Dusty Baker’s advice for Nationals fans before NLDS Game 5: Think positive thoughts

Dusty Baker has a polite request for fans of the Washington Nationals heading into Game 5 of the NLDS with the Los Angeles Dodgers: Think positive thoughts.

Seriously. He’s actually deadly serious about it.

Baker talked before tonight’s win-or-go-home series finale about the power of positive thinking, which he believes, does actually make a difference.

It started with a question about what a win tonight, and the eventual goal of a World Series championship would mean to the nation’s capital...

“This is why we're here,” Baker said.

“We come here to win, not only for the organization and ourselves, but the town.

“I mean, this is something that lasts, is going to go a long ways in town and is going to last forever when you finally win.”

As Baker explained it, the fans can help, not only by cheering, but by thinking positive thoughts tonight.

“You know, the one thing that I urge the town is to be in a positive mood -- and mood, because I had know I had spoken to some hockey fans, and they were expecting -- I was watching the game with them and they were expecting bad things to happen or expecting them to lose. And I haven't been here long enough to know what the history is here, but all I know is just positive thoughts go a long ways.

“And the places where I've been were where people were positive no matter what the score was, no matter what, it was usually a positive outcome. And other places I've been, where they expect negative, they have been a negative outcome.

“So I just urge everybody to, you know, they say the mind can move mountains, and they can certainly move a ball. I want everybody to just, you know, think good and happy thoughts.”

Baker was also asked about his own emotions as he woke up and prepared for an NLDS Game 5 matchup with the Dodgers that will either send the Nationals on to an NLCS battle with the Chicago Cubs or end the season tonight.

“Well, the emotions I had, tell you the truth, I got up, said my prayers like I always do,” Baker said, “got a cup of coffee. And then packed for Chicago.”

Positive thoughts, people. Positive thoughts.