idea about his financial situation but I am pretty sure the salary for a bench player is far above what a coach makes. I also think that he would need some time doing actual coaching before moving to the biggest stage in his sport. Lots of people think coaching is just an extension of playing. There are little nuances and differences between playing and coaching. Lots of great players have failed at coaching and lots of average players make very good coaches. Davey is a rarity in that he was a fine player and a wonderful manager. Anyway, I love what DeRosa has done and hope to see him here for a long time.

Go Nats!!

Jimmy said...

Werth's at-bat and homer was epic. What a struggle, what a triumph. But what had me fist-pumping and going nuts was three straight innings of lights-out pitching. Listening on the radio, trying to feed my kids, I couldn't sit down.

Hearing Jordan come out flame-throwing and just going after hitters was exhilarating. That was the big gamble/momentum shifter right there, and another great decision from old Davey. On top of the in-game importance of Jordan's performance, you have the huge confidence affirmation that this has to have on him come his (hopeful) second start of the post-season. After the drubbing he took the other day, he needed to re-assert himself like this. I know these starters have a way of forgetting bad starts, but I'm happy to see that whatever memory he might have of pitching can be from last night and not two days ago.

Then to see Clip come out and match his performance, followed by Storen slamming the door shut, it had me jumping around the kitchen like a crazy person. What a feeling.

Theophilus T. S. said...

Nady in the NLCS either way?

natsfan1a said...

I believe it was a tongue-in-cheek reference to comments that were made about Werth at one point.

MichelleS - could you explain your comment about Flores?

Jimmy said...

My last thought: I know a lot of folks have had complaints about the game times and have been pining for a primetime game. I'm in the opposite camp. Seeing the O's staying up super late night after night, I've been really grateful to have been able to listen to these games and also go to bed at a reasonable hour.

Of course, I'm happy to sacrifice a little shut-eye for a continued post-season. My kids are all in bed by 8:30, so the start tonight works well enough for me.

That said, if all goes well tonight just know that somewhere in DC, a guy named Jimmy will be perfecting the art of near-silent celebration. Jumping up and down, throwing my fists around, almost-clapping, almost screaming, and yet barely making a sound. I'll be living the silent-film version of everyone else's joy.

At least, I really hope that's how it goes down.

natsfan1a said...

Actually the full speech, which is also known as Citizenship in a Republic or the Sorbonne speech (after where it was given), is here.

JaneB said...

I am noticing that I'm not si amped up, not as anxious or as excited as I was the last few games (Wednesday especially). I wonder if that's true for our guys. If so, the "experience" advantage goes away.

Now, can someone 'splain me what the cold weather is likely to do to what Gio has in his arsenal? I seem to remember people saying the cold was messing with him last Sunday. I think it had to do with his sinker ball. Is that true?

HAPPY DAY! HAPPY NIGHT!

natsfan1a said...

Also, didn't someone post an excerpt from the speech here not long ago? All right, DeRo, the jig is up, come on out. Wait, Jayson, is that you? :-)

natsfan1a said...

It'd be really awesome if you could do it with sped-up motions, and in black and white. :-)

I'll be living the silent-film version of everyone else's joy.

Natslifer said...

JaneB - exactly the way I feel - thanks for writing it down.

natsfan1a said...

hmmm...I don't know, but Kilgore had it in a story on October 3.

LoveDaNats said...

What a game! I thought my head was going to explode after the walk off. I don't even remember the walk back to the car. (ok maybe that was the wine). Absolutely the best game I've ever attended. I can't wait to do it again tonight!
PS. Was anyone else moved to tears when that soldier was reunited with his family?

m20832 said...

Let's get 'em tonight NatGio!

GYFNG!!!

djinFl. said...

Michele said
"By the way.. that home run was quite the shot for our benched/backup catcher."

Earlier this season one or more posters said they felt Werth should be moved to catcher.

natsfan1a said...

Yes.

PS. Was anyone else moved to tears when that soldier was reunited with his family?

MicheleS said...

LoveDaNats..
seriously during that moment dust was in my eyes, had to pull out the kleenex. One of the best things that the Nats do is honoring the military. The Singer last night totally nailed God Bless America. Proud to say my entire section was belting it out with him.

sjm308 said...

ah yes, I remember those posts! He actually seems to have come around quite a bit lately. Not nearly as nasty and actually rooting for our lads.

MicheleS said...

JaneB.. Gio played in Oakland, it's cold there at night in July,so Sunday it was because he was over-amped.

natsfan1a said...

Agreed that the singer was terrific.

MicheleS said...

SJM308.. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE NOT HERE FOR THIS!!! Will you be back in time for Sunday?

MicheleS said...

FYI..I think 106.7 will be replaying the entire 6 minute at Werth at bat at 9 am

rogieshan said...

sjm308 said, (Re: DeRosa)"I also think that he would need some time doing actual coaching before moving to the biggest stage in his sport."

Current active managers with no previous coaching experience: Mike Matheny & Robin Ventura. Manager with no MLB-playing experience: Buck Showalter.

MicheleS said...

Not sure if anyone saw this from yesterday, but props to the bank for fixing their ads.

Cwj said...

Aside from my post before yesterday's game (In which I said I had a good feeling the Nats would win :)) I haven't posted much during these playoff games.
The in-game posts are WAY too negative (shame! but no surprise).
Even one of our regulars was down on Werth's AB in the 9th! (but Swami later retracted with class :-)

Anyway, a few thoughts on the Nats postseason so far:
1- The core young hitters were worn out during the last week of the regular season, I think.
2- The starting pitchers were rusty. (Gio's 7 walks etc.)
3- Those of you attending these games have given this team some fire! Based on interviews I've seen, the Nats thrive when the home crowd is LOUD!
Congrats to the fans able to attend. I actually had to turn my tv down last night! :-)

The Nats are going to win this series. I would be very surprised if they lose tonight.
Go Nats!
Go Nats Fans!

Section 222 said...

Great to see Sofa, Steady, Wonk, and NatsLady yesterday at the 312 gathering, albeit briefly. I hope those of you who had SRO tix found a good spot to see the historic win.

The game, whoa, the game. Totally mesmerizing. What a relief when Det got through the second inning and it became clear he really had his good stuff. Our "bullpen" (I'm using air quotes because of the addition of one JZnn) was unbelievable. The crowd was so into those at bats, it reminded me of the last two innings of Strasburg's debut.

I felt good about our chances in the bottom of the order -- team pumped up by the good relief outings, top of the order coming up. But I don't think anyone expected what happened. Werth's AB was epic, and I expected him to take a walk or poke the ball into left field, not crush it into the bullpen. Wow.

Back in October 2007, I walked over to Nats Park, which was still under construction, and stood on the left field concourse looking at a gleaming new ballpark taking shape. I had just seen the Phillies playoff game, with 40,000 fans screaming the entire time, and seemingly standing the entire time. I imagined that some day I might be in a packed Nats Park, with 40,000 fans of my team, and feel that kind of excitement and community. Yesterday it happened. Boy did it happen. An unforgettable experience.

And now I can't wait for tonight.

But until then, reading this blog today is going to be fun. I'll look for the gang above 312 during the pregame. Because of the late start, I'll actually be able to get there early. Looking forward to it.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

MicheleS, loved the backup catcher and bench post! Hilarious!

I remember earlier this year when he was called by the name Werthless and now he's Werthquake.

How quick you go from fan hatred to fan favorite.

madmonk28 said...

How aswesome would it be if The Man in the Arena became a Nats rallying cry with thousands of fans shouting it in unison during games. Top that Philadelphia.

Holden Baroque said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MicheleS said...

Sofa.. I guess I am remembering my time their in August a couple of years ago. It got cold at night at O.Co. It was down right frigid in SF.

mick said...

I got a golden ticket!!!!

Going again tonight!!! I feel like Fred G Sanford... its the big one and I'm coming to join you Elizabeth, in the NLCS!!!!

natsfan1a said...

Glad that you found a few folks still at the table, sec 222. Our seats were across the park and we were getting antsy to head over to them. Got there just in time for the anthem. Hoping to get to the 312 picnic tables by one hour before game time tonight, although my husband's arrival time home from work is a factor again. Will bring the cheesy little sign with me. Not sure what I'll be wearing. I may wash my red sweatshirt with the interlocking DC and wear that again.

I hope I'm not leaving anyone out, but before yesterday's game we had DC Wonk, Friday Night Nats (hope I got that right), MicheleS, natsfan1a, NatsLady, NatsNut, Scooter, Sec3, sm13, SonnyG, Steady Eddie, Traveler, Wigi (some may remember his posts from Nationals Journal back in the day), someone whose moniker I've forgotten but it's his ham radio handle and starts with a "w" - Watusi, maybe? - and, last but not least, our humble host (thanks for stopping by, Mark). Special thanks to the very nice (and unknown) lady who shared the table with us and was trying to work on her crossword puzzle while we babbled away.

Re. pre-Nats Park musings, I was flashing on the the park preview slideshow that showed fans wildly cheering the team. If memory serves, the scoreboard showed the Barves as the opponent. Oops. :-)

MicheleS said...

Mick.. I hope you show up to sec 312 tonight.

natsfan1a said...

Sweet, Mick. Come see us this time.

I don't know, monk, it's kinda long. :-)

madmonk28 said...

How aswesome would it be if The Man in the Arena became a Nats rallying cry with thousands of fans shouting it in unison during games. Top that Philadelphia.
October 12, 2012 9:14 AM

natsfan1a said...

And I owe MicheleS a Diet Dr. Pepper.

Maybe instead of the speech, we could chant "Teddy Effing R" - okay, maybe not.

peric said...

I guess no one watched the debates ... :)

Cwj said...

I envy all of you attending the game.
Be sure to be loud and wave to the camera :-) I'll be with you 75 miles away.

1 more win and then the 7 game series' finally give the Nats an advantage.
No team can beat the Nats in best of 7.

Go Nats!!!

Cwj said...

Peric- hahaha no but I heard about it this morning :)

Holden Baroque said...

It's true Oakland gets cooler on summer nights than, say, DC. I guess I remember it from a SF perspective, where we could be 55 degrees, and Oakland would be in the 90s.

BigCat said...

Mr Detwiler....uh.....sir. I have talked bad about you in the past. I was in the box seats in Potomac for your first pro start. I saw you get lit up and observed Bowden head for his car as soon as they took you out. I've seen you get hit hard many times. Well you earned your stripes last night my man. I won't ever talk bad about you again

Joe Seamhead said...

I am just so danged happy for Jayson Werth! He's been vilified by many since the day that he signed his contract, though many others of us knew what he brought to the table. There are so many things in a ballplayer's worth to a team that are not measured in WAR, or any other sabermatics. Sometimes you get a guy that not only brings a winning attitude to the team, he also brings other intangibles that just don't have adequate adjectives to describe them."It" is often the closest way to express what these players bring to the club house.Jayson Werth has "It."

Faraz Shaikh said...

sofa, that's what I experience during my trip also. SF, especially by the Gate, will be much cooler than Oakland. I wore a hoodie to the OAK game based on SF weather but it was pretty hot. But my game was a day game, 12:35 start time.

anyways, we need to worry about tonight's game and weather first. It seems like it is gonna be chilly and a little windy.

Cwj said...

Joe- Well said indeed.

The Real Feel Wood. Accept no substitutes. said...

Make no mistake, the Nationals are still alive because of Ross Detwiler, because of Adam LaRoche, because of Jordan Zimmermann, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen and -- most importantly -- because of Werth.

Some would say these guys joined Desmond and Zimmerman as players who have stepped up in this series. Others would say they were just lucky, that it's all explained by BABIP, and that there's no difference between those nine innings last night and any other nine innings chosen at random from the season, because it all averages out in the end. Who you gonna believe?

The Real Feel Wood. Accept no substitutes. said...

peric said...

I guess no one watched the debates ... :)


Nope. I was watching the Orioles win. One step closer to a DC-Baltimore World Series. You know you want it.

MicheleS said...

I am not getting any work done today. It's pathetic

Laddie Blah Blah said...

Anyone who believes you just go out and play your normal game has not been paying attention.

How fitting that the 2 FA regulars signed by Rizzo, Werth and ALR, had the most epic and significant ABs of the season. They would not give in. They would not put the pitcher's pitch into play, but fouled them off, over and over again, until the pitcher gave in to them. You cannot win all of those battles, but you will win them often enough if you play with the heart of a champion. You never win them if you don't even try, or you don't know WTH you are doing, like those guys who went up there swinging at the first pitch they saw, instead of working the pitcher into giving them a pitch they could hit.

The pitchers in last night's game were terrific. No earned runs to the best-hitting team in baseball is stepping up, big time. And only 3 base hits, all game long. If you don't think Jordan Zimmermann did not up his game, look at a replay. The JZ who pitched the 7th inning of last night's game was a man on fire. The Cards batting order had no chance, no change, against that guy. He just obliterated whoever came out of the Cards' dugout. Now, that is championship caliber pitching.

The Nats were up against a guy who was pitching over his own head, and only had 3 hits of their own, and just 2 against Lohse. They won because they were more determined, more focused, and better by just enough to win the biggest game of the year.

The Nats can turn a potential fiasco into a triumph by winning the decider, tonight. They look to me to be a team maturing from a great team into a championship team.

No reason to stop now,

NatsLady said...

No, I wouldn't want O's-Nats. That would be like dating your brother. We see them all the time. I'd like to show the Yankees what we've learned since June. Second choice would be Detroit.

mick said...

MicheleS said...
Mick.. I hope you show up to sec 312 tonight.


I will!!!

sm13 said...

Joe, I agree on Werth. The fans have warmed to him all year. and this was the icing on the cake. He earned our loyalty and is now a folk hero.

JD said...


NatsLady,

We are jumping the gun a bit?

1) win tonight.
2) beat a very game Giants team.
3) Take on whoever survives the AL.

I'm all in for target 1; I haven't even considered the potential pitching matchups for the NLCS. Who cares? will worry about that tomorrow.

JD said...


I think EJax has a chance to be tonight's JZimm and if he does I think he'll do great. You can see that if you tell these stud starters to go out there and air it out you get a much different pitcher than someone who has to mix and match for 6 or 7 innings.

JD said...


No posts today fro JayB? DJB? F & I?

They will all come out of the woodwork in the unlikely event that we lose tonight. Otherwise they will have to suffer and contain their ridiculous negativity until the NLCS.

natsfan1a said...

Same here.

MicheleS said...

I am not getting any work done today. It's pathetic
October 12, 2012 9:56 AM

Cwj said...

JD- Excellent point!
Davey has to find a way to keep the starting pitchers "warm".
They do not seem to do well when sitting on the bench for a week+.
Don't be surprised to see any starter appear from the bullpen during the postseason.

Cwj said...

Work? What is that? LOL :D

Go Nats!

Cwj said...

BTW, I like the Cardinals players. Very classy and they don't seem to be underestimating the Nats at all.

Joe Seamhead said...

Cwj, they looked more like peacocks then cardinals before the game in the bp session. Everybody was saying that they were carrying themselves like they already had this. Sorry to burst their bubble, but...
We got this.
GYFNG!!!

Joe Seamhead said...

My son called me early this morning telling me how much of a difference it was waking up this morning compared to yesterday.

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