Buzz Saw

March 1, 2020

In 2019, Washington, DC, celebrated a World Series title for the first time in 95 years. Although the Nationals have been a league power for a decade, they always fell short in the post season. With this championship run, the underdog Nats--the oldest team in the league--implausibly rose from being 12 games under .500 in May to making the playoffs as a wildcard team in September. Washington Post writer Dougherty was along for the ride. In this debut, he explores how the team's roster was created, and the various personalities involved. The first half of the book is an episodic and sporadic chronicle of the regular season, but the second half provides a detailed study of the 17 postseason games that delivered the championship. As a side note, Washington defeated the Houston Astros in the World Series, and the Astros have since been implicated in a sign-stealing scandal that dates back to their championship season of 2017. VERDICT As an insider's view of a remarkable run, this should be enjoyed by all baseball fans.--John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ.-Camden Lib., NJ

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 16, 2020
Dougherty, the Washington Post’s beat reporter for the Washington Nationals, digs into the exciting story of how the team went from a losing record in May 2019 to World Series champions five months later. The narrative begins in the offseason when the team decided not to re-sign their star pitcher Bryce Harper following a disappointing 2018 season. The team struggled early in the season, as manager Dave Martinez and GM Mike Rizzo searched for answers, and here, Dougherty delves deep into the team’s strategies, such as Martinez encouraging the coaching staff to look at the “little things,” which eventually led to led to their bringing in cast-off players and veterans who would help lead the team’s resurgence. That combo worked, and the team reached the playoffs, which Dougherty captures in a great mix of game recaps and personal narratives that includes Martinez undergoing heart surgery mid season, and a Twitter brouhaha sparked by pitcher Daniel Hudson missing a playoff game to be present for the birth of his daughter. Dougherty highlights the team’s use of modern analytics and traditional scouting during their triumphant march to championships, as the Nationals beat the Cardinals in the NLCS and the Astros in the World Series. Emotional and informative, this is a home run for any fan of the sport.

March 15, 2020
Written in just a few weeks by Washington Post reporter Jesse Dougherty, who covered the Washington Nationals' more-than-simply-improbable 2019 championship season, this informative and remarkably up-to-date chronicle re-creates a truly memorable year in baseball. What it may lack in research or deep analysis is balanced by Dougherty's insider's knowledge of and insights into a unique team, its remarkable players (Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon, Howie Kendrick, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, et. al) and inspirational manager, Dave Martinez. Beginning with the team's horrendous start, Dougherty follows the Nationals' stunning rise to the top, accomplished while other contenders were fading \. With Martinez's heart, enthusiasm, and managing style driving the team to keep winning through the long season, the Nationals' triumph was, and remains, a feel-good story in a troubled sport, and this riveting account comes at just the right time, with a new season about to begin. Play ball!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)