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Washington Nationals Thanksgiving comedy pyramid: What are you thankful for?

What should the Washington Nationals be thankful for on this holiday? What are you thankful for as you look forward to the 2015 campaign? I can't believe no one ever thought about doing a post like this before...

By Patrick Reddington
H.Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports

I had this totally unique idea. In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, I thought I might come up with a bunch of things the Washington Nationals should be thankful for as they prepare for the 2015 campaign and things that we're thankful for after another great year covering the nation's capital's Nats.

I don't recall having seen it done before, and I thought it might be fun.

Before that frivolity, however, we'd like to thank everyone in the comment sections, along with everyone we interact with on Twitter and all the people seeing and commenting on our stories through facebook for talking Nats with us all season and all year long, really.

We, as in I, are/am thankful for the contributions from not only the estimable Doghouse, from Garrett Hooe, from Jim Meyerriecks, Jeremy Houghtaling, Geoff Morrow and Dave Nichols, our co-host on Nats Nightly, but also for all the people who contribute in the comments and gamethreads with insightful, often critical and always entertaining thoughts on the everyday goings on in NatsTown.

"I've said it before that play, that it's one of the worst rules I've ever heard of," LaRoche told reporters. "I don't feel like it's baseball. I think the umpires are smart enough to make judgment calls." -Adam LaRoche on the "transfer rule" of 2014

Thankfully, for the second season in the last three years, the Nationals won a lot and went to the postseason and in spite of their quick exit from the NLDS, and the fact that first-year manager Matt Williams took Jordan Zimmermann out in the ninth inning in Ga---

[ed. note - "Rant deleted."]

... we were still able to enjoy their 96 wins, their second NL East title in two years, Zimmermann's no-hitter and, of course, Steven Souza's amazing catch which ended it, Stephen Strasburg's continued growth, the fast work from Doug Fister and his all-out efforting, Anthony Rendon's whole game, and everything good and bad that happened on the field throughout the 2014 campaign.

So what should the Washington Nationals be thankful for as they prepare for 2015? What are we thankful for after our seventh season writing about the Nats?

We'll start the list and comedy pyramid (humor not guaranteed) and you can finish it in the comments section when you need a break from your relatives or the pointy ball games on the television. What's that, you don't know what a comedy pyramid is? Click this. And then comment below...

We're thankful for Adam LaRoche, for the four years he played in D.C. (three+ really, 2011 was injury-shortened) and the fact that he said things like this, when he was asked about the transfer rule, which didn't last all that long, after it cost him on a line drive to first in the first month of the season.

"I've said it before that play, that it's one of the worst rules I've ever heard of," LaRoche told reporters. "I don't feel like it's baseball. I think the umpires are smart enough to make judgment calls. And we've kind of handcuffed them to have no choice."

LaRoche should be thankful there are already plenty of black and white digital camo designs he can choose from for his elbow sleeves... and he should be thankful for another two-year deal, even if it is in the AL.

Ryan Zimmerman should be thankful for the role model he had at first base for the last four years and the fact that first base really isn't that hard a position to play... Tell him, Wash. "It's incredibly hard." - Ron Washington in Moneyball

Bryce Harper should be thankful for Giants' righty Hunter Strickland's willingness to challenge him with a fastball again that second time in Game 4 of the NLDS.

Jordan Zimmermann should be thankful Matt Williams made that defensive switch in left before the ninth inning of his no-hitter.

Stephen Strasburg should be thankful that after his first postseason start and a strong, full season, no one is talking about the "shutdown" anymore...

Anthony Rendon should be thankful that Matt Williams never warned his team that the next one who yawned during an at bat was going to get benched...

Ian Desmond should be thankful that he'll stop hearing contract questions at some point in the next year...

Jayson Werth should be thankful for his fans in the Gnome Garden...

Tyler Clippard should be thankful that goggles are in this year...

What are you thankful for this year?

What should the Nationals be thankful for? How about Mike Rizzo?

How about your fellow baseball fans in the nation's capital, what do you think they should be thankful for?

Enjoy your holiday...

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