The last time one of his baseball teams opened with low expectations was 16 years ago. Experts pegged the Atlanta Braves as a last-place team, a few years away from winning.
Instead of finishing in the cellar, they reached the World Series.
Welcome to Spring Training 2007, which begins in Viera, Fla., today, where team president Stan Kasten and the Washington Nationals enter with evenlower expectations by outsiders. Not only are they predicted to finish last, many have penciled in at least 100 losses.
Nobody is expecting a repeat of 1991 with the Braves; but the Nats aren’t anticipating the worst, either.
“If you hang around the players and around the manager, there’s no one who thinks that at all,” said Kasten, entering his first full season atop the Nats hierarchy.
“If you take that mind set, you’re gonna lose,” said right fielder Austin Kearns.
Spring training is the time for such optimism. But the reality is that Washington is coming off a 71-91 season, has a new manager in 38-year-old Manny Acta, lost its top offensive player and lacks starting pitchers.
Most of the Nats’ pieces for the future remain in the lower minors, having been drafted the past two years.
Two factors will dictate their success:
» Starting pitching. The bullpen is OK, led by closer Chad Cordero and middle reliever Jon Rauch. But the starters are a problem. John Patterson could be the ace, but he’s never stayed healthy for an entire season and his career-high in wins is nine. Beyond that, it’s many question marks; they hope some of the 37 pitchers in camp emerge.
» Health. It’s uncertain when first baseman Nick Johnson will recover from the broken leg suffered near the end of last season. Combined with Kearns and Ryan Zimmerman and even leadoff hitter Felipe Lopez, a healthy Johnson makes this a decent offense.
Also, Patterson’s status is in doubt, shortstop Cristian Guzman missed last season with a torn labrum in his shoulder and outfielder Alex Escobar is coming off yet another injury.
“We have a very good young offense,” Kasten said, “a much improved defense and one of the best young bullpens. Those are good starting points.”
