The Washington Nationals are going to the World Series. At least that’s what Captain Obvious’ sign read on Oct. 15 as it flashed on my television screen between jubilant high-fives and waves of shark chomps.
I’m excited. Don’t think for a minute that I didn’t purchase tickets to the big show. (My landlord really won’t miss my November rent, right?) While I personally appreciate all the Instagram stories and photos showing rainfalls of champagne and questionable dance moves, there are some tough realities all Nationals fans need to face when the high of a pennant wears off and the hangover sets in.
Most importantly, the St. Louis Cardinals really didn’t show up against the Nationals. There were a few flashes of fight in them during the series, but for the most part, they came in flat and never fully lit the fire they needed to compete with this year’s team of destiny. The Cardinals’ offense was pretty much non-existent. They fumbled on defense and made too many unforced errors. They had an air of defeat about them throughout the series and the Nats took advantage.
In contrast, the Houston Astros are certainly not limping into the World Series.
Houston is one of the best teams in baseball, with their 107 wins unmatched in the regular season. The Nats can’t rest on their laurels and rely on errors or indifference. The Astros have a drive the Cardinals lacked, and they’re playing to win. The Astros won the World Series two years ago and won’t be satisfied unless they win again. The Nats need to switch into a higher gear, lest they and their fans decide the first National League pennant in team history was just enough this year, thank you very much.
Time is a big factor. Nats fans celebrated a sweep, but ending the series in four games could hurt them. Their incredible hot streak has fueled their dominance throughout the playoffs, but now they’ve had a few days to cool off. In contrast, the Astros flew to the World Series on the back of Jose Altuve’s rocket of a walk-off home run (pun intended). The Nats need to figure out how to maintain their momentum, come out bats blazing in Game 1 on Tuesday night, and get ahead in the series.
Otherwise, they’ll be susceptible to the same illness that overcame the Cardinals: loss of hope. Unfortunately, that’s a tough ailment to cure.
The Nats have a tough road ahead. They need to focus, recalibrate, and take it one game at a time. They have the talent and the motivation. They need to be disciplined, build on each other’s energy, and not lose sight of what got them to this point. But their fans also have a responsibility here.
It’s been close to a century since Washington made it to the Big Show. Everyone in town, from the casual observer to the Nats fanatic, has their smartphone poised for epic Instagram pics. But the team needs more from its fans than tags on Twitter and Facebook. They need fans to stick with them.
The World Series won’t be like the National League Championship Series. The Nats will lose a couple of games. They’ll make errors and our pitchers won’t score double-digit Ks against the top-tier sluggers of Houston. Nats fans can’t sour on the team. They need to show up and be loud. The fans are equally responsible for keeping the momentum high and pushing this ragtag team that no one had faith in over the finish line.
The road ahead is going to be tough. But the Nationals are magic this year, and everyone in this town needs to believe in magic. So here we go, eyes open, into the World Series.
Nicole Tieman is a Wisconsin native, unapologetic fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, and general lover of baseball. In her spare time, she’s a communications professional on Capitol Hill.
