There are legitimate reasons for the Washington Nationals to think they're ready to contend this season: Stephen Strasburg, Ryan Zimmerman, and Bryce Harper are healthy; and Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez have been brought in to help the cause. But Strasburg is already looking past contending—he's already thinking beyond the division, the pennant, and even one World Series. Because why not? It's only been nine years since the franchise has had so much as a winning season, and that was back when it was still in Montreal.
No matter. Here's how far Strasburg took things in an ESPN radio interview yesterday:
"I think everybody in the Nationals organization would agree on this: we're not necessarily playing for one year specifically. We're playing to hopefully build a dynasty."
A dynasty. For the Nationals. And it was chief operating officer Andy Feffer who told Dan Steinberg's D.C. Sports Bog just how the Nats intend to make that happen:
"It's a young team, with an edge and attitude. But now it's different than the past: they're talented, and they've got the skills to back it up. That kind of edge and attitude is Natitude."
Natitude. Of course! Why hadn't the Nationals thought of this before?
Nats launch ‘Natitude' campaign [D.C. Sports Bog]