Already a lost cause

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In every losing season, there inevitably comes a point when hope for immediate success is lost and focus is shifted toward the future.

The Washington Nationals probably reached that point weeks, even months, ago. But if there were any eternal optimists out there still holding on to hope, surely yesterday's game sealed the deal.

This just in: The Nationals are not a good team. They are 15 games under .500 after yesterday's 3-1 loss to the New York Mets. They have a makeshift pitching staff that probably would be average at best at Class AAA New Orleans. And they have neither the mental makeup nor the leadership qualities required to endure difficult times.

Boy, that was evident yesterday.

Where to begin? How about three errors in three innings with the game on the line? Or Ryan Zimmerman forgetting there was only one out when Nick Johnson hit a fly ball to center field in the eighth?

And that's only what happened on the field in front of 37,732 fans. Things only got worse behind closed doors, with the manager clearly agitated and appearing to suggest his team quit on him, the pitcher of record issuing a statement through a PR spokesman rather than speaking to reporters and a couple of players turning over chairs and cursing out members of the media.

By day's end, there was only one conclusion: The 2006 Nationals are a lost cause, and the focus for the next seven weeks should be on nothing but building for 2007 and beyond.

Wins and losses are immaterial at this point. Really, does it matter whether this team finishes 72-90 or 62-100?

It doesn't. That can be a painful realization for an organization that wants to put on a good show and keep fans interested during lean times. But it's for the best.

The Nationals, during the next seven weeks, don't need to try to win as many games as they can.