During the past week I have received a dozen request to share my thoughts about our Nats making the playoffs. Here is a story I shared with my family a few weeks ago.
Since 2006 my wife Linda and I have been dedicated Washington Nationals season ticket holders. Over the first half decade of being season ticket holders our Nats have tested our resolve as the team consistently ended up in last place in the NL East. Each year we would renew our tickets even the year (2009) I was out of work we were able to hang on to the plan.
Now we are in our 7th season as season ticket holders and we have finally done something a Washington baseball fan hasn’t done since 1933 and that is to buy playoff tickets. Oh yes you read this correctly we have purchased playoff tickets for each home game the team plays in Washington. I know for you O’s fans this may be a little boring but for us Nats fans it is like we are living a dream. Yes you are correct the Nats may not make the playoffs but at this time the odds look really good that the Nats will make the playoffs.
In fact since Linda and I put down the money for our playoff tickets I have been doing a lot of reminiscing about being a little boy in Darnestown and Dad would take us boys in the back yard and hit us fly-balls. It brings back fond memories of me and my brothers wearing our Washington Senators caps as we were swatting knats with one hand and catching fly-balls with the other. Yes Dan you may not remember but you did wear a Senators cap long before you ever donned your first Orioles cap. As you know the Senators left Washington in 1971 and moved to Texas.
I can still remember very clearly Doug wearing his Senators cap and I think how he must feel right now as Washington is having such a wonderful season. If he was alive today I am sure he would be as excited as I am about the team possibly making the playoffs. What he would also be happy about is how well the BALTIMORE ORIOLES are doing. You don’t hear too much about it but the Orioles have a good opportunity to make it into the playoffs also.
As I am sure Doug would be more of a Nats fan I am also sure he would be rooting for the O’s also. One on my last memories of Doug that I have before he passed away was of him sitting in a chair in his hospital room watching the Orioles game. I believe a young pitcher named Ben McDonald was making his major league debut. I will never forget this memory because poor Doug was totally covered with bandages and he could barely hang onto the TV’s remote control. Well as sad as it is that was the last baseball game Doug ever watched on earth. I want to believe he has an eye on both teams this season and he is happy that both teams are doing so well.
