New Stadium, New Pressure

When a team, with the best intentions, wants to please, wants to justify what it's been given, wants to overcome injuries to teammates yet is constantly frustrated, as the Nats were in a nine-game losing streak, then their anger builds. Suddenly, the fun of the game is gone, only the anxiety remains. Instead of directing aggression at the other guys, you're disgusted with yourself.

The list of self-incriminating quotes by the Nats this month would include almost the entire roster. "I let these guys down," Jason Bergmann said before he was sent to the minors. "Boil it down, I didn't do my job," King said last night, even though he really was beaten by two squibbers and a Zimmerman throwing error. On Monday, Peña, a mammoth man who rushed back too soon from injury, just trying to help the team, was found in tears in the clubhouse after bottoming out at 3 for 30.

The Nats have nothing for which to despise themselves. Their park is special. But so are 20 others. Crowds are getting big. But the whole sport is booming. Perhaps it just seems startling and new to this franchise because it's been out of the mainstream for so long, both in Montreal and RFK. Starting a season 6-16 isn't a capital offense, even in Washington.

It would be nice if the Nats simply could go back in the memories to their near-perfect attitude of '07, when defeat didn't bother them, every win was a joy and they just wanted to prove they didn't deserve the disrespect of 120-loss prediction.

But that's not possible. Those innocent days are gone. Pressure has started to arrive, with a ballpark that cost about $650 million as its symbol. The demands of a new era in Nationals history are going to crack some players. Their talents or their egos aren't going to be able to take the demands and expectations. That's life in the big leagues.

"Once our offense comes back to life, I think everything is going to roll," Acta said.

But when will that teamwide case of athletic depression -- a condition baseball simply calls a slump -- come to an end? In April, with plenty of time to make amends? Or after a whole season is buried neck deep? That's for the Nationals to decide.