Old and new:
The Nationals found fire by blending veteran lineup with youth.
WASHINGTON – Somewhere along the way to the franchise’s first World Series berth in its 50 years of existence, the Nationals found their identity.
It wasn’t as a team that revolved around a manager or a player, but as a concept.
Their twin mottos of “Go 1-0 today” and “Stay in the fight” gave them the motivation to rebound from a 19-31 start. The “Baby Shark” craze gave them character.
In the end, the 2019 Nationals used the pressure of not making the playoffs for a second consecutive season to inspire their run.
And it made this season unlike any of the previous ones when postseason expectations led to disappointment.
The oldest roster in the major leagues (average age 31.1) took pride in being able to battle and defeat teams that had enjoyed more regular-season and postseason success. It was no accident.
The veterans on the roster – first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (35), starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez (both 35), second baseman Howie Kendrick (36) and catcher Kurt Suzuki (36) – all played important roles down the stretch, something manager Dave Martinez acknowledged before even taking the first question from the media after his team just completed a four-game sweep in the NL Championship Series.
“Don’t ever call those guys old,” Martinez said. “They’re really young in my heart and my eyes. They’re playing like they’re 22, 23.”
The veterans saw their age as an asset, not a liability.
“It just seems like everybody wants younger and younger players. Everybody wants to forget about all the old guys,” Scherzer said. “We see it in free agency. We’re not dumb.
“The fact that we’re the oldest team and we went out and won the National League pennant just shows you that we bring a lot of value to clubhouses.”
Even though he only takes the field every fifth day, Scherzer might be the closest the team has to a leader. He famously pitched in June despite a broken nose he suffered trying to bunt in batting practice.
Zimmerman, the Nationals’ first-ever draft pick in 2005, has been part of all of the franchise’s highs and lows. Though he played in just 52 games during the regular season (hitting .257 with six home runs and 27 RBI), Zimmerman has been a force in the postseason.
Playing in all but one of the Nationals’ 10 playoff games, Zimmerman has hit .290 with a huge three-run homer in Game 4 of the NL Division Series against the Dodgers.
“He’s the classiest big leaguer I’ve ever been around,” Nationals
general manager Mike Rizzo said of Zimmerman. “He’s been through some trials and tribulations … but you see when he’s a healthy player, he’s a pretty damn good one still.”
While the veterans have set the tone in the Nationals clubhouse, they’ve also set the example for the team’s younger players to follow.
“I think the mixture of people that we do have is what makes us so good,” said Kendrick, the NL Championship Series MVP. “The chemistry that we do have, we understand each other.”
The Nationals have relied on that pitching staff, specifically their starting pitchers, to get to this point. In the NLCS, Sanchez, Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg didn’t give up a single earned run in 212⁄3 innings.
“It’s great, but it’s not just the starting pitchers, it’s everybody. Everybody has a hand in this,” Scherzer said. “You can give starting pitchers credit, but it’s also been the offense, defense, baserunning. We’re clicking and firing on all cylinders, and that’s what makes it so much fun.”
What wasn’t fun was missing the playoffs last season.
And bowing out early in previous years.
After winning four division titles in six years from 2012 to 2017, the Nationals needed to earn a wild-card berth just to make the playoffs this season.
But being the underdog for a change served as a rallying cry. In both the wild-card game and the Division Series, the Nationals had to come from behind to win.
As the players and coaches were popping champagne bottles and guzzling beer out of the National League championship trophy, no one noticed the absence of a player who occupied one of the large lockers on the left-hand side of the clubhouse for the previous seven seasons.
Bryce Harper never got to experience this kind of celebration during his tenure in Washington.
Though it’s unfair to say his leaving as a free agent over the winter and signing with the division-rival Phillies was a factor in the Nationals getting over the hump, it’s also fair to wonder what kind of an impact it did have.
Anthony Rendon stepped forward and became an MVP candidate at 29. Left fielder Juan Soto blossomed into a fullfledged star in his first full season in the major leagues. Adam Eaton and Victor Robles each played over 150 games at the other two outfield spots.
And a large chunk of the money the Nationals didn’t spend re-signing Harper instead went toward a six-year, $140 million contract for free agent left-hander Patrick Corbin, who was the winning pitcher in the NLCS clincher over the Cardinals.
“The roster that Rizzo and the front office put together, it’s just next man up,” shortstop Trea Turner said – just before dismissing any mention of Harper in a follow-up question about this season’s clubhouse chemistry.
“We’ve been good every year, man. … Every year we’ve had a great team,” Turner said. “It’s hard as heck to get here where we’re at. Every roster is different, and I’m just proud of these guys.”
As they face the Astros in the Series, the Nationals are ready to continue their one pursuit of a title.
“We’ve had a long season,” Martinez said. “What I believe in is it takes more than one person to win the championship, and that’s been the message since spring training. Everybody’s got to participate.”
As the music blared, the shouting echoed and the dancing continued, it was clear Martinez’s message had been received. Loud and clear.
The Nationals had found their identity: National League champions.