(ed. note - "Turn on MASN2. Log on to MLB.tv. Find the right channel on MLB Extra Innings, or on XM or turn the dial to Charlie and Dave!! Whatever you have to do, be there at 4:10 pm EST when the Washington Nationals and the Florida Marlins start their respective 2009 seasons with DC lefty John Lannan on the mound against Marlins' righty Ricky Nolasco. It all starts in Miami, Florida, in Dolphin Stadium, as the Nationals look to rebound from last year's disastrous 102-loss campaign...the Age of Dunn is upon us...")
Opening Days...
It all started on April 4th, 2005, the official Nationals' debut as a team, with Washington losing the first game in franchise history 8-4 to the Phillies on the road in Citizens Bank, where a Kenny Lofton 3-run blast was the difference. In 2006, it was April 3rd, as the Nationals started the season in Shea, dropping a 3-2 decision to New York in a game that should have been tied in the eighth if then-Mets' catcher Paul Lo Duca, (who clearly dropped the ball on a play at the plate involving Alfonso Soriano), hadn't deceived the umpire into believing that he'd held the ball all along. 2007 saw Washington begin the season at home for the first time against the Florida Marlins, but they lost for the third time, 9-2, dropping to 0-3 on Opening Day, when now-retired starter John Patterson got hit hard for 6 runs on 7 hits in 3.2 IP...and who can forget how 2008 began?
March 31, 2008. Opening Night in Nationals Park. 2-2 ballgame in the ninth after the Atlanta Braves tie it when a pitch from the Tallest Pitcher in MLB History Jon Rauch gets by then-Nationals' catcher Paul Lo Duca and allows a run in from third. Two down in the Nationals' ninth and Ryan Zimmerma-- THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Walk-off!! Might be the greatest moment in the franchise's history, that or the walk-off against the Yankees, when Zim took Mariano Rivera deep...
Nationals now 1-3 on Opening Day.
YOUR 2009 WASHINGTON NATIONALS:
The DC Rotation:
- John Lannan - LHP
- Scott Olsen - LHP
- Daniel Cabrera - RHP
- Shairon Martis - RHP
- Jordan Zimmermann*(starting in minor league camp back soon)
- Joel Hanrahan - CL
- Joe Beimel - SU
- Mike Hinckley - LHP
- Wil Ledezma - LHP
- Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera - RHP
- Steven Shell - RHP
- Julian Tavarez - RHI(Right Handed Intimidation)
- Jesus Flores
- Wil Nieves
- Josh Bard
- Ryan Zimmerman - 3B
- Cristian Guzman - SS
- Ronnie Belliard - 2B
- Nick Johnson - 1B
- Willie Harris
- Alberto Gonzalez
- (INJ) Anderson Hernandez
- Adam Dunn - LF
- Lastings Milledge - CF
- Austin Kearns - RF
- Josh Willingham - Angry Bench Player
- Elijah Dukes - Angry Bench Player
"The Nationals will pick first in the June draft, and if they choose pitcher Stephen Strasburg who throws 102 miles per hour, they can expect a protracted summer negotiation with the agent Scott Boras."
- Leadoff Lasto - Lastings Milledge - CF
- The Guzzzzzzz- Cristian Guzman - SS
- THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! - Ryan Zimmerman - 3B
- Adam Dunn - LF
- Nick Nick Johnson Johnson - 1B
- AK, Mr. Kentucky, or Bluegrass - Austin Kearns - RF
- Ronnie B. - Ronnie Belliard - 2B
- WWJD - Jesus Flores - C
- John "Cool Hand" Lannan - SP