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Beguiled by the Boys of Summer
Delores Evans of Great Falls celebrates a home run by Junior Spivey during the Nationals' 3-2 win over Seattle, their 10th in a row.
(By Robert A. Reeder -- The Washington Post)
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How important is that? In the last five years across baseball, 60 percent (18 of 30) of the teams that led their divisions on the morning of June 13 went on to win the division title.
Yesterday evening, just as the region's affinity with its newest team was deepening, the Nationals packed their bags and left town for a 10-day road trip. So it goes with summer loves. Take care. Promise to stay in touch.
But, for the next 10 days, that won't be so easy. The next three games, in California against the Anaheim Angels, start at 10:05 p.m. Eastern time, too late to make most editions of the morning papers.
What about television? Tonight's and tomorrow's games are available only to fans with DirecTV service. Wednesday's game gets a nationwide bump from ESPN2. And radio? Many local fans have complained that the signals from the Nationals' local stations are too weak to receive clearly.
If you can't watch the games, can't listen to the games and can't read about the games, can this relationship survive? Fans are hopeful the inevitable sale of the team -- which is owned by Major League Baseball -- will improve the situation. But that doesn't help in the heat of the present enchantment.
"It's an absolute disgrace," said Ken Zacharias of Burke. "They're not getting the buildup they deserve. This team is for real."
Perhaps there is no better -- or more visible -- measure of the team's burgeoning popularity than the explosive multiplying of red Nationals caps that can be spotted on heads around town -- from downtown sidewalks to Metro trains and especially in the stands at RFK Stadium.
"I call it the 'Red Hat Phenomenon,' " said Bethesda's Wortman. "Earlier this season, I was feeling lonely wearing mine. But now, I see kids and adults everywhere wearing them. For me, I feel like it shows that the city has connected to this team."
Said Nationals center fielder Brad Wilkerson, "We're thankful to have a home town and a fan base that notices what we're doing."
After the game, pulsing Latin music thumped out of the clubhouse boombox as the Nationals dressed and headed for the airport for a trip that will take them to Anaheim, Texas and Pittsburgh before returning home June 24.
That's the tantalizing promise of summer loves: If you're patient and if you stay true, they can come back to you.
