I held off on posting. I reached for the computer yesterday intent on letting it all spill out. Instead, I decided to wait until I calmed down. Then it occurred to me I might never post again since I might never calm down. So I reached for the computer again.
My wife's reaction was priceless. When she heard the very loud F BOMB I uttered after hearing the news - she was in the same room but could have heard it from her classroom 20 miles away - she asked what was wrong. I told her. And she said:
"Idiots. We're not going back, right?"
Correct. We are not. The Nats won't notice. The Nats won't care. But a family has to take a stand.
Eventually, maybe even tonight, I'll let that anger out. I have plenty to say. I had an e-mail exchange with a colleague who is a Nats fan today. Turns out I'm definitely not alone in my thoughts. I may just cut and paste his e-mail because he said it better than I could.
But, until then, I want to make sure my appreciation for Adam Dunn doesn't get lost in this disgust that is eating away at me from the inside out.
So:
Dear Adam Dunn,
Thank you. Having been a Nats fan since the team landed in Washington, I can assure you moments of joy have been few. I could list some, sure. I'd be lying if I said there weren't any. Cripes, I've seen five walk-off home runs (one of them by you).
But by and large they've been rare and you were responsible for many of them.
Sure, you drove me nuts now and then looking at strike three (except you were right on the Randy Johnson pitch). Sure you drove me nuts sometimes watching you play defense (but you were getting better).
Overall? You made it fun to be there and you're one of the few guys who made me inch up and lean forward in my seat every time you came up.
Specific moments? I could go on forever but here are a few I was present for and for which I give you a rousing and heartfelt thanks:
*No. 300. Against the Braves no less, with my Son The Braves Fan right next to me. Even he had to give it up for that one. "That was cool," he said, standing and applauding with the rest of us. Yes, yes it was.
*The one against St. Louis in 2009 when Martis pitched that gem. Landed way in the upper deck and made my wife go "HOLY SHIT" really loud.
*The one off the warehouse (on the bounce) in Baltimore that made my wife use another word after HOLY but just as loud.
*The walk-off slam against the Mets in early July that was called a double after review. But, hey, everyone in the joint knew it was out. Even K-Rod, which is why he laid that fattie in for Pudge to drive in the winner.
*The two against the Braves late this season, with aforementioned son next to me saying, "Sure, great idea Nats, let this guy go because you have SO many others who can do that."
*The last one, the walk-off against the Phillies. I laughed, I cheered and I cried a little, too, because I knew. I think everyone in the stadium knew. That was it.
There's more but you have contracts to sign and more money to spend and I have to get back to work and then figure out which team I'll go see next year because I don't want to give up on live baseball. Just the Nats. I wish you'd picked the cool team in Chicago but whatever. Your call. I don't blame you for any of this.
Meanwhile, I await the signing of Carlos Pena so I can get disgusted all over again. I await the crap the Nats try to shove down our throats about how this is the right baseball decision. I do not await the end of 2013, when Ryan Zimmerman follows you out the door. Probably just a coincidence that he won Silver Sluggers both years you were in the lineup with him, eh?
You were a joy to watch and I enjoyed watching you.
Thank you,
NFBLooser
3 comments:
Shame you weren't there to give him a standing O at his last home game, like I was. (Although to be fair, I was only standing because by his last AB I was at a rail on my way out of the park. But I did clap.) Some day down the road, when he's signing autographs for money at the Dulles Expo Center or wherever, maybe I'll take my scorecard from that game with the backwards K-K-K-K line next to his name and ask him to sign it. (Dude does have a sense of humor, right? I mean, cuz he's B-I-G big!)
Although I am sorry to see him go, it totally makes sense. Both for him and for the Nats. Turns out his top priority was to get the four year deal, even though he was saying all along that he really wanted to stay in DC, and he really didn't want to DH. Maybe he was even sincere with all that. Who knows? But Adam Dunn at first base for the Nats in 2014 would NOT have been pretty.
It's just sad our Nats were in no shape to need the services of a big bopper for the next two orso years. We just don't have the other pieces, besides Zim, to go with him.
I too will cherish his huge late-season bomb versus the Phillies. My STH group is sitting out 2011, not just because of Dunn but because of all that his departure is symbolic of. It's a small gesture of disgust, but we've been patient enough and deserve better.
I am upset too. It's always nice having a player like Dunn in your team, but hey, the season hasn't started yet, and Rizzo still has work to do. I'll be angry when I see the team on Opening Day.
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