Nats get it DUNN

The Jim Bowden era continues.

In the early 2000's Reds fans reveled at the possibility of an outfield anchored by Ken Griffey Jr. (still available btw) with superstar prospects Wily Mo Pena, Austin Kearns, and Adam Dunn. Jim Bowden's situation was the envy of everyone in the league, and it looked as if the Reds would be at the top of baseball in the years to come.

Of course we know this isn't how things turned out. Griffey couldn't stay healthy while Kearns and Pena never lived up to their superstar potential. Eventually Bowden lost his job in Cincinnati after some insensitive remarks comparing the MLB Players association to al Qaeda(no wonder he can't get any players to sign) and the rest was history. 

A year later, however, Jim was working for the new Washington Nationals and was ready to get back what he had lost. Bowden must have had a need to get back what he felt had been wrongfully taken from him after an off the cuff remark. He had done everything right after all, he had built a team that should have been in a place to compete...it just didn't. 

It must be hard for a man who's job relies on the projected performance of others. You can make all the smart calls, the logical ones, and still end up being bit in the end by anything from a lazy third basemen to a freak kitchen injury. The bottom line was the scouting reports were wrong, the experts were wrong, and yes Jim was wrong.

Fast forward five years and the Washington Nationals are looking eerily like the Reds of 2003, especially with the signing of slugging outfielder Adam Dunn today. Is this professional? Is this not a ploy? Is this appropriate, logical, or even healthy? Am I the only one who has seen that this baseball man who has never been able to get the job done has simply taken this team hostage to fill some personal vendetta, some personal mission to prove that he was right in the first place putting these players together at the same time? 

Is it that simple? A man who can't admit his failures is using his current position of power to try and correct the mistakes of his past one? It certainly wouldn't be the first time this has happened in Washington, but Nationals fans deserve better.

It's time to let go Jim...

Players on the 2003 Reds that later ended up in the National Organization:

2B D'Angelo Jimenez

SS Felipe Lopez

3b Aaron Boone

OF Adam Dunn

OF Jose Guillen

OF Austin Kearns

OF Wily Mo Pena

Front office- Barry Larkin

Front office-Bob Boone