I did everything right.  By that I mean, I did everything right as a quirky baseball fan. 

After seeing an epic walk-off win for the Nationals in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, I went back to Nats Park for the deciding fifth game.  I wore the same jeans, Zimmerman jersey, grey long-sleeve shirt, shoes and hat.  I ate at the same pizza place near our seats.  I held the giveaway #Natitude rally towel under my right arm, just as I had in Game 4.  When things went wrong, I moved it to the left arm.

But a game that began with the Nats clubbing a double, then a triple and a home run ended in heartache.  A game they led 6-0 at one point left the record crowd only with despair.  A game that had our star closer on the mound with a lead and two strikes and two outs — two times — finished with the dizzying sight of Cardinals runners scoring on base hits and the long-time face of the Washington franchise popping out to right field.

After the game, thousands of us waited in hopes that the Nationals would stumble back out onto the field so that for one last time we could show our appreciation for the season we had just witnessed.  Yes, they blew a big lead in the most important game that many of them had ever played or that any of us had ever seen.  But what they did since the end of last season brought us to a point we hadn’t experienced before.  It was something we did together, game after game, week after week, watching with cautious optimism, hoping we would be in that stadium in October instead of watching other parks on television.

I saw someone post on Facebook after the game questioning why Nats fans were saying they were proud instead of being mad at what just happened.  But as disappointing as those final moments were, this team gave everyone in attendance and a record number watching at home the chance to taste what playoff baseball is like.  And this wasn’t even supposed to be the year for that to happen.  The young talent was supposed to get better, have a winning season, but probably fall just short of qualifying for the postseason.  It was supposed to be the learning year that propelled them into real contenders in 2013 or 2014.  Being a strike away from the National League Championship Series was playing with house money.

I know it’s a marketing slogan (which I first saw as part of a focus group) but #Natitude really became something.  This group of players embraced one another and a style of playing the game that you can’t help but enjoy watching.  Just about all of them are already under contract for next year, and all of the key players are signed for several more after that.  With our ticket package renewed for the 2013 season, we’re certainly ready to bring our #Natitude for another year, too.  And if the Nats want to schedule another doubleheader on my birthday, I’d be okay with that.