I want to be optimistic about the Washington Nationals.
Really, I do. The city of Washington
deserves a major league team, especially after what Bob Short did to the
Senators franchise in the early 1970s. The Nationals play in an attractive new
ballpark. I like their uniforms, especially their new road outfits. They have
several intriguing players, including Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Lastings
Milledge, and Jesus Flores.

In spite of all these positives, I’m finding it hard to find
a silver lining in D.C. Given the Nationals’ youth, lack of depth, and general
front office turmoil this spring, I felt compelled to pick the Nats to finish
last in the National League East. After three games of regular season play,
there seems to be little reason to change that prediction. A 6-4 loss on
Wednesday capped off a miserable three-game sweep at the hands of the
underrated Marlins.

All three Nationals starters pitched poorly in the series.
John Lannan, the “ace” of the staff (by default, if nothing else), set the tone
by being rocked by Hanley Ramirez and Co. on Opening Day. Scott Olsen and Daniel
Cabrera (the ex-Oriole) received thumpings in games two and three. Offensively,
the Nats did nothing special. Zimmerman struggled against Marlins pitching, as
did Milledge and Elijah Dukes. And to make matters worse, controversy has
already begun to brew in the clubhouse. Josh Willingham, newly acquired from
the Marlins, met with new GM Mike Rizzo to discuss why he didn’t start in
either of the first two games. The Nats originally planned to play Willingham
in left field and Dunn at first base, but the inability to trade Nick Johnson
has created a logjam on the right side of the infield. With Nick the Stick
planted at first, Dunn will receive the majority of his playing time in left,
while Willingham, a talented offensive player who can jumpstart an offense,
gets cozy with the bench.

What a mess. Right now, some older Washington
fans might be reminiscing nostalgically about the way they stormed the field on
the final day of the 1971 season to protest the Senators’ impending move to Texas. Given the current
state of affairs in the Capitol
City, those might seem
like some good old days by comparison.