Phil Wood, MASN: Not obsessing about .500

Dreaming in the District…

Today, on the heels of a four-game road sweep of the Phillies—coming just a week after a four-game road sweep of the Mets—the 76-win Nationals still have a shot at finishing above .500 should they go 5-1 in their final six games. That would be terrific, no?

Of course it would. But does it really matter that much?

The immediate future is there for all to see. The pitching staff looks well-stocked for 2012 and beyond. The club looks pretty strong up the middle, though the question of who plays center field is still open. The bullpen has the requisite pieces to allow the manager to mix and match. The top draft picks are signed and preparing for the fall, be it instructional league in Florida, Arizona Fall Leagu, or both. Rumors are flying indicating the ballclub may be a major player in the free agent market again this winter.

Whether or not the Nationals top the .500 mark this year seems of little consequence. There’s no trophy for finishing third. The embers that spark hot stove speculation are red-hot at the moment, and perhaps even more importantly, the image of the franchise nationally has done a 180-degree turn.

Ah, capturing the summer of ‘69 in D.C. Next, the summer of ‘45…the summer of ‘33…and finally, the summer of ‘24!