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Ryan Zimmerman has a reflective moment during Sunday's loss, the Nats' 11th defeat in 14 games. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Cubs 11, Nationals 3: The Nats lost another one on Sunday, after an Alberto Gonzalez error at short (which looked like one I committed in a beer league softball game last week) opened the floodgates to a seven-run fourth inning. But the Nats getting swept by the Cubs is hardly news.
What is newsworthy (but probably not surprising) is this little piece of information from Paul Schwartzman's state of the Nationals report -- aptly titled "In the Cellar With No Ladder in Sight" -- published yesterday:
Willie Harris...dismissed the notion that a losing season could dampen his mood: "I'm not going to lose sleep because I lost a ballgame. I lose sleep when my mother's sick."...Joe Beimel, a relief pitcher, acknowledged that losing can make it tough to get excited about going to work. "I keep saying it can't get any worse, and then something happens," he said. Referring to the fans, Beimel said: "I've been kind of shocked no one gives you a hard time around here. Maybe they just don't care enough."
To summarize: here's one player who doesn't have a problem admitting that he doesn't seem to care whether or not the team wins or loses, and another that blames the fans for not caring enough. Yes, it is but a game. But these men are getting paid to play it -- and sadly, these kinds of sentiments likely explain more about the Nationals' woes than anything you'll find in the nightly box score.
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Please ask Mr. Beimel to give me his home phone number, so I can personally call him and tell him how I feel about it.
That last sentence -- what? The Nationals don't lose because they don't care, they lose because they're bad at baseball.
Sports are not newsworthy.
You don't care for sports. We get it.
Finally.
Actually I don't care one way or the other, but DCist is a tough crowd. Think of it like smacking the biggest guy your first day in prison. I have to establish I am a son of a bitch. :)
Heh. Seriously, they're trying to consolidate their sports posts to limit your annoyance. They're posting these post during off hours, making them super easy to ignore if you don't want to read them. What else could you ask for? Please say to kill the overdone Kastles coverage. Team tennis? Daily coverage?
Alright then Beimel, that's it, I'm buying a bunch of Nats tickets and taking every opportunity to boo the crap out of you. Since the Nats are my second favorite team after the Yankees, I certainly know how to do that.
I'll never understand how Yankees fans can so openly admit to being Yankees fans. It's like walking around allied Europe introducing yourself "Chip Wagner, Nazi fan." Because you guys really are WORSE THAN HITLER.
But you're still better than Red Sox fans. They're actually deluded enough to think they're the good guys. Douchebags.
Hey, I've been rooting for them since the Mattingly days. It's not my fault we're evil.
And yes, the fact that Red Sox fans still think they're the underdogs really blows my mind.
As much as I try, I can't feel sorry for these athletes who walk around us earth people as if they are ultra deserving of their outrageous salary by the mere fact that they wear a sports uniform. And then go all Boo Hoo Hoo on us because they don't win. Such BABIES!!
Not to stick up for the Nats here, but...
I can't feel sorry for these athletes who walk around us earth people as if they are ultra deserving of their outrageous salary by the mere fact that they wear a sports uniform
... and generate billions of dollars in revenue? I suppose the Lerners, broadcast outlets, and myriad of ancillary industries should keep all of the profits while the players should be grateful that their elite skills allow them to make a living playing a game.
If I may ask, what do you do for a living that generates that much revenue?
Can you please point out where Beimel blames the fans for the team losing? I read the whole article and did not see a quote indicating that.
I think that argument is rooted in his use of the word "enough." Enough for what? Enough to help the team win? That probably isn't what he meant, but it is easy to construe that meaning. Both of those quotes are really mountains out of mole hills, but they both could have chosen their words more carefully.
I think there's been a lot made out of a little with these quotes. Both were kind of poorly stated, but I see what they're getting at. Harris (who has been the most likable guy on the team) was probably trying to convey the notion that worrying all night isn't going to help him do his job better. And that he has to remind himself to have fun, because that's how he will be able to play the game everyday.
Beimel was just surprised that no one cares - and he's right! He plays in a city that is a wasteland for baseball - filled with out of town fans, Redskins obsessives and now polluted with "Nats FAIL" headlines every second. I think he should know a few of these things before wondering why he doesn't get booed.
Yes, I agree that sometimes these players don't word their statements too well. In the case of Harris, what was the question he was answering? "Why don't you just kill yourself over losing so many games?" I mean, when you read all the snark on the WaPo Nationals Journal, it sure sounds like some of the histrionic fans are overboard.
And Beimel had a point about fans not booing. Still, I don't want to see us turn into nasty fans like in Philadelphia, NY, and Boston. If he wants criticism, tell him to read the blogs and journals.
Drop the name Nats, for one thing. I wouldn't want to play on a team with the nickname Weak Young Chickens in a Stiff North Wind, much less something even weaker like a gnat. Culture of LOSE when you call yourself that and even embrace the nickname.
I'm the first to question the legitimacy of this franchise or the logic behind the stadium swindle, but we're looking at history here. The Nats have a very good chance of breaking the 1909 franchise record for single season fewest wins (38), as well as the '62 Mets record for most losses in a 162 game season (40, although they only played 160 games).