Announcement
Weekend Results Mixed; Reisinger MIA
Posted by Steve Elliott on
Jun 27 2004
at
05:00PM PDT
in 2019 Season
By Steve Elliott
Three games. Two quality opponents. Extreme results, and, of course, a little bit of rain. This weekend's results were a microcosm of the first half of the 2004 season.
The roller coaster season continued Friday night in a key league matchup versus the Pewaukee Muskies. Having won the first game between the teams, Friday's game afforded the Nats an opportunity to win the season series early, and lock up a playoff tiebreaker. Those brave souls in attendance at Harden Field were not disappointed.
Continuing a season-long trend, the Nationals pre-game preparations were marred by distraction. No, it was not the late, though dramatic, appearances of starting players shortly before the first pitch. "Pre-game is overrated," noted one veteran .189 hitter. No, it was not the newly-instituted drug and alcohol screening enacted to ensure that the sober players are identified prior to the game. "Beer makes me a better player and driver," observed one Huber candidate. No, it was not the sleep deprived team members napping at inopportune moments. "Why can't we start at 7PM Pacific Time?" queried one narcoleptic. No, it was none of these things. The team was distracted by a voice and face from seasons' past. Laura Zimmer was back and the PA microphone was calling her name.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a game was to be played. Pewaukee fielded its "Friday 9" and was ready to punch the locals in the teeth. The early rounds went Pewaukee's way. 44 year-old veteran catcher- turned-pitcher Steve Schulte held the Nationals bats at bay through five innings as the Muskies jumped to a 7-2 lead. Bleak, it looked. However, this year's squad again demonstrated a resilient spirit, posting a crooked number (7) in the sixth to take the game back. "Wake Up" has becomes the team's rallying cry. One can only imagine the potential of the squad if all players were in attendance, awake, sober, and ready to play prior to the sixth inning. Well, one out of four ain't bad.........unless........
Sunday morning......10AM.......Parents, do you know where your children (and car) are? #29 is nowhere to be found. Evidence of a struggle exists at the Reisinger household. Cash and credit cards are scattered. A voice message from Joe at 2:29am is the only hard evidence. Joe, where are you? Baseball rules state that a team must field 9 players to be considered a "team." Damn baseball rules. Damn purists.
Who says the Nationals need 9? We're the Nationals for gosh sakes. We'll give you 5 Nationals, a washed up GM, one White Sock, and three street free agents who have gloves. Take that Green Bay! And, oh yeah - we don't need infield or BP. We're the Nationals! We'll take our merry band of misfits, drive two hours, skip lunch, and take you on on your home field within minutes of arriving at the ballpark. Go ahead, throw a couple of homer umpires at us. We don't care.
Dateline..... Green Bay: Billys 9,4......Nationals 7,0. Highlights are a bit difficult when you don't know all the players' names. Stengel did hit a bases- clearing double and Wajerski collected 4 more hits. Ustruck and Berndsen gave valient and gritty efforts on the bump. New guys #1, #17, #18, and #21 all battled hard and are to be commended and thanked for assistance in the team's time of need.
With the mid-season break at hand, the Nats GM has a lot to review. With the mid-season break at hand, the team has 11 days to evaluate its past performance and decide whether it wants to be mediocre, good, solid, or great. The issue is not a "me" issue. It is not about individual performances, good or bad. The issue is a "we" issue. Is this year's squad willing to make individual sacrifices and come together as a collective team? Will leaders emerge and mandate this standard?
I leave with two questions that each of us must contemplate: "Why do I play?" "Whom do I play for?"
Three games. Two quality opponents. Extreme results, and, of course, a little bit of rain. This weekend's results were a microcosm of the first half of the 2004 season.
The roller coaster season continued Friday night in a key league matchup versus the Pewaukee Muskies. Having won the first game between the teams, Friday's game afforded the Nats an opportunity to win the season series early, and lock up a playoff tiebreaker. Those brave souls in attendance at Harden Field were not disappointed.
Continuing a season-long trend, the Nationals pre-game preparations were marred by distraction. No, it was not the late, though dramatic, appearances of starting players shortly before the first pitch. "Pre-game is overrated," noted one veteran .189 hitter. No, it was not the newly-instituted drug and alcohol screening enacted to ensure that the sober players are identified prior to the game. "Beer makes me a better player and driver," observed one Huber candidate. No, it was not the sleep deprived team members napping at inopportune moments. "Why can't we start at 7PM Pacific Time?" queried one narcoleptic. No, it was none of these things. The team was distracted by a voice and face from seasons' past. Laura Zimmer was back and the PA microphone was calling her name.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a game was to be played. Pewaukee fielded its "Friday 9" and was ready to punch the locals in the teeth. The early rounds went Pewaukee's way. 44 year-old veteran catcher- turned-pitcher Steve Schulte held the Nationals bats at bay through five innings as the Muskies jumped to a 7-2 lead. Bleak, it looked. However, this year's squad again demonstrated a resilient spirit, posting a crooked number (7) in the sixth to take the game back. "Wake Up" has becomes the team's rallying cry. One can only imagine the potential of the squad if all players were in attendance, awake, sober, and ready to play prior to the sixth inning. Well, one out of four ain't bad.........unless........
Sunday morning......10AM.......Parents, do you know where your children (and car) are? #29 is nowhere to be found. Evidence of a struggle exists at the Reisinger household. Cash and credit cards are scattered. A voice message from Joe at 2:29am is the only hard evidence. Joe, where are you? Baseball rules state that a team must field 9 players to be considered a "team." Damn baseball rules. Damn purists.
Who says the Nationals need 9? We're the Nationals for gosh sakes. We'll give you 5 Nationals, a washed up GM, one White Sock, and three street free agents who have gloves. Take that Green Bay! And, oh yeah - we don't need infield or BP. We're the Nationals! We'll take our merry band of misfits, drive two hours, skip lunch, and take you on on your home field within minutes of arriving at the ballpark. Go ahead, throw a couple of homer umpires at us. We don't care.
Dateline..... Green Bay: Billys 9,4......Nationals 7,0. Highlights are a bit difficult when you don't know all the players' names. Stengel did hit a bases- clearing double and Wajerski collected 4 more hits. Ustruck and Berndsen gave valient and gritty efforts on the bump. New guys #1, #17, #18, and #21 all battled hard and are to be commended and thanked for assistance in the team's time of need.
With the mid-season break at hand, the Nats GM has a lot to review. With the mid-season break at hand, the team has 11 days to evaluate its past performance and decide whether it wants to be mediocre, good, solid, or great. The issue is not a "me" issue. It is not about individual performances, good or bad. The issue is a "we" issue. Is this year's squad willing to make individual sacrifices and come together as a collective team? Will leaders emerge and mandate this standard?
I leave with two questions that each of us must contemplate: "Why do I play?" "Whom do I play for?"
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