Washington Nationals are in for a World Series victory-Part 2
Far from drawing nightmarish sketches for the Nationals, it is something, which is very much realistic.
Add to it the first full unrestricted season by the ace, Stephen Strasburg after Tommy John surgery and one gets the impression that the Nationals may have another campaign endangered by the lack of experience of the team.
Strasburg will face the challenge to be as successful during the playoffs as he can in the regular season. The best way for him to meet it is to take every game as the most important one.
Though it carries the risk of getting overly concerned, it can save him during the high profile matches.
Hopefully, manager Davey Johnson knows how to get the team unlearn mistakes committed during 2012.
An inclusion of a starting pitcher, Dan Haren in the team can solve his post-season problems as it expands options for him. For example, instead of having to rely on Gonzalez twice for NLDS, he can rest him and use the likes of Haren and Strasburg.
At the moment, the Nationals should not think extensively about how to clinch the top position on the table, because it is something they are almost sure to attain.
It is more so considering the fact that the rest of the teams in the National League East Division are a bunch of average clubs, excluding Philadelphia Phillies, though.
Surpassing and defeating them at will, will not be a problem for Washington, at least during the regular season.
That means the energies must be consumed for deciding strategies for the playoffs. How to humble those teams that all of a sudden emerge and turn out to be the winner eventually must be planned before hand.
The plan to neutralise the impact of bombs that the teams especially keep in reserve to be thrown at the opponents during the post-season must be set up now.
The Nationals have reached a level where winning just a playoff spot is not enough for their fans. The time to expect that the fans are going to adore them on their heads for a small achievement like the playoffs qualification has gone.
The fans are thinking big, something that makes them invincible, regardless of the stage of the season they have made it to.
The fans have started to feel like having the New York Yankees type of a team. With expectations high, the Nationals must be aware of the backlash that can follow the possible disappointments.
Fortunately, if the fans’ optimism has reached new heights, then so has the level of effectiveness of the team.
The Nationals are no longer a club, which fears consequences while playing. The players have developed a sufficient amount of confidence in their abilities that fans’ perceptions do not affect them much.
They are out to produce their best, irrespective of the circumstances ahead.
The situation of the Nationals at the moment is similar to that lion, who breaks the shackles out of the fury against the one who tried to fetter him and goes on to gobble that person, unconcerned about the protectors surrounded by him.
Indeed, the Nationals are going to enter into the 2013 season with the tag of invincibility, at least in their Division.
They can afford to invite the President Barack Obama in their stadium during important games with confidence of having him leave it in pride and honour.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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