The Baseball Show: What went wrong?

As of today the Nationals sit 9.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot and, despite a recent three-game winning streak, there may not be enough time left for them to make a playoff push. With that in mind, Mark and the crew discussed what went wrong with the Nats this season and what they need to do this offseason to get back on track in last night's episode of The Baseball Show.

Mark's answer to the latter question is complicated, as it will interesting what the Nats do this winter. Do they need to make sweeping changes or are they as good as we think they are on paper? We know certain positions will have to be addressed, such as Dan Haren's spot in the rotation and a backup catcher. Should the Nats shake things up more than that?

Robinson's moment in the sun

Associated Press photo

Frank Robinson received a rousing ovation upon throwing out the first pitch.

The gait was perhaps a bit slower, the gray hair perhaps a bit thinner, the No. 20 Nationals jersey perhaps a bit more snug. But there was something both familiar and comforting when Frank Robinson walked to the mound this afternoon before a sellout crowd at Nationals Park, invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the franchise's first-ever home playoff game.

Today's game was first and foremost a celebration of the 2012 Nationals and their NL East title. But it was also a celebration of how the organization reached this point, and surely an appropriate opportunity to recognize this team's first manager.

"It was delightful, quite an honor," Robinson said later during a visit. I enjoyed doing it. And I thanked the Lerner family for asking me to do it."

Though he had made a couple of unofficial visits to Nationals Park over the last five seasons, Robinson had never formally returned or appeared on the field in front of fans, the result of lingering