Nationals Apologize to Fans via E-Mail

Well, this is a first. The Washington Nationals, who fired Manny Acta after an absolutely dreadful 26-61 pre-All-Star break record, were compelled to send an email to their fans Monday morning. We can't really tell at this point who had the bright idea to send out the letter or who actually wrote it, because it is simply signed, "Washington Nationals Baseball Club," thus, we have to conclude it's been approved by those in charge.

The letter seems to be an apology to the fans for one of worst first halves we've seen in baseball in recent memory, and it does state that the excessive losing is unacceptable.

The truth of the matter is that the Nationals were fighting a huge uphill battle when they first moved to Washington. The Montreal Expos were a glorified farm team for the last few years of their existence, so the Nationals were trying to build from the ground up. Their next move didn't help.

The hiring of Jim Bowden as the general manager was a disaster. He traded for one season of Alfonso Soriano and then wasn't able to keep him after the season. He had the chance to deal Soriano for a large haul of prospects at the trade deadline in 2006 and failed to do so. At the time, he probably could have gotten four prospects for Soriano, which is a franchise-changing type trade, but Bowden instead claimed the Nats were going to build around him. He may have been the only person in baseball who thought that was even remotely possible. Other moves like the signing of Paul Lo Duca and several reclamation projects didn't pan out. Bowden resigned under fire while being investigated by the FBI for skimming the signing bonuses of Latin American prospects.

The team gradually got worse under Bowden's watch, as he seemed to pick the wrong veterans to sign along with the development of prospects. The evidence of Bowden's work? Just look at the records during his tenure and carrying into this season.

2005: 81-81
2006: 71-91
2007: 73-89
2008: 59-102
2009: 26-61 (the .299 winning percentage puts the Nats on pace for a near-historically bad 48-114 record)

Anyway, this awful 2009 season shouldn't have been difficult to foresee. The Nationals have a decent enough nucleus, but absolutely no organizational depth and a wretched bullpen. The letter goes to great lengths to discuss the future direction and highlights some of the promising players on the horizon. Read the full text below:

TO: Fans of the Washington Nationals

No one is more dissatisfied in the first half of the 2009 Washington Nationals season than we are. Like you, we had hoped that some of our younger players would have matured faster and that the addition of some of our new veterans would have significantly improved our record from a season ago. Our hope was that a solid club leadership would emerge on and off the field and that some intangible combinations would begin to click resulting in many winning streaks.

We definitely do see significant pieces materializing for the future, and there have been many close, exciting games and optimistic bright spots: Strong outings by John Lannan, the home run and RBI production of Adam Dunn, the All-Star selection and 30 game hitting streak of Ryan Zimmerman, and the recent addition of speedster Nyjer Morgan. Much of the season, however, has been defined by weak relief pitching, poor defense, and youthful inconsistency. We have tried to work through this period with patience and focus but now we are faced with mounting losses which are beginning to take a toll on our entire roster. Clearly, some changes are required as we prepare for the second half of the 2009 season and, more importantly, build for a competitive future.

Today, we announced that manager Manny Acta is being replaced on an interim basis by Jim Riggleman, veteran manager, and currently the Nats bench coach. Both the Ownership and the entire Washington Nationals organization have the highest respect for Manny Acta and the role he has played in the short history of the Nationals. However, it is our belief that a fresh attitude and approach is necessary as we set out to improve our performance for the remainder of the year. We want to send a strong message to our clubhouse and our fans that the status quo is unacceptable. We believe that more is expected of everyone in the organization.

Baseball operations will be reevaluating all our players and our options for improvement over the next several months. We hope to sign our 2009 draft choices by the August deadline. We hope these new additions will join an already exciting Nationals youth movement headed by the likes of Lannan, Jesus Flores, Alberto Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Craig Stammen on our current roster, and the likes of promising minor league stars like Chris Marrero, Michael Burgess, Danny Espinosa, Derek Norris and Drew Storen, among many others. But, we also will be determining the viability of trades or roster upgrades that can be made without doing damage to the farm system or the developing talent we expect to blossom within the next two years.

When we bought the Washington Nationals in the middle of the 2006 season – just under three years ago – we committed to a patient, long term approach, building a strong farm system and core foundation that would deliver a perennial and consistent contender; to provide a second-to-none family entertainment value at Nationals Park; and to investment and involvement in the metropolitan Washington DC community. Today we remain steadfastly committed to each component of that mission. We are proud to represent the National Pastime in the Nation's Capital, and we are proud to call the Capital area home.

We know we have a way to go, but the end result will be all the richer for the early days we've spent together at Nationals Park. We are getting better. We want you to be with us as the pieces of the puzzle come together. Your support is powerful to the Nationals and baseball in Washington. Thank you for your continuing patience and your commitment to a shared dream.

Sincerely,

Washington Nationals Baseball Club