The Ghost(s) of Grapefruit League Openers Past

 

(Photo is by Jonathan Newton/Washington Post. February 15, 2007: Manny Acta on his first day of spring training.)

In the wake of yesterday's (yes, meaningless) dueling Grapefruit League stinkers by the Nationals, we decided to put on our Phil Wood hat and take a little trip down memory lane to see how the Nats have fared in Grapefruit League Openers since the move to Washington in 2005.

• March 3, 2005: Nationals 5, Mets 3. Tony Armas Jr. starts, The Chief finishes, and Boz gets all misty-eyed in the Washington Post in the first of many organizational firsts.

• March 2, 2006: Pirates 9, Nationals 1. Ramon Ortiz starts! The Nationals Enquirer overreacts by breaking out the Panic Button after the game.

• March 2, 2007: Dodgers 12, Nationals 7.  Manny Acta's first ST game at the helm. Shawn Hill -- feeling better than he ever has in his entire life -- starts. The Nationals Enquirer calls for Manny Acta to be fired for the first of many, many times.

• February 27, 2008: Nationals 3, Marlins 3. That's right, the 2008 Nats Grapefruit League Opener against the Marlins ends in a Bud Selig Special: a 3-3 tie! Starter? Matt Chico. The Nationals Enquirer fixates on Manny Acta's post-game quote reminding everyone that the game is baseball, not hockey:
  "It's not hockey. We don't get a point. But we'll take a tie over a loss any day."

• February 25, 2009: Astros 6, Nationals 3. Starter? John Lannan. Nationals Enquirer notes that the 2009 season seems to be slipping away.

• March 4, 2009: Astros 15, Nationals 5; Marlins 10, Nationals 4. Rotten Grapefruit!

So, breaking out our calculator, that leaves the Nats with a 1-5-1 record in Grapefruit League Openers in their brief history. Please note that the only season the team finished with a .500 record, they won their Grapefruit League Opener. Oh, and you thought Spring Training games were meaningless?

How many days until Opening Day!?

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Comments

[anonymouse]

Where have you gone, Steve Watkins?

[The Nationals Enquirer]

Steve Watkins?

[anonymouse]

Yes, Steve Watkins. The 2006 game recap says: "Reliever Steve Watkins gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the fourth inning when he gave up an RBI single to Duffy. He ended up giving up two runs in two innings."

I never even heard of him.