As good as the Nationals were in their over-achieving first half of 2005, with a 50-31 record, they tailed off dramatically after the All-Star break with a record of 31-50. Nevertheless, they finished with a .500 record. But trading for additional personnel was part of the problem during the season and is crucial to the Nationals now. For a team being sold by MLB in the amount of $450 million, a payroll of $50 million pales in comparison.

“It’s not fair to this ball club and this organization to be put in this position for the coming season because we’re behind on moves and things we can do and approaching players, the free agent market, either signing free agents or even really seriously talking to them. Just overall, the feeling and the atmosphere around this ball club is that we’re at a disadvantage,” according to manager, Frank Robinson. He has been the consummate professional in taking over the helm of the disenfranchised Montreal Expos and now Washington Nationals during the past four seasons, which initially was to be a one-year deal for him and then perhaps going to the front office to help manage the transition between cities and the release of MLB ownership of the club to a new owner.

Frank Robinson’s coaching staff has been directed by Jim Bowden to start looking for new jobs. This has also angered Frank, and the Nationals are very close to losing Robinson, even if the new owners wish to retain his services. He has worked with virtually no payroll, and in two different cities in two different countries, for four years. And in one of those years his team played a third of their games in Puerto Rico. But Robinson is not the only upset party in this twisted tale, which could largely have been avoided. The Mayor of Washington, D.C. is upset, certain members of the City Council are at odds, the residents of Washington, D.C. are concerned with absorbing potential cost overruns, and the candidates who want to own the team are anxious.

Finally, the players, manager and coaches of the 2005 Nationals deserve better and fans of MLB are being taken for granted. Without ticket prices set nor a television contract in place it will be difficult to continue to generate as much interest in 2006 as in 2005 in Washington, D.C., since fans want a good team put on the field too. And now that its maiden voyage is over, any success the Washington Nationals enjoy in 2006 will be in spite of Commissioner Selig, not because of him.