So spring training got under way yesterday, and in case you missed the thrilling news, the Washington Nationals won their “first game.” Never mind that the Expos, or the Team Formerly Known as The Expos, played a few thousand games. Real ones, even. Worse, I have actually seen the Nationals referred to as an “expansion team.” Granted, some of their players are expansion-esque, but that is another matter. On the other hand, are they really expansion-esque? Yes, they are.
No, that’s still glib. But their roster is a random assemblage of has-beens, never-weres, were-supposed-to-have-beens, actual baseball players, and various permutations of such types. Have a peek at a selected few:
Vinny Castilla Jeffrey Hammonds Nick Johnson Livan Hernandez Cristian Guzman Esteban Loaiza (get over it, Jays fans; I’ve gotten over Jeremy Gia . . . wait, I haven’t) Antonio Osuna Jon Rauch Wil Cordero Alex Escobar Jose Guillen Brad Wilkerson Jose Vidro Termel Sledge Gary Bennett John PattersonAs you can see, that talent, while it would not rival the Red Sox or even the White Sox, is superior to a real expansion team. But some of those names are exactly who you’d expect to see on, say, your 2007 Mexico City Altos or Portland Tenors. I can't say exactly why I feel this way about the 2005 Washington Nationals and not about, say, the Brewers, but all-in-all this is a fascinating collection of players.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050303023007363