I was a fan of this franchise back when it was the Montreal Expos. It feels good to see the team reach the World Series in its 50th year of operation. And extra sweet to see them do it without Bryce Harper. I don’t think they have much chance of winning the World Series, but we said the same thing about the 1969 Mets and look what happened there (shoutout to Al Weis!). You have to like any team with Max Scherzer, although I could like them even more without Stephen Strasburg. This team has fallen short in the playoffs many many times and certainly deserves a break. They were second in the NL in runs scored (yes, THAT is a stat that matters!) and very average in pitching except for the bullpen, which stunk (29th in ERA). I am amazed how often wild card teams reach the World Series (6 times in 25 years). Seems like the wild card teams are operating flat out just to reach the playoffs and that gives them a little advantage over the teams that coasted in, such as the 2019 Dodgers. The ALCS is going to be a real battle, so the Nationals may shock us all if the winning AL team is tired after a 6 or seven game ALCS.
Photo by Henry Paul on Unsplash
Todays classic rock song is “Hotel California” by the Eagles.