Washington Nationals 2010 Year-in-Review: January-June

 

(June 8: Strasburg emerges from the dugout at Nationals Park prior to pregame warm ups. Photo by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

2010 was a year of highs, lows, hell, and in-between for the Washington Nationals. Before we step off to 2011, join us on a little trip down memory lane as we take a month-by-month look at some of the best and worst moments from the past year.

Read the second installment here: July-December.

January:

• Close, but no (Cuban) Cigar. Nats just miss winning the bidding war for Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman, dashing the dream of a future Strasburg-Zimmermann-Chapman 1-2-3 punch.

• A feud erupts between two terrible ex-Nats pitchers -- Mike Bacsik and Tim Redding -- when Redding accuses Bacsik of grooving one to Barry Bonds for 756.

• Mike Rizzo and Co. scout Bryce Harper in JUCO ball.

• Livan Hernandez does everything but send Mike Rizzo flowers, but Rizzo still won't return his calls about a job.

February:

• After a winter of leaving him waiting by the phone, Mike Rizzo calls Livo back and invites him to compete for a job.

• Stephen Strasburg throws his first bullpen session of the spring in Viera, heals a blind man, walks on water.

• A few days later, Strasburg throws greatest bullpen session in the history of the world.

• Signalling the organization's recovery from Smileygate, Nats reenter international waters by signing an old Mexican League pitcher who according to one source is old enough to be Vinny Castilla's father.

• Nats unveil injured Wang.

March:

• In a surprise move, Nats release Elijah Dukes. Mike Rizzo calls it a "baseball decision". It never really does add up. Wonder what really happened?

• Dukes' estranged wife calls him "a huge teddy bear" in an interview.

• Nats start Grapefruit League season 0-11, but win two split squad games to improve to 2-11 in a matter of a few hours.

• It's an election year, so (former) D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty coughs up the District's Nats tickets to the DC City Council early instead of playing games and withholding the tickets into the summer.

• Ending months of speculation, Jim Riggleman finally names Ian Desmond his starting shortstop over Cristian Guzman.

April

• In one of the low points in Nats' history, Phillies fans invade Nationals Park for the Home Opener. Stan Kasten never did apologize to Nats fans for that.

• The Silver Elvis Wig appears for the first time on TV atop the head of Willie Harris.

• Jim Riggleman mysteriously uses Jason Marquis as a pinch hitter. Mysterious, because it happens during the fifth inning of a tie game against the Phillies.

• Brian Bruney is awful scary. Or is that scary awful?

• Stephen Strasburg makes his minor league debut for Harrisburg in Altoona, PA, in a game complete with such delights as 99 mph fastballs and racing bagels.

• Baseball Jesus does Baseball Tonight. The Strasburg Circus is in full swing.

• Jason Marquis registers the worst performance by a starting pitcher in the brief history of the Washington Nationalsin an April 18 loss to the Brewers. His line: 0.0 IP, 4 H, 7ER, 1 BB, 2 HBP, running his season totals to 0-3, 20.52 ERA, 2.88 WHIP; in 8.1 IP over three starts. Marquis landed on the DL a few days later, went under the knife and disappeared until August, thankfully.

• Just one of many brilliant performances by Livan Hernandez. Mike Rizzo looks like a genius.

• The Nats end April with a winning record, and at the time the difference between 2009 and 2010 seemed striking.

May

• Nyjer Morgan's temper tantrum is a sign of things to come.

• Mark Lerner gets hit in the face with a ball while shagging balls during batting practice while in full uniform.

• Drew Storen makes his major league debut ahead of Strasburg.

• Storen earns his first major league win, gets a couple of shaving cream pies to the face for the effort and gets to be Silver Elvis.

• Brian Bruney continues his stunning run of futility until ultimately being released.

• Strasburg arrives in Syracuse to a great deal of fanfare, doesn't disappoint in his first AAA start.

• Anger in some corners of NatsTown when the Nats decide to give Strasburg one more AAA start to work on...something, blowing the presumed June 4th date of his debut out of the water and destroying the dreams of scalpers and ticket speculators everywhere.

• A horrific 3-7 roadtrip at the end of May/beginning of June is capped off by a reminder of why Cristian Guzman never should have been playing right fieldat all: Guz drops what should have been the last out of a game in Houston, which opens the floodgates for a heartbreaking 6-4 loss.

June

• Scott Olsen sees his no hitter broken up in the 8th inning of a game against the Braves shortly after Bobby Cox calls for the grounds crew to come out and mess with the mound.

• Nyjer Morgan nearly redeems himself for his temper tantrum in the first leg of the Battle of the Beltways by robbing Corey Patterson of a homerun with a superhuman catch in the second leg of the Battle of the Beltways.

• The Magic of Strasmas Eve in NatsTown.

• Stephen Strasburg does Top 10 list on Letterman

• Stephen Strasburg dazzles in his major league debut. We're still trying to find the right words to describe that beautiful evening at Nationals Park.

• The night before Strasburg's Major League Debut, the Nationals select Bryce Harper with the #1 pick in the MLB Draft.

• The first installment of Ray Knight's telestrator adventures on MASN.

• Nats demote Opening Day starter John Lannan to AA Harrisburg, consider replacing him with SI swimsuit model Hilary Rhoda.

• Despite the arrival of Strasburg, the Nats encounter a June swoon and end the month with another loss packed with missed opportunities. 

Read the second installment here: July-December.

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Comments

[WFY]

I had forgotten about Guzman in the outfield. I did not blame him as much for that one as the mudball, which can never be forgiven.

An excellent list, good sir.

[Nyjer morgan's glove]

Nationals should have released Nyjer Morgan after that glove spiking incident. Why is he even still with the team?

[Mike K]

Thanks for this recap. Looking forward to the next installment.

[Anonymous]

Loved the Ray Knight telestrator adventures series. Is he coming back to MASN next year?