Trying to like the Washington Nationals

I've been a Montreal Expos fan all my life, 1994 was heartwrenching for me and losing the team after last year just felt like an afterthought.

So now I don't have a baseball team anymore, for real this time. I figure there are still crusty old Brooklyn Dodgers fans out there who just haven't come around to liking the Mets yet, and don't plan to.

But there's a Washington Nationals game on TV tonight so perhaps I'll be open minded and give them a chance. Frank Robinson is still managing them, and that's pretty damn cool for sure.

They're playing the Mets tonight, in the 2nd inning the Mets are ahead 1-0.

RFK Stadium seems like a decent place to play baseball in. At least they haven't renamed it after a corporate sponsor or Ronald Reagan (yet).

OK, here's the dealio: I've always kind of liked the Mets. But since they were in the Expos' division I could never really cheer for them. So as I watch this game, I won't consciously cheer for one team or the other. But at the end, depending on whether I'm happy with the result or not, I'll have a new team to cheer for, either the Nationals or the Mets. It's just like my old trick when I was a kid, if I couldn't decide on something I would flip a coin, and if my heart sank a bit I knew to just go with the other choice.

I don't know a lot of the guys on the Nationals' lineup.. lots of new names. Their pitcher tonight reminds me a bit of Randy Johnson. Can really throw some fire across the plate.

Sadly, the ESPN announcers seem to be talking to people as if they don't know anything about baseball, and seem more interested in talking about the steroid controversy than the game. "That's a base hit for Christian Guzman.. er, sorry, Gary Bennet. Bennet was still up there?" Worst announcers ever.

Ick, super-imposed strike zone square showing up on the replay. Hate hate hate. I'm surprised the umpires allow that. The flexible strike zone is a bit of a baseball tradition.

OK, the nationals are playing old fashioned Expos ball, get guys on base, don't swing for the seats, take a sacrifice if it can advance your baserunners.

W00, it payed off, Nick Johnson base hit with the bases loaded, 2 runs score. Now José Vidro is up. (finally, someone I know.) Announcer just called them the "Expos". That's kind of sad, actually.

I'm not sure I like the Nationals' uniforms. The letters on their helmets are in cursive script, very curly, but the lettering on the uniforms are blocky typeface. Doesn't really match well at all. I don't really like the red colour, either.

Oops, Family Guy on. Check back in on the commercials.

I hate the new mascot.. Screech the fat Bald Eagle. Their whole brand seems really slapdash and unprofessional.OK, back to Family Guy. Nice to see that hasn't lost its soul. Actually this is pure gold.

OK, back to the game.. and they're asking Mike Piazza about the new pope, and he's trying to sound positive. I guess as long as you're still in the closet you're allowed to shill for Benny XVI.

Jesus, Family Guy is amazing.. and American Dad looks like it's going to be terrible. Baseball time again.

OOps, mets have tied it up at 3 and bases are loaded.. Paterson, the Nationals' pitcher is starting to struggle.

Ugh.. American Dad not funny. And stylistically exactly the same as Family Guy. Sort of like the crappy design done for the Nationals. heh. Oooh, and alien and a talking fish, nice creative work there, guys. Futurama actually outgrew The Simpsons, this is like a bad parody of Family Guy.

Baseball again. John Paterson still pitching for the Nationals. I guess their bullpen is still as shallow as the Expos'. It's a pretty strange experience to suddenly see your old team without the emotional attachment of being a fan.

The Washington crowd is big, around 30,000, but not loud at all. In Olympic Stadium even if they only had 10,000 people in the stands they made tons and tons of noise, mostly by using the empty seats next to them.

Joey Eischen just got injured pitching for the Nationals. Not really cheering for the Mets, either, despite the Nationals mostly irritating me. I used to like Mike Piazza but he hasn't done much of note lately at all, and it really seems like their owners aren't even thinking about trying to build their team. Looks like my search for a new team is going to have to continue.
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