The epitaph of the 2009 Washington Nationals reads as follows:

  Here lies the 2009 Washington Natinals. When they pitched, they couldn't hit. When they hit, they couldn't pitch. Sometimes when they pitched and hit, they couldn't field. When they had a lead, the bullpen almost always blew it. But just when you thought they were about to quit: they didn't. And they signed Strasburg. One of the joys of blogging is being able to look back and read all the half-baked, really dumb thoughts that make their way from brain-to-keyboard-to-internet over the course of a 162 game season. A prime example: our 2009 Nationals Predictions, posted on Opening Day, April 6th, 2009. To save you from clicking that link and losing your train of thought, let's revisit our thoughts from six months ago: Time to bury the 2008 disaster, put the Winter of the Nationals' Discontent behind us, and hope like hell that 2009 will mark a turning point for an organization that&...