The question of how baseball could be so cruel to this city may be answered some day. It existed in horrible form in the nation’s capital for decades, and then it vanished for 33 years. It came back gnarled and wretched for seven more seasons, only to yield to this blissful summer, to the moment Friday past midnight when Drew Storen stood on the mound at chilled Nationals Park and, with two outs in the ninth inning, threw 13 pitches that could have moved the Washington Nationals four wins from the World Series.
The St. Louis Cardinals would not allow it. Baseball, this town’s cold mistress, the sport that dares you to love it, would not let it happen. The Nationals led the Cardinals by six runs after three innings. They led by two runs after eight innings. Washington’s miserable relationship with baseball had been exorcised, until it materialized in a more wrenching, twisted fashion than ever seen before….
That was one of the most depressing games I have ever watched.
Baseball and statistics go hand in hand. Stats offer perspective. The Senators (now Twins; to be distinguished from the Senators, now Rangers) won the Series for Washington 88 years ago. The Nats/Expos have had a 43 year run at the Series. Somewhere in there is the 33 year stretch from 1972 to 2005 when the Baltimore Orioles were the closest thing to a MLB home team for Washington – the O’s won the World Series in 1983.
In 1986 I saw the Red Sox twice come within one strike of winning the World Series. Sox’ fans had to wait 86 years between titles. The Cubs are still waiting after 104 years. Welcome to the club.
AO? I live in St. Louis and I gave up on them. Very early in the morning I checked the score on the Web just to see what Washington won by and thought, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!” Same thing happened last year which is what worries me.