(Posted 3-25-26)
Greetings From The Booth!
This week, the Booth is decorated in red, white, and blue bunting as we celebrate Opening Day in Major League Baseball (yes, folks, “Opening Day” is capitalized!). Opening Day is one of my favorite days in sports. The grass is always greener, the uniforms are more pristine, the hot dogs taste better, and the beer is colder. And, hope springs eternal for every team, because everyone is undefeated on Opening Day. Even the worst of teams can get out of the gate with a win and dream of a dream season, like the ’69 “Miracle Mets.” At the end of every season, cries of “wait until next year!” ring out. In baseball, there’s always next year. “Next Year” begins today.
This could be another long year for the Washington Nationals. We’re another year removed from the World Series Championship season of 2019. Long gone are Scherzer, Soto, and Strasburg, replaced by Abrams, Wood, and Gray. This year signals a front-office and field manager shakeup, as well. The Nats underwent a youth movement in the Fall, hiring 35-year-old Paul Toboni as President of Baseball Operations. Toboni then hired 31-year-old Ani Kilambi from the Phillies front office. And, Field Manager Davey Martinez has been replaced by 33-year-old Blake Butera, who becomes the youngest manager in MLB since 1972. Both Toboni and Kilambi are grads of UC Berkeley, and are “analytics guys” who feel like they can turn things around in a hurry in DC.
That may not happen this season. Most experts are picking the Nationals to be one of the worst teams in baseball. The (lack of) offense in the exhibition season did not inspire optimism, and pitching ace Josiah Gray has been placed on the 60-day injured list with a flexor strain. Gray, who came to the Nats in the Max Scherzer trade with the Dodgers, has made only two starts since 2023 and has missed most of the last 2 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. And sadly, another “generational” player, James Wood, is probably thinking of what he looks like in a Yankee or Dodger uniform. Pitching will be an issue this year, and despite a few bright stars like CJ Abrams and Wood, this will be a Year Zero for the new front office.
Still, it’s always great to be at the ballpark, and the Nationals once again hosted their annual Media Day, with yours truly and Ryan “The Duke” Rutherford in attendance. We got a first-hand look at changes to Nationals Park, like the wire-cam, which will give viewers some great panoramic shots of the game. As always, we got to see the new “merch” that will be unveiled this season (I especially like the Hawaiian shirt and shorts combo), hang out with a few of the Racing Presidents, and sample the new food offerings. We especially loved the Smashburger, and the hot dog topped with crab meat, cheese, and Old Bay was to die for! And, it’s always a great sight to see that green outfield grass and the grounds crew making the field perfect for Opening Day, when all things are renewed, and hope springs eternal.
Until the next visit from The Booth…Play Ball!
RW
