Buzz Saw: The Improbable Story of How the Washington Nationals Won the World Series

The outstanding tale of the 2019 International Collection champion Washington Nationals advised through the Washington Put up writer who followed the staff so much intently.

By Would possibly 2019, the Washington Nationals—homeowners of baseball’s oldest roster—had probably the most worst information within the majors and only a 1.5 % likelihood of profitable the International Collection. But through mixing an antique-faculty logo of baseball with up to date analytics, they controlled to sneak into the playoffs and placed in combination probably the most not going postseason run in baseball historical past. No longer simplest did they beat the Houston Astros, the staff with the most efficient common-season document, to say the franchise’s first championship—they gained all 4 video games in Houston, making them the primary membership to ever win 4 street video games in a International Collection.

“You might have a perfect 12 months, and you’ll run right into a buzz noticed,” Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg advised Washington Put up beat creator Jesse Dougherty after the staff complicated to the International Collection. “Perhaps this 12 months we’re the excitement noticed.” Dougherty followed the Nationals extra intently than another creator in The united states, and in Buzz Saw he recounts the dramatic 12 months in brilliant element, taking readers throughout the dugout, the clubhouse, the entrance place of business and in the end the championship parade.

Yet he does one thing greater than supply a riveting retelling of the season: he makes the case that whilst there may be indeniable price to Moneyball-taste metrics, baseball isn’t only a numbers sport. Intangibles like staff chemistry, veteran enjoy and childlike pleasure are similarly crucial to profitable. Definitely, no staff appeared to have extra a laugh than the Nationals, who followed the children’ music “Child Shark” as their anthem and often broke into dugout dance events. Buzz Saw is simply as full of life and rollicking—a installing tribute to one of the vital fun, inspiring groups to ever take the sector.