This entry was written by new DCist contributor Jeff Beam
Away from the three ring circus created by Major League Baseball, City Council, and Mayor Williams’ office, the 2006 edition of the Nationals prepares this week to close shop in Viera, Florida and head north for another season along the Anacostia. A number of roster moves via trade, promotion, and shoulder tears have changed the look of the team, so we’ve compiled a season preview to catch up on the offseason’s events:
Last Season: 2005 began with a promising first half that saw the Nationals hold a sustained lead in the NL East over the talent-rich Marlins, Phillies, and Mets, as well as perennial division champ Atlanta. With 50 wins by the All Star break, even the most hardened of DC skeptics started to have visions of the RFK stands bouncing into the October postseason.
Alas, it was not to be, as a lack of depth undid the Nats’ spirited but paper-thin roster. The club’s tight purse strings—still controlled by MLB—left the Nats’ front office and stalwart manager Frank Robinson with little recourse as the pitching rotation, relief corps, and middle infield struggled with injuries and prolonged slumps. While mathematically in the Wild Card race until the last week of the season, DC struggled to the finish with a .500 record—good for last place in the supercharged East.
In 2006, the Nats’ whirling dervish of a GM, Jim Bowden, has gone about shoring up the roster with a deeper bench, more line-drive power, and as many middle infielders as he can find. Interestingly, three players who didn’t figure into the long-term plans of the team—Vinny Castilla, Junior Spivey, and Preston Wilson—now find themselves starting elsewhere for contending teams. Those they left behind in this year’s edition already seem to be star-crossed with injuries and drama galore.
We here are “glass half-full” types, though, and see in this club a young and talented core of players that could be claiming pennants for the District in the not-too-distant future. With that in mind, meet the 2006 Washington Nationals:
