When I was down in Florida last week, I caught John Patterson’s second to last outing in a Nationals uniform. He pitched three scoreless, but not pristine, innings against the Braves. They were the innings of a journeyman, and not that of the staff’s ace, but they were scoreless innings nonetheless. But, as it turns out, they were some of his last as a National. After his start over the weekend against the Orioles, the Nationals today gave Patterson his unconditional release.
I just can’t believe they didn’t find someone willing to trade even just a couple of prospects for him.
Yow. Losing Patterson is a real blow to the fans that have been around for a long time. He was always part of the organization’s heart and soul, and to see him told to clean out his locker and head for the exit is a bit rough. Seeing a player sign with another club is hard. Seeing a beloved player traded is hard. But seeing an outright release? Ouch, man. Ouch. It cuts down to the core.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
