Dmitri Young, the best hitter ever? (and we are the MAO [6-1] too!)

Apparently, in the hallowed history of the Washington Nationals, no hitter has ever been as spectacular as D-Meat Hook, who in two consecutive games has laced 8 straight base hits. While the rest of the world was pointing and laughing at the Nats bats during the aberration of a 2-game skid where zero total runs were scored (and Dmitri sat out with a back injury), the Nats geared up and swung their way to two wins after the fact. By winning 7 of the past 10, we can officially ignore that little slump. In fact, it may be time to basically say that Dmitri is the hitter that the Nats and Thomas Boswell should be willing to open up the bank, Angelos style for.

We here at the DC Optimist are in the party that ignores the prospect of trading hot-streaking, clubhouse-gluing, (not wife-beating), second helping-eating players for marginally talented prospects (Matt Chico not included). If the optimism-haters have their way, and he is dealt to a supposed “win-now” team, we may not see much more of Ronnie Belliard’s prodigious girth and equally thick stick waddling around second base, lacing in game-winning singles. That bothers us, not simply because we love Ronnie and Dmitri’s on-the-field and in-the-restaurant contributions, but because we feel that the Nats can win now, and that we can cause these events to occur.

That is why in a week where the DC Optimist is relatively busy with events that occur in a different time zone, we have declared ourselves, and our beloved readers as the belated MAOs of the Week. In the last DCO post, we urged our 30+ per day readers to picture Nick Johnson fighting off pitches from bald Atlanta Braves pitchers, thereby enhancing the slowly churning red and white blood cells in his leg and speeding up his return to the lineup. It appears that our “thoughts” have been heard, for Nick is back in the cages, fighting off batting cage pitch after batting cage pitch, waiting for that hanging curve. It is only a matter of time before our positive thoughts lead this merry band of players whose batting averages are as swollen as their waistlines to the playoffs. This time, loyal readers, set the stage for your Nick Johnson vision in the first round of the playoffs, where those annual choke-stars in Atlanta attempt to foil our good faith. THINK ABOUT IT.