I still remember the first Major League Baseball game I went to.
I was eight years old and the Nats were playing the Phillies. I can’t remember if they won or not, but one thing I know for sure is since that day, I have loved watching baseball.
I’ve witnessed some really bad Nationals teams over the years. It’s been tough to be a Nats fan to say the least, but here I am watching them get the chance to compete for a World Series title.
It’s finally happening.
The last time a World Series game took place in Washington D.C. was in 1933. Eighty-six years later, the Nats deserve this more than ever, and I couldn’t be more proud to stand by my city, my team.
I haven’t seen D.C. this hyped since 2018 when the Washington Capitals had their legendary Stanley Cup run. It was the first time I saw a championship in D.C. The Caps broke the D.C. sports “curse” and since 2018, the Washington Mystics won the WNBA Finals and the Nats made the World Series.
It’s a great time to be a D.C. sports fan.
This Nats team is different from those in the past, though, and I can feel it. The team is stacked with talent, from Mr. Clutch Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto and Howie Kendrick, they’re more than capable of creating stellar offense for the Nats.
The big question is how productive they’ll be up against Houston’s best pitchers. We’ll have to see.
If you’ve been watching the Nats this season, you know about their home-run celebrations and love of dancing.
From dancing in the dugout after homeruns to getting all of Nats Park to participate in the “baby shark” dance, everyone in D.C. is all in on this team.
And if you haven’t seen the reaction to Gerardo Parra’s walk-up song at Nats Park, I recommend you do. You won’t regret it.
The Nats are surely the underdogs going into this series but that doesn’t mean one thing to me.
From what I’ve seen so far, the underdog role has worked pretty well for the Nats this year.
They pulled off an unbelievable win in the wildcard game in the eighth inning, then beat the 106-win Dodgers to advance to the NLCS and then they swept the Cardinals to advance to the World Series for the first time in 86 years.
You have to remember this team was 19-31 in May. They were awful and almost everyone in D.C. was ready to give up on them. Now, as of Wednesday night, they are two wins away from a World Series title.
It won’t be easy. The Astros are a good team and almost everyone has their bets placed on Houston to win.
But, after many years of heartbreak, here’s to hoping that the baseball gods can hear my prayers and give this Nationals team the win they deserve.
Opinion desk can be reached at opinion@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
